character breakfast ~ please help me

[elmonshea]

We are going to WDW in May 2005 and we will have
15 yr old girl
12 yr old boy
6 yr old boy
23 month girl
and a few adults that are wanting to have a character breakfast. We would LOVE to do they Chef Mickey's
BUT I have no idea what I need to do get this ready
Is Chef Mickey's good or is there a better one??
And Can this many of us go at once ( probably 9 or 10 people)??
Do I reserve a time??
And if I do how far in advance do I need to do it???
Any other info would be great !!!!!
Thanks in adavance!!!!
Brandy

 

[Memaw2Wm]

Chef Mickey's is fun for all ages. They have a character breakfast and a character dinner.

Call 90 days out for priority seating ressies (1-407-WDW-DINE)... have a time in mind, but beware that you might not get that exact time ... that is you might ask for 6PM and they have a 5:50PM or 6:10PM available ... and even with PS ressies you are just guaranteed the next available table.

We've eaten dinner there several times and never waited more than 5-10 minutes before being seated.

Don't forget your camera and autograph books!

 

[iluvtink]

Hi! Where are you staying? We really like the party atmosphere of Chef Mickey's. It is an all you care to eat buffet.

I post all the time about how much I love Cinderella's Once Upon a Time breakfast ... but that's mainly for the atmosphere of being up in the castle to eat. The reservations are much harder to get and you usually have to call 90 days ahead at 6:58 a.m. EST and hit redial until you get a real person on the line. Your group isn't that large ... with several people calling at once, we managed to get reservations for 24 people for Cindy's. Oh, and Cindy's is not a buffet, but table service. However, they will bring you as much food as you ask for. There's just not as much of a selection.

You need to use the Priority Seating Calculator to find out when to call for any of your reservations ... http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/pscalc/dispscalc.html should help you out. Also be aware that priority seating is not exactly a reservation for that time ... it means you will be the next one in line when a table becomes vacant after you arrive. You may have a 10 or 15 minute wait.

Another character breakfast we love is the Donald's Breakfastasaurus at Animal Kingdom. We try to get a PS on early entry day for about an hour and a half after opening. When the park opens, we hurry toward the Safari ride and grab a muffin for anyone who is hungry on the way, then after the Safari, we take a leisurely stroll over to Donald's. It's set up like an African campsite with lots of cargo boxes, etc. And you get to see Donald, who is not the easiest character to find. This one is a buffet, too.

hmm... decisions decisions... whatever you pick, I don't think there's a bad character breakfast out there. Just depends on the atmosphere you want.

Have fun! iluvtink --- PM me anytime

 

[Barb D]

You can definitely have large group at Chef Mickey's. When you call for your priority seating, they'll tell you they can't guarantee that you'll always be at one table. But every time we've done it, we've always been put at one big, round table.

Chef Mickey's is a GREAT place to go on your first evening or your last morning, on a day you're not going to use park tickets.

 

[akrake]

now don't get mad....we went the first morning that we were going to the parks & it was crowed in there & really expensive & the kids (7,7,4, 3 & 7weeks) didn't eat much....i think it's ok...but I would't do it again....this was breakfast so maybe dinner is different.
we were stuck in the corner so the kids couldn't get up and dance. your kids are older so maybe it'll be better...if your teens aren't as jaded as i was at that age!!!
good luck
amie

ps...there were nine of us & we got the corner table in the back....i would break up & let the older ones sit next to your or request not being put in the back!!!

 

[RyMickey]

The great thing about Chef Mickey's is that the "classic" characters are there. Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale. Plus, they can definitely accomodate big groups (we've been there with 14 before and had no problem).

That being said, as our family has gotten older, we tend to dislike the "party" atmosphere of the place...twirling napkins, dancing...Still, if we ever do a character meal, it's this place and Liberty Tree Tavern.

LTT gives us a substantial meal (turkey, steak, ham?) that we enjoy (although it's not great, it's still better than a lot of the other sit-downs we've had). You get a salad and drink included. Plus, many of the classic characters are there as well, with the exception of Mickey. LTT is only a character meal at dinner. Plus, it gives you a nice break in the middle of your day (we always schedule for the earliest possible seating so it can be more of a 'lunner' (our term for lunch/dinner).

RyMickey

 

[Barbmouse63]

The others have answered about the ps, etc I just wanted to add my 2 cents worth about Chef Mickey's character breakfast. We have done this several times with babies up to grandparents and it has always been one of the hilights of our trips!! I would highly recommend it!!!! It is a great way to get into the Disney spirit.

 

[Suzanne74]

The 23mo old will be free.

I have heard others suggest this and think it is a good idea. Make a late morning reservation - around 11am. Go to the Mk or Epcot and work up an appetite and then hop on the monorail for a brunch instead of breakfast. I have heard seating at 11am is pretty empty so you will easily be seated and the character interaction is better.

Also - there is an ice cream social at epcot for $6.99 a piece if you wanted the character experience for cheaper.

HTH

 

[whozit]

I agree with Barb D about using a non-park day for Chef Mickeys....unless you are using UPHs or APs for park admission. If you are using PH, PHP (or single day admission), I'd like to be able to spend as much time as possible in the parks, and since Chef Mickeys in in a resort, you don't need park admission. So, if time permits, I'd do it on your arrival or departure day... or on a day you choose not go to the parks (after our first two days at the parks, we were exhausted and had to take a day off to recover, and there were just 2 of us, a 10 year old and an adult), so that would have worked for us. Another option might be to go to the Chef Mickey's dinner on an evening after you go to a water park.

 

[emsmom]

We went to Chef Mickey's and had a blast! We had dh, myself, ds 17, and dd 6. We all loved it and will do it again. Since you don't need a park ticket to get in - it's at the CM - we went on one of our 'rest' days. We went for dinner and the food was great. Lots of choices for kids and prime rib and many other things for adults. We spent about 2 hours there. The characters keep coming around and around to your table for photos and autographs. No waiting in lines in the HOT sun!! Do get a ps - the wait was still about 30 minutes even with a ps for a party of 4. There is a bar right next to the waiting area that has very cold cold beer and yummy lemonade.
My dd and I went to the Princess Breakfast at Norway in Epcot. It was fabulous!! There were 5 princesses there and, again they came to all of the tables and took their time with the girls (and boys- giving them bright red kisses on their cheeks if they allowed them too!!) and posed for photos and did autographs. Again, a lot better than standing in line in the hot sun for an autograph. That was the only place we saw Sleeping Beauty so that was special for my dd as she is her favorite.
Have a good time!

 

[etwinchester]

What is a good time in the am for a Chef Mickey's breakfast and a good time for the evening dinner?

Also, does anyone know if you need PS for Coral Reef?