CS restaurants/Child credits on DP....questions

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

OK. Thank you first of all for all of you who are DP experts and have kindly answered question after question...........you all have been so patient.

I think I pretty much get the jist of this dining plan except for a few things I couldn't find out on the Disney Dining plan website or this board. So here goes......

1) Children's meal at counter service(Quick Service).............we will have one child with us (my son who is 6, our two DD's are both counted as adults). Ok....he is only allowed to order from the children's menu if they have one.....I get that part. Almost every CS in MK has a child's menu. At Pecos Bill's, where we usually get burgers, the child's menu only has beans and franks or grilled chicken and carrots. So while we are eating our burgers, he is supposed to chose from this short (and somewhat unappealing) list?? What is up with that restaurant? We love this place but we've never ordered from the child's menu. Should we just cross it off our list?

2) Using same example from above...............for the quick service meals, the adults choose an entree, dessert and beverage (at least for lunch and dinner) . On the Pecos Bill's child's menu, there are no desserts. Does the child even GET dessert on this plan with the Quick service meals? If they are allowed to get dessert, what do you do at restaurants that don't have any on the menu??

3) I understand that they will track your points for you. We will get a receipt each time that will tell us how many QS points we have (when we dine at a counter service rest.) or how many TS points we have (when we dine at a sit down rest.)...........but does it tell you how many adult QS(or TS) points and how many children's QS(or TS) points you have left? What I mean is, do they break it down for you or does it just say......."15 TS points left".

Thank you for your help.

 

[formernyer]

(1) Consider sharing CS meals. Your family of five can easily share 3 adult meals and still leave feeling satisfied. If you don't think it'll be enough, go for a fourth adult meal. I can guarantee you that you won't need five meals for five people. Meal sharing is also allowed at TS restaurants and depending on the restaurant, 3 meals should easily feed all five of you (in some instances it might take 4 meals, but in my limited experience you'd really only need 3 no matter where you eat). Credits are credits (no distiction between child and adult) so the leftover credits can be used at a later time to purchase adult meals. We used our extra credits to get "free" breakfasts in the morning.

As best I recall, Cosmic Rays in MK didn't have a kids menu at all. Even if they did, three of the 1/2 chicken and 1/2 rack rib combo plates will STUFF your party of five.

(2) If you're going to order a kid's meal, you also need to order kids appetizers and desserts. Some places have not yet added these options. If you dine at one of those places, the child can order the appetizers and desserts off the adult menu and they will be brought a full adult-sized portion.

(3) Credits are credits. Your child's credit can be used to purchase an adult entree at a later date. The tracking receipt will only tell you the number of credits left...it won't distinguish between child and adult because they are all the same. If all five of you order an entree at the same time, your son will need to order a child size; however, if four of you order entrees and your son just gets an extra plate for sharing, then his "child" credit can be used by any of the adults at a later time. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

If all five of you order an entree at the same time, your son will need to order a child size; however, if four of you order entrees and your son just gets an extra plate for sharing, then his "child" credit can be used by any of the adults at a later time. I hope that makes sense.

Thank you formernyer........So, if I'm understanding this right...........my three children could, technically, share two adult meals the whole time? We could "get away" with ordering no childs meal?

I'm not saying I would do that.......but for example sake, I'm asking if I'm understanding this right.

Edited to add: I'm not trying to figure out how to cheat the system, but other than the occasional burger, my kids don't eat chicken fingers and the "usual" kid fare at restaurants. Some of WDW restaurants have great things on the child's menu, others......well, the pickens are slim!

Just to give an example......the other night, my 6 year old is eating beer batter fish from Gorton's I had bought last month. He liked it ok but looked up at me and said, "I like salmon better"........ My kids love mussels, crab, scallops, good steak, etc............am I the only one with kids that order baked potatoes and chili at Wendy's?? I'm not a health food nut either......we love a lot of junk food too. But it costs a lot to feed my family at a sit down restaurant these days.

 

[Palendat]

We never ordered a single child's meal at a CS for our entire 10 day trip. 3 adults meals were ALWAYS sufficient to feed the four of us, and we used the extra credits for a few breakfasts. Disney's computers DO NOT care. (I'm sure Disney management doesn't care either, or this loophole would have VERY EASILY been closed long ago.)

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

We never ordered a single child's meal at a CS for our entire 10 day trip. 3 adults meals were ALWAYS sufficient to feed the four of us, and we used the extra credits for a few breakfasts. Disney's computers DO NOT care. (I'm sure Disney management doesn't care either, or this loophole would have VERY EASILY been closed long ago.)

Thank you too, Palendat. That is good to know. I think that is what we will do........just order 3 or 4 adult meals.

And you're right, I'm sure Disney does not care. If there is something I know, it's that if Disney doesn't make money on something, it's in the can before you can say "Donald Duck loves Daisy"!

 

[formernyer]

Thank you formernyer........So, if I'm understanding this right...........my three children could, technically, share two adult meals the whole time? We could "get away" with ordering no childs meal?

Exactly.

If you order two of the the 1/2 rotisserie chicken and 1/2 rack of ribs combo meals (they come with chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, and veggie) at Cosmic Rays in MK you will definitely be able to feed all five people on just two credits. The three leftover credits are enough to share breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast meals are smaller, but three credits should feed 5 of you if you only need a light meal.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

If you order two of the the 1/2 rotisserie chicken and 1/2 rack of ribs combo meals (they come with chicken, ribs, mashed potatoes, and veggie) at Cosmic Rays in MK you will definitely be able to feed all five people on just two credits. The three leftover credits are enough to share breakfast at the hotel.

Wait a minute! Are you talking about ordering 2 of the combinations (the 1/2 chicken and some ribs) that cost $13.89?? Or 1, 1/2 rotisserie chicken and 1, 1/2 rack of ribs for $7.29 and $8.69, respectively?

Surely you can't mean the former..........that can't be counted as ONE credit. I thought we would order maybe 2 of the rib meals and one of the chicken.......for 3 credits. I think that would be plenty of food, considering it's dessert also.

 

[formernyer]

Wait a minute! Are you talking about ordering 2 of the combinations (the 1/2 chicken and some ribs) that cost $13.89?? Or 1, 1/2 rotisserie chicken and 1, 1/2 rack of ribs for $7.29 and $8.69, respectively?

Surely you can't mean the former..........that can't be counted as ONE credit.

The $13.99 meal counts as one credit. I ordered it last Sunday. It fed three of us. We weren't stuffed liked we were after some of the TS meals, but we were all satisfied.

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

The $13.99 meal counts as one credit. I ordered it last Sunday. It fed three of us. We weren't stuffed liked we were after some of the TS meals, but we were all satisfied.

WOW!