Hello Tammy! Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Your question poses an interesting conundrum, but one that should be easy to clarify or to circumvent if you so choose.
My wife and I celebrated our Walt Disney World Marathon achievement dining with 7 friends in
Artist Point at Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort. We all paid separately (4 checks amongst the 7 guests),but each were charged the 18% gratuity for large parties.
Basically, if you book an
Advanced Dining Reservation or walk up and make an on-the-spot reservation for a party of 6 or more, you will be automatically charged for an 18% gratuity. Even if the bill is separated amongst the Guests (which is allowed), the 18% gratuity is charged for accommodating the table request at the dining location of a large party.
If you wish to avoid the automatic charge, simply request separate tables for 2 groups (5 and 4). The Cast Members will be unable to guarantee that you will sit beside (or even near) the other table, but the gratuity will not be automatic.
Other than the 18% gratuity charge at dining locations, smart planning through your
My Disney Experience account or on the
App on a mobile device makes booking for large parties as easy as possible. While it is true that it becomes more difficult when you require larger numbers to be booked, FastPass+ selections, Memory Maker photos, Online Check-in and more can be done for everyone in your party when linked through My Disney Experience.
Bon Appétit!
~Todd