breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Character Dining locations

[adear11]

Hi all!

We have a trip coming up in September where we will have a DDP (got a free dining promo, but upgraded it from the Quick Service version to the Table Service one).

My family likes taking a break to have sit-down meals, so we're planning to take advantage of having discounted dining by hitting up all the character meals we've never been to (except one).

So, my question for you all is which meal of the day do you think we should go to for each location? Are there meals where the food is better or more unique for the different places?

These are the places we plan to go:

Crystal Palace (have previously had breakfast here)
Tusker House
Ohana (I know the characters only meet during Breakfast here. This is subjective I know, but is dinner here worth foregoing the character interactions?)
Hollywood and Vine (Would be lunch or dinner here preferring the Minnie meet over the Disney Junior characters)
Garden Grill

If you had the dining plan for 6 TS meals, which would you choose if not these?

 

[Mouse Tracker]

I would base it on how my day is planned. Park day?, Which park, My resort, ages in group, etc..

If you are used to taking a break from parks, maybe eliminate the break and either do breakfast TS with a full rest of day in the park or utilize EE and enjoy an evening TS meal then resort.

 

[BrianL]

I have always liked Tusker for breakfast, though I am not sure how many unique offerings they have these days (it's been a while). I love Garden Grill for Lunch - it's always great!

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I'd definitely do 'Ohana breakfast over dinner right now. Our dinner experiences lately have been a bit blah, plus breakfast there gives you Lilo and Stitch interactions - different from many of the other experiences.

 

[sponica]

I haven't been to GG breakfast since it returned, but I loved that breakfast the first time we went. It's so nice and low-key. I just wish they'd bring back the cinnamon roll!

We liked the TH breakfast even when it was family style. Once my kids are older and can carry their own food, we'll throw it back in the rotation. I just can't justify paying for a meal where I have to get up a billion times when I do that at home for free.

I have no experience with CP or H&V.

Ohana breakfast character interactions have always been satisfying for us.

 

[tom1944]

We loved Hollywood and Vine and look forward to Ohana this trip.

Both breakfast.

 

[_19disnA]

We liked Chef Mickey's when we stayed at the Contemporary a few years ago and wasn't on your list. We ate dinner and the small children in our party enjoyed the various characters who circulate periodically between all of the tables. Buffet had a wide variety and plenty of choices everyone enjoyed. It isn't fine dining, but we thought the food was good. Noticed there was always a huge crowd waiting in line for breakfast but we weren't in a hurry to race off to MK as so many others seemed to be, so we never ate breakfast there. Dinner is a better choice than breakfast. Never had lunch there so can't comment on if they also have the character interaction for that meal. If you are at MK, Chef Mickey's is convenient with the monorail nearby.

Garden Grill was very good and layout of the restaurant that slowly revolves makes the experience more private and a bit less chaotic than most other places. Ate at O'hana under the older menu, so can't comment on what is currently offered. There was no character interaction for dinner. The format there is ideal for small children since you don't order off of a menu and then wait for a long time for the food to be prepared. I think some who are critical of O'hana didn't realize they serve a fixed menu so it isn't your typical 'order off of the menu' type of place. Good to check the current menu at any place you plan to eat to make sure they serve things everyone will like.

 

[dcassetta]

If you’d like to try both breakfast and lunch foods, I might recommend making a breakfast recommendation as late as possible, and then you can enjoy both options..

 

[mommyk8]

Garden grill is excellent for lunch or dinner.
O’Hara in the evening we waited an hour and a half after our reservation and the kids fell sleep at the table. I didn’t think it was that great of food.
Chefs Mickey was fun with the fab 4.
Tusker House interactions with characters were good but the food was just okay. Last summer.
1900 Park Faire was excellent in 2016
If Princesses are your kids thing Akershus for breakfast at Epcot was great. Do late breakfast and you may be able to get some of the lunch offerings.
Rope drop and then do late breakfast early lunch. Or sleep in do early dinner at 3ish and then do the park in the evening

 

[Disturbia]

I would plan on eating breakfast in your room (unless it’s Topolinos). It’s extremely challenging to juggle Genie+/ILL with ADRs. We reduced TS ADRs due to the stress it created. I’d rather get a room discount but it isn’t offered in Dec (we are not APs or DVC; have 10 days booked).

We try to book dinner ADRs (end of day). But if we have a resort ADR we will book 5 pm Boma or 4-5 pm Ohana/STK71 and then head to the parks. The ADRs take 1.5 hr (we have kids with allergies so it usually takes even longer).

Akershus and BOG are 2 TS credits now. The snacks have been reduced to only 1 a day but alcohol is included (we don’t drink alcohol).

QS: EET by Maneet (Disney Springs)

Our picks for upcoming free dining Disney (staying at Poly for 10 nights)

Ohana (will repeat)
Boma (food better than Tusker)
Topolinos breakfast (may repeat)
STK71
1900 park fare dinner
Chef Mickeys dinner (never been; maybe)
Crystal Palace
Roundup Rodeo BBQ (never been; maybe)

We won’t be doing all park days so might use 2 credits for Boathouse or Narcoosee

Epcot usually has some festival going on so it’s usually not worth it to do a sit down.

The boardwalk cake bake shop should open but doesn’t take any credits; hopefully they have something similar to the Grand Floridian afternoon tea.

 

[Skippyboo]

I would plan on eating breakfast in your room (unless it’s Topolinos). It’s extremely challenging to juggle Genie+/ILL with ADRs. We reduced TS ADRs due to the stress it created. I’d rather get a room discount but it isn’t offered in Dec (we are not APs or DVC; have 10 days booked).

We try to book dinner ADRs (end of day). But if we have a resort ADR we will book 5 pm Boma or 4-5 pm Ohana/STK71 and then head to the parks. The ADRs take 1.5 hr (we have kids with allergies so it usually takes even longer).

Akershus and BOG are 2 TS credits now. The snacks have been reduced to only 1 a day but alcohol is included (we don’t drink alcohol).

QS: EET by Maneet (Disney Springs)

Our picks for upcoming free dining Disney (staying at Poly for 10 nights)

Ohana (will repeat)
Boma (food better than Tusker)
Topolinos breakfast (may repeat)
STK71
1900 park fare dinner
Chef Mickeys dinner (never been; maybe)
Crystal Palace
Roundup Rodeo BBQ (never been; maybe)

We won’t be doing all park days so might use 2 credits for Boathouse or Narcoosee

Epcot usually has some festival going on so it’s usually not worth it to do a sit down.

The boardwalk cake bake shop should open but doesn’t take any credits; hopefully they have something similar to the Grand Floridian afternoon tea.

If you do breakfast at Akershus , it’s only 1 credit. Lunch and Dinner are 2. So breakfast is good use of a credit to get your Princess fix.

 

[Disturbia]

We don’t usually do breakfast as any TS ends up filling you too much to ride rides. Topolinos is an exception and if we’re headed towards Epcot or HS we don’t go on the thrill rides (note don’t eat at Topolinos before GOTG). Sept weather is still 88-90 degrees and we were miserable and dizzy with the humidity (pack electrolytes like liquid Iv)

Lunch is a good option for TS if you’re going back to the resort to rest for a few hours. That only works if the park is open longer so you have a few hours at the park in the evening.

 

[erinch]

We enjoyed CP for lunch recently and LOVED tucker house.i could stop at the green curry shrimp. Toppolonos terrace is great for breakfast.

 

[Disturbia]

Note: Topolinos breakfast doesn’t allow unlimited entrees anymore. You can have a main and say one waffle as a side. It was still very filling and the characters were amazing. The food service and atmosphere are just wonderful.

 

[Figment Mom]

We typically only do table service breakfast on non-park days since mornings are my favorite time to do rides.

They used to have pre-park-opening breakfast reservations and I loved those. Got you in eatly to a near-empty park and we were done eating by the time the park opened.

If you have a non-park day, I would do Topolino's breakfast, especially if you are staying at one of the skyliner resorts.

The only restaurant on your list we've eaten both breakfast and lunch at is Tusker House and I preferred breakfast there.