Welcome back to DADventure Disney’s round table of some of my favorite Disney Fan Parents on Instagram.
Every week, I work alongside this merry band of Disney fan parents to find our Top 10 favorites in all things Disney. See ALL our lists by clicking HERE!
Our Disney Parent Panelists:
@daddingatdisney,
@dadsofadventure,
@disneyblogmomma,
@disneycrazfamily,
@disenchanted.dad & @dismoms,
@disneyfamilytime,
@disneymagicmam,
@dreamsmagicadventure,
@mamamouseinthemidwest,
@milehighdisneymom,
@suburbanartsymom,
@thediaryofadisneydad,
@thepixiemommy,
@the.stoweaways.wdw,
@thevacayclubfamily,
and yours truly @dadventuredisney.
You can also follow our joint account – @DisneyParentsPanel!
Want to join us? Drop a line and let’s chat!
Our topic this week: Top 10 Favorite Disney Character Meals
It’s clear over the past 30+ different Disney Parents Panel lists that we LOVE to eat in the Disney Parks and Resorts – on both coasts!
We also love time spent with characters. It’s not a Disney trip without some fun character time!
When you put the two together – we go nuts! Not sure how we haven’t done this list until now, but 11 of us are happy to share our cumulative Top 10 for you to see where we suggest you book your Disney Character Meal dining.
PLEASE NOTE: At the time of this post, due to re-opening amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, MANY Character Meals are currently unavailable.
So, check out our list and then hit the comments and let us know what you think and where YOU like to eat with the characters.
On to the list – let’s go!
Goofy’s Kitchen
Disneyland – Disneyland Hotel
Top 10 Score: 2.20, nominated on 3 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Eat, play, laugh! Enjoy an endless array of delish dishes as Chef Goofy and friends spice things up during an unforgettable meal!
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Chip.
American Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
Chef Mickey’s
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Top 10 Score: 2.30, nominated on 6 ballots.
Enjoy a lively, all-you-care-to-eat buffet with Disney Friends in a bright, happy space. As the monorail whizzes by, Disney Characters mingle with Guests for photos and autographs and periodically lead diners in song and dance.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy
American Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
Trattoria al Forno (Breakfast)
Disney’s Boardwalk
Top 10 Score: 3.00, nominated on 5 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Jump-start your morning with a hearty breakfast featuring beloved Characters from some of your favorite Disney fairytales.
Familiar faces from popular animated tales such as Tangled and The Little Mermaid will be drifting through the restaurant and stopping by your table to meet you while you dine on delicious morning staples.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Ariel, Prince Eric, Rapunzel, Flynn Rider
Italian Cuisine
Casual Dining
$$ ($15 to $34.99 per adult) – $$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Epcot – Norway Pavillion
Top 10 Score: 3.10, nominated on 5 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Her Highness the Queen is holding a feast in honor of the world’s best-loved Storybook Princesses—and you’re invited! Dine in a medieval castle as Disney Princesses and Friends mingle with Guests to give autographs and pose for pictures.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Belle, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White
American, Norwegian Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Casual Dining, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult) – $$$$ (over $60 per adult)
NOTE: This restaurant is IN a Disney Park (Epcot) – so you will need a valid park admission along with your dining reservation.
Cape May Cafe (Breakfast)
Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Top 10 Score: 3.50, nominated on 4 ballots.
Minnie and some of her friends have gathered at the Cape May Café to start the day with a Beach Bash Breakfast! They are all dressed up in their beachy best—and you are invited to join the fun!
Create unforgettable memories, get autographs and photos—and enjoy menu offerings including Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, seasoned potatoes, sausage, oatmeal and more.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy
American, Seafood Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Casual Dining, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
‘Ohana (Breakfast)
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Top 10 Score: 4.20, nominated on 7 ballots.
Feast family-style as Disney Friends visit with Guests, sign autographs and pose for photos. Breakfast selections include scrambled eggs, Island-style fried potatoes, Hawaiian pork sausages, Hawaiian-style ham topped with pineapple compote, a variety of fresh fruits and assorted breads.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, Mickey
American, Polynesian Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining, Unique/Themed Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney World
Top 10 Score: 4.20, nominated on 6 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Cinderella makes your acquaintance in the majestic Grand Hall, before you ascend a spiral staircase to the banquet hall above. (A gilded elevator is also available to transport you to the festivities.)
Then, dine in a storybook setting surrounded by soaring stone archways, majestic medieval flags and spectacular stained-glass windows overlooking Fantasyland. During your time inside the castle, visit with classic Disney Princesses.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Snow White (sometimes Jasmine or Belle, too)
American Cuisine
Character Dining, Fine/Signature Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult) – $$$$ (over $60 per adult) [costs TWO sit-down dining credits per guest]
NOTE: This restaurant is IN a Disney Park (Magic Kingdom) – so you will need a valid park admission along with your dining reservation.
Crystal Palace
Magic Kingdom – Walt Disney Worldk
Top 10 Score: 4.90, nominated on 8 ballots. 2 first place votes.
Join Winnie the Pooh and a few of his Pals for a willy, nilly, silly good time!
Inspired by Victorian greenhouses of the late 1800s, The Crystal Palace brims with light, topiaries and tropical palms—and is an enchanting spot to meet some favorite Disney Friends!
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet
American Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
NOTE: This restaurant is IN a Disney Park (Magic Kingdom) – so you will need a valid park admission along with your dining reservation.
Garden Grill
Epcot – The Land Exhibit
Top 10 Score: 5.20, nominated on 7 ballots. 1 first place vote.
Hungry for a little mealtime magic? Chip, Dale and their Disney pals will parade through the restaurant.
Don’t forget your appetites! For lunch or dinner, choose from a smorgasbord of savory, allergy-friendly starters and entrees. Delectable menu highlights include a harvest-inspired garden salad, grilled beef with chimichurri and all-natural sliced turkey with gravy. Best of all, many of the veggies are grown in our own Living with the Land greenhouses!
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Chip & Dale, Mickey, Pluto
American Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
NOTE: This restaurant is IN a Disney Park (Epcot) – so you will need a valid park admission along with your dining reservation.
Tusker House
Animal Kingdom
Top 10 Score: 5.73, nominated on 9 ballots. 3 first place votes.
Join Safari Donald Duck and friends at this colorful Harambe marketplace eatery for a wild Character Dining experience regardless of time of day—from breakfast and lunch to the family-style dinner buffet—all brimming with African flavor.
Possible Characters (Subject to Change): Donald, Daisy, Mickey, Goofy
African, American Cuisine
Buffet/Family Style, Character Dining, Unique/Themed Dining
$$$ ($35 to $59.99 per adult)
NOTE: This restaurant is IN a Disney Park (Animal Kingdom) – so you will need a valid park admission along with your dining reservation.
We had a lot of fun putting this together. Overall, we came up with over 20 different spots to nominate. 7 of them are at Disneyland, 2 at the Magic Kingdom, 2 at Epcot, 1 Animal Kingdom, 1 at Hollywood Studios and the rest scattered around the Walt Disney World Resorts.
What did you think of our list? Was ‘Ohana not high enough? Do you prefer a character breakfast or dinner? Is Cinderella’s Royal Table worth the two dining credits when you can meet all the same princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall?
Share your thoughts in the comments below or on our Instagram and Facebook pages.
Cheers,
Keith & the Disney Parents Panel
DADventure Disney 