Skip to navigation | Skip to content

Share your knowledge. Make a difference.

Disney World Character Dining

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 6 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #12 in Travel

4 people favorited this page

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Walt Disney World Character Dining - What Are My Choices?

 

Dining with a Disney character  on your Disney World vacation is a great and of course very unique option.  But is it for you?  If you decide you want to dine with Mickey ( or a Princess or a chip monk) how do you decide which character dining restaurant to go to?

I have been to so many Disney character meals that my children started to think it was normal to see Winnie the Pooh at the breakfast table!

Check out this all in one guide to why, how and where you can have a Walt Disney World Character meal.  

Disney Character Meals - Do I Really Want One? 

Is this Walt Disney World character dining experience for you?

Princess Belle

Disney character meals are an experience. A unique experience!

They give you lots of chances to interact with the characters. The characters themselves are generally excellent - they never step out of character and to your child they can be magical.

The downsides? They are generally more expensive than other comparable Disney dining - you pay for the experience as well as the food. They can also be a little noisy. Do not go here expecting a quiet time!

Disney World Restaurant Menus 

Disney Dining Prices Guide


The Unofficial Dining Guide to Walt Disney World 2007:
Current Menus and Prices for All Restaurants at the Parks and Hotels

The Unofficial Dining Guide to Walt Disney World offers more than just complete menus and prices for all restaurants at Walt Disney World. Every aspect of the dining experience is covered here: available discounts, purchasing the Dining Plan, when and how to make reservations, and even character dining.

Each restaurant in Walt Disney World has a page dedicated to it, so it's a snap to browse through the entire theme park's offerings all at once. With this book in hand, you won't need to cross the whole park to find out just which food items are offered, or exactly how much each of them costs. Save time, save money, and get exactly the food you want instead of settling for a second or third choice simply to get back to riding attractions.

Visitors with special needs or cravings will find the indexes especially helpful. Got a finicky eater in your family? Enduring food cravings yourself? Trying to steer clear of some food items due to allergies or preferences? The indexes make it all easy. In addition to offering the ultimate resource for searching food items, the indexes for each park also serve to generate ideas. Hungry but not sure what you'd like to eat? Just browse through the alphabetical index and scan the listings until something looks good.

If you're still unsure, consult the recommendations for each theme park, covering such topics as "best value," "best fine dining," and "best escape from the weather outside." Or browse through the book while waiting in lines for attractions, and brush up on your restaurant trivia, included whenever there is space on the page.

The Unofficial Dining Guide to Walt Disney World has it all. What better way to plan your vacation and expenses in advance? What tool could be more useful to bring along in the parks?

Disney World Character Meals - How Do I Choose Which One? 

Which Disney Magical Meal Should You Choose?

There is a great variety of choices. From breakfast to brunch, dinner to lunch. Meals can be buffet, menu or family style ( where all you can eat choices are brought to your table).

If your want to see a particular character always check before you go to see that they are appearing that particular time - a lot of the restaurants do have a fixed schedule of characters, but they do sometimes change.

The choice can be a little overwhelming so let us look where you can find all the restaurants with Disney character meals.

Here you can check out location, dining style and which characters are usually at that restaurant location.

Have A Magical Disney World Vacation - Free Guide 

Save up to $766 with secret quick and simple steps.

Magic Kingdom Cinderella Castle
Disney Secrets Free Guide
Want some help with planning your Disney World vacation? Want to make it the most magical ever? Get this FREE GUIDE to saving on tickets, no tricks or scams, and how to give your family the best Disney vacation possible.

How Do You Reserve a Disney World Character Meal? 

Disney Advance Dining Reservations

If you want to dine with Mickey, or share a buffet with a Disney Princess it is a good idea to book ahead. The character meals are very popular and tend to fill up quickly.

Disney have a system of Advance Dining Reservations - ADR.

You can call 1 407 WDW DINE to make your Advance Dining Reservation - up to 180 days ahead.

Disney character dining is popular so if you do want to guarantee that you get a table you really should do this to avoid being disappointed.

Where Will You Find Disney World Character Dining? 



You will find Disney character dining at each of the parks and some of the Disney hotels.
  1. Disney Magic Kingdom
    Cinderella's Royal Table
    Crystal Palace
    Liberty Tree Tavern
  2. EPCOT
    Akershus Royal Banquet Princess Dining
    Garden Grill
  3. Disney Hollywood Studios
    Hollywood & Vine
  4. Disney Animal Kingdom
    Restaurantosaurus
  5. Disney Resort Hotels
    1900 Park Fayre - The Grand Floridian
    Cape May - Disney's Beach Club Resort
    Chef Mickey's - Contemporary Resort
    Ohana - Polynesian Resort
    Gullivers Grill - Swan Resort
    Garden Grove Cafe - Swan Resort

Disney Character Dining Restaurants 

Guides to all your favorite Disney World restaurants

Ratatouille Movie

Use this guide to work out which character dining would be best for you and your family.

All prices are correct as for December 2007 ( sometimes Holiday pricing is in operation and this is not listed). All prices are subject to tax and gratuity.

Meals prices include soft beverages, coffee and tea.

All characters are subject to change so if you have a particular favorite in mind call ahead to check!

Disney World Guide To Save You Time and Money 

EPCOT Monorail
Disney World Secrets Guide
Are there really any Disney World secrets? Anyone planning a Disney World vacation knows that it can be an expensive vacation! Want to know how to plan ahead to save you money and time? Get a guide from a Disney World expert writer and find out how to save money on tickets, places to stay, find free things to do, and many many tips to make your vacation very special.
Are there really any Disney World secrets.......? Just great advice for a quick and easy solution to make sure you get the best from your Disney World vacation!

Would You Like To Dine In Cinderella's Castle? 

Cinderella's Royal Table



Yes, you really do get to dine inside Cinderella's Castle at Cinderella's Royal Table. This is by far the most sought after restaurant. Be warned it is almost impossible to get a reservation!

You HAVE TO BOOK 180 days ahead for this by calling 407 WDW DINE. It is a very small and very very popular restaurant - so call at 7pm EST as soon as the lines open.

This is the only character restaurant where you have to book so far ahead and your chances of getting in are so minimal - so don't be discouraged from the other option!

The usual characters are Cinderella, The Fairy Godmother,Belle, Snow White and Aurora.

Cinderella

The breakfast option is pre plated family style all you care to eat.

$36.99 adults
$24.99 children

Lunch is appetizers brought to your table, a choice of entree from a list of 4 or 5 items and a dessert.

$35.99 adults
$23.99 children

For dinner there is a choice of appetizer entree and dessert ( more choices than at lunch).

$39.99
$24.99

Included with ever meal is a photo package. You will be greeted in the lobby and taken to have your photograph taken. A package with four 4x6 prints and one 6x8 print of your photo,as well as one 6x8 print of Cinderella Castle,
in a Cinderella photo holder.

Discounted Disney World Tickets 

Crystal Palace 

Character Dining in Disney's Magic Kingdom

Magic Kingdom Cinderella Castle

This is one of my personal favorites. Located at the end of Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom the usual characters are Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet.

This is a buffet restaurant with good quality options - all subject to change. A couple of the lunch and dinner entree options are so good I have the recipe ( just ask you server and they will let you have any recipe).

Breakfast buffet options include scrambled eggs, pancakes, breakfast potatoes - the usual excellent selection of breakfast buffet fare.

Some of my lunch and dinner favorites are the Ancho Chile Rubbed Atlantic Salmon and a great fruit and vegetable tofu curry. The salad selection is always great too.

Breakfast 8- 10.30am

Adult $18.99
Child $10.99

Lunch 11.30 - 3pm

Adult $20.99
Child $11.99

Dinner 4pm - depends when the park closes

Adult $27.99
Child $12.99

Crystal Palace Character Dining 

Every so often the characters Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore get up and dance around the restaurant encouraging the children to join them.

If you want a quiet meal then this is not the place to be!

Tigger dance

powered by YouTube

Want to Have the Ultimate Disney World Vacation? 

Toy Story Disney Hollywood Studios
Disney World Money Saving Guide
Would you like to know the secrets to an affordable Disney World vacation. Pay muchless than others pay and save hundreds of dollars and more???
With this guide you will learn how to save money on tickets, places to stay, free things to do, reduce your time standing in line and many more essential Disney secrets!

Don't leave for Disney World without this Ultimate Essential Guide written by a Disney World Expert!

Liberty Tree Tavern 

Liberty Square Magic Kingdom

Lunch and dinner are served here - but characters are present ONLY at dinner. Minnie, Pluto,Donald Duck,Meeko, Chip and Dale are the characters usually in attendance at dinner.

The themeing is excellent. Be transported in time to colonial America - with themed wall art, low exposed beams and colonial style furniture.

The dinner is served family style - so brought to you are your table, but you can ask for as many servings as you would like. The menu is roasted turkey breast, carved beef, and smoked pork loin, with mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, herb bread stuffing. Not forgetting the kids there is the ever popular Macaroni and Cheese.

Dinner 4pm to closing depending on park hours

Adults $27.99

Child $12.99

Disney World Dining Featured Lenses 

New Disney World Ticket Featured Lenses 

New Disney World Featured Guides 

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall - Dine With A Princess 

Norway World Showcase EPCOT

This is another one of my personal favorites. I loved this restaurant long before the Princesses arrived!

Which Princesses may appear? Aurora, Snow White,Jasmine, Belle, Mulan or Mary Poppins. There is sometimes the rare treat of seeing Ariel in a ballgown so able to walk around! Cinderella appears only occassionally.

You cannot guarantee that your particular favorite Princess will appear - so warn your children of this!

I also love the themeing in this Princess storybook buffet restaurant. It was designed to look like a 14th century castle banquet hall. The low lighting welcomes you into a room with high ceilings, cast iron chandeliers, and stained glass windows.

The servers, all from Norway on the Disney student exchange program are particularly welcoming and helpful.

This is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Breakfast is served family style. It includes fruit, bacon, sausage,scrambled eggs, potato casserole, cinnamon rolls and biscuits.

Breakfast is also fun because the restaurant is open before the World Showcase section of EPCOT opens - if you finish breakfast around 11am you get a head start on the attractions in that part of the park.

Breakfast 8.30 to 10.10 am

Adult $22.99

Child $12.99

Lunch 11.40 to 2.50pm

There is a cold buffet table of Norweigan specialities. Lots of salads, cheese, excellent flat bread, cold meats and all you can eat shrimp.

As well as helping yourself to the buffet you can order a hot entree from the menu. You can order as many times as you want from such choices as braised lamb, meatballs,trout and pasta. You have a choice of dessert. If you want the more familiar try the chocolate mousse. Or for those of you wanting something a little different then the Norweigan rice cream dessert is very good.

Thankfully there is a kids menu as some kids really aren't going to want to try the more unusual items. I know this from experience - just ask me about the plate throwing incident, my son's worst restaurant moment!

The kids menu has the usual selections of pizza, hot dog,and meat balls. Also cheese ravioli ( my daughters favorite),grilled chicken breast or salmon and the Viking turkey and cheese roll up.

Lunch 11.40 to 2.50pm

Adults $24.99

Child $13.99

For dinner the system is the same as lunch and the cold buffet table choices are identical. But the entree choices are a little different. Just some of the choices are baked salmon with spicy mustard ( one of my favorites), poached cod and venison stew.

Dinner 4.20 to 8.40pm

Adult $28.99

Child $13.99

I think this buffet and menu system works well because your hot food is cooked to order, and therefore hasn't been standing on a buffet table. No matter how well food is cooked it can obviously lose some quality in buffet style set ups, so I think this is a big bonus of the Princess Storybook dining.

I love Akershus but be aware that not everyone does because of the slightly unusual style of the food. There are some choices to satisfy picky kids but a lot do not like the unusual items on the cold buffet.

The Garden Grill Restaurant in EPCOT 

A revolving restaurant.



This restaurant is located in The Land Pavilion in EPCOT future World. It has a twist - well a revolution! It is a revolving restaurant. You will travel around through one of The Land's attractions - Living With The Land.

The characters who usually appear are Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale.

Lunch and dinner are served here and the food is family style. The menu is the same for both lunch and dinner.

Buttermilk biscuits and rolls, flank steak,pork loin with chutney, turkey, catfish, and a selection of fresh vegetables.

For kids the choice is chicken strips, mac and cheese,potatoes or fries and vegetables.

I like the dessert here - the chocolate fondue with marshmallows, biscotti pound cake and fresh fruit is excellent fun for everyone.

Lunch 11 to 3pm

Adults $20.99

Child $11.99

Dinner 4.30 to varies with park closing time

Adult $27.99

Child $12.99

Disney World Dining on a Budget 


The Frugal Family's Guide to Dining at Disney World



A step-by-step guide on how to save money while dining at Walt Disney World. Also included are restaurant guides, sample menus and tips. Makes a great companion for any family vacationing in Disney World.

Hollywood and Vine 

Disney Hollywood Studios- Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine

The decor in this buffet restaurant is art deco style cafeteria. It is a bustling and to be honest, very noisy place which makes me think of the diner in the Grease movie - lots of chrome, tile floors and bright colored red chairs!

Characters appear at breakfast and lunch only.

Breakfast 8 to 11.20am

For breakfast you can join the Playhouse Disney characters Jo Jo and Goliath from Jo Jo's Circus and June and Leo from the Little Einsteins. If you want lots of singing and dancing with your breakfast this is the right place!

The breakfast buffet menu has a selection of the usual favorites, bacon, sausages, biscuits, scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, Mickey waffles,pastries and fruit.

Adults $22.99

Child $12.99

Lunch 11.40 to 2.25pm

The characters are usually the same as breakfast Jo Jo and Leo.

Lunch is also buffet style with selections such as salads, cheeses, pot roast,baked chicken, salmon, mashed potatoes and vegetables.

There is a children's buffet table with the standard favorites - hot dogs, mac and cheese.

The dessert station has traditional American desserts including a serve yourself ice cream with lots of different toppings to choose from!

Adult $24.99

Child $13.99

Dinner is also buffet style with similar selections to lunch but is NOT a character meal (it can be part of the Fanstasmic dining package though).

Donalds Breakfastasaurus 

Disney's Animal Kingdom Breakfast

DSC_0102

The only character dining location in Animal Kingdom - this is a buffet style breakfast only.

Characters appearing include Donald Duck, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto.

Breakfast is served from 8 to 10.30am every day - so if you get the earliest seating you can be starting on the rides by opening time at 9am. Just don't overindulge on the buffet and then ride Everest!

Buffet selections include croissants, breakfast pizza, muffins, fruit, cereals,cinammon apple slices, scrambled eggs, western style eggs,hash browns,bacon, sausage, oatmeal.

Adult $18.99

Child $10.99

This is one of the least expensive buffet character meals.

1900 Park Fare - The Grand Floridian 

This is another one of my personal favorites. The quality of the food is high - and you also get to enjoy the atmosphere of the lobby of The Grand Floridian which is one of my favorite people watching spots in Disney World!

1900 Park Fare serves breakfast and dinner buffet style.

Breakfast 8 to 11.30pm

The characters are usually Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins and Bert, and The Mad Hatter ( my all time least favorite character)! I have often seen Aladdin and Tigger there too.

There is a large selection of food here including a separate kids station ( I like the hash browns from the kids selection).

Cereals, scrambled eggs, strawberry soup ( you have to try it), bacon, sausage, Mickey pancakes, fruit, pastries, bread pudding (just try and resist that even if it is morning), oatmeal, corned beef hash. This is just a selection of items - I could go on............

Adult $18.99

Child $10.99

Dinner 4.30 to 8.30pm

Again it is buffet style. The characters could include Cinderella and Prince Charming,Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella.

Large selection of salads,peel and eat shrimp, soup selection,prime rib, turkey,salmon with caper butter sauce,mushroom ravioli, mussels.cheese lasagna,pork loin, selection of vegetables.

On the kids buffet table,chicken nuggets, corn dogs,pasta, cheese pizza, peanut butter and jelly sandwich,mac and cheese, corn and vegetables.

If you still have room for dessert (and amazingly you will when you see them) bread pudding, apple cobbler,key lime tarts,chocolate chip cookies, and rice krispie treats and ice cream.

Adult $28.99

Child $13.99

1900 Park Fare - Character Visit! 

This gives you some idea of what you are going to experience with character dining. The characters come to your table usually one by one. Most times you will get to see each character. If one has missed your table just ask your server and they will arrange for them to stop by.

Anastasia entertains at 1900 Park Fare

dinner with character

Runtime: 1:11
10284 views
10 Comments:

powered by YouTube

Cape May Character Breakfast 

Disney's Beach Club Hotel

One of my favorite Disney hotels and I love this restaurant!

Breakfast is served 7.30 to 11am

The characters are usually chosen from Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale.

The decor in the restaurant is a nautical theme. Children are given crayons to draw on the paper table cloths - adults can join in too!

The menu is buffet style and has the usual favorites. Hot and cold cereal, fruit, oatmeal, pastries, eggs,omelet made to order, breakfast potatoes,biscuits and gravy,muffins, bagels and the delightful bread pudding!

Adult $18.99

Child $10.99

Chef Mickey's - Contemporary Resort. 

Dine with Mickey Mouse and Friends

A popular restaurant and deservedly so. Located just off of the lobby in the Contemporary Resort it is fun to ride the monorail and step off into the hotel and then go for breakfast. After you have finished it is one short stop to the Magic Kingdom on the monorail.

Breakfast and dinner is served buffet style.

Breakfast 7 to 11.30am

Mickey, Goofy, Chip and Dale usually appear.

There is a good selection of cereal, fruit, oatmeal,corned beef hash, omelet, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon,bacon and cheese potatoes,Minnie's breakfast pizza,challah french toast (this is fabulous),bagels, chocolate croissants,cheese blintzes, peach cobbler, pastries,and brownies.

Adult $18.99

Child $10.99

Dinner 5 to 9.30pm

Because this is so close to Magic Kingdom it can be good to go for dinner here and then go and watch the fireworks at the end of the day.

Characters appearing include Mickey,Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Donald ( one of the few places you can find him).

The buffet includes soup and salad bar,prime rib, oven roasted ham,teriyaki chicken,glazed salmon,penne pasta with chicken and italian sausage florentine,mashed potato, cheese ravioli,rice with peas, assorted vegetables.

For the kids selection maco and cheese, chicken tenders, cheese pizza, and vegetables.

Adult $27.99

Child $12.99

Ohana - Polynesian Resort 

Tropical Fun with Lilo and Stich at Breakfast

Ohana serves breakfast and dinner, but only breakfast has character appearances. In keeping with the tropical theme the characters are Lilo and Stich.

The restaurant design is spectacular with a fire pit as the central focus of the room.

Breakfast is served from 7 to 10am and is family style. The menu is a little more limited than most at scrambled eggs, fried potatoes,pork sausage and smoked bacon,breakfast breads and fruit.

The restaurant is lively! Your children will be invited to join in such activities as hula hoop contests and coconut races. It is a lot of fun!

Adult $18.99

Child $10.99

Dinner is served but there are no characters. An usual concept as you are served family style food including appetizers with dips, and entrees which are served on skewers. A great restaurant which is worth a try if you want something a little different ( and don't mind not dining with the characters).

Garden Grove Cafe 

Disney Swan Resort

This is a character buffet on Saturday and Sundays ONLY.

Pluto and Goofy are the usual characters in attendance.

Breakfast buffet items include fruit, cereals, pastries,eggs any style, breakfast meats, bagels, croissants,Virginia baked ham, and waffles.

Breakfast is served from 7.30 to 11.30am

Adults $16.95

Children $8.50

This is an often forgotten location for a character breakfast. The Swan hotel is located a 15 minute walk or short boat ride from the World Showcase entrance to EPCOT. So it can be good to combine breakfast here with a visit to World Showcase when it opens at 11am.

Gullivers Grill at the Swan Resort 

Another often forgotten venue is Gulliver's Grill at The Swan Resort.

Dinner is served buffet style. Timon and Rafiki from The Lion King appear on Monday and Friday nights. All other nights are Goofy and Pluto.

Adults $27.95

Children $10.95

Adults on Friday $29.95

A resort restaurant is a good choice if you still want that Disney experience but no longer have any ticket days left - or perhaps for your first night of your stay.

Disney World Dining Guide Books on Amazon 

Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide)

Amazon Price: $9.56 (as of 05/16/2008)

Walt Disney World® with Disabilities

Amazon Price: $20.66 (as of 05/16/2008)

Have you ever had a Disney Character Meal at Disney World? 

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Have you had a Meal With a Character at Disney World? 

amandaquerque

What fun! I didn't even know you could dine with characters! Thank you for adding this to the HUGE LENSES group!

Posted March 29, 2008

beachbum_gabby

not yet but I'm looking forward for it! I like to spend it with my nieces & nephews. :)

Posted March 26, 2008

Margaret_Schaut

I'm featuring this one too, on Wanderer's Travel Group page. Its just too fun to miss!

Posted March 20, 2008

ShortSaleRealtor

great lens/ info hi 5 to you

Posted February 27, 2008

thomasz

I like this lens. 5 stars to you.

Posted February 12, 2008

X
X

Gold Star

This is a certified gold star lens, which means it's the best of its kind on Squidoo (or shows some serious potential for getting there!)

Read more about gold stars »

X

EverythingMouse is a Giant Squid!

Giants are distinguished by their exceptional skill for making top-notch lenses, and lots of them. Whenever you land on a Giant Squid's lens, you know the person behind it is passionate about the topic and is hard at work making the lens worthy of your time and attention.

Learn more about what it takes to be a Giant »