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[polar vixen]

HI everyone, I'm almost at sixty day countdown so I'll be able to book our restaurnats, but I'm feeling quite conflicted, and this spans a few topics, which is why I'm posting here. 
We are staying at Davy Crockett Ranch, and have half board standard vouchers, so we are entitiled to breakfast. 
What I'm unsure on , and I'm hoping some of you have experience is this:-
1) I have 5 kids, 3 with special needs who would qualify for a disability pass but I'm not sure what the current standard is to use this to meet characters as it seems to keep changing.  last time we were there some would let you wait at one side and then bring the character to you, others were insistent that you queue, since then it seems the queuing system has been done away with for characters who are out on a lunch time, but can anyone shed any light on this?
which leads us to question 2) There is no way my boys could deal with pushing and shoving, so I was thinking about booking a breakfast at café MIckey, for our family that's going to be over £120, just for breakfast, and that includes 3 kids who can't eat milk or wheat, (dlp gluten free bread is not pleasant), so all they could eat was fruit and bacon. )  Do you think this is still worth it?  I think the primary reason we would eat there is for the characters but if we can use our card to see them in the park then I won't bother with breakfast. 
3) I've spoken to DLP call centre, dining reservations, and the concierge at ABC but can't get a straight answer on if they can make a meal that is gluten free, and not just one of the microwave ones.  Does anyone have experience of this?  I know boys would be fine with a plain chicken breast and veggies, do you think they'll accommodate?  I'd really like to go for a character meal, and we've never done ABC before, I just don't want to pay huge amounts if there is nothing they can eat, or if at ABC I'm going to get charged the childrens price of 35 Euros for the same meal I would get at a counter service for 10.

[stifle]

(1) The message I received when I enquired at City Hall on my last visit is that things are very much up to Cast Members' discretion. For characters with queues such as SpiderMan you may get skipped towards the front. For Princess Pavillion and Meek Mickey, you're more likely to be given a scheduled return time. For characters out and about, it's random.
(2) If you're in DCR, you go and get a grab & go breakfast and eat it in your lodge. No need to push or shove.
(3) No idea what ABC is meant to mean? Table service restaurants tend to be more accommodating as a general rule but there is only so much they can do.

[polar vixen]

Thanks Stifle, I should have said adc,  auberge De cendrillon, I know you checked for me last time. Was just asking in case anyone had been and experienced it. The only reason I was rashly considering cafe mickey was to avoid the struggle to meet random characters in the park.

[HildeKitten]

I have to use a disability pass, and even though the last time I went was last year in October, it's always been like this for me:

Characters with a queue: I'd be asked to wait on the side, and was then allowed to go in and meet the character.
I still have to wait but I don't have to be in the queue.

Characters without a queue, if there is proper mobbing going about, I politely ask a CM if they can help me. So far every single CM bar one has been understanding and happy to help (and even that one did help in the end so yeah).

I can't really give you advise about the character meals I'm afraid, because I haven't got experience with those (bar that one dinner at Café Mickey back in 2008 so yeah), but hopefully someone else will be able to help you out.

[polar vixen]

Thanks hildekitten that's reassuring to know

[LotsoHugginBear]

3) I've spoken to DLP call centre, dining reservations, and the concierge at ABC but can't get a straight answer on if they can make a meal that is gluten free, and not just one of the microwave ones.  Does anyone have experience of this?  I know boys would be fine with a plain chicken breast and veggies, do you think they'll accommodate?  I'd really like to go for a character meal, and we've never done ABC before, I just don't want to pay huge amounts if there is nothing they can eat, or if at ABC I'm going to get charged the childrens price of 35 Euros for the same meal I would get at a counter service for 10.

I fear this depends very much on the CM.
Sometimes if you ask everythin seems to be possibel and sometimes it's like talking to a wall...
I won't bet on plain chicken breast and veggies :-(
If you want to be safe, save the money for Auberge and choose fast food or maybe a buffet.

[twentythingamabobs]

Hi Polar Vixen

We have experienced a mixed bag of results. We couldn't meet Thumper in April this year as by the time we got to the area and asked the CM, all of the time slots had gone for disabled guests. That is the only time this has ever happened. We have never been given a time to return before (apart from the Pavillion), we just ask the CM if they can help us out and more often than not, we will wait a little while away from the queue then they will call us over. There was a crowd around Donald in his safari outfit at Colonel Hathis once, the CM would not help us at all, said it was entirely up to the character who he chose to see next.

You've been to Inventions before haven't you, did you not find the food suitable there either that's a shame because it is definitely the nicest way to meet characters.