Character meals in Disney Parks are excellent but not everyone likes to plan a big sit down meal into their park day. Restaurants at Disney with character dining are not just inside the parks though. There are Disney character meals at resorts and there might be one at yours. Most meals with characters are at restaurants with buffets. Some are traditional buffets while other offer family style serving. Family style is when large portions are delivered to your table for everyone to help themselves. These are replenish-able and you can ask for more of what you and your party like the most.
You’ve got questions about Disney character meals at resorts and we’ve got all the answers. What characters are at Chef Mickey’s? Are Disney character meals worth it? What characters are at Ohana? How much are Disney character meals? Be our guest and read on for all of the information you need to plan your next great breakfast or dinner with Mickey Mouse at Disney World.
Disney Character Meals at Resorts, Not in Parks, in 2023
The Disney character meals 2023 has to offer are different than what you may have enjoyed many years ago. This is a current list of all of the options for Disney character meals at resorts. Some restaurants are still open but no longer have characters. At this time, there are no character meals at Disney Springs, just themed environments like those at T-REX Restaurant and Rainforest Cafe.
Disney character meals at resorts do not require the purchase of a theme park ticket. You do not need to be staying at a resort to make a restaurant reservation either. The characters usually make their rounds, visiting each table once. If you take longer to dine, you may be visited twice by some characters. In some restaurants, one of the characters may not visit the table but have their own setting where you go and meet them instead. Disney says characters and entertainment are subject to change without notice.
Cape May Cafe
Location: Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Price: Breakfast is $45 per adult and $29 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.
Meal: Breakfast is typical American fare at an all you care to enjoy buffet.
Characters: Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy appear in beach inspired attire.
Chef Mickey’s
Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Price: Breakfast is $51 per adult and $33 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity. Dinner is $62 per adult and $39 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.
Meal: Breakfast and dinner are both typical American fare at an all you care to enjoy buffet.
Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy appear in chef inspired attire.
‘Ohana
Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Price: Breakfast is $45 per adult and $29 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.
Meal: Breakfast is typical American fare served family style at your table.
Characters: Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto in Polynesian inspired attire.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
Location: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Price: Dinner is $65 per adult and $39 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.
Meal: Dinner has storybook themed, prix fixe menu items like the Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart.
Characters: Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and The Queen.
Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
Location: Disney’s Riviera Resort
Price: Breakfast is $45 per adult and $29 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.
Meal: Breakfast comes with a paint themed pastry bucket and has a selection of fine dining entrees.
Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy appear in attire inspired by the arts.
1900 Park Fare Reopens April 10th, Reservations March 5th
Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
Price: Not yet shared.
Meal: Breakfast and dinner self serve buffets.
Characters: Aladdin in his Prince Ali, Cinderella, Tiana in her new outfit from the upcoming attraction and Mirabel.
Temporarily Unavailable – Character Dining Grand Floridian
Is the Grand Floridian team room open?
The tea room at Disneys’ Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has not reopened since the closure. There was a very unique tea offering that included a visit from a special Disney World character who hosted the event and Aurora from the film Sleeping Beauty. The Grand Floridian has received a major, resort wide refurbishment in the last few years that we’ve been covering in our DVC resort refurbishment schedule. Construction has reached the rooms in the lobby. While the roof of the lobby and exterior have been refreshed, we still don’t have news about the tea room.
Is the Wonderland Tea Party coming back?
There was also a tea party event for children in the 1900 Park Fare venue during the day hosted by Alice and The Mad Hatter There have been no updates on the Wonderland Tea Party, even with news of the restaurant reopening.
Disney Character Meal FAQs
How long are character dining Disney World experiences?
Character dining at Disney is a fantastic way to make the most of your time at Walt Disney World Resort. You can expect to spend 45 to 90 minutes at Disney character meals at resorts and in the parks. This really depends on how fast, and how much, your party likes to eat and if the meal is a buffet or not. In that amount of time, all of the characters will have made it to your table at least once.
Note that some restaurants only have characters at certain meal times. So a restaurant might be open for breakfast and dinner but only have the characters at breakfast. Only the meal times with characters are noted above.
How much are Disney character meal prices?
Disney character meals at resorts start at $45 per adult plus tax and gratuity for some breakfasts. Dinners with characters may cost up to $65 per adult plus tax and gratuity. Menu prices go up every year or every few years. Check close to your visit for the most accurate price.
Is it hard to get Disney character meal reservations?
The Disney character meals Disney World has to offer are very popular. It is sometimes possible to walk up but Disney character meal reservations are highly recommended. Guests of Disney resort hotels are able to book their dining reservations before everyone else. Disney resort guests can book for their length of stay up to 60 days in advance of arrival. This booking advantage is available for Disney Vacation Club Members as well. Reservations usually open for booking in the morning around 6:00 a.m. but this may vary. Everyone else can only book 60 days out only. Being able to book those extras days of your stay in advance can help you get the meals you want.
Is character dining available at Disney World?
Character dining is back at Disney World but not at all locations. 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is still closed but will reopen April 10th. This restaurant had two character meals each day, breakfast and dinner, along with a character tea experience for small children in the afternoon in the past. It is undergoing refurbishment along with the rest of the resort. Another restaurant missing character dining is Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
Is character dining back at Trattoria al Forno?
Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk resort used to have the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast with Rapunzel, Flynn, Ariel and Prince Eric. The menu also supported the theme with fun items like pancakes stamped with confectioner’s sugar in the shape of Rapunzel’s sun. This restaurant is open but no longer has characters. The menu has also been changed to a more simple, traditional breakfast. Disney’s website says the offering is Temporarily Unavailable.
Tips for Getting Disney Character Meal Reservations
If you’re unable to get the dining reservations you want, or if you change your mind, check and see what’s available to book the day before or the day of. As people cancel or modify their reservations, last minute spots can open up. Many Disney World restaurants have walk up availability. Find out if this is offered at the restaurant of your choice specifically beforehand. You might want to book restaurants at Disney with character breakfast on rest days when you don’t have park plans.
Are character meals worth it at Disney World?
Not sure if the littlest vacationers in your party will like meeting the characters? Enjoying a character meal costs less than a day at the parks. This could be a safe way to introduce the idea of meeting characters for the first time. It’s easier to head back to your room if anyone needs a break after and you won’t have to miss out on your park day.
While these meals can be pricey, going to character meals can open up your schedule when you’re in the theme parks. If you meet Mickey at breakfast, that can give you more time for other characters, rides or shows.
Character meals are also worth it if you like to meet characters in unique outfits. Most character meals have some sort of theme to them and the characters dress within that theme. This may be the only place you can meet them looking a certain way. Topolino’s Terrace is a good example of this with Daisy Duck dressed as a dancer.
These meals can also be great on pool days when you don’t plan to visit the parks or when your itinerary has you visiting a park for half of a day. A character meal paired with a Disney Springs visit also makes for a great slower paced Disney day.
To get the most out of your Disney character meal experience, try to book one of the first or last meals of the time period. When there are less people dining to visit, character interactions can be longer and more personalized. Some restaurants have a little parade or cute songs that play that queue kids to go visit with a character and dance. Be sure to listen for these.
Disney Vacation Club Resorts and Character Meals
All of the resorts listed above are Disney Vacation Club resorts. This means they are part of the Disney timeshare. Becoming a Member can help you get the best possible rate on Disney resort hotel stays. The following is a list of all of the DVC resorts at Walt Disney World. Ones that have Disney character meals are marked with an asterisk.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort*
Disney’s Beach Club Villas*
Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge*
Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge*
The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort**
The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort*
Old Key West Resort
Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows*
Disney’s Riviera Resort*
Saratoga Springs Resort
** Fort Wilderness is home to Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, a dinner theater experience.
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