~ Aug. 13, 2009
Destination Disney-Character Dining
We LOVE Character Dining at Walt Disney World. Yes, it costs more than a regular sit down meal, for those of us not on the Disney Dining Plan) but in some cases I feel it is worth it for the food and the character interaction.
There are currently 11 Character Dining Experiences (not including dinner shows or events at the Swan or Dolphin). Each experience varies as to what meals it serves, how the food is served and which characters are present.
The most sought after Character Dining Experience is Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom. There is something special about dining with Cinderella in the castle that makes it one of the hardest reservations to get. I have never succeeded at scoring this reservation :-( Cinderella's Royal Table serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is a pre-plated all-you-care-to-eat meal. Characters you may find there are Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, and Snow White.
If it is princesses you are after Princes Storybook Dining at Epcot, which serves family-style breakfast, lunch and dinner at Akershus in Norway at Epcot. You can also try Cinderella's Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. There they serve a dinner buffet.
There are 4 breakfast only Character Dining Experiences. I have never done any of these because we are not big breakfast eaters and I cannot justify the cost. These are:
We used to frequent the Garden Grille at Epcot's Land Pavillion, until they overhauled the menu a few years ago. They serve a family style dinner with Mickey, Goofy, Chip and Dale.
There are currently 11 Character Dining Experiences (not including dinner shows or events at the Swan or Dolphin). Each experience varies as to what meals it serves, how the food is served and which characters are present.
The most sought after Character Dining Experience is Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom. There is something special about dining with Cinderella in the castle that makes it one of the hardest reservations to get. I have never succeeded at scoring this reservation :-( Cinderella's Royal Table serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and is a pre-plated all-you-care-to-eat meal. Characters you may find there are Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, and Snow White.
If it is princesses you are after Princes Storybook Dining at Epcot, which serves family-style breakfast, lunch and dinner at Akershus in Norway at Epcot. You can also try Cinderella's Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort. There they serve a dinner buffet.
There are 4 breakfast only Character Dining Experiences. I have never done any of these because we are not big breakfast eaters and I cannot justify the cost. These are:
- Donald's Safari Breakfast buffet at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. Where you can see Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Mickey.
- Cape May Buffet at the Beach Club Resort. Where you can usually find Goofy, Minnie and Donald.
- Supercalifragilistic Breakfast buffet at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort plays host to Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter.
- 'Ohana Breakfast at the Polynesian Resort is served family style and features Lilo and Stitch.
We used to frequent the Garden Grille at Epcot's Land Pavillion, until they overhauled the menu a few years ago. They serve a family style dinner with Mickey, Goofy, Chip and Dale.
Our 2 favorite Character Dining Experiences are #2 Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingom. They serve a buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner and feature Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger.
Our #1 choice is Chef Mickey's buffet at the Contemporary Resort. The food is delicious, you MUST try the parmesan mashed potatoes, they are to die for! The service is always good and the character interaction is top notch. 
