Favorite Character Dining

[Poppins38]

I've done character dining at Crystal Palace and Cinderella's Royal Table. My nephews really aren't into Winnie the Pooh characters and I doubt they want to see Cinderella. Has anyone done Chef Mickey's or Hollywood and Vine Disney Jr. character dining? What did you like about the experience? Any other character dining suggestions for 6 and 2 year old boys? How many table service credits were they? I appreciate any feedback!

 

[Bjkandma]

Just another sugestion, Garden Grill in Epcot has character meals with Chip and Dale and Farmer Mickey. It is a served family style, and the restaurant slowly rotates. We like the fact that you can stay seated, enjoy conversation and the characters come to you. It is only one table service credit.

We've also done Chef Mickey's. We enjoyed that you could meet the Fab 5, without waiting in lines at the park. The characters come to you. The food is served buffet style, so you get more of a variety. It is one table service credit.
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[princess-rn]

Chef Mickey's is an every trip tradition for us. Character interaction is fabulous and the food is good!

 

[Bjkandma]

Not sure, but the Polynesian Resort also has a character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. There is usually one other character there. We've seen Mickey and Pluto at different times. This is al so served family style. This was a favorite of my granddaughter until this year (13). She loves Stitch, but think she's gettin g "too old". We used to schedule this on an "off park day", followed by taking the bus to Disney Springs. It is a one table service credit.

cape May Restaurant has a character breakfast, not sure what characters now, been a long time for us. It is also one table service credit.

 

[kastoney]

The only character meal we have done and returned to is Tusker House. The food is great and leaps and bounds above most other character buffets. Plus you get Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy in their safari gear.

 

[Poppins38]

Not sure, but the Polynesian Resort also has a character breakfast with Lilo and Stitch. There is usually one other character there. We've seen Mickey and Pluto at different times. This is al so served family style. This was a favorite of my granddaughter until this year (13). She loves Stitch, but think she's gettin g "too old". We used to schedule this on an "off park day", followed by taking the bus to Disney Springs. It is a one table service credit.

cape May Restaurant has a character breakfast, not sure what characters now, been a long time for us. It is also one table service credit.

I have gone to dinner at Ohana. I remember Lilo and Stitch making an appearance. That is on our list of possibilities. My nephews are so young, I'm not sure if they know who Lilo and Stitch are. If Moana shows up, now that's a different story ! Thanks for all the suggestions! It's their 1st visit so it's a special one. We just want them to have the best time ever!

 

[Calee]

I would do a Mickey meal. Tusker House, Garden Grill, or Chef Mickey. They are all 1 credit.

 

[Mmouse1588]

I have only done crystal palace and tusker house. ( ive done a lot more growing up but speaking in the last 15 years). No one in my party of 10 was impressed by the crystal palace it was very busy characters skipped over us we only saw some very quickly. The food was o.k. the service that day was not the best. Empty glasses and cold demeanor mostly my complaints. So none of us are rushing back there. Tusker house was great on every level. Service was excellent. Atmosphere great. Characters all came around spent time with us. My son was invited in a small parade around the restaurant just as he was getting ancy in his seat. Food was very good. We would definitely go back

 

[Poppins38]

Tusker House seems to be a popular one! We will definitely have to add that to our lists of possibilities!

 

[Shannon Mac]

Confession time: I've only been to Disney twice (but going back soon - yay!!), and the second time was with my then 4-year-old daughter. We did Akershus with the princesses (it was fun but food was just ok for us), Tusker House which we liked everything about it, and Garden Grill which was delicious and fun to meet Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale! Chip and Dale were probably our favorites! Have a blast with those kiddos (which I'm sure you will!)!

 

[disny_luvr]

We do Chef Mickey’s almost every trip and love it. It doesn’t get a lot of love on these boards, but we have never had a bad experience there.

As others have mentioned, Garden Grill at Epcot is great, and probably our favorite character dining on property. We always eat breakfast there because it’s so good, but I’m sure the other meals are great, too.

Both are one credit meals.

 

[rg35]

1900 Park Fare breakfast (the Mad Hatter is a hoot...ymmv with the other characters)

Garden Grill is fun too.

 

[Have3Kids&aHusband]

We did Tusker House last year and it has become one of our favorites out of all the character breakfasts we have done over the years. One of our other favorites is O'Hana's. We like these two better than Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace. When we go next year we are planning on going to O'Hana's because we haven't done that one in a while.

 

[Poppins38]

Has anyone done the Storybook Dining at Artist Point? I'm not sure if the boys will enjoy Snow White, but we will be staying at WL.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

We loved the Tusker house last year.

That's the first time we ever did a character meal so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but my wife and I loved it.

My 2 year old was terrified of characters, but that's another story. LOL

 

[KenHutch]

Try Ohana at breakfast or Tusker House any meal. Chef Mickey's has been a staple for years. It a lot better than reviews give it credit for. As for Hollywood & Vine it has characters you can't get anywhere else but I hate, hate, hate the food and service. But even so it is on the list to get an ADR for next time. Sigh the characters and what will be a 4 year old boy in 2021.

 

[Quarky]

I would personally avoid Hollywood & Vine, unless characters >>>>> food for you and your nephews. Their seasonal holiday parties are cute (Mickey et al. dress up in themed costumes), but the food is deeply mediocre even in a sea of generally paltry DHS dining options. The last time we were there (a few years ago, admittedly) we also had an ADR and still had to wait for our table for a l o n g time.

I believe Tusker House has overlapping characters, and with reportedly better food.

 

[gorkt]

1900 Park Fare dinner is a lot of fun - great stepmother character interaction.

I also second the Garden grill. Due to the nature of the restaurant, every table is isolated so the character interaction is one on one - it's really great! I particularly like the breakfast.

 

[Poppins38]

Okay, Garden Grill is on my list of possibilities now! Is the moving room really noticeable? My brother in law has vertigo.

 

[_19disnA]

We were at Disney in May and O'hana's only has the character interaction for breakfast, not for dinner. Perhaps it was different in the past.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/polynesian-resort/ohana/

Depends somewhat on which characters your children enjoy most. Chef Mickey's was good as was Garden Grill mentioned above. We haven't done every character dinner, so I can't really say which is our favorite.