They are expensive, but the cost depends on what you get. Yes, they can do characters. They can be delivered to certain resturants. I agree check out the cake thread.
We have ordered three cakes on three different trips. We have gotten Mickey, Tinkerbell, Cinderella cakes. I will be ordering another for my DH's birthday. They were all good and very pretty, but each was very expensive, much more so than we would pay for birthday cakes back home.