Buffet question for people with gastric bypass

[gometros]

I don't know if this question has ever been asked before, but if your family wants to eat at a buffet restaurant and one member of the family has had gastric bypass surgery, do the restaurants make any special considerations for that guest? I can't see paying a full price for a buffet, when the guest can only eat a small amount of food, but I wouldn't want to deprive the rest of the party from eating where they want to eat.

 

[Lewisc]

I've read Disney will charge gastric bypass guests the children's price.

Disney doesn't charge extra for guests that make multiple trips so there is a limit of how low they should go for guests who eat very little.

 

[WDW Poly Princess]

It would be nice if they had a smaller price for people who don't eat much for whatever reason- I'm a light eater, and I'd love to try some of the buffets (like Boma), but I can't bring myself to pay $23 or so when I know I'll only eat one small plate of food!

 

[Deb & Bill]

People with handicaps or who suffer from motion sickness don't get a discount because they can't go on several of the rides. They don't get a discount, why should you? Who would police the "smaller eaters"? I could see that as the newest thread on the Budget Board. "Save money, tell them you are a smaller eater and pay half of what you should pay."

 

[Sammie]

I've read Disney will charge gastric bypass guests the children's price.

Disney doesn't charge extra for guests that make multiple trips so there is a limit of how low they should go for guests who eat very little.

I am really suprised at this, how would a guest prove it?

Do you bring a medical note with you.

Why would this be any different from someone that just does not eat much by choice?

 

[AnnaE4]

I had gastric bypass surgery in April of 2004 and have visited WDW 5 times since then. I carry a medical card from my surgeon that explains that I have had the surgery and cannot eat very much. I have eaten at the buffets, showed my medical card and was charged the children's price. It was very obvious that I couldn't eat a full plate of food and I used a small saucer (only one) with very small amounts of food that I knew I could tolerate. I also showed my card in several other restaurants and was allowed to order from the children's menu. Also, I have shared meals with my husband. If I knew that I wasn't going to eat very much, I would eat food that I brought with me before or after a meal and not eat with my family.

Ask your surgeon for a meal card. I have never had a problem at WDW when I showed my card.

We are heading back to WDW in 5 days and will be eating at several buffets. I don't anticipate any problems. If there are, I just won't eat with my family and find something I can eat after our meal.

Denise (half the person I used to be! )

 

[snowbunny]

I can't bring myself to pay $23 or so when I know I'll only eat one small plate of food!

That's about what you'll pay for a dinner at one of the bettter table service restaurants. People sometimes complain about small portions at such places, but the expectation for the price is not "all you can eat."

This is not directed at you personally, but in general, why is it that "buffet" equals cramming as much food into our bodies as will possibly fit, or we haven't gotten our money's worth? Ugh. This is one of the reasons I avoid buffets.

 

[sweetbambi]

Before I had gastric bypass in March of 2004, I ate like a horse and went back for several more plates. I was GREEDY. Now I feel fine paying the full price for a buffet because I feel like in the past I have eaten more than my share. Justifying my eating at a buffet is hard for my husband, but for me it's the same price whether I eat like a small bird or a very large one!

 

[Lewisc]

I am really suprised at this, how would a guest prove it?

Do you bring a medical note with you.

Why would this be any different from someone that just does not eat much by choice?

This doesn't apply to me, or anyone I know, but I've read guests have a note from their doctor they show.

It's really no different than charging children less, because they don't eat as much. Even though most buffet restaurants don't charge base on consumption they sometimes have lower prices for children and sometimes seniors. I gather gastric bypass patients eat less than children and it makes some sense to include them in that category.

One of the problems with buffets is that some of us don't eat enough "to get our monies worth" and other guests use the unlimited food as an excuse to eat or waste large amounts of food.

 

[gometros]

This is not directed at you personally, but in general, why is it that "buffet" equals cramming as much food into our bodies as will possibly fit, or we haven't gotten our money's worth? Ugh. This is one of the reasons I avoid buffets.

That's a valid point and perhaps the question would have been better phrased with what turns out to be the seemingly fair answer - can an adult order from any WDW restaurant's child's menu?

I didn't expect this to be such a controversial question, but now that I see some of the different viewpoints, I can see where this could fall into the can of worms category.

Either way, I think I got my answer. Thanks.

 

[Lewisc]

In general an adult can't pay the child's price at buffet or at all you care to eat restaurants. A (very) few posters posted adults being surcharged, sometimes getting a larger portion, when ordering off the children's menu. Some restaurants don't include their full overhead in pricing children's meals and don't want to extend that pricing policy to adults ordering off the children's menu.

Gastric bypass guests, with a note, shouldn't have a problem.

That's a valid point and perhaps the question would have been better phrased with what turns out to be the seemingly fair answer - can an adult order from any WDW restaurant's child's menu?

I didn't expect this to be such a controversial question, but now that I see some of the different viewpoints, I can see where this could fall into the can of worms category.

Either way, I think I got my answer. Thanks.

 

[mmcguire]

I've also read people can get discounts if they've had gastric bypass surgery, but I personally think the practice is unfair to other people who are light eaters. Maybe they could have a one-trip price with a certain color plate (and all the plates at the buffet would be a different color)?

Since they don't have an option to cover ALL people who don't eat much, IMHO, if you don't feel you'd get your money's worth, just don't eat at a buffet. There are plenty of other places where you can purchase as much or as little food as you wish. Our DS takes medication that affects his appetite, but there's no doctor's note or discount for that. Even though he's 11, he doesn't eat much more for dinner than his 3 year old sister. Nevertheless, we'll pay the adult price for him at buffets we choose to dine at because that is what they charge.

 

[jann1033]

I've also read people can get discounts if they've had gastric bypass surgery, but I personally think the practice is unfair to other people who are light eaters. Maybe they could have a one-trip price with a certain color plate (and all the plates at the buffet would be a different color)?

.

actually that is agreat idea. some of the buffets around us charge a different price for one trip to it vs multiple trips.
I wish they did that at all the ayce deals since like at ohana we got 3 pieces of meat each( 1 of each except i don't think he ever brought the turkey, we decided he went into the witness protection program mid meal since we never saw our waiter ), and one bowl of the other stuff and paid $26 each which was pretty pricey for what we got/ate.

 

[Lizzybee]

Maybe it's a bit different than people who choose to eat light because people who have had gastric bypass can become ill from eating too much or the wrong kinds of foods. I understand the "light eater" plight, my DD7 always wants to go to Donald's Breakfastasuarus and she literally eats one Krispy Kreme and one cup of chocolate milk. My DS11 looks like an 8 yr old and sometimes eats very little gets charged as an adult now. I don't like it but I know going in what I'm in for and when the bill is coming I just close my eyes and repeat to myself a couple of times "atmosphere...atmosphere..." and that seems to ease the pain a bit.

 

[bicker]

It's really no different than charging children less, because they don't eat as much.

As you and others have pointed out, though, consumption doesn't determine price. To a large extent, the discount for children in restaurants is simply providing a discount for families with young children as incentive for those families to patronize the restaurant.

 

[plutolovr]

Maybe it's a bit different than people who choose to eat light because people who have had gastric bypass can become ill from eating too much or the wrong kinds of foods.

But these people chose to get this surgery. So it's a personal choice too, just like being a light eater. How about a discount for those on Atkins, Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, and any other diet out there. Or those on prescription diet drugs. What's fair is fair. Someone with allergies can become ill from eating the wrong kinds of foods too, let's give them a discount too.

 

[bicker]

There is merit in what you're suggesting, but I think the critical difference is that gastric bypass surgery is a choice that is made only once, can be medically verified, and once the surgery has occurred, it is medically necessary to eat less. By contrast, following a diet program such as those you mentioned is a moment-to-moment choice -- at any specific time, someone can decide to eat in excess of what that program would dictate.

 

[Mad4Dizne]

due to other illnesses;

OP--Have A Great Trip, hope you get the info/card you need!!!!

 

[bicker]

The next question, though, is how much of a discount should reduced stomach capacity warrant? The reality is that the contribution of the cost of food ingredients to the menu price of restaurant items is very small, depending on the item it could be as little as 10%, with the remaining 90% divided up between facilities, labor, and customer acquisition costs. So that would mean that folks with reduced stomach capacity should get a 10% discount, at most.

 

[gometros]

But these people chose to get this surgery.

I cannot let that go unanswered. Saying that an obese person chose to have the surgery is like saying that a bypass patient chose to have his/her surgery. For most people, gastric bypass is not a choice of an elective procedure. It is a matter of life and death. There is very stringent criteria that mst be met to be eligi ble for the surgery.