Many of us have been there — you’re trying to plan the best and most delicious vacation, but when it comes to Disney Kids’ Meals, the options can seem pretty ho-hum at first glance.
But there’s more to eating with small fry in Disney World than meets the eye! We first told you about Unique Kids’ Meals a while back in a Tip from the DFB Guide.
But times marches on, and menus evolve. And since we first visited the subject, Disney has committed to offering guests healthier eating options — and that includes Kids’ Meal reforms. We’ve fully updated the DFB Guide again this year, and I thought it was the perfect time to revisit Unique Kids’ Meals at Walt Disney World!
These tips come to you courtesy of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2015! And if they’re helpful to you, pick up your copy of the Guide today for $4 off using code “2015” right here!
Mickey Check Meals
We can’t begin to discuss Disney World Kids’ Meals without at least touching on the biggest change to come to children’s menus in the history of the Resort. We’re talking about Mickey Check Meals.
Part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living Initiative, the meals are designated on Disney restaurant menus with the “Mickey Check” Symbol. Meals earning the Mickey Check meet the Disney Nutrition Guidelines and limit the amount of sodium, sugar, and saturated and trans fats. In addition, they must also include at least three of the following:
- fruits and vegetables,
- low-fat dairy,
- whole grains, and/or
- lean protein, beans, eggs, and/or nuts.
So what’s the bottom line? The guidelines have certainly challenged Disney chefs to come up with some interesting meals as a result.
Turkey Meatloaf at Be Our Guest Restaurant…Super Cute! But Not So Delicious
But how do they taste? Wellllll…my jury is still out on that one. While I commend Disney for offering healthier options to guests who are in search of them, the Disney Check Meals that I’ve seen and tasted personally…let’s just say they have a long way to go before taste catches up with the requirements.
A la Carte and Appetizers as Kids’ Meals
If you aren’t using a Disney Dining Plan, then another great idea for a Unique Kids’ Meal option is to order a la carte sides or appetizers instead of something from the Kids’ Menu.
This strategy works great for a couple of different reasons. Even with all of the improvements to kids’ meals across the parks and resorts, some Disney restaurants lag behind a bit, and the options can be a little, well, boring. After all, you can only eat Chicken Nuggets so many times. So it’s a great way to get your young, adventurous eater something tastier and more satisfying.
Smoked Chicken Quesadillas, a Whispering Canyon Cafe Appetizer, is a Great Meal Choice for an Adventurous Kid
It’s also a great idea when kids aren’t hungry enough to do a full meal justice. After all, a day of Disney Parks usually means, meal, snack, meal, treat, snack, meal! (Oh, and don’t forget special drinks!) The chances of getting to meal time with a not-so-hungry kid in tow are pretty excellent.
Some More Interesting Kids’ Meal Menu Options
But where does this leave us when it comes to actual Kids’ Menu meals? Well, there are some pretty good options — especially in the realm of table service restaurants.
If Junior has carnivore tendencies, check out the St. Louis Style Pork Ribs at Rainforest Cafe. (Check out our review of the ribs as part of an adult entree here.) For kiddos with vegetarian leanings, I love the option of a half-size Grilled Vegetable Sandwich at Studio Catering Company. (I review the same sandwich at Backlot Express in this post.)
A Half Portion of the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich at Studio Catering Company is a Great Kids’ Meal Option!
Raglan Road Irish Pub at Downtown Disney offers a kids’ version of their popular Dalkey Duo — Battered Sausages with a Creamy Mustard Sauce for dipping.
And don’t forget dessert! Some of the most creative sweet endings at Disney restaurants are found on Kids’ Menus. The Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is a showstopper!
Spaghetti and Meatball Cupcake at Mama Melrose’s! So Fun!
And I wanted my very own Peanut Butter Turtle during dinner at Sanaa recently. 🙂
Peanut Butter Turtle at Sanaa. I Want My Own
Seriously. Grab your own serving on this one. Your kid isn’t gonna wanna share.
Ready for All of Our Best Tips?
We’ve got TONS of Disney World Dining Tips — including great information for scoring healthier eats for you and your kiddos — in our big, bold, 490-page DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 — and the guide is your ticket to planning your best Disney trip yet!
The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
With sample dining itineraries, plus our “Disney Dining at a Glance” section, featuring “Where Can I Find?” options, you’ll have everything you need to plan the best vacation ever. Click here to get your copy of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 E-book — and use code 2015 for an extra $4 discount for a limited time!
Now let’s hear from all of you! What are your best tips for providing kids with interesting eats around Walt Disney World? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Excellent article! If you have an adventurous eater (and are not restricted to the kid’s dinning plan) WDW has some amazing food for them to try.
We were there 6 days and our 7 year old never once ate a chicken nugget, hamburger, hot dog, or french fry, or pizza.
My son’s favorite Disney meal is the rainbow grilled cheese at The Wave.
Love the blog posts! But PLEASE stop promoting your ebook on so many posts! Everyone knows: there’s an ebook. It’s on the sidebar. It’s on the top of posts. It’s on the bottom of posts. I may have to stop reading—and I’m definitely not buying the ebook, just because it’s annoying to see it promoted everywhere.
My kids loved their whole meal at Sanaa. T Rex too, aside from the obvious reasons a kid wants to eat there, has a great kids menu, like rotisserie chicken. Narcoossee’s does a lovely steak my little carvnivores love, followed by a super cute Nemo cupcake. I believe at Artist Point they do salmon, which goes over really well, followed by an edible chocolate puzzle that comes with a paintbrush and edible paints, so you can have arts and crafts time…then eat it!!
Uh oh…my picky eater chose the meatloaf for our Be Our Guest reservation. Not good? I’d like to change it then, before we arrive in two weeks. Do you have any favorites there?
Sheri — Thanks! So happy you enjoyed it, and sounds like you had a great time!
Norma — Sounds awesome!
Claire — Those are excellent suggestions! Thanks!
Jean S. — The meatloaf is fine, it just doesn’t have the flavor that a higher fat version would. Your picky eater will likely love the cute shape 🙂
Dining with our vegetarian three year old is always tricky – not a lot of kids options in general but then you eliminate the meat and it can get tough… I suppose that’s just another reason we’re lucky to be local and take shorter but more frequent trips 😉 Can’t imagine how he’d survive if we did three meals a day there for a week!
wait….. You have to pick your meal ahead of time at Be our Guest????
Wow… you won’t take constructive feedback I guess…
Awesome idea about ordering an adult appetizer for a child. My 8 yo may love that idea!
My 11 year old looked at that spaghetti cupcake and turtle truffle and asked me why it wasn’t October yet. I laughed and agreed. We can’t wait to go then!
Cris, you don’t have to order ahead but the option is there. I was told it speeds the process up a little. You can go to your reservations and there will be a link to start the process there.
Melissa — I wanted to send my sincere apologies for not publishing your comment immediately after you sent it. Comments that are not automatically approved (Readers who have had published comments before are automatically published.) go through a different process than those from previous commenters, and I wasn’t able to get it through that process until this evening. We welcome any and all criticism of our own product.
In regard to the actual comment, I’m sorry that you feel badly that we publicize our book. It’s basically the only thing we do to support a blog that costs us thousands and thousands of dollars per year to produce (we don’t take any money or free room/board from Disney, of course, in order to keep the blog as unbiased as possible).
We will continue to promote the products that we spend a lot of time and money researching and creating, because most of the feedback I get on them is extremely positive. Many of our readers are grateful that we write the books, and they rely on them to help plan their vacations.
I’ll be sorry to lose you as a reader. Many thanks for your support, and I wish you many wonderful Disney vacations. 🙂
PS — I’ve tried to send you an email with this information, but it was bounced back to me as undeliverable. 🙁
This is a great post. I am not a kid, well maybe at heart 🙂 I find the portions way too huge for an adult meal. I eat alot of kids meals in WDW especially quick service. They are great. My favorite is the pulled pork sandwich in Peco’s Bills. I had that half Grilled Vegatable Sandwich in Studio Catering Co. The outside was hard as a rock but the inside was warm and good. Thanks again for the great post.
We travelled to disney from the UK in 2013 and I found the choice of food for the children really limited. We are due to go back next year and I have been looking at the menus and found that they sell things like Kids’ Mickey Check Meal – Smucker’s® Uncrustables® which I believe are a pre-frozen product. In the UK kids meals tend to always have a few mini versions of the adult meals and then the obvious nuggets and fries, mac and cheese (or cheesy pasta as we call it). My point is why do Disney seem as though they think kids will only eat rubbish – or things like applesauce. I wish they could just do smaller versions of the adult meals – what are your thoughts AJ?
Lexy — Actually, while there is some standard kids fare, you’ll also find some “mini version” kids meals, too. We dined at Sanaa and found good options for the kiddo in our group. Raglan Road is another spot that offers a good selection for kids, including a smaller version of menu favorites like their Shepherd’s Pie. You’ll also find better options at Be Our Guest on the lunch menu, which includes Mickey Turkey Meatloaf, Slow Cooked Pork, and a Carved Turkey Sandwich. Uncrustables are available nearly everywhere as a service to parents with super picky eaters, but Disney’s commitment to their Mickey Check Meals program should mean that you find healthier, “less junky” options nearly everywhere you go — be it counter service or table service. Also, don’t forget — Disney is usually very accommodating when it comes to making substitutions. If the applesauce doesn’t work for you, then definitely see if you can swap it for something else. I hope this helps, and I hope you have a great time on your next Disney visit!