Hi Larry,
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! I am so excited that you all have booked five character meals. We always enjoy those experiences. Your question is a good one. I actually called a cast member in Disney Dining to get some assistance. The cast member said that a party of six is considered a party of six even if one member is an 18-month old and parties of six are automatically charged the 18% gratuity. However, we suggest that you still consult with a cast member at each restaurant. They may make restaurant-specific accommodations.
Since this is your first visit, I will share that some of the character meals offer photo opportunities with
Disney PhotoPass Photographers. During our prior visits,
Chef Mickey's,
1900 Park Fare,
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, and
Cinderella's Royal Table all provided special photo opportunities before the meal. We loved our photos from these restaurants! Somehow, everyone in the photo always looked great. I think it's PhotoPass magic!
Since there are six of you, may I also suggest that you consider adding
Memory Maker if you have not done so already? With Memory Maker, you will have access to all of your PhotoPass photos! We have found it to be a fantastic value.
I trust that you all will have a magical time!
-Donyell