Character Meals & Fastpass

[CouponGirl]

If you have an ADR at a character meal (with toddlers), what time do you schedule your fast pass for afterwards? How long do you spend normally at a character meal?

I am not sure how long to anticipate being at meals waiting for characters to make their rounds. I don’t want to make the fast pass for afterwards too close that we miss it (or it’s stressful trying to get to it), but also don’t want a large gap of “wasted” time delaying all other fast passes.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I would say 90 minutes from the time you are seated. It may not take that long, but depending on where the characters are when you are seated, it can take awhile for all of them to come around.

 

[cmorrison87]

Following! Planning a Fall 2019 trip w/ two toddlers.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I usually plan 60-90 minutes for character meals. If you have a 10am breakfast, for example, I’d start the fast passes around 11:15.

 

[All about me]

I did Cinderella's Royal Table in Nov 2016 with a then-seven year old granddaughter. We were brought in fifteen minutes after our reservation time and we were there for one hour and fifteen minutes for a total of one hour and a half.

I did Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Oct 2017 with another then-seven year old granddaughter. We were brought in fifteen minutes after our reservation time and we were there for one hour and a half for a total of one hour and forty-five minutes.

Personally, I would book the FP+ at the one hour and a quarter mark after the ADR for time to be checked-in, relax and enjoy the character meal experience and then have travel time to the FP+. After all, the FP+ are for one hour so if it runs into your FP+ time fifteen minutes, you still have forty-five minutes but if you need to leave after one hour, the time can't be backed up.

Also one thing folks should be aware of when it comes to character meal. You paid for the character meal. It is your experience. Don't let the server push you into ordering before you and yours want to. Their instructions are to get you in and out but you are customer and if you have a fussing toddler (or child or adolescent or adult) that is over-excited and has no interested in eating, take your time. Let them relax, maybe have a cooling drink, meet a few charater and see how things go.

At the Akershus experience, my granddaughter and I just wanted to soak up the air conditioning and let the exhausted feeling from the heat/humidity go way before making any decisions. It took three times of telling the server this before he want away. But we did and he did and it made our experience so much better.

 

[gharter]

75-90 minutes from the time of the ADR. Its not uncommon to wait up to 15 minutes to be seated. The meal, depending on the family can be 60-90 minutes. You could be leaving anywhere between 75-115 minutes from the time of the ADR. Since the FP is good for an hour, booking it 90 minutes after, give you plenty of time whether you leave early or late from the Character Meal. You paid plenty for it, so be sure to take your time and enjoy it.

 

[10CJ]

I would leave at least 90 minutes for the meal. You could be seated late and I would expect the meal to take at least an hour.

I would potentially leave more time if you have to travel to the other side of the park.

Do you have specific restaurants/fps in mind?

 

[Pumbaa_]

You can also expedite the end of the meal by paying early, not when you are done done

 

[Cinderella94]

Depends on the location of the character meals in relation to the FP you're trying to make. I would budget 90 minutes for the duration of each meal itself.

 

[CouponGirl]

Thank you for all the helpful input and insight!

I would say 90 minutes from the time you are seated. It may not take that long, but depending on where the characters are when you are seated, it can take awhile for all of them to come around.

Thanks, I was thinking maybe 60 to 90 mins but wasn’t sure!

I usually plan 60-90 minutes for character meals. If you have a 10am breakfast, for example, I’d start the fast passes around 11:15.

Thanks for the real example with times! This is exactly what I was needing!

I did Cinderella's Royal Table in Nov 2016 with a then-seven year old granddaughter. We were brought in fifteen minutes after our reservation time and we were there for one hour and fifteen minutes for a total of one hour and a half.

I did Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Oct 2017 with another then-seven year old granddaughter. We were brought in fifteen minutes after our reservation time and we were there for one hour and a half for a total of one hour and forty-five minutes.

Personally, I would book the FP+ at the one hour and a quarter mark after the ADR for time to be checked-in, relax and enjoy the character meal experience and then have travel time to the FP+. After all, the FP+ are for one hour so if it runs into your FP+ time fifteen minutes, you still have forty-five minutes but if you need to leave after one hour, the time can't be backed up.

Also one thing folks should be aware of when it comes to character meal. You paid for the character meal. It is your experience. Don't let the server push you into ordering before you and yours want to. Their instructions are to get you in and out but you are customer and if you have a fussing toddler (or child or adolescent or adult) that is over-excited and has no interested in eating, take your time. Let them relax, maybe have a cooling drink, meet a few charater and see how things go.

At the Akershus experience, my granddaughter and I just wanted to soak up the air conditioning and let the exhausted feeling from the heat/humidity go way before making any decisions. It took three times of telling the server this before he want away. But we did and he did and it made our experience so much better.

Thanks for sharing your personal experiences! That’s really helpful to also know how long it took to be seated. I really hadn’t thought about that aspect.

75-90 minutes from the time of the ADR. Its not uncommon to wait up to 15 minutes to be seated. The meal, depending on the family can be 60-90 minutes. You could be leaving anywhere between 75-115 minutes from the time of the ADR. Since the FP is good for an hour, booking it 90 minutes after, give you plenty of time whether you leave early or late from the Character Meal. You paid plenty for it, so be sure to take your time and enjoy it.

We will definitely take time to enjoy it! I am so glad a few of you mentioned the time it takes to be seated. I really hadn’t thought about it. Thanks for breaking down the thought process behind the timing!

I would leave at least 90 minutes for the meal. You could be seated late and I would expect the meal to take at least an hour.

I would potentially leave more time if you have to travel to the other side of the park.

Do you have specific restaurants/fps in mind?

Currently I am thinking Crystal Palace/Jungle Cruise (and if there’s time possibly stopping by Swiss Family Treehouse beforehand just to let the kids move around some) and Tusker House/Kilimanjaro Safaris

I tried to pick out things that appeared to be close, but what looks close on a little map may not actually be as close as I think!

You can also expedite the end of the meal by paying early, not when you are done done

This is a great tip! Thank you!

Depends on the location of the character meals in relation to the FP you're trying to make. I would budget 90 minutes for the duration of each meal itself.

I think that they are close by, but I need to do some better investigating to make sure it’s not just an illusion on the map that they are nearby!

 

[10CJ]

I think those are both pretty close. I would look at them in Google maps to give you a better idea.

 

[bigbabyblues]

Tusker House is close to the safari entrance.

 

[CouponGirl]

Tusker House is close to the safari entrance.

Thanks!