Character Meal for 2 year old

[calismic]

I am looking for suggestions on a character meal for a 2 year old. Specifically a breakfast or lunch with yummy food! My daughter LOVES the characters but gets a little shy when they come up close. We'd like something that she can interact with as she loves mimicking her surroundings, but not something where the characters are constantly in her face.

I've never done a character meal before so I really have no grasp on the hits or misses. I've watched pieces of Chef Mickeys over the years from the Monorail, but I've heard the food isn't all that good. So I come here for suggestions and past experiences. If you had a young toddler that loved a particular restaurant let me know! Thanks.

 

[DanceMomCG]

We took our daughter to Crystal Palace when she was 2.5 years old. She was a huge Pooh fan so it worked out well. However....it was crazy loud!

When we went a few years - and a second child - later, we did the Princess Breakfast at Akershus in Epcot. It was MUCH more 'relaxed' and we also felt the food was better.

Another thing to consider is that the princesses aren't in a mask. While Pooh is more 'toddler' geared....they are in giant costumes.

 

[Spunky946]

We have eaten at Chef Mickey's restaurant twice for breakfast and enjoyed it both times.

 

[kisaacs]

We took our kids at ages 1.5 and 2.5 last march and by far their favorite was the Crystal Palace. They got to parade with the characters around during the meal at one point, and by the end of the meal were quite in love with them. The characters are really good about giving the kids space if they're a little shy too. High fives, peekaboo, and beeping noses are good things for kids that want to keep a bit of distance.

 

[candielips]

When our DD was almost 2, she too was not a fan of the characters. However, she loved the princesses and would run right up to them. It must have been because they were not masked, like another person posted.

We still did CM and CP with her on that trip and the characters were great about not upsetting her. Some would even sneak behind her and pose for a pic w/o her even knowing. They were great!

 

[SunnyDey]

My DD, age 2, loved Crystal Palace at MK (Winnie the Pooh and friends) and Akerhaus in Epcot (princesses). She was a little shy at first, but she warmed up to them quickly. I think they are really good at figuring out which kids are a little more timid and which ones are not shy and they gadge their interactions appropriately. Winnie the Pooh and friends would slowly approach our area, act silly, then see if she would high five them or some other similar interaction. If she responded in a positive manner, then they would get closer for hugs, etc. She was really into it by the end, and we have the cutest pics of her and the characters. We can't wait to go again at the end of October. Both of these breakfasts will be on our list, and we might add Tusker House in AK as well.

 

[lwake]

I'd definitely recommend either Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey. Crystal Palace characters are a little less "upfront" so she may be more comfortable with that. Chef Mickey's characters come to each table, too, but are a little more active. Have fun. Five months and 3 days until our 25th Anniversary trip.

 

[calismic]

Thanks everyone! I grabbed a reservation at Crystal Palace. We are visiting Magic Kingdom on arrival day so this should work out perfectly. Thanks so much for the recommendations. Her favorite stuffed animal is Eeyore so hopefully we can get some cute pictures!