The Ultimate Guide to Character Dining at Disney World: Magical Meals for Families
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Are you planning a trip to Disney World? Disney is full of so many adventures to have with your family. From rides, to delicious food to the characters- Disney has it all! Seeing the magic of Disney through the eyes of your kids is truly one of the greatest joys of being a parent. We love seeing the characters. We love getting autographs from all the characters and looking back over them after the trip is over.
One of the hardest parts of Disney World is the waiting in lines. There are lines for all things at Disney, obviously some times of the year are better than others for this. But one of the things we have spent a lot of time waiting for is seeing the characters. That is why our family tries to eat at as many character restaurants as possible at Disney World. There are so many options to choose from when it comes to character dining.
Best Buffet Character Dining
Disney has so many options for dining but one of the fastest ways to enjoy a meal with your family is a buffet- and Disney has lots of these. Our favorite buffet Character Dining are:
Chef Mickeys:
Chef Mickey’s so full of excitement and delicious food All of your favorite Disney Characters are here to visit you. There is Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy and Pluto! We love this one because all of the characters make
their way to your table throughout your time at the restaurant. Our kids favorite part of this is the dance party that they have. It seems to happen about every 30minutes and the characters take part too, so much fun!
One of the great things about Chef Mickey’s is that it is located within Disney’s Contemporary Resort so there is no park admission required. We love to enjoy this restaurant on one of our hotel days.
Crystal Palace:
Crystal Palace is located within Magic Kingdom. There are so many family favorite food options and is open for breakfast and lunch. We love that is has a kids area of the buffet line that is lower for the kids and has all the kids favorite foods. This restaurant has some great characters that you may not see anywhere else in the park including Whinnie the Pooh and Tigger too!
This option has a buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Cape May Cafe:
Cape May Cafe is located within Disney’s Beach Club Resort- near Epcot. Similar to Chef Mickey’s a park ticket is not required to enjoy this buffet. This character joining features Minnie and some of her best friends in their fancy beach attire.
This character dining experience is only available for breakfast. Though there is still dining for dinner it will not include the characters. The buffet options here will be similar to Chef Mickeys. All of the characters will visit your table so you will get a chance to see everyone!
Best Character Dining Table Service
Ohana
Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a must-do dining experience for families who want a taste of Hawaiian hospitality right in the heart of Walt Disney World. It is easily accessible as it is right on the Monorail loop. It is a great option for starting your day if you are headed to the Magic Kingdom.
If you are enjoying breakfast at Ohana then you will get the treat of seeing Lilo, Stitch and friends. This interactive character experience keeps the entertainment going through your entire meal. Keep in mind for your planning that the character experience is only offered at breakfast. The food here is delicious! Be sure to try the sweet bread- it is a family favorite of ours. Don’t worry- though it is table service dining it is still all you can eat. The servers will continue bringing more food on request!
Garden Grill
This family-style breakfast, lunch, or dinner rotates slowly atop a massive rotating turntable inside Epcot’s Living with The Land attraction. Similar to Ohana it is a table service all you care to enjoy meal. While you are dining you are greeted by Disney Pals such as Chip & Dale- who are so much fun. Mickey and some friends are also at this dining experience.
Kids will love how their table is moving while you are eating. Don’t worry it goes really slow so it is hard to notice.
Final Thoughts on Disney Character Dining
We love seeing all the characters at Disney- it is a highlight we always look forward to. But if you can get some of those character visits in while you are eating your meal it really helps with the time saving and means less waiting in line for the little ones. It also gives you a chance to see some of the characters that are otherwise not always found in the parks.
Check out this link to plan your next Disney Trip https://tripadvisor.tpk.ro/VoZa1ZB0.
We hope that you enjoy lots of delicious food on your Disney Adventure. For more family travel tips and ideas be sure to check out Blog – Together We Can Travel.
