Complete Guide to the Best Disney World Character Dining Experiences

Complete Guide to the Best Disney World Character Dining Experiences

Complete Guide to the Best Disney World Character Dining Experiences

This article is your guide to all of the best Disney World character dining. What else is better than having some of the most incredible food with your favorite pals like Mickey, Stitch, and more? It’s no surprise that Disney character dining has been one of the most popular options for guests visiting WDW for as long as it’s been available. Our favorite character dining meal at Disney is Garden Grill, but there are many others!

So, if you’d like to learn more about the character interactions at Disney World restaurants, keep reading!

We hope you find this post helpful! And if you are planning a trip to Disney World, be sure to check out our other FREE vacation planning tools. Our goal at The Park Prodigy has always been to help you save time on your next vacation and find the cheapest Walt Disney World vacation packages!

SPECIAL NOTE: If you’re looking for the best time to visit Disney World, check out our Disney Crowd calendar!

 Disney World Crowd Calendar

What are the Best Character Dining Restaurants at Disney World?

Guests will be happy to know that there are plenty of character dining locations at Disney World restaurants, including options in all four of the Disney World main parks, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Each of them is different, with a set of characters that guests will have chances to meet and take pictures with as they dine! It is one of the best ways to intimately meet the Disney characters and have a little more time than a typical meet and greet.

All Disney Restaurants with Characters

1. Chef Mickey’s (Disney’s Contemporary Resort)

• A buffet where guests can meet Mickey Mouse and friends dressed in their chef attire. American cuisine is served for breakfast and dinner.

2. Hollywood & Vine (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)

• Offers a seasonal character dining experience. Breakfast buffet with Disney Junior characters, while lunch and dinner include Minnie and friends in themed outfits depending on the time of year.

3. Topolino’s Terrace (Disney’s Riviera Resort)

• A rooftop dining experience with a European-inspired menu. Breakfast features Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy dressed as artists and creators.

4. Tusker House (Disney’s Animal Kingdom)

• An African-inspired buffet where guests can meet Mickey, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy dressed in safari gear. Available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

5. Garden Grill (EPCOT)

• A rotating restaurant offering family-style dining. Guests can meet Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale in their farmer outfits while enjoying a meal that features fresh produce from the Living with the Land pavilion.

6. Storybook Dining at Artist Point (Disney’s Wilderness Lodge)

• A unique dining experience themed after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Guests can meet Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and even the Evil Queen while enjoying a prix fixe menu.

7. Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)

• A special experience inside Cinderella Castle. Guests can meet Cinderella and other Disney princesses while enjoying a prix fixe menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

8. Be Our Guest (Magic Kingdom)

• Dine inside Beast’s Castle with French-inspired cuisine. The Beast makes appearances for photo-ops during dinner, though this is not a traditional character dining experience.

9. ‘Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort)

• A family-style meal with a Polynesian flair. Character dining for breakfast includes Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto. The dinner experience is non-character, featuring an all-you-can-eat feast.

10. The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)

• A Victorian-style buffet where guests can meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet. Available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

11. Cape May Cafe (Disney’s Beach Club Resort)

• A beach-themed buffet for breakfast where guests can meet most of the Fab Five – Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy dressed in beachwear.

12. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (EPCOT)

• A Norwegian-inspired dining experience with a rotating selection of Disney princesses for the perfect princess meal. Features a buffet for appetizers and family-style service for the main course and dessert.

13. 1900 Park Fare (Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)

• Offers character dining experience featuring different characters like Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Tiana!

Related post: The Complete Guide to the Disney World Monorail

How Can I Book Character Dining Options at Disney World?

Disney World character meals can be booked through a reservation over the phone or online at the official Disney World website or mobile App. It’s important to note that Walt Disney World dining reservations open up 60 days in advance. We always recommend you make your Disney character dining reservations as soon as your window opens, especially if you know you want to dine in a specific location.

If you missed grabbing a popular reservation, be sure to check out our Disney World dining tool!  

We are very proud of our brand-new tool because there is nothing like missing out on your favorite restaurant!

• Select the restaurant you can’t get a reservation for
• Select your party size
• Select your time and date

Tell us which email and phone number is best to receive your notification if a reservation becomes available.

And that’s it! We’ll do the hard work and continue to check to see if a reservation becomes available. We will then send you a message via email or text as soon as it does with a link to the Disney World dining website where you can quickly make your reservation. You must complete the last step, as our system cannot make the Disney dining reservation for you.

How far in advance can you book Disney character dining meals?

Disney World character dining meals can be booked starting 60 days in advance at around 5:45 AM EST. We highly suggest that you try to make your Disney character dining reservation at the 60-day mark, as these restaurants tend to be the most popular on Disney World property and do fill up the quickest.

Is character dining allowed on the Disney Dining Plan?

Yes, character dining is included in the Disney Dining Plan. However, the number of dining credits required can vary depending on the specific restaurant:

• Most character dining experiences typically require 1 Table Service credit per person.
• Signature character dining experiences like Cinderella’s Royal Table require 2 Table Service credits per person.

Related Page: Weekly Disney World Ticket Deals 

List of all Disney Character Meals By Parks

Guests will be happy to know that they can find character meals at Disney World throughout the four main Disney World theme parks, including Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. Guests will also be able to find character dining experiences at some of the Disney deluxe resorts found on the property, such as the Contemporary, the Polynesian Resort, and the Disney Beach Club. We typically find that the best character dining at Disney World is at the resorts, but there are great choices inside the parks, too!

Some of the locations where guests cannot find character dining will be the two Disney World water parks and Disney Springs. Below, you’ll find a useful Disney character meals list broken down by location:

Magic Kingdom Character Dining

Magic Kingdom Character Breakfast

• The Crystal Palace

Magic Kingdom Lunch or Dinner

• The Crystal Palace
• Cinderella’s Royal Table
• Be Our Guest

The Crystal Palace

This location is on Main Street and includes characters from the Hundred-Acre Wood. We missed the full-character dining experience because it is the only Winnie the Pooh dining in Magic Kingdom, and we are excited to see it return. Guests are welcomed to bountiful buffets for American favorites for breakfast, lunch, and a dinner menu.

Be Our Guest Restaurant

This is an unforgettable dining experience, and when you dine, you feel like you’re sitting in a Disney movie. The themes are elaborate, and the food is amazing. At the same time, this is technically not one of the traditional character dinners at Magic Kingdom, as the meet and greet isn’t formal for the Beast. The character walks around while you eat and occasionally does photo ops for guests dining there.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table has long been considered one of the best places for character dining at Disney World. Guests who book this character dining experience can celebrate with Cinderella and her Prince! The reason this is one of the most popular Princess dining options at Disney World is your meal is right inside Cinderella Castle! Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the most expensive character meals in the park for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but guests do get to meet most of the most popular Disney Princesses while there.

This is an extraordinary way to end a visit to Magic Kingdom and is great for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, and more. Magic Kingdom character dining reservations are strongly recommended!

Related Article: 10 Best Dining Experiences in Walt Disney World 

EPCOT Character Dining Experiences

Epcot Character Breakfast

• Garden Grill
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Epcot Character Dinner or Lunch

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
• Garden Grill

Garden Grill Restaurant

This is the best Epcot location for breakfast, lunch, and character dinners at Epcot. Meet Chip ‘n’ Dale and their pals while eating a family-style meal at this rotating location. (It’s located near Living with the Land at Epcot.) Menu items include a garden salad, grilled beef with chimichurri, and sliced turkey with gravy. Mickey and Pluto also make their appearance in adorable Farmer outfits, which fit right in with the fresh and natural theme! We love this place and think they have the BEST food of all Disney character meals.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Located in the World Showcase, guests can join Disney Princesses for Storybook Dining, and it’s one of the best character meals at Disney inside a medieval castle with beautiful archways and cathedral ceilings. This is a great location to mingle with Disney Princesses and get autographs and photos. Guests will be excited to meet Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, and Ariel. And you’re in the Norway pavilion, so you can catch a ride with Anna and Elsa on Frozen Ever After.

Related Article: Complete Guide to the Best EPCOT Restaurants 

Animal Kingdom Character Dining

The only Animal Kingdom character meal is at the Tusker House, which is available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can expect to pay $42 – $55 depending on what time you choose to dine.

Tusker House Restaurant: This experience is themed as a colorful Harambe marketplace eatery, and visitors can join Safari Donald Duck, Mickey, Minnie, and more, regardless of the time of day. That’s right, guests can eat with the characters at Disney World for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The buffet-style menu is back, which includes African and American favorites like Mickey Waffles and even Simba waffles for breakfast, which we love!

For lunch and dinner, you can indulge yourself in spit-roasted tandoori chicken, roasted root vegetables, green curry shrimp, and more!

Related article: Ranking the Best Restaurants in Animal Kingdom

Hollywood Studios Character Dining

There is only one Hollywood Studios character dining experience available for guests, and that is the Hollywood & Vine – Disney Junior’s Play n’ Dine.

Hollywood & Vine: Celebrate a Disney character breakfast with Disney Junior stars or meet Minnie and friends at lunch and dinner seasonal dining parties. As this is the only character dining at Disney Hollywood Studios, it is rather grand with a lot of unique seasonal offerings.

The restaurant offers the Disney Junior Play n’ Dine breakfast and Minnie’s Seasonal Dining, which are hosted throughout the year. Disney Junior stars are available only during breakfast.

• Disney Junior Play n’ Dine Breakfast – Assortment of pastries, omelet station, biscuits and gravy, Mickey waffles, and more with Disney Junior friends!
• Minnie’s Seasonal Dining (Lunch and Dinner) – You’re invited to Minnie’s seasonal dining parties to enjoy the most delicious foods with our favorite Mickey & Friends. The lunch and dinner buffet offers an array of salads and delicious chilled starters. Entrees include roasted mushroom farro risotto, macaroni & cheese with shrimp and bacon, as well as protein selections featuring oven-roasted chicken, herb-crusted tenderloin steak, salmon, and crispy pork belly.

Related Article: Complete Guide to the Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants 

Disney Character Meals at Disney Resorts

There are a few things that make character meals at Disney resorts so popular. The first reason is that you don’t need a Walt Disney World park ticket to go, and they make for a great option for travel days or non-park days. The second is these restaurants are some of the best Disney character dining on the property. We love spending our time exploring the Walt Disney World resorts and seeing how much they have to offer. Luckily, all of Walt Disney World resorts have reopened for guests since the closing.

Chef Mickey’s

Looking for brunch with Mickey Mouse? What about dinner with Mickey Mouse at Disney World? Located in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, experience an enhanced all-you-care-to-eat family-style character meal at Disney World in a bright, happy space. Each table will receive a special autographed card keepsake from Mickey and his friends. Throughout the dining experience, Mickey Mouse and some favorite pals will make surprising appearances in each of the dining rooms.

Topolino’s Terrace

One of the best places for Mickey Mouse character dining at Disney World. Located in the Riviera Resort, this restaurant offers a breakfast character experience, Breakfast à la Art with Mickey and friends. This is a new Walt Disney World character meal experience where guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck as they parade through the restaurant.

StoryBook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

Back finally! Located at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, visitors can meet Disney characters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs while enjoying Disney character dinners. Meeting Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and—if you dare, The Queen every evening for dinner!

‘Ohana

Located in Polynesian Village Resort, visitors who book this Best Friends Breakfast can hang out with Lilo, Stitch, and other favorite Disney friends. It’s important to note that character dining is only available for breakfast. Feast family-style as characters visit with guests, sign autographs, and pose for photos.

Disney’s Perfectly Princess Tea

This is technically not a “dining” experience; it’s a tea party, but it’s still worth mentioning. Located in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, this experience shows young princesses the royal treatment—and a visit from a Disney Princess! Princess Aurora is known to make an appearance, sign autographs, and take photos. This experience is temporarily unavailable.

Cape May Café

Located in Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney characters will join guests for the Cape May character breakfast only. A lot of visitors have said this is one of the best character breakfasts at Disney World. The Disney Cape May Cafe breakfast price averages around $25 for children and $45 for an adult.

What characters are at Cape May breakfast? Meet Minnie Mouse and friends at Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast, and they’re dressed in their best beach attire. This experience is temporarily unavailable.

1900 Park Fare

Located in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, this place has Disney character breakfast and dinner buffets hosted by Disney characters. Here, you may meet Aladdin, Mirabel from Encanto, Tiana, and Cinderella.

Related Article: Complete Guide to the Disney World Skyliner 

Disney World Character Dining Prices

Character dining at the Disney Parks is a magical experience that every family should try at least once. While it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the cost of character dining at Disney World can be excessive. But fear not, there are options for the cheapest Disney character meals.

Although overall prices will vary based on the Disney World character dining experience you choose, the average price will range between $40-$65 plus tax and gratuity.

What is the cheapest character meal at Disney World?

No matter where you eat at Walt Disney World, breakfast time will be the cheapest Disney character dining price. Disney World character breakfasts have gone up in price but also haven’t had as large of a range since the reopening of the parks. You can find character breakfasts to be between $42 – $55 for adults and $27 – $34 for kids. Breakfast is usually served as an all-you-care or family style, making sure that you get the most for your money.

The cheapest character breakfast at Walt Disney World used to be Crystal Palace, which is located at Magic Kingdom Park. Pooh and his friends will greet your table in between bites for photo ops.

If you’re looking for a Mickey Mouse meet n’ greet, try Tusker House in Animal Kingdom.

What is the cheapest character breakfast at Walt Disney World?

The cheapest character breakfast typically varies, but as of now, ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is among the more affordable options at $49.00 per adult and $30.00 per child​

• Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Breakfast here is $54.00 per adult and $34.00 per child​
• Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Breakfast is priced at $54.00 per adult and $36.00 per child​
• Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort: Breakfast is $54.00 per adult and $36.00 per child​
• Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Breakfast is also $54.00 per adult and $34.00 per child

What is the cheapest character dining at Disney World for lunch or dinner? 

Lunch: Walt Disney World has so many options for lunch that it becomes almost overwhelming to choose! But if you’re looking for the cheapest Disney character dining, we would suggest Garden Grill, which is located at Epcot! This lunch comes with an incredible meet-n’ greet from Chip and Dale, Mickey, and others in farming outfits. Adorable!

Dinner: This dining period always tends to be the priciest of them all, but it always offers the most exciting food and character choices. A truly magical experience is dining inside Cinderella Castle during dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table experience. If you’re looking for the least expensive character dining in Disney World for dinner, we would recommend Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios. 

If you’re looking for dinner with Mickey Mouse at Disney World, you can book at Garden Grill, Chef Mickey’s, or Tusker House. These all happen to be some of the cheapest dinner character meals at Walt Disney World.

Related post: Complete Guide to the Best Hotels Near EPCOT Orlando

 

2024 Character Meals at Disney World FAQ

Q: How long are character meals at Disney World?

A: We recommend at least 90 minutes for characters meals. As you will want to enjoy the experience just as much as the food!

Q: Who do you meet at Ohana breakfast?

A: Guests visiting Ohana will hangout hang out with Lilo, Stitch, and other favorite Disney friends. But currently, the character portion of ‘Ohana is unavailable.

These are our best character meals at Disney World; which do you think is the best Disney character dining?

When is The Best Time to Visit Disney World?

Our Disney  World Crowd Calendar is the best tool to help you maximize your time in the parks. We break down park crowds, hours of operation, ticket prices, and average temperature. We also list the best time to visit Disney World based on specific times of the year and special events.

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney World Trip?

Are you planning a trip to Walt Disney World? Be sure to speak with a Disney World Travel Agent for the most recent deals and promotions. The Park Prodigy will provide a Free Quote for all Disney World Vacation Packages. The Park Prodigy can also help you save up to $20 per ticket when purchasing your Walt Disney World Tickets, and we offer promotional discounts for special events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Tickets. If you’re brand new to Disney vacation planning we recommend our Walt Disney World Planning Page! Learn more about Disney hotels by reading our Walt Disney World Hotels Review page.

Don’t forget to check out our wonderful friends over at Theme Park Today, as well!