Hi Rebecca,
Welcome back to the Disney Parks Moms Panel and thank you for your question!
First, regarding the Guests to include in your
dining reservation, you absolutely need to make a reservation for 6 people, even if your party includes a child under the age of 3. They need to be included both for restaurant capacity reasons, and in order to ensure that you’ll be assigned a table that will comfortably fit your entire party.
Second, gratuities are expected at table service restaurants but not at quick service dining locations. Even if you’re using the
Disney Dining Plan, you will get a bill that will allow you to see what your meal would have cost without having “prepaid” your meals. If I remember correctly, this bill will include a suggested tip to leave (if I remember correctly, they show what 15% and 18% tip would be). That being said, because your party includes 6 or more Guests, an automatic gratuity charge of 18% will be added to your bill, so you won't even have to do the math. Now THAT, to me, is a vacation!
Please don’t hesitate to come back and see us if you have any other questions.
Have a Magical Day,
Lynne