Tuck In to Disney Character Dining

Walt Disney World isn’t all about the rides, as good as they are. There is WAY more to a typical Disney visit than just having fun riding the likes of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

And we’re here to tell you all about one of the best non-ride experiences of them all when it comes to the House of Mouse – character dining.

In our last blog, we discussed the best places for character meet-and-greets around the four main theme parks, and highlighted some great opportunities to get those all-important selfies with the (Disney) stars. But now we’re going to go a step further.

What is Disney character dining?

Disney character dining is a whole new experience all its own. It can be found in select restaurants in the parks and – especially – in the best hotels, where it is perfectly permissible for non-hotel guests to book the likes of Chef Mickey’s (at the Contemporary Resort) and 1900 Park Fare (at the Grand Floridian).

In fact, the latter are some of the best opportunities anywhere in the Disney-verse, and you can often get a more personal experience from the characters, who seem to pay extra-special attention to children and things can be a bit more informal. Plus, the settings are just pure fun.

The obvious difference from the general meet-and-greets is that there is a charge for breakfast, lunch or dinner, and these are not cheap meals, either, A breakfast can cost as much as $54 per adult and $34 per child (3-9), while dinner prices can reach $84/adult and $49/child, and that is without tax and gratuity (lunch and dinner pricings are the same, by the way).

The format is usually the same in each restaurant, though. The characters circulate through the dining area at regular intervals, usually individually, and they will stop at each table in turn and spend time with each family member as well as posing for pictures. So, you don’t need to go rushing over to them as soon as they appear in the restaurant!

Character dining in the Parks

There are 12 fully Disney-fied character dining experiences throughout Disney World, six in the parks and another half dozen in six of the resorts. There is one each in the Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and two in both EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom.

Starting at the Magic Kingdom, there are two contrasting choices, including THE must-have experience for many people. That is Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is located, fittingly enough, inside the iconic Castle in Fantasyland. This is the prime draw for die-hard fans, and it is a magnificent setting, but it is also the most expensive character meal option. Everyone gets to meet Cinderella herself in an ante-room at the grand entrance, while a rotating cast of princesses come out to meet diners at their tables, including Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine and Snow White, and there is a choice of breakfast, lunch and dinner here. The food is also exemplary.

It is easily the most “princess-y” experience of them all, but The Crystal Palace is usually better value as the setting is still quite eye-catching, albeit the cast is completely different. This is the dining home of Winnie the Pooh and Friends, hence the various characters who appear throughout mealtimes are Winnie, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger, and they can be quite a lively bunch! The breakfast menu is a touch uninspired but lunch and dinner have a better choice.

EPCOT boasts two highly contrasting dining opportunities, including another one that appeals to the princess fans. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is the Norwegian setting for various appearances from the likes of Ariel, Snow White, Aurora, Belle and Tiana, and it makes a slightly cheaper alternative than Cinderella’s Royal Table (please note: Anna and Elsa don’t appear here, as they have their own meet-and-greet venue elsewhere in the Norway pavilion). The Norwegian themed food is extremely good, featuring dishes like Seared Salmon, Meatballs, Chicken with Apple and Fennel, and Macaroni and Cheese, plus excellent vegetarian options.

Conversely, Garden Grill Restaurant is less showy but features some of the classic characters in Mickey (in his farmer outfit!), Goofy and Chip ’n’ Dale, and with a down-home menu style featuring American comfort food. Its big advantage is that the whole restaurant sits on a giant turntable, hence the view changes with its slow rotation, including views into the Living With The Land ride. This is also a good one to try for if the others are all full.

The Disney’s Hollywood Studios character dining experience – the Hollywood & Vine restaurant, with a choice of Disney Junior or Minnie and Friends – isn’t one of our favourites, but Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom definitely is, as much for its imaginative buffet menu as for the chance to dine with Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy in their best safari outfits.

Character dining in the hotels

In many ways, these are some of the harder dining opportunities to book as they are SO popular, especially Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort, which is THE quintessential character experience with Mickey, Minnie, Pluto and Goofy in their best chef costumes. The food is nothing hugely special but the vibe definitely is (breakfast and dinner only).

Likewise, 1900 Park Fare, the Mary Poppins-themed restaurant inside the swish Grand Floridian is both a long-standing favourite but is seeing a lot of pent-up demand as it has only just re-opened after a long closure and refurbishment. It also boasts a rare mix of characters, with Mirabel, Aladdin, Cinderella and Tiana the current quartet on parade, to go with a really tasty buffet for both breakfast and dinner.

Another super-popular choice is ’Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. This (breakfast only) dining experience features just Lilo and Stitch, which makes for the only character dining with this duo, hence its popularity (the food is good, too!).

If you’re looking for one of the character meals that isn’t likely to be booked solid, there are three further options with which to tempt you. This is a trio that doesn’t have the fan fervour of the other three, but they are all quite a chic choice as a result. Cape May Café at the Beach Club Resort offers a New England themed breakfast buffet with each of Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy, while Topolino’s Terrace at the new Riviera Resort features another tasty breakfast with Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy, plus a terrific view from the 10th floor.

Perhaps the most enjoyable – and most overlooked – character dining opportunity, though, might be at Wilderness Lodge, where Artist Point is a beautiful restaurant that is also home to the nightly Story Book Dining with Snow White, Dopey and Grumpy, plus a menu that is in true gourmet territory. It is an excellent dinner choice and the characters are still relatively rare, hence we rate this one extremely highly.

But, in all honesty, if you’re looking for a great character dining experience, with the accent on the characters, you can’t really go wrong with any of these. Just get out there and have fun!

Have you tried any Disney character dining experiences? Tell us about them on our Facebook, X and Instagram pages.