Character Dining with Disney Friends

Dining with Your Disney FriendsBy: Maggie BallantyneMarch 2 2019Taking a trip to Walt Disney World and attending character dining experiences, for me, go hand-in-hand. Character dining experiences are always the highlight of my trips. I remember my very first character dining experience at The Garden Grill in Epcot. I was 9 years old, the dining room was rotating, and Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Mickey all stopped by our table to say “hi”. That same trip, while eating at the Swan, Timon surprised us all during dinner. It was these planned and unplanned interactions that are the memories that have stayed with me through the years.Don’t get me wrong. I am a character meet-and-greet junkie. I will wait in any line to meet characters. I love to interact with them, take fun pictures, and truly make those few minutes an experience. But to be able to sit and relax, eat delicious food, enjoy the air conditioning and take a break from the Florida heat, plus meet characters, what could be better? I have done character dining experiences with family, friends, and by myself. All of my experiences have been positive, unique, and at restaurants I will definitely return to. Here are some of my favorite character dining experiences I enjoyed that I would recommend to all of my clients: Magic Kingdom:

1. The Crystal Palace (Breakfast)

I am not sure why it took me so long to visit The Crystal Palace, but I just experienced it for the first time in 2019 and I will definitely be going back. The dining room was adorable, bright, fun, and set up for a party with our friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. When you first walk in the topiaries reminded me of Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. The view of Cinderella’s Castle from the dining room was perfect. Our waiter told us it would take about 90 minutes for Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, and Pooh to make their way around the dining room, but we lucked out and met all four of them in 60 minutes and even got a second visit from Tigger and Piglet. The food was all-you-care-to-eat. It was delicious and perfect for all ages. An omelet station and breakfast pizza were being enjoyed by everyone, as well as, the cheesy breakfast potatoes, Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and breakfast pastries. The kid’s station was equally impressive with Pooh’s Puffed French Toast. This was my favorite!

2. Cinderella’s Royal Table (Breakfast)

Of all the character dining experiences, this was the most elaborate I have attended, to date. It features delectable food, a surprise gift for each guest, a royal storyteller, and exceptional character meet and greets. Guests prepay for this meal and enjoy meeting Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Ariel, and Jasmine. To read about the full experience, please check out my blog, A Royal Breakfast, here.

3. Be Our Guest (Dinner)

I have had the opportunity to eat at Be Our Guest for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, dinner is the only meal that includes a character dining experience. My salmon entrée was savory, the grey stuff was in fact delicious, but the highlight of this meal that I enjoyed with my brother, was meeting the Beast! This was the real reason I booked the dinner reservation and I was not disappointed! I love the way he enters the dining room to an applause and makes his way to his photo spot. The photo spot line is only available after you finish eating and is controlled by Cast Members making for an even more pleasant experience. Epcot:              The Garden Grill (Lunch)My first trip to the Garden Grill was when I was 9, but I most recently visited again in January 2018 for Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast Lunch. This dining experience is all-you-care-to-eat and is definitely a feast! The dining room rotates giving you views of the Living with the Land ride that can only be seen from the restaurant. Guests will also have the opportunity to meet Pluto, Chip, Dale, and Mickey who is dressed as a farmer. It doesn’t get much cuter! Seating is very limited in this restaurant, which I thought was great because the characters had time to come around to our table three times. Pluto especially kept surprising us, hanging out, and really went above and beyond to make this meal special. Lunch is served family style and it starts with salad and rolls. The next course was a huge platter of turkey breast, slow-braised pot roast, and pork roast accompanied by a selection of sides that included: French fries, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, veggies, and stuffing! If that’s not enough, dessert is also included! I found this meal to be a little pricy, but definitely worth it. Animal Kingdom:       Tusker House (Breakfast)Every time I leave a character dining experience, I say something along the lines of “Okay, this is my new favorite!” But actually, breakfast at Tusker House has consistently been one of my favorite character dining meals and I have returned many times. For starters, if you book the reservation before normal park hours, you will get early entry into Animal Kingdom. So, before breakfast even started, I had the chance to walk around and thru the Tree of Life with no other guests. It was peaceful, relaxing, and the perfect way to start the morning. There are so many options for food at Tusker House and it definitely offers a bigger variety compared to other dining experiences. The characters I had a chance to meet were Safari Goofy (a personal favorite), Donald, Mickey, and Daisy. The characters also lead a parade with all the kids, and some adults, throughout the restaurant. I think in terms of theming and decoration; Tusker House is one of my favorites. Make sure to look up at the ceiling in the room with the food stations, the view is gorgeous!  Resorts:

1. Cape May Café in Disney’s Beach Club Resort (Breakfast)

I really love the atmosphere of Beach Club Resort and Cape May Café was no different. It was fun, the food was good, and the characters were great. I went to breakfast with friends after a Run Disney event and it hit the spot! We met Goofy, Minnie, Daisy, and Donald. I particularly remember how great the characters were with the family at the table next to ours. There were kids of varying ages and some were so excited to meet the characters while others were nervous. The characters at these dining experiences know just what to do and how to interact with kids on all different levels. We really enjoyed watching these family memories in the making! 

2. 1900 Park Fare in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort (Breakfast)

I know I have been raving about the character interactions at character dining experiences, but this one really takes the prize for the amount of time characters spend at each table. I attended this breakfast by myself and the highlight for me was when Mary Poppins sat down and talked to me while I enjoyed my meal. Now Mary is one of my all-time favorite characters, so I was elated and I did a terrible job at covering it up. But just the fact that she went out of her way to make sure I wasn’t by myself for most of the breakfast was really sweet.  The table next to me was a large party of 8-10. The Mad Hatter and Alice probably spent ten to fifteen minutes doing card tricks and playing games with the kids. And then they did it again at the next table! And the next! And the next! Tigger also made his way bouncing around and giving hugs to everyone at breakfast. The food here was delicious. I have never seen a breakfast burrito station at a Disney breakfast until I attended 1900 Park Fare. After my breakfast, on the way out of the restaurant, there was a special meet-and-greet with Winnie the Pooh that had a beautiful mural as the backdrop. This meal was great and I definitely recommend it; however, if you are on a tight schedule, I would not suggest this experience. Because of how interactive the characters are and how most food stations are made-to-order, it definitely took more time than any other character dining experience. Keep in mind, I was only one person. I think it would definitely take even longer for larger parties. 

3. ‘Ohana in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Breakfast)

Let’s start with talking about how amazing the sweet bread and juice are at this breakfast. Don’t get me wrong, the rest of the food was good and it was all-you-care-for, but the bread and juice are reason enough to book this reservation. The characters my sister and I met were Lilo, Stitch, Mickey in his favorite Hawaiian shirt, and Pluto. This is another breakfast where the characters get all the kids to join in a parade and dance along to Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride. We really enjoyed this breakfast; especially our interaction with Stitch!

4. Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast at Trattoria al Forno on Disney’s Boardwalk

I had never been to this breakfast before my January trip in 2019 and I will definitely be going back, and not just because of how much I love Flynn Rider (even though he was great!). The food paired perfectly with the theming of Tangled and The Little Mermaid with its beautiful plating and presentation. The characters were incredibly interactive and fun. Like breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, each character was announced before entering the dining room. After Flynn was announced he escorted Rapunzel in as she danced to one of her favorite songs. And after Prince Eric was announced, he brought in Ariel and the two of them led kids in a parade. If your son or daughter really wants to dress up for this dining experience (or you do!) a small shop is set up just outside the restaurant with costumes, toys, and accessories. When booking a trip to Disney, dining reservations should be made 180 days in advance. I am happy to help you choose which restaurants, experiences, and food selections will be best for you, your friends, or your family! While I love returning to my favorite restaurants, I also always try and book a new reservation when I travel so I can learn more to help you!If you would like more recommendations on character dining experiences in the parks or at resorts, contact me at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or follow my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie