A Walt Disney World vacation comes with plenty of planning, especially when it comes to dining. Guests reserve restaurants months in advance, compare menus, and budget carefully for meals throughout their trip.
Now, Florida has introduced another change that could affect nearly every restaurant guests visit during their vacation.
Beginning this month, a statewide law requires restaurants to be much more upfront about mandatory fees, including automatic gratuities, service charges, and other operations charges.
The goal isn't to eliminate those fees. It's to make sure guests know about them before they order.
Hidden Charges Face New Rules
Florida's updated restaurant law focuses on transparency.
If a restaurant adds any mandatory fee beyond menu prices and sales tax, customers must receive clear notice before completing their purchase.
That information can't be buried in tiny footnotes or hidden behind difficult-to-find disclaimers.
Instead, restaurants must prominently display:
- The percentage or dollar amount.
- The purpose of the charge.
- Notices on menus, websites, and mobile apps.
- Receipts separating gratuities, operations charges, and taxes.
The law applies across Florida, from independent restaurants to major destinations like Walt Disney World.
Disney Already Shared Many Fees
Disney has traditionally disclosed many of its restaurant policies, but the new law raises the standard for how visible those notices must be.
One example is the automatic 18% gratuity applied to parties of six or more at table-service restaurants.
Guests should now expect those notices to stand out more clearly during the reservation process and while reviewing restaurant menus.
The automatic gratuity itself isn't changing.
Only the way Disney presents that information to guests is becoming more noticeable.
Mobile Dining Is Included
Disney's My Disney Experience app also falls under the legislation.
The law specifically names mobile ordering platforms, meaning guests must receive clear disclosure of any mandatory operations charges before completing purchases through the app.
That includes applicable delivery fees or other required charges tied to mobile transactions.
As mobile ordering continues to play a major role across Walt Disney World, the new rules follow guests from restaurant tables to their smartphones.
Fixed-Price Experiences Work Differently
Some Disney dining experiences already provide one all-inclusive price.
Dinner shows like Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue generally meet the law's requirements because guests see the complete package price before booking.
If a separate mandatory fee were ever added outside that advertised price, however, Disney would have to disclose it under the same standards required of every other Florida restaurant.
Better Visibility for Disney Guests
For guests planning upcoming vacations, there's little reason for concern.
The law doesn't prohibit automatic gratuities or other mandatory restaurant charges.
Instead, it requires businesses to make those fees easier to find before guests spend their money.
Whether dining inside the parks, visiting Disney Springs, or eating at a Disney Resort hotel, visitors should see more prominent fee disclosures moving forward.
It's a relatively small operational change, but one designed to give every guest a clearer picture of exactly what they're paying before the meal begins.
