Between Walt Disney World and Disneyland there are a ton of amazing character dining experiences to enjoy! With that being said…because there are so many character dining experiences to chose from it can get quite confusing. I mean really, how are you supposed to know what characters you are going to see at which restaurant? My clients are always asking me this question and I completely understand, so I put this little guide together to help you out with this ever confusing topic!
Below I have listed each Disney World Restaurant that has character dining. In addition to listing the character meal (not all restaurants include characters at each meal), I have included the characters that are usually there (characters may vary and there is no guarantee that all characters will show up at each meal) and for Walt Disney World Character Dining, whether they are part of the Disney Dining Plan (if part of the plan, all are 1 Table Service Meal unless otherwise noted!).
Now, before I get started with this list, remember that because character dining is so amazingly popular you should try and make reservations well in advance of your trip. ADR’s (Advanced Dining Reservations) open 180 days before you arrive if you will be at Walt Disney World and 60 day before your visit if at Disneyland. If you have a great travel agent like me (wink, wink), she will happily get up early and make all of your ADR’s for you so you don’t have to worry about it, just one of the free services that I provide!
Ok, so here we go…
1900 Park Fare – Disney’s Grand Floridian – Supercalifagilistic Breakfast Buffet (Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Tigger & Winnie the Pooh) – Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner Buffet (Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia & Drizella)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – Epcot Center, World Showcase, Norway (separate park admission required) – Princess Storybook Dining – All Meals, Breakfast is Family Style with Lunch & Dinner from a Rotating Menu (Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora [Sleeping Beauty], Ariel, Mary Poppins, Mulan, Jasmine)
Be Our Guest – Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland (separate park admission required) – Dinner, Menu – Not offiicially a “Character” Dining experience Beast does walk around the dining room for pictures…I have also heard that Lumiere makes an appearance now and then!
Cape May Cafe – Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Breakfast Buffet (Goofy and friends…almost always Minnie and Donald all dressed in beach wear!)
Chef Mickey – Disney’s Contemporary Resort – All Meals, Buffet (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, Goofy dressed as Chef’s!)
Cinderella’s Royal Table – Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland (separate park admission required) * 2 Table Service Meals * – All Meals, from Menu (Meet Cinderella before climbing the spiral staircase to the dining hall – at Breakfast & Lunch meet Ariel, Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine & at Dinner the Fairy Godmother is featured)
Crystal Palace – Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA (separate park admission required) – All Meals, Buffet (Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet & Eeyore)
The Garden Grill – Epcot, Living with the Land (separate park admission required) All Meals * Disney Dining Plan accepted for all three meals in 2015 & Breakfast and Dinner in 2016 * Buffet/Family Style (Farmer Mickey, Chip ‘n Dale & Pluto)
The Garden Grove – Walt Disney World Swan Hotel * Dining Plan Not Accepted * Dinner, Breakfast on Saturday & Sundays, Buffets (Chip ‘n Dale, Goofy, Pluto – only 2 characters per meal)
The Garden View Tea Room – Disney’s Grand Floridian – Afternoon Tea * Dining Plan Not Accepted * ( Princess Aurora – princesses attending the Tea are encouraged to dress as their favorite Disney Princess)
The Four Seasons Hotel – Ravello Restaurant – * Dining Plan Not Accepted * – Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy (Goofy & Friends)
Hollywood & Vine – Hollywood Studios, Echo Lake (separate park admission required) All Meals, Breakfast & Lunch Buffet, Lunch & Dinner Menu (Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Jake and the Never Land Pirates & Handy Manny)
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ – The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort * 2 Table Service Meals * – Dinner Show (Mickey, Minnie, Googy, Chip ‘n Dale)
‘Ohana – Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – Breakfast, Menu (Lilo & Stitch, Mickey, Pluto, Goofy)
Tusker House – Animal Kingdom, Africa, Harambe Marketplace (separate park admission required) All Meals, Buffet (Donald & Daisy Duck, Goofy, Mickey)
…and onto Disneyland…
Ariel’s Grotto – California Adventure Park, Paradise Pier (separate park admission required) – All Meals, Menu (Ariel remains in the lobby – Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Snow White)
Disney’s PCH Grill – Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel – Breakfast Buffet (Daisy, Goofy, Mickey, Pluto, Stitch)
Goofy’s Kitchen – Disneyland Hotel – Breakfast & Dinner, Buffets (Chip, Dale, Goofy, Pluto)
Plaza Inn – Disneyland Park, Main Street U.S.A. – Breakfast Buffet (Minnie & friends, ranging from Rafiki, Peter Pan, Fairy Godmother, Tigger, Captain Hook, Eeyore and more)
Storytellers Cafe – Grand Californian Hotel – Breakfast Buffet (Chip ‘n Dale, Brer Bear, Brer Fox, Kenai, Koda, Meeko)
WHEW! I told you there were a lot of options for character dining! Now that we have all of that information, it’s up to you to decide where exactly you will be eating! Once you do, keep an eye on your ADR availability date or let me do it for you! I’ll be happy to help you plan your next trip home, making all of your dining reservations for you…isn’t it time your treated like a V.I.P.?! You can reach me through email at stepheniemarshall@worldofmagictravel.com… now, let the magic begin!
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What about the Hilton downtown disney? They have a character breakfast. Any idea which characters will be there?
Hi Cara! I’m sorry that I didn’t mention the Hilton in my article! After some research I found out that the Character Breakfast is limited to Sunday mornings from 8:30-11 AM at the Hilton. I was unable to find a listing of what characters actually visit during breakfast so I apologize! I will continue to research and if I find anything out, I will let you know! I did find out that they have made to order Mickey waffles…that is a definite plus right there!! Thanks for reading my article and have a magical day! ~ Stephenie