A question about character meals??

[pat's mom99]

My niece has cerebral palsy and doesn't eat solid food, she is on a feeding tube. Will Disney charge full price for her at character meals ??

 

[binkyboots]

I think they charge an entertainment fee for people not eating, on our trip dh ate, I didn't, I think I payed about $5/10 at crystal palace... I guess crt would be more, or maybe full price because of the photo package.

I'd call disney dining and check.

 

[SueM in MN]

The answer you will probably get over the phone is that they will charge the full charge for whatever ae the child is. (People have posted a number of times that they have done this and always got the same answer).
When you actually get there though, the server has some ability to decrease the charge. People have reported being charged an "Entertainment Fee" as was already mentioned. If you think if the character meal as a character encounter for the child, rather than a meal, it does make sense that they charge at least something for the character part.
Usually, when we go to a character meal, the server has seen that DD ate very little and everything she eats is pretty mcuh from the children's menu, so that's what they charged us (rather than as an adult).

 

[joanchris]

We were there in October, DD10 is 100% tube fed. We ate at 3 character meals (breakfast at Chef Mickeys and Cinderella's royal table---before the photo package deal--, dinner at Crystal Palace) as well as the family style meal at Ohana's.....We simply mentioned to the server after we sat down that she would not be eating. We were never charged anything at all for her, though I do remember reading that Liberty Tree Tavern charged a $5 entertainment fee for guests who do not eat.
For the character meals I think the fee is reasonable if it is charged--just considering the time we didn't spend waiting in a line somewhere else to see those characters!

 

[SueM in MN]

We simply mentioned to the server after we sat down that she would not be eating.

that's the point other people mentioned it too (I mean that's when other people mentioned it in the restaurant too). The server has the ability to change the charge; no one earlier than that can (at least as far as I know). It probably is to prevent people just saying one of their members will not be eating to avoid the charge. The server can see that the person is not eating and is the appropriate person to waive the charge.

I guess my advice would be to go into it expecting to pay; say something to the server and then if you get charged nothing or an entertainment fee, the total will be less than you planned.

 

[pat's mom99]

Thanks for the help. I have passed the information on to my SIL.

 

[mizzkb00]

Our first trip to WDW 09/2005 my son 1 1/12 yrs old was on feeding tube but could eat a few things like applesauce and mashed potatoes and things. We had a character dinner at 1900 Park Fare and if memory serves me right, we were not charged. It may have been his age and not the feeding tube-I may have mentioned it when I made the reservation.