Welcome to planDisney, Jennifer! You're always welcome to be our guest here, so let's dig into all the details of dining at the Walt Disney World Resort!
Jennifer, some restaurants charge each person on the reservation a set price; these are mainly family-style, buffet, and/or
character dining options. For these particular locations, regardless of how much you eat, you will be charged per person for everyone who attends the reservation. Other restaurants have
a la carte pricing based on what you order, so if you were to dine at one of these locations and only order a small meal, an appetizer, or even maybe just a side dish, you would be charged only for the items you order. While this might not be the answer you were hoping for, I'd love to make a few suggestions that might help!
First, consider booking a later breakfast time if there is a restaurant you're interested in experiencing that has a set price per person (especially if it's a character dining experience) so it's more like a brunch or an early lunch. By doing this, you might be ready for a meal at the time of your reservation! Another option would be to select places that don't have preset pricing; some of my favorite options for breakfast are
Grand Floridian Cafe and
Steakhouse 71. At both of these, you can find a menu that offers smaller portion options like a yogurt parfait, fruit plate, or avocado toast that you might enjoy while dining with your family, even if you aren't ready for a full meal. One final suggestion is to rely more on grab-and-go items for breakfast or
quick-service dining locations (I love the fruit and hazelnut Mickey waffle at
Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom!) and save your reserved dining times for lunch or dinner when everyone can enjoy the magic of mealtime together!
I hope this helps, Jennifer, and that you get your fill of food, fun, and family memories on your upcoming visit! If you have any other questions or need any other dining recommendations, you're always welcome back at the
planDisney table! We'll save a seat for you!
Bon Appetit,
Alison