Character dining

[krstnancle]

We are going the first week of June, what are the best character dining for a 3 year old? I'm slightly concerned I just found out it's Star Wars week and my son has no idea who Star Wars is. I was looking more into the classic characters and disney jr. Thanks!

 

[juliebug1997]

For Disney Jr., you want to go to Hollywood and Vine which is in Hollywood Studios.

For classic characters, I'm assuming you're talking about Mickey and the gang. Our personal favorite is in Epcot and is called Garden Grill: Chip, Dale, Mickey and Pluto. A close second for us is 'Ohana breakfast at the Polynesian Resort. They have Mickey, Pluto, Lilo and Stitch. The dinner does not have characters--just the breakfast.

Chef Mickey's is another very popular place, but it is crazy busy and so loud and hectic! It's at the Contemporary Resort and has Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy.

Another one that's popular but we don't care for is Tusker House at the Animal Kingdom. You get a picture with Donald out front, and Daisy, Minnie or Mickey (I can't remember) and Goofy at your table. We've had two bad experiences here so we're giving it a break.

 

[jezebel73]

I believe the Hollywood & Vine Star Wars meals are dinner only. That would mean the breakfast is still Disney Jr. characters. If all else fails, call and ask the CM directly when making a reservation to be sure!!
Or any of the suggestions in the previous post are great. I'd also add the Cape May breakfast which has Goofy, Minnie, and Donald (and Chip and Dale when I went, but I don't think they're every time). Quiet and out of the way.

 

[imthemamahere]

I know I'm going to be in the serious minority here, but I did not particularly care for Ohana's character breakfast. Yes, Mickey and Pluto were cute with their leis, and Stitch was a real hoot to watch as he made his way around the room. But the food, frankly, was awful (cold bacon and eggs, warm fruit), and our service left something to be desired. I know service can drop the ball anywhere, and food can be left sitting too long anywhere as well, but we didn't find it even worth going back and trying again.

We do, however, make a point of going to Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom for their character meal, every single trip. You get to meet most of the "big" characters - since you mention Disney Jr, you'll meet just about the entire Mickey Mouse Clubhouse group at Tusker House. It's Donald (outside), with a dedicated photographer, then inside, you'll find Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Daisy all in safari gear. We've had good character interactions and tasty food there all the times we've gone.

If you really want the Disney Junior crew, Sofia, Doc, Handy Manny, and Jake are all at Hollywood & Vine - though with Star Wars weeks taking over H&V through mid-June, you might want to double-check that the Disney Junior crew is still there for morning meals. The CM at the 407-WDW-DINE number can likely confirm for you when you make a reservation. We normally do Hollywood & Vine for lunch, actually - the food's better than I originally expected for a buffet, and the characters are normally still there at lunchtime.

We keep meaning to try Garden Grill at EPCOT for their character meal with Chip and Dale + Mickey and Pluto, but it's only available at dinner... and to be honest, there are lots of other EPCOT restaurants that we love to eat at. We just can't make ourselves prioritize this over Le Cellier, for example. I've heard good things about it, though!

Chef Mickey's is sort of the classic character meal, but it's likely to be booked solid on such "short" notice. It's also very busy and loud... but that's part of its charm, I suppose.