Am I a CF to expect free lunch for my DD?

[jasminemaya]

Booked a two week holiday with DP and DD (3).

The hotel has advertised 'kids stay and eat for free'.

We have booked half board. Me and DP won't need lunch but obviously DD will.

Am I a CF to assume she can have a little plate from the buffet at lunch time? Or do I need to budget an extra fiver or so a day to buy her lunch?

I have sympathy for being skint (that’s why I haven’t been abroad since 2010) but it does sound rather joyless to not be able to afford lunch on holiday. And I get that you don’t always feel like eating in hot temperatures, but what if you were just dying for a cheese toastie one day?

This thread is just MNbingo

All the pearl clutching!
All the judgement!
All the tubbies who can't fathom skipping lunch!

I worked in hotels while I was at university and no one gave a shit about food being taken from breakfast
It all went in the bin after service finished so staff are just happy to know it isn't going to waste

tenbob

Isn't it just

Flora it was The Hotel Santa Fe. People had about 100 slices of bread on their tables. This was in 2014 so it's probably changed since then.

yes take a roll and some ham/cheese and a piece of fruit from the breakfast buffet.

much less cf than those who pile their plate like a mountain then leave it.

Next time you see him, don't have any expectations, hold back and let him come to you. Adults are different to children, children relate better with their peers than adults who they don't know well. Lack of eye contact and not saying anything, indicates that he might be really shy. You mention that he is over indulged, that is not his fault, he is 5, it is his parents fault, so he should not be blamed.

Went to Santa Fe last year still have breakfast but not much choice

I would consider when you get there asking about an all inclusive upgrade especially if your hotel does ice creams etc we went away last year with my then 6 and 2 year old and honestly for the snacks it was worth it alone and my 2 year old ate more food than she ever has before!! I think it was all the splashing and running around with friends. Hope you have a fab time!!

f the point of the actual OP question but I’d love to know which hotels at Disneyland Paris all these people were stealing food from breakfast for their lunch because we’ve been going regularly since it opened and I have never once seen anybody packing Tupperware containers or obviously taking food away except for the odd bit of fruit

The Disneyland Hotel. I’ve seen it every time we’ve stayed there and it was shameful.

Taking from the breakfast buffet is not ‘steaking’ Ffs. If it doesn’t get used it gets binned. I’d rather a toddler took some than all the food being wasted.

To clear up any confusion me and DP are both women - I realise it's fairly unusual for a bloke to skip lunch! We've rarely had lunch on holiday as a couple.
The cost of the kids club is included in the package.
An all inclusive upgrade is extortionate - almost £1k! Not worth it seeing me and DP don't drink a lot.

I get you OP. Me and my mum went HB in Egypt and we really didn't need lunch. We would swipe a couple of guavas at breakfast and that was enough. If we were hungry we would have paid the supplement for lunch.

I find I overeat on all inclusive so not having lunch saved some calories.

Not unusual to know you won't want lunch and not just related to heat either. My DCs are teenagers and whenever we're away we all eat massive breakfasts then only need a snack or nothing at all until the evening. This is partly because at home we don't eat much if anything at breakfast time and partly because on holiday we eat breakfast as late as possible. But when they were small we had to go for breakfast much earlier and they mostly picked and ate very little, so by mid morning they wanted feeding again!

I'd take your DD's usual snacks with you so you've always got something to hand.

I know it's not the same but I'm off to new york soon in my case I am taking cereal bars and a travel kettle and some throw away cups. I can afford to eat breakfast but if I can take some dried foods like that with me to be a little healthier/not waste time on food/if there's no reasonable prices options available that day for whatever I see it as totally worth it

Christ OrdinarySnowflake, the woman doesn't want lunch!!

I realise it's fairly unusual for a bloke to skip lunch!

It really isn't that unusual. Just depends on the individual person's appetite.

I can't believe some of the replies! You should email the hotel and explain and see what they offer. One thought though will she not be with you when you have dinner? Can she eat with you then if you eat early and you could buy some snack foods locally for lunchtime. I would not accuse you of stealing if I saw you take a pan au chocolate for later!

Can I just check is it the money you are concerned about? Even in posh resorts kids meals will be reasonable. Do they have a website - you could check their menus?

If it's half board, there's bound to 've a supermarket near. We did hb when D.C. were tiny. Loaf of bread, cheese, marg, few beers. Does whole week and gives you down time while you go back to the room for lunch.

We only managed one year where dc actually liked kids club.

Doh I was planning on dropping my kids off for a free stay while I went somewhere else!

I have no idea what the etiquette is
Pull the other one OP, yes you do

If I had paid for an AI deal I would have no problem with someone on half board making up a lunch for a 3 year old from the breakfast buffet. Teenagers maybe. But realistically, how much is a 3 year old going to eat?

This is actually funny. Kids stay and eat free!!!! fucking brilliant - I wish I had known... all the money I’ve paid out for meals over the years.

I'd email the hotel and ask to see their lunch menu/ kids menu.
If its a posh hotel and used to most guests going AI then it could well be more than £7.50 per day.
You could also check if you get a fridge in your room. If you do then ask them to take out the minibar bottles and you could use it to store a loaf and some cheese and ham and make your DD her lunch.

Only on MN would taking a bread roll and a banana from breakfast is seen as stealing. I’ve been to upmarket resorts and I’ve been given a cardboard box for pastries etc.