Best Character Meals - character interaction/ good food.

[ejsmomma]

We are booked for our Sept 2009 Disney trip! But need to figure out character meals.

My boys want to see:
EJ (4) - Leo and June, Mickey and Pluto
BL (2) - Donald, Goofy, Mickey

I want good food and to see the princesses (but I don't think my vote counts for who we see ) So how can we make EVERYONE happy with our character meals?

I was thinking about picking 3 of these:
Hollywood and Vine
Cape May Cafe
1900 Park Fare
Mickey's BBQ
Donald's Safari BReakfast at the Tusker House
The Garden Grill

HELP Us pick WHICH ones! THANK YOU!

 

[aussietravellers]

You haven't mentioned Ohana's breakfast (Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch), this along with Cape May's breakfast were our favourite character meals. Tusker House was great too. But my first pick would be Ohana's, second Cape Mays, third Tusker House. If you did Tusker House and Hollywood and Vine you would cover most if not all of the characters that your boys want to see though.

We didn't like Hollywood and Vine much, character interaction was good, food not so good, ok but not great, our least favourite. 1900 Park Fare breakfast was nice, but it was just soooo busy and we missed a couple of characters, they just seemed to bypass our table in the rounds, would start at one end and almost get to us, then go, then come back out but start somewhere else. Anyway but the food was nice and the mad hatter was an absolute classic, very amusing. Chef Mickeys, was alright, again so busy and we were not that impressed with the food, Donald didn't even come around he stood near the exit and you had to que to see him, so we didn't bother. We really enjoyed our lunch at Garden Grill, had great character interaction there, particularly with Chip, he was hilerious.

 

[Hootch]

happy is often difficult with kids. I have a daughter that wants to eat at certain restaurants but only when she feels like it. We have a few teachable moments needless to say.

You have probably figured out that Hollywood & Vine is the place to meet Leo and June at a character meal. I haven't been so I can't address the quality of food question. There is also a Stars of Playhouse Disney meet and greet usually at DHS, Leo and June are supposed to be regulars there and a Playhouse Disney stage show. Little Einsteins characters are part of that revamped show.

Donald can be found at a couple of the breakfasts that you mentioned, Tusker house and Cape May. Both are good.

Mickey is in several. The only one I see where Pluto is currently, to my knowledge, is Garden Grill. Chef Mickey's has the largest traditional character selection, but it's not on your list. It would cover all but Leo and June. That's where we go to see Pluto since he's my daughter's favorite of these.

One word of caution on Mickey's Backyard BBQ. The characters didn't move from table to table like most other character meals. They were out on the dance floor and people had to go to them. We went during a busy time and they were mobbed. The worst character interaction we've had.

 

[gobraves39560]

happy is often difficult with kids. I have a daughter that wants to eat at certain restaurants but only when she feels like it. We have a few teachable moments needless to say.

You have probably figured out that Hollywood & Vine is the place to meet Leo and June at a character meal. I haven't been so I can't address the quality of food question. There is also a Stars of Playhouse Disney meet and greet usually at DHS, Leo and June are supposed to be regulars there and a Playhouse Disney stage show. Little Einsteins characters are part of that revamped show.

Donald can be found at a couple of the breakfasts that you mentioned, Tusker house and Cape May. Both are good.

Mickey is in several. The only one I see where Pluto is currently, to my knowledge, is Garden Grill. Chef Mickey's has the largest traditional character selection, but it's not on your list. It would cover all but Leo and June. That's where we go to see Pluto since he's my daughter's favorite of these.

One word of caution on Mickey's Backyard BBQ. The characters didn't move from table to table like most other character meals. They were out on the dance floor and people had to go to them. We went during a busy time and they were mobbed. The worst character interaction we've had.

Garden Grill by far had the best charactar interaction. I have the best pics. from there!!! Hollywood & Vine was oughtful!!! Will not ever do it again!!

 

[loonytoony]

Tusker House is awesome. Great character interaction. Go early and you can be first on the safari right after breakfast.

 

[tink1957]

Sorry to tell you that Garden Grill is no longer a character meal. It was one of our favorites & we were sad to see the characters go. I don't know why they did this as it was the only character meal at Epcot.

 

[MickeyNicki]

For character interaction AND food I would go with

Ohana
Chef Mickeys
Crystal Palace

 

[missy2217]

We loved Hollywood and Vine for Little Einsteins and Cape May Cafe. Cape May Cafe was EMPTY when we went, we went for a late breakfast and the rush was over. The characters came to out table a bunch of times each. I thought the breakfast at Tusker House was outstanding, but it was loud and hard to get nice photos of the kids with the characters because the tables are so close.

 

[Procrastinate]

Garden Grill has discontinued lunch, but still has a character dinner. I have reservations for the character dinner in July.

 

[Chevyscool]

We had GREAT character interaction at H&V for the Playhouse Disney Breakfast! My kids are the same age as yours and are crazy for Little Einsteins. Like others have mentioned the food is just OK, but it was worth it to see my two little ones with their favorite characters.

We also love Donald's Safari Breakfast and CP. We had good character interaction AND good food at those two character meals.

I've heard good things about Cape May...we're trying it for the first time this fall.

As far as Pluto, I know he's at CM, but it's loud and busy there...but worth going if you've never been.

 

[ChiefNerd]

DW and I always book ADRs at Crystal Palace, based on the food alone, since we don't have any young-uns. And we're not the biggest fans of Pooh and Co., but they are always the greatest to us, and we get a huge kick out of the kids marching around the restaurant in the "parade!"

 

[Melknor]

We ate at O'hana last week for breakfast and it was wonderful. The food was delicious, the character interaction great, and we didn't have to get up to get our food from a buffet, which is a plus with little kids (3 & 8).

You may want to really consider this one...........plus they do a little parade with the characters and kids through the restaurant.

 

[arielmomma]

Sorry to tell you that Garden Grill is no longer a character meal. It was one of our favorites & we were sad to see the characters go. I don't know why they did this as it was the only character meal at Epcot.

Last I knew, the Garden Grill was still a character meal for dinner only. Did this change?

 

[MightyAlweg]

If you don't want to interact with the characters, is that ok too?

I mean, is there seating for old fuddy duddies? LOL