Which Disney World Character Dining is Best for You?
Meeting characters at Walt Disney World can be one of the most magical moments of a vacation. To do so, you can wait in line to see your favorites at all four theme parks, or you can partake in character dining, where good food and company collide.
Character dining allows guests to enjoy a meal as beloved Disney characters stop by their table for autographs and pictures. These experiences are available at restaurants both inside the theme parks and at resort hotels.
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Cuisine, characters, and price vary depending on location. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner options are available, though not every restaurant will serve all three meals.
Below is a guide to all things character dining, from buffets to breakfast to prix fixe meals. Whether you want to dine like royalty inside Cinderella Castle or celebrate Friendship Day with Winnie the Pooh and friends, there are options for everyone!
Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom
Theme Park Character Buffets
Buffets are a popular choice for character meals, as their selections are expansive and can be great for picky eaters. At buffets, characters will circulate the restaurant and stop by all the tables, ensuring guests get an intimate, special interaction.
These restaurants are all over the Walt Disney World resort, but if you’re looking for as much time as possible inside the theme parks, look no further! Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Magic Kingdom offer all-you-care-to-enjoy buffets for the entire family.
Hollywood and Vine
Over at Hollywood Studios, you can dine at Hollywood and Vine for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Minnie Mouse and friends meet here in their seasonal best: dressing up in different outfits that reflect the changing seasons.
Breakfast at Hollywood and Vine lasts from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and is $49 per adult and $33 per child. Lunchtime, from 10:45 a.m. to 3:55 p.m., is $64 per adult and $44 per child. Dinner lasts from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and is the same price as lunch.
The food at breakfast offers staples like character waffles and omelets while also having some unique fares like salmon and bagel casserole and bananas foster french toast. For lunch and dinner, samplings include but are not limited to tofu, chicken, potatoes, and even Shepherd’s Pie.
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace over at Magic Kingdom serves traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner alongside Winnie the Pooh and friends from the Hundred Acre Wood. Situated in a Victorian-style greenhouse on Main Street U.S.A., Crystal Palace offers breakfast from 8:00 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. with a price of $54 per adult and $35 per child.
Lunch is offered from 11:00 a.m. to 2:55 p.m., while dinner is from 3:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. During these times, the price will be $64 per adult and $44 per child. Here, you’ll find classic offerings like pasta and fried chicken.
Tusker House
Animal Kingdom offers African-style flavor at Tusker House, where Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and friends of the Fab 5 take a break from their safari expeditions to greet your table.
Tusker House breakfast offers a variety of foods (including Simba waffles) from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and is $52 per adult and $35 per child. Lunch, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and dinner, from 3:35 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., are both $64 per adult and $42 per child. Some food options include green curry shrimp and Spit-roasted Tandoori chicken.
Photo: Disney
Resort Character Buffets
Character dining buffets are also alive and well at the Disney World resort hotels! If you’re in the mood to escape the parks and enjoy the quieter side of the magic, these restaurants may be for you.
Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May Cafe
Over at the Beach Club, you’ll find Cape May Cafe, where Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast will have you longing for a summer on the Northeast coast. Minnie Mouse and friends, dressed for a day at the beach, visit as you dine on Mickey waffles, pastries, and an assortment of offerings to start your day off right.
Cape May Cafe is $49 per adult and $33 per child. Characters only meet at breakfast, which lasts from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
1900 Park Fare
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Inside the Grand Floridian, 1900 Park Fare is a buffet celebrating the magic of a wish. No matter what time you dine, you may be able to see characters such as Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, or Tiana. Breakfast, where you’ll find the popular strawberry soup, is $58 per adult and $37 per child. Dinner, which offers Tiana’s gumbo and various meat carving stations, is $69 per adult and $44 per child.
Chef Mickey’s
The Contemporary is home to the quintessential Disney character meal, as over at Chef Mickey’s you’ll view the monorail as Mickey, Goofy and their pals say hello. Breakfast is $59 per adult and runs from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m., while dinner begins at 3:30 and is also $69 per adult and $44 per child.
At both mealtimes, the selection of food is diverse and bound to appeal to all members of your party.
Photo: Disney
Resorts are a wonderful way to escape the crowds and Florida heat while still experiencing the Disney magic. I highly recommend checking out one of these restaurants on your next stay!
Family Style Character Dining
Family style restaurants are another great option for all-you-care-to-enjoy meals, as the food comes to you at the table. There are currently three character dinings that provide this: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Garden Grill, and ‘Ohana.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Photo: MealTrip.com
Akershus, within Epcot’s Norway Pavilion, allows for a royal Princess Storybook Dining at either breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With classic Norwegian cuisine mixed with traditional American eats, you’ll be able to meet up to five princesses before continuing your World Showcase adventures.
Princesses that are typically available to meet include Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, and Snow White. Sometimes Mulan, Tiana, or Jasmine can appear, but character appearances are subject to change!
DisneyDailyDime.com
Breakfast runs from 8:30 a.m. until 12:10 p.m. and costs $62 per adult and $39 per child. Lunch is from 12:15 p.m. until 4:40 p.m. while dinner lasts from 5:25 p.m. until 8:05 p.m. Both lunch and dinner will cost $69 per adult and $46 per child.
Garden Grill
Garden Grill in Epcot’s Land Pavilion will have you overlooking the sights of the Living with the Land attraction. As the restaurant slowly rotates, you’ll meet Chip ‘n’ Dale who are accompanied by Mickey and Pluto in their best farm attire.
Each mealtime offers Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast, which includes cinnamon bread at breakfast and The Land-grown vegetables at dinner. Breakfast, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. is $49 per adult and $33 per child. Lunch, starting at 11:30 a.m., and dinner, ending at 8:00 p.m., are $62 per adult and $42 per child.
Best Friends Breakfast at ‘Ohana
‘Ohana
Finally, over at the Polynesian rests a beloved Disney restaurant: ‘Ohana. Though serving both breakfast and dinner, you can only meet characters at the Best Friends Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch.
Best Friends Breakfast is complete with skillets serving Stitch waffles and pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, all while taking in the serene, tropical aesthetic. This lasts from 7:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and costs $53 per adult and $33 per child.
Photo: Disney
Prix Fixe Character Dining
Prix Fixe character dining consists of a set price where you get to choose your meal from offered course selections. These can be a bit on the pricier side, but they are found in Magic Kingdom, the Wilderness Lodge, and the Riviera Resort.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table, situated inside the beautiful Magic Kingdom castle, offers Fairytale Dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Before ascending up the spiral stairs where four princesses await your arrival, you’ll meet Cinderella in her Grand Hall.
Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom
Typically, the princesses you’ll see inside are Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, and Jasmine. Merida will also sometimes meet, as like Akershus and the other restaurants in this article, the characters are subject to change.
Breakfast runs from 8:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. and costs $76 per adult and $47 per child. At this time, there are plenty of sweet or savory meals, banana stuffed french toast and shrimp and grits being two sample meals.
Inside Cinderella’s Royal Table
Lunch and dinner both are three course meals, offering an appetizer, entree, and dessert included in the price. Both times are $89 per adult and $54 per child, with options such as filet mignon and lamb chops. For dessert, you don’t want to miss the decadent Clock Strikes Twelve chocolate tart!
Lunch begins at 11:00 a.m. while dinner ends at 10:30 p.m. If you attend during the Happily Ever After fireworks, depending on where you are seated, you may be able to see the nighttime show from your table.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point
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The Wilderness Lodge pays homage to Snow White with Story Book Dining at Artist Point. Open only for dinner from 4:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m., you’ll have the opportunity to not only meet the charming princess, but the Evil Queen, Dopey and Grumpy.
Shared appetizers start off your meal, but you get to select your main entrée from a long list, including beef stroganoff and Brothers Grimm Herbed Chicken. For dessert, your table gets a shared platter of Panna Cotta, a dark chocolate-apple mousse, and a seasonal tart.
Photo: MealTrip.com
Story Book Dining is $69 per adult and $43 per child.
Breakfast à la Art at Topolino’s Terrace
The Riviera also offers a unique breakfast over at Topolino’s Terrace. Breakfast à la Art happens from 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and allows you to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy—all dressed up in honor of their artistic passions of drawing, painting, writing, and dance.
Photo: Disney
Coming in at $54 per adult, Topolino’s offers pastries served in a paint bucket with entrées ranging from french toast bread pudding to steak and eggs. Specialty drinks, including coffee, alcohol, and nonalcoholic beverages are also an added charge.
What About Dining Plan Credits?
With so many character dining experiences to choose from, you may be wondering, “does this fit in with my dining plan?” Luckily, not only are character dinings included as Table Services on your dining plan, but their credits range!
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There are two Disney Dining Plan options: the Quick-Service Dining plan and the Disney Dining Plan. As character dinings are table service restaurants, they can only be used as credits on the Disney Dining Plan. Depending on the restaurant you choose, you will utilize either one or two table service credits per person.
The following character dinings are one table service credit: The Crystal Palace, breakfast at Akershus, Garden Grill, Hollywood and Vine, Tusker House, Chef Mickey’s, 1900 Park Fare, ‘Ohana, Topolino’s Terrace, and Cape May Cafe. Restaurants that are two table service credits include Cinderella’s Royal Table, lunch and dinner at Akershus, and Story Book Dining at Artist Point.
Credit: Disney
The Disney Dining Plan provides one table service credit per night of stay, so when planning your itinerary, it’s important to consider all of the restaurants you plan to visit and how many credits they will take up!
Getting a Reservation
Character dining is a great way to incorporate the joy of meeting characters with a much needed rest for food and air conditioning. Because of this, these restaurants are exceptionally popular.
MyDisneyExperience
Walk-up reservations may be available at the time of your stay but are not guaranteed. Especially during peak seasons of the summer months and holidays, it’s crucial to reserve your spot in advance.
To ensure you get a table at a character dining location, advanced reservations are strongly recommended. For those staying at a Disney World resort hotel, you can begin booking 60 days before your check-in by using the My Disney Experience app or the Disney website.
Photo: Disney
Where Should You Dine?
With so many restaurants to choose from, where you dine depends on your vacation priorities. The types of characters you want to see, the foods your family loves, and if these restaurants fall into your budget are important to consider.
Photo: Disney
If you are looking to participate in the magic of a character dining but wish to save as much money as possible, breakfast may be the best option for you. This is generally the cheapest meal you will find at Disney, and there’s no better start to your park day than a hug from your favorite character!
But, there’s no right or wrong way to go about character dining—the experience is what you make it. How much you want to eat and who you want to see is all based on the memories you wish to create with your loved ones.
