Hi, Rhonda!
Welcome back to
Disney Parks Moms Panel!
Wow! Your trip to
Walt Disney World with 13 in your party sounds like an absolute blast! Large group planning is my absolute favorite!
Because your dining reservations are for a party of 6 or more, you are correct that gratuity will be included automatically. However, once seated, simply tell your server which of you are together on one bill and ask for separate checks. This will enable each family to keep track of their
Disney Dining Plan entitlements as well as enable those groups to pay for gratuity and any other incidentals not included (alcoholic beverages, appetizers on certain dining plans) however they wish to do so.
When we dine as a large group of mixed families, we know that some may prefer to pay for the balance of a bill by charging to their room via their
MagicBand, while others may prefer to use a credit card, pay cash or even use a
Disney Gift Card. Enabling each family to maintain control of expenses is a great perk of separate checks.
Have fun planning this spectacular trip, Rhonda! Be sure to send more questions as you think of them, too; we love to help!
Andrea H