If you are wanting to see lots of characters but not stand in a lot of lines, then Walt Disney World character dining may be for you. Disney World offers quite a few character dining options that you and your family might enjoy. Here is my Ultimate Walt Disney World Character Dining Guide including tips and reviews!
Character Dining Tips
Book Early – Character dining is very popular, so it fills up fast. Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest, and Akershus are extremely popular and get booked for prime times very quickly. You can reserve dining 60 days in advance.
Use MouseDining to Get Reservations. If you weren’t able to acquire the character dining reservations you wanted. Sign up for MouseDining Alerts and they will send you messages when a table opens up for the restaurant you want. I use this myself and have rarely not gotten what I wanted or needed.
Money-Saving Tip – Breakfast prices are usually cheaper than lunch and dinner prices. Plus, when you plan an early breakfast it takes less of your paid park time.
Get Autographs – Characters will sign autographs while visiting your table.
Communicate with Cast Members – Sometimes characters may miss your table. They may take a break and then return to a different spot or you may get up to use the restroom. It is not intentional. Just kindly let a cast member know that you missed seeing someone and they will gladly fix it.
Scheduling Tips – It usually takes about one and a half hours to get through a character meal. Make sure to schedule enough time to get to the dining location. Traveling around using Disney transportation can be a little time-consuming.
You can get into the parks early for early morning reservations. Even though the Welcome Show at the Magic has been moved to the Castle, you can still grab the earliest reservations and get awesome nearly empty Main Street pictures.
Don’t Book More than 1 Per Day – Walt Disney World Character dining is fun, but since the meal does take a while if you book 2 meals in one day you are spending 3 hours of your day plus travel time devoted to eating rather than riding rides and other experiences.
Extra Special Moments – Though not guaranteed Disney characters love when children dress like princes and princesses and will shower them with extra attention. The same goes for adults who Disneybound.
You are Paying for the Experience – I do think the food at character meals is ok, some of it I love, but it is not amazing. I keep going to character meals because it is worth the experience to meet all my favorite characters without standing in a line. If you are looking for amazing, decadent food then look for meals without characters. One of my favorites is the California Grill.
Character Dining Restaurants
Walt Disney World has lots of character dining restaurants to choose from. Most character meals offer the chance to see four or five characters.
Magic Kingdom Character Dining
Cinderella’s Royal Table -Princess dining experience inside of the Cinderella Castle.
- Menu – American, Ala Carte
- Characters you might see – Fairy Godmother, Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, Jasmine, Rapunzel
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 2 Table Service Credits per person
Crystal Palace – A fun dining experience with views of Cinderella Castle.
- Buffet breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Characters: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Be Our Guest – This is not technically character dining, but, I am adding it because the Beast does make an appearance during dinner only and you are able to get a picture with him as you exit the restaurant. No other characters are present. Summer 2018 the dinner menu is changing and it will be a 2-credit signature dining experience with a prix-fixe menu.
- Prix-fixe menu- Lunch and dinner.
- Characters: the Beast (picture opp only)
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Epcot Character Dining
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – This character dining experience fit for a princess is the cheaper of the two princess character-themed dining options. The reservations are a little bit easier to get.
- Menu – American & Norwegian. Breakfast is served family-style all you care to eat with a small buffet featuring yogurt, fruits, and pastries. Lunch is ala carte accompanied with a small salad/cold cut buffet.
- Characters you might meet – Belle (greeter), Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Snow White, or Mary Poppins.
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit per person
Garden Grill – Harvest feast featuring Chip n’ Dale.
- Menu – American, Family Style all you care to eat.
- Characters – Chip n’ Dale, Mickey, Pluto
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit per person
Hollywood Studios Character Dining
Hollywood & Vine – Disney Jr. breakfast and seasonal Mickey and gang during dinner.
- Menu – American, Family Style All You Care to Eat
- Characters; Disney Junior characters for breakfast: Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins, Vampirina, and Roadster Racer Goofy. Mickey and the gang for lunch and dinner. Their attire is centered around the current holiday or season.
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Animal Kingdom Character Dining
Tusker House – Safari-themed buffet with Mickey and friends.
- Menu – American and African-inspired, served family-style All You Care to Eat
- Characters – Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy
- Location – Africa
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit per person
Resort Character Dining
1900 Park Fare – Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, Wonderland Tea Party, and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner.
Post-Covid Info- Currently closed.
- Menu – American, Buffet
- Characters you May Meet – Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh during breakfast. During lunch and dinner, you may meet the Fairy Godmother Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, Drizella, Cinderella, and Prince Charming.
- Wonderland Tea Party – Disney Characters from Wonderland invite kids 4 to 12 years of age for an hour of games, stories, and cupcakes. To sip on, kids are given a special “tea” that tastes remarkably like apple juice. The pint-sized partygoers also get to decorate cupcakes, make a craft to take home with them, and have their photos taken with their very merry hosts.
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
O’hana – Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch at Disney’s Polynesian Resort.
- Menu – All-you-care-to-eat breakfast favorites served family-style. The standout item is the Hawaiian breakfast bread!
- Characters – Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, Pluto
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Chef Mickey’s -Fun time with Mickey and the gang at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
- Menu – American, Served Family Style All You Care to Eat. The dinner menu includes items for the whole family, like starters of “Chef Mickey’s Caesar,” citrus-poached shrimp salad, and assorted breads; main courses of gnocchi, roasted garlic potato Gratin, plant-based faro wheat fried rice, prime rib, roasted turkey, and salmon; and an assortment of sweets to top off the meal. Little ones can enjoy mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, turkey corn dog nuggets, and more!
- Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Cape May Cafe – Goofy’s Beach Club Breakfast in a quieter setting.
- Menu- American, served family-style all you care to eat
- Characters – Goofy, Minnie, Donald
- Disney Dining Plan – Yes, 1 Table Service Credit Per Person
Trattoria al Forno – A Character dining experience that debuted spring 2017 at Disney’s BoardWalk, with appearances by adventurous royal couples from beloved Disney films! This is a breakfast-only character dining experience. It’s a hearty “bon voyage” celebration, featuring popular characters from favorite Disney stories “Tangled” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Post-Covid Info- Currently closed for breakfast.
- Menu – American/Italian, Ala Carte
- Characters – Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, Ariel and Prince Eric.
- Disney Dining Plan – yes, 1 credit
Storybook Dining at Artist Point– Dinner with characters from Snow White. This meal is one of my favorites. Amazing food and great character interaction. The setting is a bit romantic as well. This is the only place to meet the Evil Queen, Dopey, and the Grumpy unless you go to a ticketed party.
- Menu – American, Ala Carte
- Characters – Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey come to the table. At the end of the meal, there is a photo opportunity with the Evil Queen.
- Disney Dining Plan – yes, 1 credit
Topolino’s Terrace – French Riveria-themed breakfast at Disney’s Riveria resort. Topolino’s is the newest character dining experience. You can get to the Riveria Resort via the Skyliner or a bus from Hollywood Studios or Epcot.
- Menu – French & Italian, Ala Carte
- Characters – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck—stylishly dressed from head to toe in outfits unique to Topolino’s Terrace!
- Disney Dining Plan – yes, 1 credit
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Post Originally posted April 3rd, 2018.
Ann Williamson
Monday 17th of April 2017
Your Disney outfits are really cute, especially the the blue and yellow one! This a really thorough article with great information. Thanks!