Can we start a character meal thread?

[HuskyGal]

I think the reason why Goofy's Kitchen hasn't returned to normal yet is because they are trying a new image and part of this new image is making changes to character dining. And I think part of the reason why the characters only wave and not sign autographs is due to time and money. When I would go to Disneyland a lot my family and I had a tradition to eat there every trip. But now if and when my family plans on going to Disneyland in the future I figure it will be different next time. I think also that Goofy's Kitchen will raise it's prices and refer to their character dining as character experiences or as I call them CEs. It used to be that everybody would praise Goofy's Kitchen as the top restaurant of Disneyland because it was a place where kids could meet and greet with the best characters in one chance. But I think Goofy's Kitchen will start becoming the Cinderella's Royal Table of Disneyland because of it's high prices. But if Disneyland did start to have Marvel character breakfasts in DCA it would be a huge hit

We would love to do a marvel breakfast! A while back I was planning a trip to Universal studios Orlando and they had one there.

 

[CeCe0906]

I wish that more restaurants did character lunches or dinners. We are more grab breakfast in the room, and ride while the lines are shorter and the day is cooler people. Then a nice sit down lunch in the air conditioning while we plan our afternoon.

We did this at Hollywood and Dine in Hollywood studios last summer. Once we get into a park, we want to have fun. I have a reservation at Goofys on our arrival day.
I also have a 8 am Plaza inn breakfast scheduled, but I think I'm going to cancel that reservation. I don't think my grandkids are going to be happy, with " we are at Disneyland! No, we are not riding anything, sit down and eat!"

 

[katyringo]

I wish that more restaurants did character lunches or dinners. We are more grab breakfast in the room, and ride while the lines are shorter and the day is cooler people. Then a nice sit down lunch in the air conditioning while we plan our afternoon.

We did this at Hollywood and Dine in Hollywood studios last summer. Once we get into a park, we want to have fun. I have a reservation at Goofys on our arrival day.
I also have a 8 am Plaza inn breakfast scheduled, but I think I'm going to cancel that reservation. I don't think my grandkids are going to be happy, with " we are at Disneyland! No, we are not riding anything, sit down and eat!"

Storytellers has a brunch on Friday/Saturday/ and Sunday.

I agree with you. What we do with Plaza Inn is try to scheduled for the last booking of the morning. We eat some quick on the go things before we rope drop. Then our plaza inn booking is usually around 1045-11am. We treat it as an early lunch.

They used to have Ariel's grotto lunch, but it is no more.

 

[CeCe0906]

Storytellers has a brunch on Friday/Saturday/ and Sunday.

I agree with you. What we do with Plaza Inn is try to scheduled for the last booking of the morning. We eat some quick on the go things before we rope drop. Then our plaza inn booking is usually around 1045-11am. We treat it as an early lunch.

They used to have Ariel's grotto lunch, but it is no more.

I looked at that, but unfortunately our park days are Tues/Wed/Thurs.

We are going to do the Princess Adventure Breakfast on our last day.

We are staying at DLH, aiming at arriving to gate just past opening, I am too slow a walker to make rope drop effective, every one will pass me by!

 

[shaycamp21]

Storytellers has a brunch on Friday/Saturday/ and Sunday.

I also wish there were more character lunch options, we would often book a character lunch at WDW (back when Crystal Palace had characters & have done Hollywood & Vine too)s and it was a nice midday break.

Does the Storytellers' brunch have characters? I seem to recall watching a video of brunch with characters, however on the DL site it says no characters at lunch so wasn't sure if that meant brunch since they don't list a lunch menu. My ADR window is in a few days for our August trip so wanted to be sure before I book.

Assuming there are character's at brunch (would rather do the brunch --prefer the menu selections-- also have buffet breakfast included at the Element). I am wondering is it better to book Storytellers on a park day our (DCA day is on a Sunday) or a non park day. Initially I was leaning toward doing the brunch on Saturday which is non park day for us, but then I starting thinking that by the time we finished our brunch it would be early afternoon which may limit / hinder our SoCal plans (still figuring out what to do lol) for the day. Now I am wondering if we should use the brunch like a midday break on our DCA day?

Any thoughts?

 

[katyringo]

I also wish there were more character lunch options, we would often book a character lunch at WDW (back when Crystal Palace had characters & have done Hollywood & Vine too)s and it was a nice midday break.

Does the Storytellers' brunch have characters? I seem to recall watching a video of brunch with characters, however on the DL site it says no characters at lunch so wasn't sure if that meant brunch since they don't list a lunch menu. My ADR window is in a few days for our August trip so wanted to be sure before I book.

Assuming there are character's at brunch (would rather do the brunch --prefer the menu selections-- also have buffet breakfast included at the Element). I am wondering is it better to book Storytellers on a park day our (DCA day is on a Sunday) or a non park day. Initially I was leaning toward doing the brunch on Saturday which is non park day for us, but then I starting thinking that by the time we finished our brunch it would be early afternoon which may limit / hinder our SoCal plans (still figuring out what to do lol) for the day. Now I am wondering if we should use the brunch like a midday break on our DCA day?

Any thoughts?

Yes there are characters at brunch but it's only Friday/ Saturday and Sunday.

I have not personally done it, but when I asked a couple months ago about which chracter meal to do many chimed in that the brunch at storytellers had the best food.

 

[katyringo]

To your question about park day/no park day.

We are currently planning storytellers for our last day, which is not a park day. Our flight leaves around 4pm so it's how we plan to end the trip with breakfast there.

It would totally work on a DCA day. Especially if you could do the brunch. Rope drop, hit the rides and then use the Grand California entrance to go have a good sit down fun chracter meal to recharge!

 

[Pluto468]

We always do Goofy's dinner because it's my dd's favorite, but I might cancel it now. I'll ask her if she likes it more for the food or the characters. I've been wanting to try Storyteller's, maybe we could do that instead.

We're taking a half day for the Aquarium and I thought it would be neat to do an 8am Minnie's before heading over there. I never want to take the time for Minnie's on a park day. I really wanted to see the Fairy Godmother, though! Maybe she'll come back.

 

[CeCe0906]

We always do Goofy's dinner because it's my dd's favorite, but I might cancel it now. I'll ask her if she likes it more for the food or the characters. I've been wanting to try Storyteller's, maybe we could do that instead.

We're taking a half day for the Aquarium and I thought it would be neat to do an 8am Minnie's before heading over there. I never want to take the time for Minnie's on a park day. I really wanted to see the Fairy Godmother, though! Maybe she'll come back.

Since Minnie's breakfast at Plaza Inn is in the DL park, you have to have a park ticket to eat there.

 

[Pluto468]

Since Minnie's breakfast at Plaza Inn is in the DL park, you have to have a park ticket to eat there.

We have tickets. It's our 3rd day so we're going to the aquarium during the day but coming back to the park in the evening

 

[CeCe0906]

We have tickets. It's our 3rd day so we're going to the aquarium during the day but coming back to the park in the evening

Oh, OK. I guess I'm just not in the DL mindset. My last DL trip was probably about 50 years ago when I was a child. Other Disney Trips, to WDW, were once as a preteen, my honeymoon, twice with my kids, adult trip for the marathon, and last year with my oldest grandchild. I live in Texas, so it's always been a go early, stay late as you can, special, rare trip. This trip, probably only until 9 ish, bc of the ages of the grandkids.

It would never occur to me to buy a ticket for the day and only go for a few hours in the evening. Even the swim at the pool mid day crowd, makes me say hmm wasting precious park time. An extra hotel day in the midddle of our trip to rest the feet, or to pool or go to the waterpark, sure. But we mostly took kids when they were past the nap stage, the one time we didn't my mom came with, and he napped in the stroller in the shade while she watched him, while we did the rides he couldn't go on.
Everyone has their own park style. I grew up about an hour from Astrworld in Houston, and I can still remember getting in the car in my pj's when I was young and eating donuts on the road, and changing into my park clothes in the car to get there when it opened and closed it down at midnight.

We always joke that we scheduled days off after our vacations to rest up. We are much more active on vacations than at home. Especially now that we are retired, my husband jokes that i can sleep late and read a book at home!

 

[Kit Jackson]

Now I am wondering if we should use the brunch like a midday break on our DCA day?

Any thoughts?

I like that plan. It is a nice way to relax and go inside. If you were planning on taking a midday break from the parks, this is an excellent way to do it.

 

[kikismom]

Does anyone know what is different about the Storyteller's brunch versus breakfast? I'm thinking about doing that on a DCA day now that someone suggested it here.

 

[Pluto468]

Oh, OK. I guess I'm just not in the DL mindset. My last DL trip was probably about 50 years ago when I was a child. Other Disney Trips, to WDW, were once as a preteen, my honeymoon, twice with my kids, adult trip for the marathon, and last year with my oldest grandchild. I live in Texas, so it's always been a go early, stay late as you can, special, rare trip. This trip, probably only until 9 ish, bc of the ages of the grandkids.

It would never occur to me to buy a ticket for the day and only go for a few hours in the evening. Even the swim at the pool mid day crowd, makes me say hmm wasting precious park time. An extra hotel day in the midddle of our trip to rest the feet, or to pool or go to the waterpark, sure. But we mostly took kids when they were past the nap stage, the one time we didn't my mom came with, and he napped in the stroller in the shade while she watched him, while we did the rides he couldn't go on.
Everyone has their own park style. I grew up about an hour from Astrworld in Houston, and I can still remember getting in the car in my pj's when I was young and eating donuts on the road, and changing into my park clothes in the car to get there when it opened and closed it down at midnight.

We always joke that we scheduled days off after our vacations to rest up. We are much more active on vacations than at home. Especially now that we are retired, my husband jokes that i can sleep late and read a book at home!

Sleeping late and reading is my favorite lol.

We'll be at the parks for 5 days and my ds who is almost 16 really wants to see the aquarium. Otherwise I would be happy to stay open-close!
Honestly I'm trying to sneak extra park time in by doing the Minnie breakfast before we leave for the aquarium
Then we plan to do DCA from around 4:00-close. I really want to see Carsland at night. And Disneyland is open until midnight, so....

 

[Pluto468]

Does anyone know what is different about the Storyteller's brunch versus breakfast? I'm thinking about doing that on a DCA day now that someone suggested it here.

If you look at the menu you can see what they serve at brunch vs breakfast. We might do Storytellers on our departure day.

 

[shaycamp21]

Does anyone know what is different about the Storyteller's brunch versus breakfast? I'm thinking about doing that on a DCA day now that someone suggested it here.

We have never been but from what I understand there are better options at brunch (not just breakfast options) and things you can order a la carte off the menu that are included.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/grand-californian-hotel/storytellers-cafe/menus/brunch/

 

[DharmaLou]

I did the brunch a few months ago. It's the standard breakfast buffet with a la carte options off the menu (price included) including avocado toast and beignets plus much more.

 

[maleficent55]

We booked storytellers for our departure day
I think there is more bang for your buck with brunch but it’s a Thursday so it is what it is!

I hope to see chip and dale and Mickey!

 

[maleficent55]

Oh, OK. I guess I'm just not in the DL mindset. My last DL trip was probably about 50 years ago when I was a child. Other Disney Trips, to WDW, were once as a preteen, my honeymoon, twice with my kids, adult trip for the marathon, and last year with my oldest grandchild. I live in Texas, so it's always been a go early, stay late as you can, special, rare trip. This trip, probably only until 9 ish, bc of the ages of the grandkids.

It would never occur to me to buy a ticket for the day and only go for a few hours in the evening. Even the swim at the pool mid day crowd, makes me say hmm wasting precious park time. An extra hotel day in the midddle of our trip to rest the feet, or to pool or go to the waterpark, sure. But we mostly took kids when they were past the nap stage, the one time we didn't my mom came with, and he napped in the stroller in the shade while she watched him, while we did the rides he couldn't go on.
Everyone has their own park style. I grew up about an hour from Astrworld in Houston, and I can still remember getting in the car in my pj's when I was young and eating donuts on the road, and changing into my park clothes in the car to get there when it opened and closed it down at midnight.

We always joke that we scheduled days off after our vacations to rest up. We are much more active on vacations than at home. Especially now that we are retired, my husband jokes that i can sleep late and read a book at home!

I’m totally of your mind set! Basically nothing could tear me away from disneyland
Lol

 

[Gypsybear]

We did Minnie's Breakfast, and Pooh literally jumped into hubby's lap and started giving the hubby some tummy rubs (he's pooh sized). Loved the interaction, but the hop into the lap caught us both off guard.