My character meal questions...

[AngiTN]

What the heck? I appreciate all your info you provide to the readers on the site but seriously? Why would you shout in red, huge text that what people have reported regarding buffets/pay per plate (no different between pay per plate and a buffet) is untrue and rumor and then post that kids under 3 eat off an adults plate and explain they won't be charged.
Buffets are clear. Buffets are what's being discussed here, nothing else. Why do you have to go in to everything else?
And what would they do at a buffet but eat off a plate? what would they order? There's nothing to order at the 3 meals being discussed.
Do you intentionally try to make it confusing or something? There is such a thing as too much information

NO!
UNTRUE!
A RUMOR BY PEOPLE WHO ASSUME!
A RUMOR BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE RULES!

KIDS UNDER-3 EAT FREE "411":
1) TECHNICALLY, there is no such thing as a "kids-under-3-eat-free" policy.
. . . no where in ANY Disney brochure is this mentioned
. . . there is no such policy
2) But, when done per policy, they eat almost free.
3) And, based upon CM discretion, they can eat free.
4) The official rules:
. . . kids under three can eat off the adult's plate
. . . they can still get an empty plate for themselves, and take food from an adult's plate
. . . if they order anything, like milk, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . if they order any food, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . this is anywhere, including buffets
5) What really happens:
. . at buffets & AYCTE kids usually "eat buffet food free"
. . . . . . adults could get the food, instead and give it to the kid
. . . . . . the adult could claim it is their plate kid eats from
. . . . . . they might as well have a drink, for same reason
. . . . . . it's tough to determine it was theirs or their parents
. . . . . . thus, kids can have their own plate and beverage without charge
. . at non-buffet, servers can determine if they ordered food
. . . . . . it is easy to tell if they got a drink
. . . . . . the server usually charges for food ordered for the kid
. . . . . . the server usually let's the drink go, but not food
. . . . . . the server, at their own discretion, can charge for beverage
6) So, to wrap-up, in practical terms
. . . at non-buffets, kids under-3 eat without charge ONLY from parent's plate
. . . at buffets & AYCTE, they can actually take food from the buffet table or separate plate
. . . at all meals, items are ordered for the child "might" be charged for them

7) Please remember to add your child to the table count.
. . . if there are four adults and a child, that needs an ADR for five people
. . . this is regardless whether the child is lap, stroller, highchair, or regular chair
. . . also, if the baby makes six people, the AUTOMATIC 18% GRATUITY is in effect
. . . no automatic gratuity at CRT-HDDR-LUAU-BBQ, as tips are already included in the meal price

 

[AngiTN]

https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com/question/kids-eat-free-work-buy-dining-plan-211818/

Since it says kids under three eat on a complimentary basis at buffet and family style restaurants there, I'm sure you're safe.

Just for the record. the Mom's Panel is wrong as often as they are right. Sadly. They do happen to be right but I wouldn't go off what they post and expect it to use their info in the cases where they are wrong

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

NO!
UNTRUE!
A RUMOR BY PEOPLE WHO ASSUME!
A RUMOR BY PEOPLE WHO DO NOT KNOW THE RULES!

KIDS UNDER-3 EAT FREE "411":
1) TECHNICALLY, there is no such thing as a "kids-under-3-eat-free" policy.
. . . no where in ANY Disney brochure is this mentioned
. . . there is no such policy
2) But, when done per policy, they eat almost free.
3) And, based upon CM discretion, they can eat free.
4) The official rules:
. . . kids under three can eat off the adult's plate
. . . they can still get an empty plate for themselves, and take food from an adult's plate
. . . if they order anything, like milk, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . if they order any food, they are supposed to pay for it
. . . this is anywhere, including buffets
5) What really happens:
. . at buffets & AYCTE kids usually "eat buffet food free"
. . . . . . adults could get the food, instead and give it to the kid
. . . . . . the adult could claim it is their plate kid eats from
. . . . . . they might as well have a drink, for same reason
. . . . . . it's tough to determine it was theirs or their parents
. . . . . . thus, kids can have their own plate and beverage without charge
. . at non-buffet, servers can determine if they ordered food
. . . . . . it is easy to tell if they got a drink
. . . . . . the server usually charges for food ordered for the kid
. . . . . . the server usually let's the drink go, but not food
. . . . . . the server, at their own discretion, can charge for beverage
6) So, to wrap-up, in practical terms
. . . at non-buffets, kids under-3 eat without charge ONLY from parent's plate
. . . at buffets & AYCTE, they can actually take food from the buffet table or separate plate
. . . at all meals, items are ordered for the child "might" be charged for them

7) Please remember to add your child to the table count.
. . . if there are four adults and a child, that needs an ADR for five people
. . . this is regardless whether the child is lap, stroller, highchair, or regular chair
. . . also, if the baby makes six people, the AUTOMATIC 18% GRATUITY is in effect
. . . no automatic gratuity at CRT-HDDR-LUAU-BBQ, as tips are already included in the meal price

I specifically said AT BUFFETS and yes, it is true. No need to make it intentionally more confusing for someone looking for a simple answer to a question.