Character dining without a DL ticket?

[thewritegirl]

Is this possible? For our upcoming trip, we will be arriving at our hotel around 11am. We won't be using our DL tickets until the next day, so I figure we will just kick around DTD and that sort of thing. Can we do character dining that isn't in the park? Isn't there a character meal at one of the Disney hotels? Would we be able to do that one without actually using a parkhopper?

Also, any other recommendations for Disney-esque things to do that day? It will be Jan 5th. We won't have a car, and I don't really want to do that mall down Harbor or anything, just stuff right around DL.

Thanks!

 

[shellncesar]

I believe you can do the character dining at the hotels without a ticket but it may just be breakfast.

 

[interstate70s]

There is a character dinner at Goofy's Kitchen in the DLH.

 

[scoker]

All three DLR hotels have character dining. I believe at the Disneyland hotel Goofy's Kitchen does Character Dining all day. I've never done that one myself but it does have mainly favorable reviews here on the Dis. I'm thinking we might do that on the last day of our next trip before heading to the airport. I would like an excuse to check out the DLH and what the walk is like from the parks.

I would say if you are arriving around 11 I would plan on having a late lunch at Goofys's and then hanging out around DTD for the late afternoon and early evening. I think on a weekend evening there will be some live entertainment on the street in DTD. Then I would turn in early and be ready to go early on Sunday!

 

[Girimama33]

PP and GC only have character meals for breakfast. DLH gab character meal for brunch and dinner. You do not need a ticket to dine here.


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[thewritegirl]

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like my best bet would be the Goofy buffet thing at DLH, then? I think we'll plan on an early dinner there, so we can be well-rested for the next day.

 

[jennameowse]

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like my best bet would be the Goofy buffet thing at DLH, then? I think we'll plan on an early dinner there, so we can be well-rested for the next day.

That's what I would do! Goofy's is pretty good and since you don't plan to use your ticket till the following day is really your only option for your arrival date if you're set on a character meal.

 

[shellncesar]

Yeah, they have pretty good characters in the Goofy's one like Goofy, Pluto, Max, Alice, Mad Hatter, Chip and Dale.

 

[smiley_face2]

Thanks, everyone. Sounds like my best bet would be the Goofy buffet thing at DLH, then? I think we'll plan on an early dinner there, so we can be well-rested for the next day.

Make sure while you are there, to go to the Trader Vics tiki bar for a drink before or after! Yes kids are allowed, just not sitting at the bar, they have tables and chairs, and they have plenty of non alcoholic drinks and lot's of good things to eat as well, and appatizers. The thing is, it is based on trader vic the "head salesman" from the jungle cruise ride. there are windows in there that have special effects, a volcano erupting, or a thunder storm complete with flickering lights in the bar and the eyes on the totems move like in the tiki room. Also there is a really large ship in a bottle up on one of the shelves, if you order one particular drink the special effects inside that bottle are amazing!!! It really puts you inside a part of Disneyland! You can walk around the grounds there too, it's very tropical and very Disney

 

[jennameowse]

Make sure while you are there, to go to the Trader Vics tiki bar for a drink before or after! Yes kids are allowed, just not sitting at the bar, they have tables and chairs, and they have plenty of non alcoholic drinks and lot's of good things to eat as well, and appatizers. The thing is, it is based on trader vic the "head salesman" from the jungle cruise ride. there are windows in there that have special effects, a volcano erupting, or a thunder storm complete with flickering lights in the bar and the eyes on the totems move like in the tiki room. Also there is a really large ship in a bottle up on one of the shelves, if you order one particular drink the special effects inside that bottle are amazing!!! It really puts you inside a part of Disneyland! You can walk around the grounds there too, it's very tropical and very Disney

**Trader Sam's.

We went here earlier in the month and really enjoyed it. Kids are allowed till 8pm and like smiley_face2 said, they can sit at the tables-not the bar. It's pretty neat in there. Loved looking at all the stuff on the walls.

 

[thewritegirl]

So, is this also inside DLH? And a full restaurant, not just a bar, right? I don't really care about characters, per se, I'm just looking for a Disney "feel" to the dining experience. So with that being said, would this be a good choice for dinner? And would it be significantly less $$$? I'm totally willing to skip characters if we still feel like we're at Disney and we can save some moola.

 

[jennameowse]

So, is this also inside DLH? And a full restaurant, not just a bar, right? I don't really care about characters, per se, I'm just looking for a Disney "feel" to the dining experience. So with that being said, would this be a good choice for dinner? And would it be significantly less $$$? I'm totally willing to skip characters if we still feel like we're at Disney and we can save some moola.

It's not a full restaurant. It's mainly a bar with some food items like flatbreads, fish tacos, Chinese chicken salad, etc. if you and your group don't eat very much, it would work for you. But if you're looking for a more filling meal then Goofy's would be better.

 

[smiley_face2]

So, is this also inside DLH? And a full restaurant, not just a bar, right? I don't really care about characters, per se, I'm just looking for a Disney "feel" to the dining experience. So with that being said, would this be a good choice for dinner? And would it be significantly less $$$? I'm totally willing to skip characters if we still feel like we're at Disney and we can save some moola.

A few pics of the food and the inside of trader vics. it would for sure save you a lot of money! but as Jennameowse said, it is not real dinner type food. Their burgers and fish tacos are amazing though! for sure worth a stop even to share the appatiser plate and take in the special effects before you go to dinner at Goofy's!
cheese burger:

fish tacos:

pupu platter (appatizers):

daughter and grand son inside, with a yummy non alcoholic drink:

 

[tikimao]

Trader Sam's looks like fun! We're in a similar position--will have a chunk of our first day available to roam Downtown Disney & the hotels. This could be a good stop for us.