Walt Disney World Character Meals

Eating with Disney’s Characters at the Theme Parks

Nov 27, 2009
Debra Peterson

: Disney World Character Meals at Magic Kingdom - ckramer

Disney World's character dining provides guests with the opportunity to enjoy a meal and meet their favorite characters in a lively but relaxed atmosphere.

There are several Walt Disney World theme-park restaurants with character meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The characters in attendance vary from place to place, although Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and Disney princesses are commonly present. Because the characters put on shows and visit individual tables, these special meals offer families a chance to relax from touring and still enjoy Disney’s atmosphere.

Disney Character Dining – The Basics

Character dining meals are table-service meals and usually served family-style or as buffets. Family-style meals include a set menu and table service, while buffets are self-serve but have more food options. Like all dining, character meals are not included with admission, but may be used as part of the Disney Dining plans, with two general levels of pricing: adult (ages 10 and older) and children (ages 3 – 9); children under the age of three are not charged.

Menu items vary, but tend to provide American fare. Typical food at character breakfasts include French toast, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, fruit, yogurt, cereal, and sweet breads. Lunches and dinners tend to offer a selection of meat and poultry, pastas and pizzas, sandwiches, and sometimes seafood. There are always kid-friendly selections.

Magic Kingdom – Cinderella’s Royal Table and Crystal Palace with Pooh

Cinderella’s Royal Table, located inside the famous castle, is one of the most difficult reservations to secure. Advance reservations are absolutely necessary and reservations need to be paid for at the time of booking. Breakfast and lunch features Disney princesses and their escorts and is served family style, while dinner offers the Fairy Godmother and a la carte dining. Cinderella’s Royal Table serves American cuisine.

The Crystal Palace, a sunny conservatory found in the Main Street are, is also very popular. It serves American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet are the featured characters for this buffet experience.

Epcot – Norway’s Askerhus with Disney Princesses and the Garden Grill

Norway’s Askerhus Royal Banquet Hall, located in the World Showcase, is another princess dining experience. Characters in attendance include princesses Jasmine, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty, as well as Disney heroines Belle and Mulan. Askerhus is the only World Showcase location to offer breakfast, when it serves American fare. Askerhus serves Norwegian cuisine and kid-friendly options for its lunch and dinner character meals.

The Garden Grill restaurant inside The Land, a Future World pavilion, offers an American-fare dinner served family style and includes a vegetarian-meal option. Not only does the Garden Grill feature Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale., but the restaurant itself is an attraction – it rotates slowly to show guests different scenes from the Living with the Land ride.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Playhouse Disney at Hollywood & Vine

Young children are the focus of Disney Hollywood Studios’ character buffets at the Hollywood & Vine, which is called Disney Playhouse’s Play ‘n Dine. Available for breakfast and lunch, Play ‘n Dine stars characters such as JoJo and Goliath (JoJo’s Circus) and June and Leo (Little Einsteins), who invite toddlers to participate in sing-alongs.

Animal Kingdom – Donald’s Animal Safari at Tusker House

Tusker House, in Animal Kingdom’s Africa and not far from the Kilimanjaro Safari ride, is home to Donald’s Animal Safari buffet breakfast. It is the most reliable place to meet Disney’s favorite duck, who is joined by Daisy, Disney’s second-favorite duck, and Goofy. As with most character breakfasts, Donald’s Animal Safari focuses on American fare.

Advance Dining Reservations for Disney’s Character Meals

Because they combine characters and convenience, character meals are very popular. Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) are highly recommended for all Disney character meals. This is particularly true for theme-park dining, which should be booked as far in advance as possible. Disney reservations for character meals at the parks or at the resorts may be now be made at Disney World Dining online or by phone at 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) up to 180 days in advance.

Although the type of cuisine and featured characters tend to be stable, what the menu offers and what characters are in attendance vary by location or may change over time. Be sure to check with Disney’s website or their dining reservations number for updated information; menus are available at several Disney fan-operated websites, including AllEars.net, which updates the menus regularly and offers restaurant reviews.

Character dining allows guests, especially families with children, to meet characters for pictures and autographs without waiting in long lines. Guests who would enjoy a “meet and greet” with characters and a meal should choose their favorite location and characters, then make an advance dining reservation.