Paying for meal even with dining plan

[ljca79]

We plan to have one extra table service beyond our meal plan because we plan one per day, and one of them will be CRT. We will obviously pay out-of-pocket for a breakfast. Couple of questions:
1) Better to pay OOP for Cryatal Palace or Hollywood and Vine? Why?
2) Does every person in the reservation have to order? In other words, if my I do not eat at H&V, but my husband (sharing with our under 3yo) and preschooler do, will that be a problem - for me just to sit with them?

 

[siskaren]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't H&V a buffet? If that's the case, then you can't not pay even if you don't plan to eat. There's no way they could make sure that someone who doesn't pay doesn't get something to eat.

 

[ljca79]

I think they are both buffet. They wouldn't notice I had no plate and was never chewing? I am not trying to be dishonest, but I don't need the breakfast and would like to sit with my family!

 

[Mikie]

At buffets like H&V, you will be charged the fixed price whether you eat a lot, a little or not at all. They simply can't police what people are doing.

Crystal palace is a couple bucks more than H&V for breakfast, so use your credit at Crystal. You can check prices of all the buffets/fixed price meals here Buffet, Character, Shows, AYCTE Pricing: as of 02/01/2015

If you're going to eat at any table service that are menu places and not buffets, those will almost certainly be less expensive than the buffets and you should pay those out of pocket instead of either of these choices.

ETA: I can't tell if you mean you'll pick one table service breakfast to pay for out of pocket because it's cheaper than lunch or dinner, or if you mean you'll pay OOP every day for breakfast since the dining plan is "only" two meals plus a snack? On the plan, my family usually used our refillable mug for a drink and our snack credit for a pastry or yogurt parfait for breakfast - it was plenty of food for us to start our day, and no need to buy a full extra counter service or table service meal while still getting plenty to eat!

 

[siskaren]

I'm not saying you're trying to be dishonest, but unfortunately some people are, so an employee would pretty much have to stand over your table the entire time you're there to make sure you didn't get anything to eat, which of course is impractical.

 

[purple figment]

I think they are both buffet. They wouldn't notice I had no plate and was never chewing? I am not trying to be dishonest, but I don't need the breakfast and would like to sit with my family!

Everyone at the table 3 years and up will be charged regardless of whether they eat a lot, a little or nothing at all at buffets, family style all you care to eat venues, the 3 dinner shows, fixed price venues (e.g. CRT, Akershus, Wishes Dessert Party), Fantasmic! and Candlelight Processional Dinner Packages, special events (e.g. Star Wars meals) and the family platter at Whispering Canyon Cafe.

There is no way for the CMs to keep track of someone who says they aren't eating, even if there is no plate in front of them. At character meals such as CP and H&V you'll have to think of it as your cost for seeing your family meet the characters.

 

[HopperFan]

I think they are both buffet. They wouldn't notice I had no plate and was never chewing? I am not trying to be dishonest, but I don't need the breakfast and would like to sit with my family!

Everyone pays. If you are not wanting breakfast have you considered maybe lunch instead for those places?

 

[Crystal824]

I would pay out of pocket for HV. It is a bit cheaper between HV and CP. If you don't want breakfast, just don't go to HV. Go do something else while they eat. If you go in, they will charge you. It would just be too hard to police. If it weren't a buffet, you could sit there while they ate. Since HV is a buffet, you will be charged.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

You're going to be charged the full price at a buffet/AYCE/fixed price restaurant, even if you eat nothing at all. to avoid being charged you'd need to skip the meal entirely.

 

[mom2rtk]

If H/V is a character meal, you cannot sit and not be charged. Part of what you are being charged for is the character interaction. Doesn't matter if you want to interact, watching your kids interact is part of the deal.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Just to note, it isn't just the character meals. It's ANY buffet/AYCE/fixed price restaurant or event, regardless of whether there are characters. They just cannot keep watch on the tables to ensure that the non-paying person isn't eating anything.

I've heard of families being given a break if they have a child who has slept throughout the entire meal, and they were not charged for that child. But an adult sitting at the table will be charged.

 

[mom2rtk]

Just to note, it isn't just the character meals. It's ANY buffet/AYCE/fixed price restaurant or event, regardless of whether there are characters. They just cannot keep watch on the tables to ensure that the non-paying person isn't eating anything.

I've heard of families being given a break if they have a child who has slept throughout the entire meal, and they were not charged for that child. But an adult sitting at the table will be charged.

I can't even imagine being a server and needing to keep track of who was eating and who wasn't. Heck, you'd even have to watch and be sure someone wasn't eating bits of food off someone else's plate. So I totally get this policy and don't blame them.

 

[ghtx]

As PPs said, at a buffet meal, you will have to pay if you are sitting at the table, even if you eat nothing. But at a la carte meals, I think it should be OK if you want to sit with your family and order nothing.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Anyplace that you are required to pay one price per person (fixed price), they will charge you. If you're at a restaurant where you order each dish from a menu and pay for them separately, you can sit in those without ordering anything. All character meals are fixed price.

 

[DisneyChula]

I think they are both buffet. They wouldn't notice I had no plate and was never chewing? I am not trying to be dishonest, but I don't need the breakfast and would like to sit with my family!

You can sit with your family and do not have to eat, but you will still be charged for the buffet. If you do not want to pay the buffet cost when you will not be eating, I suggest that you select a restaurant that is not a buffet or AYCE.

 

[ljca79]

Thanks. We are picking those for park entrance, etc., so we are stuck paying - looks like I will be eating after all, then. Is there a place other than the Disney website that shows menus, prices, etc.? What I see shows me the buffets are the same price and I cannot seem to find entree prices. Thanks again, all!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Menus are on the WDW site. Some of them will not have prices. allears.net may have menus with prices, which may also be out of date if they haven't been updated recently. For all the fixed price restaurants, there is a sticky thread on the Restaurant board where all exact prices are listed. Pick the date preceding yours that comes closest. If the dates aren't listed then WDW hasn't released them yet.

 

[Mikie]

can check prices of all the buffets/fixed price meals here Buffet, Character, Shows, AYCTE Pricing: as of 02/01/2015

That's the link to the buffet and AYCTE prices from the restaurants board and I find allears.net about as thorough as you can find on the net for menu prices, as MakiraMarlena mentioned.