Character Dining are the meals that bad?

[WAMUMOF4]

I just wanted to know from some Aussies who have been is the food at the Character Dining is that bad there seems to be a lot of reviews complaining about how bad the food is?
I ask because last year when people were commenting that there wasn't enough choices and how horrible the free hotel breakfasts we thought they were all fine.

By the time we multiply all the meals by 6 it works out quite expensive and i don't want to waste the money if the food is really that bad i do realise it is also about the experience but I am wondering if it is all that bad why people countdown to be able to book.

Also can someone please tell me if i book our dining and then chage to a dining plan do i have to change the reservation?

I totally miscounted and thought i had till the end of the week to book but it's not the case at some places our times are already limited

 

[DVCAustralia]

The longer and more useful answer is that there are significant variations in characters and quality, as well as price if you are paying individually and not using a dining plan credit, and so you need to assess each factor in order of importance to you and your family.
When doing WDW off-site character dining was one or two breakfasts, not only the cheapest option but the one that prevented loss of park time. However with DVC and the dining plan breakfast and dinner are both one credit so each meal is the same cost.
My recommendations are as follows (mostly in order of preference): -
1900 Park Fare, Grand Floridian - both breakfast and dinner (the best food)
Cape May Cafe, Beach Club - breakfast
Tusker House, Animal Kingdom - breakfast
Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom

Dining reservations are independant of dining plan.

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Our family enjoys a cooked breakfast and lovely fresh fruit and we all love a big breakfast so that a small snack for lunch is all that is needed. I agree that 1900 Park Fare is really nice food.

I can't speak for the other places that DVC listed but Park Fare was lovely.

 

[saffron1000]

Not an Aussie, but Ohana breakfast is super yummy!!!!!!!

 

[HappyFingers]

America has like 7 hundreds or so thousand people

some of them are fussy

 

[PrincessInOz]

I've had breakfast at Tusker House and Cape May. I really enjoyed breakfast at both these locations. I used to love Chef Mickey - but they seem to get panned a lot these days. Haven't been in years.

To answer your question regarding booking now and what happens if you change to a dining plan later.

You only get asked if you are on the DP when you get to the restaurant by your server.

You won't need to change your reservations unless you are on a plan that doesn't cover your ressies e.g, on QSDP...none of your Table Service/Restaurant reservations are covered under that DP; or on the standard DP, you might want to consider how many TS ressies you have and that you have enough credits to cover the total number.

 

[Sugarglider]

I'm in with 1900 Park Fare being my favourite food in all these buffets. I enjoyed Tusker House a lot for some unique items. Crystal Palace was good. I am not really into princesses so I haven't been to any of those meals.
But it can depend on which characters you want to see which may drive your choice of venue more than the food.
My current opinion of Chef Mickey is that there is too much sugary confectionary - pastries, sugary cereals, peanut butter and jelly pizza, waffles, pancakes, french toast etc. But I suppose it comes down to managing one's food choices really doesn't it!
allears dining menus will give you an idea of both the menus and the characters who attend each meal

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Thanks for your help everyone!

I finally booked should been a bit more on the ball missed out on Ohana but we will survive!

Here is our TS plan
Sat none
Sun Crystal Palace dinner
Mon 1900 Park fare
Tues Akershus royal banquet hall Dinner
Wed Chef mickey's breakfast
Garden grill Dinner (our sons 16th birthday)
Thurs check out
My dd is hugely disappointed that i a not taking her to see Cinderella in the castle we may still book it but we will see, at this stage i am not even 100% i am sticking with the dining package so this could all change!

I know they are all Character meals but for our kids even the big ones thats what they want to do we didn't do any at DL last year.

 

[DizOz]

We did WDW late last year here are some thoughts:

CRT for breakfast and the food was good. The setting for perfect we had girls 11 and under and they loved it. WAMUMOF4 if you are thinking of going book ASAP as CRT books out early.

We also did Chef Mickey's and I thought the food was ordinary. The cahracters were great but the place needed a good clean.

Previously we also did:
Ohana where the food was OK
Tusker House where the food was good.
Akershus must say had the worse food we have ever had at WDW.
Crystal Palace food was also good.

 

[Travel Mum]

Akershus must say had the worse food we have ever had at WDW.

DisOz, what meal did you have here as we are considering it for either lunch or dinner on our trip?

 

[platypus67]

We've only done one Character meal and that was Chef Mickey's. We found the food pretty ordinary but not "bad". There was heaps of variety and lots of non breakfast food like cake etc. Not something we would eat for breaky but to each his own. Just glad dd was 15 at the time so she didn't go for the sweets. The character interaction was very good, so I guess this is what you are paying for.
We had booked at Crystal Palace, but I think we are destined not to ever eat there as both trips we've booked and had to cancel because one of us was feeling unwell.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Thanks i cancelled Chef mickey's and booked Cape May Cafe instead can't get into Tusker house on that day we really want to do a breakfast and dinner on our sons birthday.
I don't know what to do about Akershus because the food reviews seem as bad for both Cinderalla experiences!

 

[DVCAustralia]

At 1900 Park Fare dinner although you will not get as many princesses, you do get Cinderella and Prince Charming and you also get Lady Tremaine and the step-sisters Anastasia and Drizella who are very funny both individually and as part of the more general 'show' interactions providing a contrast to the standard princess experience.

 

[queenie82]

Make sure you put celebrations on the bookings. Remind them when you check in. But if you put it on the reservation. And are specific with names and details. You are likely to get a card or something slightly more special.

Crystal Palace Dinner isn't as good as breakfast. Atmosphere is not the same and the food not as good. But if it is the only Crystal Palace you can get it is still worth it to get Winnie the Pooh and friends

 

[shushh]

In general, I didn't think the food at the character meals were that bad, Akershus included. The good thing about the buffet is that you can choose what you like and the selection was decent.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

we have decided at this stage to keep Akershus but will decide later we have also at our son request change his birthday breakfast to Crystal Palace so we will do a breakfast and dinner there which is fine with us the kids are looking foward to the sundae bar. Either way we will double up somewhere with characters. Iam thinking that we will pay for the breakfast and use our meal credits for another tea or maybe CT there is still heaps of available times for that at the moment quite suprised i was under the impression that was the most important one to book.

Thanks again for your help now i just have to pay for it all