The Best Character Dining Experiences
And 5 Exclusive Insider Tips!
Planning a trip to Orlando is already overwhelming on its own, then you add in more than 200 dining options in Walt Disney World, and it can be even harder to plan the perfect trip. Of all the restaurants, lounges and bars, a dozen of them are Character Meals.
But what are Character Meals?
These experiences are meals with characters for you to meet and greet, which saves you a lot of time by seeing many characters in one place, versus spending time in lines at the parks. You can find Character Meals for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner and spend more (quality) time with your favorite characters. They walk around the restaurant and come to each table to say hello to guests, take photos, sign autographs and have a conversation — and now that we can hug them again, hug away!!
Each restaurant will offer a different dining experience, distinct cuisines, different characters. Some are inside the parks and others, at Disney Resorts. In this article you can learn more about the best (and the not so worth it) Character Meals to help you plan the best vacation ever!
Best for Last Minute Trips
Snagging a dining reservation at Disney can be quite challenging, especially for restaurants inside the parks with classic characters. But there’s one restaurant that is not only super worth making a reservation for, but also easy to find a last minute opening if you just decided to go to Disney!
Tusker House at Animal Kingdom is the place to go to. This restaurant offers Character Meetups for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and is Buffet style, which means you pay one fee and can eat as much as you’d like. Here, Donald is your host with his friends Daisy, Mickey and Goofy. They’re wearing Safari Outfits and are super cute and cheerful!
The cuisine is African American and you can indulge in delicious traditional foods like Naan Bread with Mango Chutney and Tzatziki Sauce, Tandoori Chicken, Berbere marinated Pork and so much more. However, you can also find options for picky eaters, like Nuggets, Mac and Cheese and Salads. The breakfast is one of the best — and healthiest in all of Disney property, with great variety of fruits, croissants, muffins, Mickey (and Simba) waffles, granola and yoghurt, bacon, ham and eggs, and so much more.
For grown ups: if you’d like, you also get to enjoy African Mimosas for breakfast. For lunch and dinner, the cocktail list is extensive, as well as the wine and beer list, full of incredible South African wines.
Travel Advisor Tip: Although I always recommend making reservations 60 days in advance, you can often find next day openings at Tusker House, depending on the time of the year of course. The restaurant also offers same day openings with an estimated time to return. Check in with a cast member at the entrance to register. Needless to say, breakfast is the most popular meal at Tusker, so harder to find last minute opportunities.
Best for Picky Eaters
On the hunt for the best Character Meal, but not too adventurous when it comes to food? Look no further. Garden Grill is one of the best options on property, with Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner options.
Garden Grill is an all-you-can-eat feast, but it’s not a buffet. You are served a family-style meal, and most fruits and vegetables are grown right next door, on the Living with the Land ride greenhouses. So it’s fresh, farm to table. For breakfast, enjoy seasonal fruits, scrambled eggs, Mickey-shaped waffles and more! Delectable lunch and dinner highlights include options of salads, macaroni and cheese, grilled beef, turkey with gravy, as well as several options of allergy-friendly starters and entrées.
Join Chip, Dale, Mickey and Pluto in Disney World’s only rotating restaurant. Yes, it rotates very slowly, after all, it’s a restaurant, not a ride! Your travel advisor (AKA me!) can help you get the best seats in the house, so when it rotates above Living with the Land, you have beautiful views of the ride below.
Although I always recommend Advanced Dining Reservations (60 days prior), you can easily find last minute openings at Garden Grill, even for breakfast. Same day walk in is also usually available. Check in with a cast member and they’ll give you an estimated time to return.
Travel Advisor Tip: Have a conversation with characters! Ask Mickey if he can teach you how to drive a steamboat, ask Pluto to play Peek-a-Boo with you, tell Chip and Dale that you have nuts in your backpack. It will make your experience even more special when you interact with the characters!
Best for Princesses at Heart
Talk about princesses in Walt Disney World and you think about Cinderella’s Royal Table right away. Honest opinion here, the Royal Table is beautiful, but it’s also one of the most overpriced experiences in all of Disney property. Right next door, at EPCOT, is a hidden gem full of princesses ready to enchant your little ones — and you!
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner in the Norway Pavilion and offers a magical experience with the best bang for your buck. Join Belle, Aurora, Tiana, Ariel and Snow White inside a medieval castle with soaring archways and cathedral ceilings as you dine with your family. For breakfast, enjoy pastries and accompaniments, scrambled eggs, potato casserole and Norwegian waffles. Lunch and dinner highlights include field greens, salad with lingonberry vinaigrette, traditional Norwegian meatballs and much more. Make sure to save room for dessert—a platter of 2 delectable Norwegian-inspired sweets are served for the perfect ending to your feast.
Here you’ll pay one fee per person and eat as much as you’d like, but you’re served family style platters, not buffet. And finally, I highly recommend making advanced reservations for Akershus. It rarely sells out, but if it’s important for you to dine amongst royalty, make sure to reserve your spot.
Most Underrated Character Dining
Visit the Beach Club Resort’s own restaurant Cape May Cafe, a quaint, New England beach-inspired restaurant that is as gorgeous as it is delicious. During breakfast only, you can join Minnie, Daisy, Donald and Goofy wearing the cutest beachwear, welcoming you to a flavorful breakfast.
Cape May Cafe offers a buffet style meal with assortments of fresh fruit, waffles and French toast, delectable Salted Caramel "Beach Buns”, Omelet and Carving Stations, and so much more. All fresh, and delicious. This is more of a laid-back experience, not very crowded, therefore you get to spend quality time with the characters.
Minnie and friends invite diners for a beach dance, go around giving autographs, and taking photos with everyone. They are very sweet, especially Donald, always excited to show off his beach outfit and dancing skills. The pastel and summery colors in the restaurant, as well as the airy and open dining room contribute to a very chill — and cheerful atmosphere.
Reservations are always recommended, but here you can easily find walk in spots available as well.
Travel Advisor Tip: If you book a buffet breakfast reservation for the last time slot, your meal will not be rushed. Instead, you can actually enjoy food offerings from both breakfast and lunch menu, which is a great deal!
Most Overrated Character Dining
When at Disney World, you know you’ll spend hours surrounded by a lot of people and standing in lines, so it’s very important to find little moments to unwind every day, whether it’s a Resort Day, or a cool lounge in the evening, or a nice sit down meal with your family.
That’s why I usually don’t recommend Chef Mickey’s to my clients. This is a restaurant in the middle of the Contemporary lobby, in between two Monorail lines, with guests coming and going. Talk about a loud restaurant here. The food is good, but nothing extraordinary.
You’ll find a buffet style for breakfast and dinner, and the highlights here are buttermilk biscuits and gravy, warm bread pudding, Mickey waffles and more. You’ll meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto in cute chef outfits and cooking hats, but the experience does feel a bit rushed most of the times.
Check Mickey’s is still a very popular restaurant and you can rarely find same day dining opportunities. So if you’re staying at the Contemporary or really want to eat at Chef Mickey’s, make sure you get a reservation before your vacation starts.
Travel Advisor Tip: If you’d like a luxurious and peaceful break from your park day for a nice Character Meal, head to the Beach Resort, Riviera Resort, or the Polynesian.
The Best Overall Experience
This is one of the newest restaurants in Disney World and has been a guest favorite since the beginning. Topolino’s Terrace sits on the 10th floor of the Disney’s Riviera Resort and offers spectacular views, as well as an airy and elegant atmosphere. It offers the famous breakfast “à la art” and a delectable and upscale dinner, but you can only meet characters for breakfast.
Here you’ll meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy dressed from head to toe in artists’ outfits, unique to the theme of the Resort and the Restaurant. The breakfast experience feels like an upscale meal and the food is one of the best in property.
You start your morning with a basket of fresh pastries and bread, and then have your choice of entrée. The highlights here are the Avocado Toast (personal favorite), Wood-fired Steak and Eggs and Bread Pudding Brûlée. Non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks, coffee, tea and milk are also included. But if you’d like to treat yourself — which I highly recommend at Topolino’s, try the Classic Mimosa for the perfect breakfast pairing.
The fact that this restaurant does not offer a buffet actually makes for a more pleasant experience, less rushed. The characters dance, interact with guests, pause for photos and hugs — all while you enjoy probably the best breakfast in all of Disney property. If a character meal is in your plans, then Topolino’s should definitely be top of your bucket list.
This is probably the most challenging restaurant to get a breakfast reservation for — probably only behind Cinderella’s Royal Table. Advanced Dining Reservations open at 6:00 AM EST, 60 days before your trip. So make sure you’re ready to wake up early to book a spot.
Travel Advisor Tip: If you’re a Disney Resort Guest, one of your best perks is being able to book reservations for the entire length of your stay, starting 60 days before your check in date.
Any day at Disney is a wonderful day, so no matter which restaurant you decide to go to meet characters, you are certainly going to have the most magical experience and create treasured memories with your loved ones.
With my help as your Travel Advisor, your vacation begins even before you check in. You can sit back and relax while I take care of all the minute details for you, as well as give you the best tips and tricks from my first hand experience in the parks.