One way to save time and still get some one-on-one time with your child’s favorite Disney characters is through Disney World character dining. These special meals are usually a bit more pricey, but give your child a more intimate meet & greet experience with the characters.
Guide to Disney World Character Dining
Disney World offers guests the chance to meet Disney characters while they enjoy a meal.
Typically, you will sit down for a meal and while you are eating, the Disney characters will make their rounds to each table, one character at a time.
This gives you the chance to get an autograph and pose for a picture without having to stand in a line.
How Much is Disney Character Dining?
Prices do vary depending on the experience so you will want to make sure that you do your homework by checking each Disney dining experience.
Some meals are prix fixe while others are based on age (kids always are less than adults).
If you want to do a character meal but are on a budget, breakfast is typically the least expensive meal when it comes to character dining.
How to get a Disney Character Meal Reservation
When it comes to character dining, you want to make sure you book your meals with Disney characters in advance through the My Disney Experience App.
Character dining reservations do book quickly, and you might find that getting the reservation you want is difficult.
If you are unable to get the reservations on your first attempt don’t give up.
People change & drop character meal reservations all the time, so just keep logging into your account to see if anything comes available.
Why Disney World Character Meals might not be right for you…
I know it sounds crazy, but there are some things to consider when booking a Disney character meal.
- These meals are often buffet experiences. If you aren’t a fan of the buffet experience, these meals are probably not for you.
- Not the best Disney food. While good, the Disney character dining isn’t always the best in terms of food. Disney is known for having excellent table service options, and if you really want to enjoy the food, this isn’t the best way.
- It takes a lot of time. Table service restaurants always take more time than quick service, but character dining takes even longer because you are going to want to make sure you give each character enough time to get to your table. If you are fast eaters, you might find that you have to wait for the last character to make their way to your table.
There are several Disney character dining options to choose from which can make it hard to decide which one is right for your family.
Disney World Character Dining at the Parks
Be Our Guest
Park: Magic Kingdom
Meal: Dinner
Price:$15-25 (based on selection)
Characters: Beast (Belle only appears at Enchanted Tales with Belle)
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Park: Magic Kingdom
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Price: $57-$70 for adults and $35-$45 for kids (based on meal time)
Characters: May include Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, Snow White, and Jasmine
Crystal Palace
Park: Magic Kingdom
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Price: $25-$50 for adults and $15-$30 for kids (based on meal time)
Characters: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore
Akershus Banquet Hall
Park: Epcot
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Price: $39-55 for adults and $24 – $34 for kids
Characters: May include Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Mary Poppins.
Garden Grill
Park: Epcot
Meal: Dinner
Price: $38-45 for adults and $19-22 for kids
Characters: Chip, Dale, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto
Hollywood & Vine
Park: Hollywood Studios
Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner
Price: Breakfast: $35-50 for adults and $21-25 for kids
Characters: Disney Junior characters for breakfast & lunch, Minnie Mouse & friends for dinner
Tusker House
Park: Animal Kingdom
Meals: Breakfast
Price: $35-50 for adults and $21-25 for kids
Characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy, and Goofy
8 Best Disney Character Dining Options at Disney World
While dining inside the Disney Parks is great, there are also options in the Disney Resorts for character dining.
When looking at all the Disney character meal options, these are the ones we think are best choices:
1. Akershus Storybook Dining at EPCOT
If you are looking for a character meal that will let you meet Disney Princesses at EPCOT, you should book breakfast at Akershus.
You will get a Norwegian-style breakfast (with an American twist) and see most of the Disney Princesses.
2. Tusker House at Animal Kingdom
When it comes to breakfasts, one of our favorites is Tusker House.
You will get to dine on all your favorites and get to drink the iconic POG juice while meeting with Mickey Mouse & friends dressed in their Safari gear.
This is the absolute best way to meet the Fab Five while in Animal Kingdom.
3. Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom
If you want a true royal experience, nothing beats dining inside Cinderella Castle.
This table service Disney character dining experience really makes you feel like royalty when you get to dine with Cinderella, Prince Charming, and other various princesses.
4. Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom
Available for breakfast, lunch & dinner, this is the restaurant that you will want to book if you want to meet Winnie the Pooh & friends.
5. Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios
Hollywood and Vine has two character meal options.
There is a character dining experience where Disney Junior characters are the main focus and another where you meet Minnie Mouse and friends.
We love the Hollywood and Vine seasonal dining experience.
This character meal has a fantastic selection of food based on what’s in season and also gives you the chance to meet & greet with Minnie, Mickey and other Disney characters in their finest outfits or holiday attire.
6. Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May Cafe (Beach Club)
During breakfast at Cape May Cafe, Minnie Mouse and other characters show up in their beach outfits.
This is a traditional American breakfast, with an omelet bar.
It is a great place to hit if you are on the Skyliner or are planning to visit EPCOT or Hollywood Studios because you can walk from breakfast right to those parks!
7. ‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast at Polynesian Resort
Do you love Stitch? The only Disney dining option where you can meet both Lilo & Stitch is at ‘Ohana inside the Polynesian Resort.
This family-style restaurant gives you a traditional menu of all-you-can-eat eggs, bacon, biscuits, waffles and potatoes along with fresh fruit and tropical bread.
It’s a great place to stop when you are on your way to Magic Kingdom since it’s on the monorail.
8. 1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian
1900 Park Fare has always been a family favorite.
In previous years, guests could meet everyone from Alice in Wonderland to Winnie the Pooh.
Now, guests get to dine with such Disney characters as Aladdin, Tiana and Mirabel!
Overall, while Disney character meals can be pricey, having the chance to see many characters at one while you are enjoying a meal is a real treat.
We have found that by booking one of these meals, we can spend less time in character lines and more time actually enjoying Disney World.
Do you have a favorite Disney World character dining experience?
Livy
Wednesday 18th of April 2018
1900 Park Fare is definitely my favorite! Cinderella, Charming, Lady Tremine, and all the Step Sisters do an amazing job! I wish they would roam around WDW more, like they do at DisneyLand on occasion, but that's okay, at least we get to see them every once in awhile!