We did Goofy's Kitchen in Dec. It was our first character meal and DL and it was wonderful. The character interaction was great and the food was pretty good. The service was very good. It was your usual buffet but they had a large number of items and a huge desert bar. It was crowded, but didn't seem crowded as everything was fairly well spread out and they kept the buffet full. Debby
We did Ariel's grotto a while back - it may be called Captain Mickey's now - in CA ADv. There were so many characters around - we barely had time to eat! The kids were thrilled, and the food was pretty good.
I have not read anything about DLR having shows like Hoop De Doo or the Luau. However, there is a show at the Golden Horseshoe Review in the Magic Kingdom that would be included in the cost of admission. There is also a reserved seating area/dessert buffet for Fantasmic for an additional (and costly) fee.