Regardless of age, dining with a Disney character is pure delight! Would I still choose a character meal if my eight year old daughter wasn’t with me- You bet your bippy I would! The thrill of having an over-sized Disney celebrity visit you while chowing done on a plate of Mickey Waffles or a bowl of Strawberry Soup is in comparison to none.
I have had the pleasure of dining at every character meal within Walt Disney World. Over the years as I have gotten to experience each one, my favorites have changed. This list of My 5 Favorites is based on three categories: -Character experience
–Quality of food
-Atmosphere
In addition, my recommendation, (which is not always feasible due to schedules and hard to obtain reservations), is to book the first seating for any Character Meal you choose. I find this presents a less crowded and less noisy dining area and usually ensures a more fluid character experience.
Starting out with my personal favorite-
- Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast (Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto) I chose this as #1 on my list because it receives high scores in all three of my criteria.
The Character experience is a 10 for me. Though Lilo and Stitch are not my favorite characters, they are great fun and are sure to bring smiles around the table. Mickey in a Hawaiian shirt- can’t get enough of that! Pluto is never too far from his pal Mickey and always brings great energy where ever he appears. Most fun of all is the breakfast parade led by Mickey himself, giving the kids a chance to gets up and get their wiggles out. One year Mickey took Rebekah by the hand and escorted her around the dining room, magical memories!
Quality of food is always a 10 at Ohana, character meal or regular dining. You will be presented with a basket of sweet breads and rolls, a plate of seasonal fresh cut fruit and a glass of Stitches favorite juice (a papaya and orange juice mixture). An all you can eat family style skillet is brought to your table which is filled with scrambled eggs, fried potatoes with caramelized onions and scallions, pork breakfast sausage links, smoked bacon, and MICKEY WAFFLES! I have enjoyed every item in that skillet, ALL the best foods to start a great day at the parks!
Atmosphere is an important part of a meal; it can make or break a meal for me. Ohana has a South Seas feel which is very calming to me and brings a smile to my face. Before being seated you will have a family photo taken with an option to purchase at an additional cost to the meal. When entering Ohana you are greeted by your host/hostess who welcomes you as their cousin because you are now part of the family-that’s what Ohana means in Hawaiian- Family. The room is decorated with large potted plants and trimmed with wood carvings of tiki statues and oceanic décor. Over-sized picture windows look out onto the Seven Seas lagoon, making for a beautiful South Seas picturesque scenery.
- Cape Mae Café (Minnie, Donald, Goofy) is next on my list for its fun loving beachy character attire, hearty American breakfast buffet and open and airy dining space, making it score high within my criteria. Minnie, Donald, and Goofy look adorable in their swim suits making a big splash of fun when they visit your breakfast table.
At the breakfast buffet you will find an assortment of sliced fresh fruit and berries, mixed fruit and yogurt selections. As well as scrambled eggs, omelets and eggs to order, biscuits and gravy, French toast, and MICKEY WAFFLES. Bring on the bacon and sausage, seasoned potatoes and I think I am starting to feel full! If omelets are not your thing then try the assorted hot & cold cereals and don’t forget to fill your plate with the bread pudding and vanilla sauce, muffins, danish, and donuts, bagels and breads. Something for everyone! My favorite part of this buffet was the hot oatmeal and toppings bar- I couldn’t get enough and had to force myself to put my spoon down.
I am a big fan of the Beach Club atmosphere; it is bright and airy. I love the casual feel of a day at the beach and the colored beach umbrellas aligning the outside perimeter of the restaurant.
- High on my list is Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus at Royal Banquet Hall (various Princesses subject to inter-change). I have only attended the lunch/dinner seating but Nicole has dined during breakfast. We both concur either meal is a must do for your little princess or prince but would be a wonderful experience for a Queen and King as well 😉
Each time either of our families have visited Askershus, our princess experiences have been second to none. The one on one time and attention given by each princess left our own royal court starry eyed.
The Breakfast menu is your typical breakfast fare but lunch/dinner is curtailed to Norwegian culture. Your appetizer selection consists of a buffet of sliced deli meats, seafood, and a large selection of prepared salads, cheeses, and breads.
The Lunch Entree Selections include: Pasta Akershus, Braised Lamb, Soup & Sandwich: Jarlsberg cheese & leek soup paired with Pan Seared Salmon on Toasted Multigrain Bread, Pan Seared Trout, Pulled Pork and Traditional Kjottkake.
The Dinner Entree Selections include: Baked Salmon topped with Spicy Mustard, Pasta Akershus, Braised Lamb, Braised Beef Short Ribs, Venison Stew, Fresh Poached Cod, and Traditional Kjottkake.
Dessert for both lunch and dinner come as The Royal Chef’s Dessert Plate and is to be shared by all at your table: Traditional Rice Cream, Chocolate Mousse Cake, and Lingonberry Cheesecake.
I really enjoyed the cold buffet of seafood and salads which was a nice accompaniment to my main dish. The menu has changed since my last visit but I can assure you my meal was delicious, and who doesn’t appreciate an array of dessert choices put before you- surly it was royal treatment.
This medieval royal atmosphere is inspired by Akershus castle in Oslo, Norway. It has a main dining hall with high ceilings adorned with large wooden beams and pennants. A quaint dining area is off to the side making for a quieter dining space. Upon entering you will have an opportunity to have a photo taken with a princess (usually Belle) that will be part of your dinner package.
- Holding it’s own on this Top 5 list is Garden Grill (Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale). Receiving the highest score in Quality of food and not trailing far behind is the Character Experience and Atmosphere. The Garden Grill is only open for dinner and my suggestion is to retain a first seating reservation. This restaurant seems to back up quickly leaving your wait time a little longer than you might expect.
Your Character Experience is a little different at this location because of the seating arrangements. There are U-shaped booths and a narrow walking space around the restaurant, this makes it a little difficult to stand to greet and take pictures with each character. If you can get passed that, seeing Mickey in his jean overalls is precious and as usual Pluto is trailing behind. You also get a visit from Chip and Dale, those little mischievous chipmunks!
Dinner is served in a all-you-can-eat family style skillet which is filled with Char-grilled Filet of Beef with Red Wine Sauce, Roasted All-Natural Turkey Breast with Lemon Caper Sauce, Sustainable Fish of the Day with Roasted Tomato and Pepper Compote, Garden Fresh Vegetables, and Buttermilk Mash Potatoes. You will receive with your dinner a basket of warm bread with maple butter and “Living with the Land” Harvest-inspired Farmer’s Salad.
Dessert completes this delicious meal- Artisan Bread Pudding, Fresh-baked Harvest Skillet Cake with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream!
I can’t tell you one thing I didn’t fully enjoy with this meal. I can even go as far as saying; it is one of my favorite meals on WDW property.
The atmosphere I love,though it’s tight quarters it is for a good reason. This restaurant slowly rotates, changing your view as you dine. The best part, you get an overhead view of Living with the Land Boat Ride during the rotation. For the best seat in the house, ask for a booth, lending you the best views during you rotating tour.
- Coming in at the bottom of my 5 favorite, but still securing a spot is Crystal Palace (Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore). I have only enjoyed a breakfast meal but have heard many good reviews about their lunch and dinner. This Character Meal scores high on Character Experience and Atmosphere but loses marks for Quality of food (keeping in mind I am speaking only on behalf of breakfast). First, timing is important with this character meal. Do your best to secure an 8am reservation, (an hour before park opening), this will ensure less waiting time and crowds, giving you a head start into the parks!
Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore have all given us super big Friendship Day hugs which always starts our day off feeling happy warm and fuzzy. It is a large dining space, so at times it has taken each one a while to make it to our table, that is why the earlier the better when booking your reservation. A Friendship Day parade takes place during your meal, giving the younger tikes a chance to march around the dining rooms with their best pals.
The breakfast buffet consists of your traditional American breakfast foods including a breakfast pizza, and omelet station.
For me the best part of this Character Meal is the atmosphere, it wins the highest scores of the three divisions. The Crystal Palace is a beautiful iconic building; I can never get enough photographs of it. Walking in you are greeted by a beautiful topiary in the atrium with Pooh and friends nestled within the plants. It features two large dining areas with Victorian style décor through out. Side by side windows fill the perimeter of the dining space, creating a bright and airy atmosphere.
There you have it, my Favorite 5 Character Dining Meals. How do your favorites compare to mine? Please tell us what yours are!
~Maureen
(photo credit to The Disney Chef)
