Is there anything more depressing than a kids menu?

[pindecisive]

I think the problem with this is that it punishes parents who have tried to train their kids to have a more varied palate. They end up with too much on the kid's plate and a very expensive bill.

It's really interesting actually. My husband grew up with microwaveable food and rotisserie chicken. I grew up with my mom giving me carrots, artichokes (which was my favorite food as a toddler), broccoli, sandwiches (egg salad, tuna), apples, peaches, asparagus, etc. It wasn't until we were teenagers that soda and pasta became more mainstays.

 

[bsmcneil]

Same kid offered to eat a worm the other day and then we had a conversation about whether caterpillars would/do taste the same (I said no - of course not, they're fuzzy). They said they thought it would all taste the same. Only now am I realizing maybe I should be concerned about their palate

 

[HopperFan]

Wow step out for a few and come back to such hostility about how other kids eat. We all parent different. And too bad this thread went down that road because it really doesn't matter which way someone parents their child's eating, it doesn't impact anyone else. The question was are Disney's kid's menus horrible. I say no they are not. Why? Because it once was all "junk food" and then Disney tried to make it all "healthy food" and the complaints were loud and clear. So now they have a mixture of both. It is up to us parents to find restaurants that meet our needs. It is not up to Disney to adjust their business model to make each individual family happy, their goal is profitability of a menu.

Generally speaking kids menus are horrible, correct?

To answer the original question, no they are not. They are a mixture of items that they find sell well in their category - table or quick, kiosks, buffets, family style, prix fixe and snacks. Table Service seem to offer a couple kid items that are more tame adult menu items along with a couple menu items most kids would like. One also has the option of ordering them an adult meal, ordering a combo of appetizers (other than prix fixe) or adults/kids sharing a variety of meals. Or not eat in Disney restaurants.

While I think one could legitimately complain about quality of food or price of food .... I don't think one can complain about menus. The menu is what they offer - it is up to us to decide if we want to eat there just like anywhere else we go.

 

[dd316]

Wow, 10 pages of troll feeding.

Kids menus are just fine. I guess the OP has been an adult their entire life.

 

[mom2rtk]

So to answer the OP's question, we're in the middle of a pandemic. I can think of lots of things more depressing than kids'menus at WDW.

 

[dez1978]

I grew up haaaating ketchup and was always annoyed because places (in the 80s/90s) would toss that in and ignore my request for BBQ sauce (or my mom would - someone did!). And I annoyed my family because - I mean, it feels like a lot of people are down with ketchup but I was repulsed by it (even as I loved tomatoes and spaghetti sauce - I know, I was/am weird). I wouldn't refuse to eat it - but I just didn't want it (the same with cheese on my hamburger, which I generally do refuse). My oldest was similar - didn't object but never asked for it or added it on.

So now, it's absolute karma that eeeeeevery drop of ketchup I refused to eat as a kid/my oldest declined has been consumed (and then some) by my youngest who would, I swear to Mickey, drink the stuff from a tap if they could. I literally saw them use a spoon and eat it like pudding. This kid put it between two pieces of bread and tried to feed it to me as a sandwich (which they then ate). People + food = weird.

My kid dunks his oreos in ketchup when I'm not looking.... so gross. But cant get him to touch lettuce lol.

Also, according to TikTok apparently oreos and mustard are delicious.

 

[Sinder]

Out of curiosity I looked it up- there are over 200 places to get something to eat at WDW.
If you can't find something that fits your dietary needs somewhere then maybe you would just do better packing your own food. Disney even allows you to do that if they don't meet your strict standards for your children's meals

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Out of curiosity I looked it up- there are over 200 places to get something to eat at WDW.
If you can't find something that fits your dietary needs somewhere then maybe you would just do better packing your own food. Disney even allows you to do that if they don't meet your strict standards for your children's meals

Yeah..it took me a long time to go through all the options at just the parks back in 2017 not to mention Disney Springs and I wasn't even counting at the resorts, took hours really if you're considering breakfast, lunch and dinner menus for places that had multiple menus with variations. If someone takes the time to look over all the options it's going to take a while but it could be well worth it. Menus change all the time too sometimes for the better sometimes for the worse but the point is still the same there's a lot of options out there.

 

[Pickles516]

That is how I see people who let their kids only eat mac and cheese and chicken strips. Whatever their baby wants, that is what they get. Never mind that they are being nutritionally starved and that a child should not be making such important decisions, like getting proper nutrients, themselves. What kid wouldn't want to eat junk all day, every day. Might as well just let them eat cake and candy. We are the complete opposite of what you posted and I know that, for some reason, that is how you see me. But it could not be further from the truth. Meals were the one thing that was non negotiable in our house. You eat a decent meal because your body needs it for proper growth and development. So that is where we drew the line. Other people see it differently and we are all supposed to be supportive of their parenting decisions. But a parent that actually wants some healthy food for their kid is fair game, right? It's like reverse bullying. You all are bullies. And I know that my kids grew up extremely healthy and eat a huge variety of foods. So it doesn't matter what you think, because I know that I did right by my children. It's a pity that more don't see it that way.

I have an 8 year old who’s favorite foods are sushi, edamame, assorted soups, and green vegetables. I have a 3 year old who used to eat anything but now only wants bagels, chicken nuggets, and tootsie roll pops(gross), I have an 11 month old who only wants to eat whatever I’m currently eating, and a 6 year old I don’t think I’ve ever seen finish a meal, nutritious or otherwise.

I don’t care what you feed your kids. I only decided to rib you a bit because of how you were talking to others - as if your superior parenting somehow dictated what your kids(who, believe it or not, are not Pavlov’s dogs) like. Stop being a jerk to people and people will stop making fun of you.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

a 6 year old I don’t think I’ve ever seen finish a meal, nutritious or otherwise.

This was me for a long time. I just didn't have an appetite. Didn't matter what was prepared at home or what I got out elsewhere. I'd take a bite out of something and be done. It got a lot better in middle school but up until then my appetite was fairly small.

Also your likes and dislikes can change during your lifetime. I used to eat salmon patties my mom would make when I was a younger kid but for quite a while the thought of eating salmon is like and I really don't like seafood. On the flipside now I like edamame, hummus, coconut, goat cheese, squash, broccoli, broccolini, asparagus and more all these things that even until college did not at all appeal to me. I love herbs and spices things that I didn't use to seek out.

One of the only things that has stuck with me all the years of not liking is cantaloupe and that's because an in-home daycare provider from my elementary school days would basically force feed me that stuff (mostly the clean your plate mentality but just more forceful) and I hated it, still don't like it at all. Bad memories=bad taste no matter how I've tried to overcome that. I like honey dew instead but most people I know dislike honey dew and like cantaloupe lol.

 

[Pickles516]

This was me for a long time. I just didn't have an appetite. Didn't matter what was prepared at home or what I got out elsewhere. I'd take a bite out of something and be done. It got a lot better in middle school but up until then my appetite was fairly small.

Also your likes and dislikes can change during your lifetime. I used to eat salmon patties my mom would make when I was a younger kid but for quite a while the thought of eating salmon is like and I really don't like seafood. On the flipside now I like edamame, hummus, coconut, goat cheese, squash, broccoli, broccolini, asparagus and more all these things that even until college did not at all appeal to me. I love herbs and spices things that I didn't use to seek out.

One of the only things that has stuck with me all the years of not liking is cantaloupe and that's because an in-home daycare provider from my elementary school days would basically force feed me that stuff (mostly the clean your plate mentality but just more forceful) and I hated it, still don't like it at all. Bad memories=bad taste no matter how I've tried to overcome that. I like honey dew instead but most people I know dislike honey dew and like cantaloupe lol.

Geez, sorry about your bad melon experience! I think my 6 year old’s inability to finish a meal is related in part to his recent diagnosis of ADD. He can’t sit still, stop talking, or simply focus on the act of eating for more than maybe five minutes. I have to feed him on the go - a few bites here, a nibble there, etc.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Geez, sorry about your bad melon experience!

Thank you although I sure didn't mean to make it sound like such a huge deal lol. But it has stuck with me all throughout the years. Probably a good example of why that clean your plate mentality can backfire. Negative associations with food can last and last. But at the end of the day at least it was just a melon variety for me

I have to feed him on the go - a few bites here, a nibble there, etc.

for the diagnosis part. I'm sure that can def. impact things but it sounds like you're trying to work with it, here's to hoping that it gets better over time

 

[MickeyMouse3!]

"Is there anything more depressing than a kids menu?"
Yes. The price of those meals.

 

[Lilylogan]

Well since there’s no dining plan - just order whatever your kid wants. I order off the kids menu sometimes bc it’s the same food but smaller portion and like half the price. Like the grilled cheese/soup at woodys lunchbox, chicken/rice bowl at pecos bills, cheeseburger pod at satuli canteen etc.

 

[Lilylogan]

I have an 8 year old who’s favorite foods are sushi, edamame, assorted soups, and green vegetables. I have a 3 year old who used to eat anything but now only wants bagels, chicken nuggets, and tootsie roll pops(gross), I have an 11 month old who only wants to eat whatever I’m currently eating, and a 6 year old I don’t think I’ve ever seen finish a meal, nutritious or otherwise.

I don’t care what you feed your kids. I only decided to rib you a bit because of how you were talking to others - as if your superior parenting somehow dictated what your kids(who, believe it or not, are not Pavlov’s dogs) like. Stop being a jerk to people and people will stop making fun of you.

Yep I used to think like that before I had kids….now I have 3 and just happy they eat anything. My 3 year old had a Mickey bar for lunch last week…..

 

[Lilsia]

I have an 8 year old who’s favorite foods are sushi, edamame, assorted soups, and green vegetables. I have a 3 year old who used to eat anything but now only wants bagels, chicken nuggets, and tootsie roll pops(gross), I have an 11 month old who only wants to eat whatever I’m currently eating, and a 6 year old I don’t think I’ve ever seen finish a meal, nutritious or otherwise.

I don’t care what you feed your kids. I only decided to rib you a bit because of how you were talking to others - as if your superior parenting somehow dictated what your kids(who, believe it or not, are not Pavlov’s dogs) like. Stop being a jerk to people and people will stop making fun of you.

That was not what I said originally until others started going at me about how I fed my kids. And I have said over and over again how it is fine that they keep the stuff that they have, but to add some actual real food to every kid's menu, not just have it at 1 place per park. Why does that bother so many people to have more healthier food options. And it's funny how you all are fine with being a jerk to me and others that want better food for our kids. It has nothing to do with "superior parenting" it is a choice that we make. And our choices are just as valid as those who choose to feed their kids mac and cheese and chicken nuggets every day. If you feel that it makes me "superior", then that is you projecting. And you can't argue with medical science that shows that kids develop better on better food.

 

[J-Dog]

The issue is that there are people out there that actually feed their kids food other than the four items that they have everywhere in the quick service restaurants. The lack of variety of anything decent to eat is a problem. Kids deserve to have a variety of food just like the adults do. Majority of counter service restaurants have the same four items. Imagine just eating for things your whole trip and that's it. This is an issue and more people should be complaining about it.

What are you talking about? Kids meals are supposed to be smaller meals appropriate for the child's stomach size. Like it has been up until a couple of decades ago. It has nothing to do with sensory issues. I don't even know what you mean by that I'm assuming you're talking about kids with sensory issues. But it's not like they can't have a couple of those items on the menu AS WELL AS normal foods in smaller portions like they used to have before the last two decades. And children with sensory issues is a small percentage of actual children. It's not like all kids have an issue with eating a wide variety of food. This is a learned behavior by parents in this country. Almost nobody over the age of 40 was fed this stuff growing up we all ate what our parents ate. And then as a treat every once in awhile we would go to McDonald's and get chicken nuggets but that was rare. Disney has tens of thousands of kids + every year. Only offering the same four items that almost all of their quick service is insane to me. Especially since most of them are pretty nutritionally devoid. The real reason why they serve this crap is because it's cheap and people are putting up with it for some reason. We should all demand better for our kids especially when it comes to proper nutrition.

No, we actually did order adult meals for our kids growing up. But the issue is we shouldn't have had to because kids meals are supposed to be smaller versions of adult meals that are size appropriate for their smaller stomachs. That's how it had always been up until the company decided that it will save them money to start feeding kids horrible foods. It's so much cheaper for them to give mac and cheese instead of them getting some roast chicken and mashed potatoes. I completely understand the restaurant's point of view on this because they're all about the money. My issue is why the parents are not demanding better kids meals for their children. Ordering adult food is much more expensive than ordering the kids meals. Smaller portion meals should be cheaper for kids. This is not some crazy, new concept. This is what the norm was for a long time. And this has nothing to do with covid close down, this is a downward spiral train of feeding the same four or five unhealthy items has been going on for, like I said, the last couple of decades. It was not an issue before that.

I have written to Disney about it but they definitely need to hear it from others. I think that it is just easier for some to just let it go for their vacation. And the point is not that it is possible to get around it, it's that we shouldn't have to. Why is the automatic to feed these 4 items instead of healthier, normal, non processed food? That is what I am really baffled about. The amount of people that put up with this horrible food instead of demanding better for our kids.

This is not about taking kids to a place that serves that stuff, because it's everywhere. It is about the general decline of even remotely nutritious foods that are being offered to kids now. Why is it acceptable to have such poor choices for kids now? And more to the point, why are parents putting up with it? Why are we not demanding better for our kids? Why isn't the option rotisserie chicken and green beans instead of chicken strips and fries? I just think that it is sad that these are the "standard" foods offered to children now. SMH

That was not what I said originally until others started going at me about how I fed my kids. And I have said over and over again how it is fine that they keep the stuff that they have, but to add some actual real food to every kid's menu, not just have it at 1 place per park. Why does that bother so many people to have more healthier food options. And it's funny how you all are fine with being a jerk to me and others that want better food for our kids. It has nothing to do with "superior parenting" it is a choice that we make. And our choices are just as valid as those who choose to feed their kids mac and cheese and chicken nuggets every day. If you feel that it makes me "superior", then that is you projecting. And you can't argue with medical science that shows that kids develop better on better food.

The first five quotes that I bolded seem to contradict your last bolded quote.

If you don't think that your way is "superior parenting", then why have you posted over and over about how we need to be agreeing with you?

 

[Lilsia]

The first five quotes that I bolded seem to contradict your last bolded quote.

If you don't think that your way is "superior parenting", then why have you posted over and over about how we need to be agreeing with you?

How is feeding children healthy food being "a superior parent" and not just the standard? Like adults have to have some kind of mensa membership to know that healthy foods are better for you and that kids need good food for proper brain and body development. You seem to be focusing on the wrong thing. Why are so many against having all quick service restaurants offering a better variety of healthy foods? That is the question. And me saying "why don't more parents complain about the food" is not me being "a superior parent", only one that wants the best for my kids, and other people's kids. This trend of feeding processed, over salted, and nutritionally devoid foods to children is very damaging. This is beyond a parenting choice at this point because it is becoming increasingly difficult to find any other options. We shouldn't have to "look for it" at maybe 1 or 2 places per park, it should be an option at every restaurant. I still don't understand how anyone would be against this, especially since they don't have to pick it for their kids if they don't want to. Why fight so hard against having more variety in the kid's menus? How is the consensus not "yes, I wish they would have better food available at all restaurants for our kids"???

 

[luv2cheer92]

How is feeding children healthy food being "a superior parent" and not just the standard? Like adults have to have some kind of mensa membership to know that healthy foods are better for you and that kids need good food for proper brain and body development. You seem to be focusing on the wrong thing. Why are so many against having all quick service restaurants offering a better variety of healthy foods? That is the question. And me saying "why don't more parents complain about the food" is not me being "a superior parent", only one that wants the best for my kids, and other people's kids. This trend of feeding processed, over salted, and nutritionally devoid foods to children is very damaging. This is beyond a parenting choice at this point because it is becoming increasingly difficult to find any other options. We shouldn't have to "look for it" at maybe 1 or 2 places per park, it should be an option at every restaurant. I still don't understand how anyone would be against this, especially since they don't have to pick it for their kids if they don't want to. Why fight so hard against having more variety in the kid's menus? How is the consensus not "yes, I wish they would have better food available at all restaurants for our kids"???

People have given perfectly good reasons why they don't have it at every restaurant.

 

[eileen2664]

How is feeding children healthy food being "a superior parent" and not just the standard? Like adults have to have some kind of mensa membership to know that healthy foods are better for you and that kids need good food for proper brain and body development. You seem to be focusing on the wrong thing. Why are so many against having all quick service restaurants offering a better variety of healthy foods? That is the question. And me saying "why don't more parents complain about the food" is not me being "a superior parent", only one that wants the best for my kids, and other people's kids. This trend of feeding processed, over salted, and nutritionally devoid foods to children is very damaging. This is beyond a parenting choice at this point because it is becoming increasingly difficult to find any other options. We shouldn't have to "look for it" at maybe 1 or 2 places per park, it should be an option at every restaurant. I still don't understand how anyone would be against this, especially since they don't have to pick it for their kids if they don't want to. Why fight so hard against having more variety in the kid's menus? How is the consensus not "yes, I wish they would have better food available at all restaurants for our kids"???

I’m curious, what quick service/fast food places do you eat at in your home town? Around here virtually none of the fast food places have healthy adult meals, nevermind kid’s meals. You’re expecting Disney to do something that most worldwide fast food corporations can’t pull off.