Far brighter than any fireworks or mid-day Florida sun is the smile on a child's face when they first meet their favorite character. Classic Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy along with other favorites and princesses are sure to be found as you walk around the parks as are locations for photo opportunities and autographs but what if you want to give your little princess something more than a casual 60 second encounter?
Disney Character Dining is the answer for you!Disney Character Dining is a unique opportunity for guests to interact with their favorite characters. It's fun for the whole family and picture taking with your favorite Disney Character while enjoying a meal is not rushed.
Disney offers quite a wide variety of choices for your character meal. Dining begins with the day's first meals- breakfast and brunch, and continues to lunch and dinner. Meals can be buffet, menu or family style (where all-you-can-eat choices are brought to your table) and are offered throughout resorts and theme parks.
If your interest is seeing a particular character, always check the schedules. Many restaurants have fixed character schedules, but they do occasionally change. Priority Seating is also highly recommended as the character dining options are so popular that they often sell out.
Disney Theme Park Character Dining LocationsMagic Kingdom-
Cinderella's Royal Table: Disney's most popular character dining option is so sought after that it often sells out. Featuring American cuisine and a medieval theme, appearances are usually made by the Disney princesses and their friends- Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother, Belle, Snow White and Aurora. Dining times include breakfast,lunch and dinner.
The "Once Upon A Time" breakfast is plated in advance and is family style, all-you-care-to-eat. For the "Fairytale" lunch, appetizers are brought to your table and you are given a choice of entree from a list of 4 or 5 items with a dessert. For the "Dreams Come True" dinner there is a choice of appetizer entree and dessert (more choices than at lunch). The Fairy Godmother also acknowledges guests' celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, etc...
Pricing is per person from $36 to $59.99 and includes a photo package (one package for every group of 4) with your meal. Guests are greeted in the lobby and taken to have their photographs taken. You will receive a package with four 4x6 prints and one 6x8 print of your photo,as well as one 6x8 print of Cinderella's Castle and a Cinderella photo holder.
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Crystal Palace: Located at the end of Main Street, Disney's Crystal Palace offers American, buffet style cuisine in a Victorian setting. Featured characters include Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. The restaurant also has a live on-stage kitchen where even the chefs participate in the magic and glitz of Disney. It's Disney's most active character dining experience with characters often jumping, singing and dancing around encouraging the guests (children primarily) to join them.
Breakfast buffet options include usual favorites such as cereals, fresh pastries, pancakes, egg dishes and even specialty options like breakfast lasagna and cheddar cheese potatoes. Breakfast is served between 8:00 am and 10:30 am.
The lunch and dinner buffets feature traditional American favorites like prime rib, rotisserie chicken, and New England clam chowder along with other dishes. Sinful desserts await you in the dessert bar unless you prefer the famous sundae bar. There is also a children's buffet, Pooh's Corner, featuring kids favorites like nuggets, macaronis and cheese and pizza. Lunch is served from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm and dinner is served beginning at 4:00 pm. Meals average between $15 and $35.99 per person.
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Tony's Town Square: Located on Main Street close to the park's entrance, this Italian, family-style eatery was inspired by
Lady and the Tramp and is designed after the movie's trattoria- right down to your host: Tony himself!
Featured characters include chefs Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Chip and Dale.
Menu options are all-you-care-to-eat as well as pre-plated and include traditional pasta dishes as well as an Italian and American favorite: pizza. Meals average between $15 and $35.99 per person.
On select days Tony's Town Square will serve their 'Good Morning' character breakfast featuring the usual characters and an all-you-care-to-eat selection of morning staples such as egg dishes and Mickey's waffles.
Epcot-
Akershus Royal Banquet: Located in the Norway Pavillion, this 14th century, medieval themed restaurant adorned with chandeliers and stained glass windows features the 'Disney Princess Storybook' dining experience and offers Norwegian cuisine with a touch of royalty. Characters include Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, Mary Poppins or Mulan. On occasion, Cinderella or Ariel in her ballgown will appear.
Served from 8:30am to 10:10 am, this family style breakfast is actually American cuisine featuring traditional menu options like scrambled eggs, bacon, fruits and freshly baked breakfast pastries.
Served from 11.40am to 2.50pm and 4:20 pm to 8:40 pm respectively, lunch and dinner feature a rotating selection of hot and cold Norwegian buffet options. The cold options feature an array of all-you-care-to-ea Norwegian specialties ranging between salads, cheeses, breads, cold cuts and shrimp. The hot entrees are ordered from the menu and include pasta, meat and chicken dishes.
There's something tasty for the smaller, more finicky eaters as well; kids menu options include familiar favorites like pizza, nuggets, hot dogs and cheese raviolis. Meals average between $15.00 and $35.99 per person.
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Garden Grill: This rotating restaurant located in the Land Pavilion of the park's Future World section travels around one of the park's attractions-
Living with the Land. Characters featured in 'Chip 'N' Dales Harvest Feast' usually include Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale. Also noteworthy, some ingredients are grown in the restaurant's own greenhouse.
Only dinner is served here, from 4:30 pm on and is family style. Menu options feature favorite American staples from the grill like flank steak and seasonal fish and multiple dessert options including a fondue station. Children can choose from chicken strips, macs-n-cheese, mashed potatoes or fries and vegetables. Meals average between $15 and $35.99 per person.
Hollywood Studios-
Hollywood & Vine:Hollywood Studios' only character dining option is this buffet-style restaurant featuring American cuisine located on Hollywood Blvd. No detail is missing from this art deco themed, neon signed 'Cafeteria to the Stars.' While all three meals are served at this restaurant, Characters appear at breakfast and lunch only. featured characters include Playhouse Disney regulars.
Served from 8:00 am to 11:30 am, join Playhouse Disney characters Jo Jo and Goliath from Jo Jo's Circus as well as June and Leo from the Little Einsteins for breakfast and sing-along tunes. Breakfast buffet menu options include traditional favorites like bacon, eggs and sausages along with Mickey's waffles and freshly baked pastries.
Note: it can get noisy.
Lunch is served from 11.40am to 2.25pm and features the same characters are breakfast. Menu options include selections from salads, cheeses, roast, chicken, salmon, mashed potatoes and vegetables. There is a children's buffet table with the standard favorites as well as a dessert station with traditional American desserts and serve yourself ice cream! Breakfast and lunch meals average between $15 and 35.99 per person.
Dinner is also buffet-style with similar selections to lunch but it is not a character dining experience. Instead, 'the Fantasmic dinner' as it's called, is a prime location to watch the park's evening show.
Animal Kingdom-
Tusker House: Located in the Harambe Village in Africa, 'Donald's Sahari breakfast' is Animal Kingdom's only character dining option. Served from 8:00 am to 10:30 am, this buffet-style breakfast features exotic, African inspired menu option. Characters include Donald Duck, Mickey, Minnie Mouse,Goofy and Pluto.
The least expensive buffet character dining option at Walt Disney World, don't let the African theme fool you. Breakfast options vary from traditional favorites to specialty dishes. Meals average between $15 and $35.99 per person.
How to Make Reservations to Dine with the CharactersDue to the popularity of the character dining options, reservations are strongly recommended. Disney takes advance reservations up to 90 days before your scheduled visit date while resort guests are allowed to make reservations up to 100 days prior. Reservations can be made by calling 1 (407) WDW - DINE.
Character scheduling, as pricing, can be changed at any time by Disney. To guarantee an experience with specific characters, reservations are strongly recommendations.
