Character Meals for my Mom (with dementia) and Son (with Down syndrome)

[Tink316]

My brother and I are taking my 85yo mom (who was recently diagnosed with dementia) and my 23yo son with Down syndrome (who is dealing with some health issues of his own). This will be mom's first time at WDW (and likely only time) and my son has not been since 2014 (prior to health issues).

We've never done a character meal. They both love Mickey, Minnie and Toy Story. Which character meal would you suggest? We are open to breakfast, lunch or dinner. Just want them to be able to experience one of these fun meals.

Thank you!

 

[cedricandsophie]

I have an adult daughter with Down syndrome but luckily she has never been bothered by noise or chaos. But I know others with DS are. Also does your mother get anxious with noise?
I would probably avoid chef Mickey s. For me it’s loud, chaotic and the food is average at best.

Cinderella’s tabje in the castle is lovely but there are usually only princesses.

Story book dining at artist Point is also nice. And quieter. Relaxed and food is decent but I’m not sure they have Mickey.

We have always wanted to try Topolinos which has Mickey and friends. It gets good reviews and the room is very pretty. We have been there for dinner. Food is good.

We haven’t done character meals within parks.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I have an adult daughter with Down syndrome but luckily she has never been bothered by noise or chaos. But I know others with DS are. Also does your mother get anxious with noise?
I would probably avoid chef Mickey s. For me it’s loud, chaotic and the food is average at best.

Cinderella’s tabje in the castle is lovely but there are usually only princesses.

Story book dining at artist Point is also nice. And quieter. Relaxed and food is decent but I’m not sure they have Mickey.

We have always wanted to try Topolinos which has Mickey and friends. It gets good reviews and the room is very pretty. We have been there for dinner. Food is good.

We haven’t done character meals within parks.

 

[Tink316]

I have an adult daughter with Down syndrome but luckily she has never been bothered by noise or chaos. But I know others with DS are. Also does your mother get anxious with noise?
I would probably avoid chef Mickey s. For me it’s loud, chaotic and the food is average at best.

Cinderella’s tabje in the castle is lovely but there are usually only princesses.

Story book dining at artist Point is also nice. And quieter. Relaxed and food is decent but I’m not sure they have Mickey.

We have always wanted to try Topolinos which has Mickey and friends. It gets good reviews and the room is very pretty. We have been there for dinner. Food is good.

We haven’t done character meals within parks.

Thank you! Mom is not bothered by noise. My son, on the other hand, does not like too much chaos. I'll check out Topolinos.

 

[FrannyFrogs]

I second Topolino's! Food, characters, and atmosphere are top notch! I hope you and your family have the best trip!!

 

[sponica]

Topolino's was one of my favorite interactions at a character meal ever.

Our other fave is Garden Grill, tends to be lower key.

What I like about those is that they're not buffets. I hate buffets.

 

[jemtx]

Garden grill tends to be much more quiet and peaceful than others. If you ask for the booth on the downstairs level, you are encapsulated in your own big booth and it feels really private. There’s no loud music or singing like there can be at other character meals. Note that the restaurant does rotate—it’s so slowly that you barely notice the motion. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but L & D are the same menu. The characters are mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale.

 

[jimmymc]

Garden Grill sounds like your best bet. Food is simple yet tasty and served family style, so mom and son don't need to go to the buffet. It's also quiet and has a neat atmosphere, overlooking Living with the Land. You'll get to meet Mickey in his farming outfit.

 

[Kestryl]

OK, here is a list of character dining that has Mickey and/or Minnie:

- Cape May Cafe- Minnie (guaranteed); breakfast only buffet; resort
- Chef Mickey- Mickey (guaranteed) and Minnie; buffet; resort
- Garden Grill- Mickey; family style; EPCOT
- Topolino's- Mickey (guaranteed) and Minnie; breakfast only table service; resort
- Hollywood and Vine- Minnie (guaranteed) and Mickey; lunch and dinner buffet; Hollywood Studios
- Tusker House- Mickey and Minnie; buffet; Animal Kingdom

When I say "guaranteed," that means that character is listed as the host of the dining experience and will be there assuming there are no extreme circumstances. So Cape May is hosted by Minnie; other characters may include Donald, Daisy, and Goofy, but that could vary depending on availability. Garden Grill is technically hosted by Chip and Dale and Tusker is hosted by Donald.

There are no Toy Story dining experiences right now.

My guess if you would like to avoid buffet and would prefer food to be brought to you. In that case, Garden Grill and Topolino's are your best bets. I haven't done Garden Grill, but my understanding is that it's pretty low-key and definitely the less chaotic of the bunch. I personally really enjoyed Topolino's, but be aware that there is a song and dance routine that the characters go through. (Also I am incredibly biased towards eating wherever Donald is.)

Other character dining includes:

- Akershus- princesses; buffet; EPCOT
- Cinderella's Royal Table- princesses; table service; Magic Kingdom
- Crystal Palace- Pooh and friends; buffet; Magic Kingdom
- 'Ohana- Lilo and Stitch; family style (?) breakfast; resort
- Storybook Dining- Snow White and related characters; dinner table service; resort

But I don't think I would pick any of those over Garden Grill or Topolino's in your situation, because they don't have the characters you want! (I do generally recommend Storybook though as a more chill option though.)

 

[thecbco]

I agree with many others that Topolinos is an excellent choice to see Mickey without it being too loud. Another idea I'd recommend is if your Mom was a fan of princesses when she was younger, doing a character dining experience that includes the princess from her childhood could be nice.

 

[meremac]

Another vote for Topolino's breakfast!

 

[Simba06]

Topolinos breakfast and garden grill lunch/dinner are must dos for us every trip. Definitely a calmer vibe at both locations, family style, and the food is actually quite good! Garden grill is a particular favorite because the characters typically make multiple rounds (at least they always have when we have gone).

 

[FrannyFrogs]

Excellent points from previous posters! I wouldn't want to deal with a buffet AT ALL in your situation. Just too many family members who would need help at once. Family style service is the way to go!
Garden Grill might be nice for your mom because there's no menu to choose from. I know my mom (another dementia sufferer) didn't like having to make choices. The food selections just arrive magically!
Topolinos breakfast is delicious but everyone would need to select their entrees.

 

[mfly]

I have a brother with Down syndrome and we love Garden Grill! The setup of the restaurant makes it so you're in a bit of a bubble, so you don't have loud noises or distracting things happening (or people watching you) the entire meal.

I would just vote strongly, strongly against Hollywood & Vine! Very chaotic.

 

[1420Elexismc]

We found Garden Grill to be so much fun and lowkey.
Tusker House is my favorite, but it's much busier(still quieter than Chef Mickey's in my opinion).

 

[Jerseyprincess317]

Topolino's had the best breakfast food of them all. The character interactions are great. Our favorite though is Tusker House. We like doing a late breakfast/early lunch so we can try both the buffets. You can always ask to sit in the side room which is much quieter.

 

[saraheliz]

We've done Topolino's and Garden Grill. We really enjoyed both-

-Topolino's you order one item off of a menu and it's a bit more lively and busy feeling
-Garden Grill they bring you platters of food (I'm still thinking about those cheesy potatoes) and it's really much more low key and quiet feeling, plus you rotate over Living with the Land, which is cool especially if you're facing the outside

I'd recommend either one! They were both great.

 

[Tink316]

Garden grill tends to be much more quiet and peaceful than others. If you ask for the booth on the downstairs level, you are encapsulated in your own big booth and it feels really private. There’s no loud music or singing like there can be at other character meals. Note that the restaurant does rotate—it’s so slowly that you barely notice the motion. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but L & D are the same menu. The characters are mickey, Pluto and Chip & Dale.

Ooohhhhh, this sounds perfect! Thank you!

 

[SG131]

I agree with Garden Grill. It can be a little noisy when you're in the front part of the restaurant, but at soon as you rotate past that front opening its pretty calm. Toppolino's is nice, but they do have the characters dance around to music which your son might get really bothered by because it gets really loud and chaotic.

 

[aidansmom]

I 100% agree with the Garden Grill recommendation, but would add that I would
try to book the latest seating for the meal you are doing - not only will it quiet down, but you’re likely to get better character interaction. I truly hope your family has the most wonderful time - as the daughter of parents who suffered from dementia and the mom of a developmentally disabled child, I recognize what a huge undertaking this trip must be for you sending tons of good wishes for magical memories.