Soooo confused about character dining right now!
We've never done it and am planning on it with our next trip
Have read through this super thread, probably a million reviews so far and I think I've just reached that limit where my brain's become fried from so much information.
Myself and my husband are planning our trip to Disneyland this October, and Im aware I need to book the character dining at 60 days out (meaning I really do need to work this out sometime soon)
We're going as a party of 2 adults without kids looking for breakfast with characters.
Originally was thinking "Goofys Kitchen" due to reviews indicating the good range of food & characters - but we're not fans of super noisy places.
We know this is a theme park which has noise and it really is great for families to have fun and wonderful memories together
, just the banging pots and pans isnt our cup of tea is all (honestly not meaning offence to anyone, just trying to explain our situation is all)
So, I guess, we're after somewhere with character interactions where two adults wont be ignored, and preferably somewhere not crazy loud?
I've been tossing up between Storytellers and Plaza Inn... I think....
Like I mentioned my brain has been a bit over-loaded from the amount of information, and a lot of information seems to be family geared (which makes since considering it is Disneyland after all
) but was wondering if anyone had some advice for our situation?
LadyHadley --
You can easily get away with not making reservations at 60 days -- it is not as necessary to do that well in advance at Disneyland Resort restaurants as it is at WDW. In fact, most of my character meals have been walk-ups, with no reservations at all. I just wanted to make sure you knew that so you didn't pressure yourself into booking at exactly 60 days. I'm sure 30 days would be fine too.
Have you read PinkBudgie's review of Goofy's for adults? I know it has been mentioned a few times in this thread and I think there may even be a link to it somewhere on Page 1 (I haven't looked there in a while). I can find the link to it if you haven't read it. It is very informative, and it is from the perspective of two adults (no kids). She ate there largely based on my recommendations over the years. In all of my Goofy's dining experiences, I have only eaten there with a child in my group one time. Every other time has been adults only, and we all love it.
In any case, yes, there is a bit of a noise level that is present at Goofy's in comparison to the slower-paced Critter Breakfast at Storytellers Cafe, but I have never really found it to be off-putting, to be honest. It is a busy restaurant with a lot of activity, but I don't want anyone to get the impression that there are pots and pans banging non-stop. It's not like that, and I think it gets misrepresented.
There is a little 'show' (I don't even know if you'd call it a show, really) when Goofy pretends to drop some pots/pans (because he is Goofy and he is clumsy!), and that somehow leads to dancing with kids or anyone who wants to get up and join in. It doesn't last that long, and I don't think we even saw/heard the 'pots and pans show' the last time we ate there (I think we missed it because of our timing).
If you were to walk into River Belle Terrace in Disneyland (counter service), you'd find that it is pretty much just as noisy of a restaurant, but without the little Goofy-dropping-the-pots dance segment.
I have not yet tried Minnie & Friends but from all that I have heard/read about it, it can also get quite chaotic. Plus, the food gets very mixed reviews. The main reason to eat here, I think, is for the vast array of characters -- not for quiet, and not really even for the food.
I think that if you really want "quiet," the Critter Breakfast is absolutely for you. They have a small buffet and also a menu from which you can order. The character selection (usually 4 or 5 are there at one time) tends to include Chip, Dale, Koda, Kenai, Terk, sometimes Meeko and occasional "guest stars."
You may also enjoy Surf's Up with Mickey at the Paradise Pier Hotel. It is probably a bit noisier than the Critter Breakfast but not as lively as Goofy's. The restaurant often looks half-empty when I peek into it. The character interaction is
great. The characters are very attentive. There is a small buffet, but the buffet has a couple of Surf's Up-exclusive items. This is the only meal with Mickey and Stitch, and Daisy Duck is often there too.
A lot of people love Surf's Up and it is their favorite. Others love the Critter Breakfast just for the quieter atmosphere, the option to order the buffet or from the menu and food quality. I like Surf's Up better than the Critter Breakfast, but I like Goofy's better than both of them for the ratio of food variety/options to character selection!
