Best Character Meal Dinner

[Hoosier37]

Okay, the plan at the moment for our June 2013 trip is to either get QSDP or pay OOP. We know we want to do one character meal though, no matter which decision we make, and of course we'll be paying OOP for that meal. We have never done a character meal before so we have no idea which one to do.

When we make the trip, we'll have a 13 year old son and an 11 year old daughter. We know we want dinner. DH is adamant that he doesn't want to pay those high prices for breakfast, and I'm in agreement with him. We'd like a buffet, I'm not sure if all character meals are buffet meals or not. But it isn't a requirement that the meal be a buffet.

When planning our first trip, the kids both said they did not want to do a character meal at all, and against my better judgement we did not do one - then on the way home they both said they wished we'd done a character meal .

So for my kids, what character dinner would be best? We're leaning towards Chef Mickey's, but then again I don't know much about any of the meals. We can't go anywhere too "girly" because my son will absolutely be upset. This trip is a surprise so I can't show the kids youtube vids or pictures and get their feedback.

And yes, I'm planning WAY in advance and maybe things will change before next June, but I love to plan for Disney so humor me

 

[graceesmom]

For your group, I think Chef Mickey would be a good choice. Classic characters and a nice comfortable waiting area if you have to wait to be seated. The food is not going to be gourmet, but there will be something for everyone.

Crystal Palace is fun, but probably more for little ones unless your children just love Winnie the Pooh. Plus, they are notorious for running behind and there is no good place to wait. You have to wait outside and there is very little seating out there. If you've had a long day in the parks already, this can be an issue.

Garden Grill is one of our favorites. Served family style instead of buffet. The food is good if you like the menu. It is a set menu, so no options if you have a picky eater who doesn't like what they have. We really enjoy it, and it is in the Land Pavillion at Epcot. Easy place to wait, if your table is not immediately available.

 

[lisatx04]

I say Chef Mickey's. It is a buffet and there is something for everyone. I think character interaction is great here. We have done both Crystal Palace and Garden Grill but we always return to Chef Mickey's.

 

[Zeppelin]

we've gone to Chef Mickey's a number of times and i like it but don't think i'd go back- went last August- just not worth the money; 2 adults, one child almost $90 for breakfast and the characters seem to rush through at times...

 

[Zeppelin]

btw- Crystal Palace is solid- Winnie the Pooh characters and the food is much better than Chez Mickey....

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I don't really think Chef Mickey's is a great choice. We have been a few times and we have had decent experiences and some that were not so good. Have you considered 1900 Park Fare. The food is excellent and the character interaction is a bit better for older kids and adults. Yes, it is a princess meal, but it has the wicked step mother and the step sisters and they are hilarious!!!! We love it! If you want the more traditional characters I vote for Tusker House at AK.

 

[DanPadavona]

I've always been partial to Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's. Both are a lot of fun for kids and parents, and I just like buffets anyhow. I'm bananas about buffets.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

While the characters at Chef Mickey's are great- we thought the dinner food was pretty bad. While we haven't tried it yet (looking at it for our next trip), you might want to look at Garden Grill in Epcot. While it sounds like service is slow, I've gotten better feedback on the food and the character interaction seems pretty top notch. It also should work well for a boy and a girl.

 

[Nature Mom]

Since you will probably be paying OOP for your character meal, let me throw this out there for you: Garden Grove at the Swan. We don't do the DP, but last fall we did 5 character meals. (Never again!) Far and away, Garden Grove was our favorite. The food was delicious (we went on the seafood night), the cost was reasonably good (because I had a Restaurant.com certificate [they also do Groupons occasionally, just keep a look out]), and we enjoyed the characters. DD was proposed to by Dale, danced the waltz with Pluto, Chip played Angry Birds and Goofy was just...well, goofy. Afterwards, we strolled over to Boardwalk, watched the street performers and the fireworks from Illuminations. We have already have decided that this is a must do again, since it made for such an enjoyable evening.

 

[disneybliss2]

While we love the characters and the atmosphere of Chef Mickey's, the food was another story. We like it there for breakfast, but not dinner. There weren't as many options as the other WDW buffets, and the food quality wasn't that great either. If it were me, I would go to Crystal Palace or possibly Garden Grill. Another option is 1900 Park Fare (which is my number one pick, but was afraid it might be too girly for your son). The food is delicious, lots of variety, and the best character interaction ever. The only drawback you may find is that the characters are Cinderella, Prince, stepsisters, and stepmother. Not sure how your son would like Cinderella and Prince. The stepsisters and stepmother are an absolute riot. They are truly hilarious. Add them to the delicious, tasty food we had and it was our favorite character meal of our trip. Good luck deciding!

 

[hcompton]

Agree with PPs, Chef Mickey is a classic and a must for our DD3, but the food isn't that great, but we've only been at breakfast. The character interaction & food at 1900 Park Fare (dinner) was the best character meal we had along with Cinderella's Royal Table (breakfast). I really don't think 1900 Park Fare would be too girly for your son. The Stepsisters are so much fun.

 

[Euphemy]

Where is this 1900 Park Faire? My nieces want to do a character dinner also but I was thinking of the one in Norway at Epcot.

 

[SunnyDey]

Where is this 1900 Park Faire? My nieces want to do a character dinner also but I was thinking of the one in Norway at Epcot.

1900 Park Fare is in the Grand Floridian Resort.

 

[RHMH]

Have you thought about the Back Yard BBQ with Mickey and the whole Gang. My DD and I have loads of fun when we go. The food is great and you will leave soooooo full, you will not want to eat for the next couple of days.

It is located in the Wilderness Campgrounds. I would at least check it out and maybe the other Diser's will comment about this dinner event.

 

[Wendy31]

Chef Mickey's is a must-do for us, but we usually choose breakfast.

We prefer the food at Garden Grill for dinner - it's all-you-can-eat, is served "family-style", & has always seemed very fresh & tasty to us. Plus, the character interaction at Garden Grill is really good.

However, if I were only choosing one character meal, it would be Chef Mickey's - breakfast or dinner.

To me, Chef Mickey's is just quintessential "Disney" - it's at the Contemporary, the monorail runs through, & it's the only character meal were you'll see all 5 of the main characters - Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, & Pluto.

Sometimes, the dinner buffet at Chef Mickey's gets less than stellar reviews. However, it is a buffet, & everyone should be able to find something they like.

 

[d23cndrela]

I am not really a fan of Chef Mickey's, but if I go there I prefer breakfast. I think they have lousy dinner foods. It's extra loud since it's all open and the monorail goes by. I have also felt rushed while there. My family really enjoys 1900 Park Fare. It is very hard for us to all agree on a character meal. We are a family of 5 all adults. Me (30), My Mother (55), My Dad (59), My Grandmother (77), and Brother (26). My brother is the absolute worst when it comes to character meals. He wants nothing to do with them unless we are going to 1900. He really likes the interaction (or you could call it bickering) with the Stepsisters. Anastasia and Drizella, along with Lady Tramain steal the spot light. You spend the whole meal laughing at them ( cause you can hear them throughout the whole restaurant). The food is really good too with lots of selections, but you are really worried your son won't like it try the Garden Grill it's quite enjoyable just not as entertaining. Hope that helps and whatever you choose I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself!

 

[CamoMama]

We loved Garden Grill at Epcot. It's family style, not buffet, but the food is excellent and all you can eat. The rolls with maple butter were just amazing and both I and my oldest loved the mahi mahi, even though neither of us normally like fish. We didn't have trouble with slow service, but it wasn't incredibly busy when we were there either. The rotating restaurant is neat, with scenes from the Livin' with the Land ride. The best part about it was the character interaction. I've never had a better character experience in either WDW or DLR, it was great.

 

[Mousemommy1]

We've only done 2 character meals. Chef Mickey's (for Breakfast) and CRT (twice). Based on those meals, I kind of believe that the character meals are for just that, the characters, and you might walk away with some ok food too. We do the character meals for the experience, and go in knowing that the food may be less than stellar, but always hope for the best. Chef Mickey's is a favorite of our DD's, and we will be repeating it on our next trip. We have quite a few character meals lined up (1900 PF, Akershus, CM) and I am hoping for some better quality...but we shall see...