Favorite Character Meal?

[WLfan]

I just scheduled four character meals for my August trip: Chef Mickey's Breakfast, O'Hana with Lilo & Stitch Breakfast, Akershus Princess Breakfast, and Crystal Palace with Pooh Lunch.

Just wondering what is everyone's favorite character meal? Which one would you eliminate if you had to get rid of one?

I've been to Cinderella's RT Breakfast, Cape May Cafe Breakfast with Goofy and Pooh at Artist Point Breakfast before. I thought the food at CRT was terrible, but there were a lot of characters and it was so cool being in the castle. Artist Point with Pooh was great, but it's discontinued and Cape May Cafe was back in 95, I don't remember a lot about it. Just wondering how these new ones I scheduled compare and generally what everyone's favorites are. Thanks!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

We went to Chef last year. Our kids had a blast! The characters came to our table a few times while we were there. We went for breakfast. So, it was the normal breakfast buffet items. They do have waffles. That was a big hit with DS2. The food was average, no complaints. However, we were more there for the character interaction. It was well worth it! We had our photo taken before entering for breakfast and were later approached by a CM asking if we wanted to purchase the package. We did purchase the package.

TIP: If you do purchase the package, take it over to The Grand Floridian. At the photography kiosk, they can put them on your Photo Pass.

We did the Cape May one before too. It was nice. But, probably wouldn't do it again. Chef was so much better. We have an ADR for Chef in December.

I am curious about Crystal Palace too. As we have that booked for this September (breakfast) AND December (dinner).

I've heard great things about the Akershus BREAKFAST. Thank goodness you are going for breakfast. I've heard the lunch is horrible. Same with CRT. Breakfast is suppose to be yummy but lunch and dinner not worth the price (or taste buds). Then again, everyone has different tastes. Case in point: I've viewed favorite and worst WDW restaurant threads. There are the same restaurants on peoples favorite list as on others worst list. Go figure.

Have a magical trip!

- Jennifer

 

[WaltD4Me]

I would cancel the O'Hana breakfast, but that is mainly because I can't stand Stitch...no offense to you Stitch fans!

I think alot depends on the characters you want to see, but I loved the Princess breakfast in Norway and also Chef Mickey's, food was good at both, but really my favorite breakfast is at Cape May at the Beach Club. Good food, not packed/crowded and the characters are in their beach attire! Too cute! I would also skip Crystal Palace, but I've done it several times, if you have never been there, I'd keep it. It's so pretty inside!

 

[disneyholic family]

i like the chrystal palace - i've only done it at breakfast...
the down side is it's very big and very crowded....but it's also very pretty....

so on balance, it's nice..

my favorite is probably cape may cafe breakfast - smaller, quieter, etc.

i hated 1900 park fare (breakfast)...

actually our all time favorite character meal was the Melvin the Moose breakfast.....we did that 4 or 5 times before it was cancelled....
so much fun...

 

[FireDancer]

My favorite character meal is he O’hana breakfast at Poly. I was there before it was with Stitch but I love the view and it is perfect on a MK day since it is on the Monorail.

I had lunch at the Crystal Palace the last two trips and loved it. There is a great variety of food. I eat pretty healthy and there were plenty of options I liked.

 

[DLBDS]

I like the food selection at Chef Mickey's but I'm not a fan of the dining area. I liked 'Ohana w/ Stitch ok but it's family style (not a wide variety of food) but I like the dining area here. It has a cozy, warm feeling whereas CM's is too bright and colorful for my tastes. My choice (today) would be 'Ohana. (These are the only character breakfasts we've had.)

 

[kimsuenew]

I just scheduled four character meals for my August trip: Chef Mickey's Breakfast, O'Hana with Lilo & Stitch Breakfast, Akershus Princess Breakfast, and Crystal Palace with Pooh Lunch.

Just wondering what is everyone's favorite character meal? Which one would you eliminate if you had to get rid of one?

I've been to Cinderella's RT Breakfast, Cape May Cafe Breakfast with Goofy and Pooh at Artist Point Breakfast before. I thought the food at CRT was terrible, but there were a lot of characters and it was so cool being in the castle. Artist Point with Pooh was great, but it's discontinued and Cape May Cafe was back in 95, I don't remember a lot about it. Just wondering how these new ones I scheduled compare and generally what everyone's favorites are. Thanks!

We absolutely love Crystal Palace! It is hands down our favorite character meal! BF with Lilo & Stitch was cute and the food was fine. We did not do the other two, but do have Chef Mickey's planned (twice) for our 2008 trip as well as a breakfast at the Castle and 1900 PF dinner. We are excited to try these! We did not really care for LTT or GG, ecspecially GG's food. I do not know which one to recommend you drop, they all sound wonderful, but definately keep CP... it is awesome! I do have to say Lilo & Stitch were adorable, as was the little "parade" the kids could join, at Ohana!

 

[TheTXTaylors5]

i like the chrystal palace - i've only done it at breakfast...
the down side is it's very big and very crowded....but it's also very pretty....

so on balance, it's nice..

I had lunch at the Crystal Palace the last two trips and loved it. There is a great variety of food. I eat pretty healthy and there were plenty of options I liked.

I'm glad to read some positive reviews on Crystal Palace. DS2 LOVES Pooh. We saw him at Epcot last year (at The Toy Soldier in the UK Pavilion). DS2 didn't want to let go. I can't wait to see DS2 at CP with Pooh.

I might have to book Ohana for breakfast for another trip. Sounds great! We have an ADR at Ohana for dinner (no characters) for our November trip during Wishes.


- Jennifer

 

[cyberbox2]

We have O'Hana's breakfast with Lilo & Stitch booked for 8/25 I can't wait! I know I'm more excited about this than my wife and kids but I think they will love it too.

We did CRT in 2005 and our (then) DD8 loved it, of course do did and I think even our (then) DS 11 was impressed.

Then on our next trip in 2006 we did Crystal Palace for breakfast
and loved not only the food but the inside of the CP was beautiful and the character interaction was great too!

So here we are in 2008, DD is 11 & DS is almost 14. He is becomming more and more Disney resistant by the day and it all I can do to get him to agree to a character meal.

And when he really wants to hurt me, he tells me that he likes Islands of Adventure better:-(

thats alright though, on our next visit I'm taking him to the BBB, he's got enough hair for it I tell him so why not, boy that burns him up


Via iPhone.....while waiting for 5 O'clock to get here!

 

[MJAJmom]

Choosing a character meals also means figuring out which characters your family likes the best. My 2 top favorites are Liberty Tree and Chef Mickey. Liberty Tree had 5 characters and the interaction was the best, same said for Chef Mickey. Crystal Palace was fun for the Pooh characters, the tables are a little bit cramped. Same thing at Hollywood & Vine, very cramped tables, but we had to go to see Leo and June.

In Oct, we will be trying out Donald's Safari Breakfast, mostly to see Daisy. Then trying Cape May bfast and Ohana breakfast for the first time. I'm a huge fan of character meals. I figure we have to eat anyways -- so why not get the characters too. It beats standing in the lines to meet them at the park.

 

[Minniemouse07]

We've eaten at (ranked in order - most to least favorite):

Chef Mickey's - Kicks off every trip (1999b, 2000,b 2003b, 2004b, 2008d). Have had both breakfast and dinner. The food is yummy and the character interaction is first rate. Ties for our favorite Character Meal! We just don't feel like we are at WDW until I see the castle and eat w/ Mickey! Will be here next Friday night!
1900 Park Fare - Dinner 2007. LOVE Cindy, the Prince and the Tremaines! The food is really good and the character interaction unbelievable. It would pull past Chef Mickey's in the tie for first but for the fact that I love Mickey so much! On the list for next weekend for both dinner and breakfast.
CRT - Breakfast and Dinner in 2000 and 2001 returning next weekend for breakfast.
Akershus - Breakfast 2007. Food was okay, potato casserole OUTSTANDING (dh said he would go back just for that!). Character interaction was first rate. Lots of pretty girls in big poofy dresses and one of my dd's (7yo) favorites. Trying it for lunch next weekend.
Hollywood & Vine - Have had breakfast (2003) and lunch (2007). Both were decent w/ decent character interaction. The kids loved it.
Artist Point - I know not around anymore but dh and I ate breakfast w/ Pooh and friends back in 1999 and really enjoyed it!
Cape May Breakfast - 2003 - Food and character interaction were good, Minnie didn't come around to the tables for some reason...she was only available up front for photos (which may have changed in five years!).
Crystal Palace - Dinner 2007. Without a doubt the most disappointing meal I've ever had at WDW! The food was mediocre, the service HORRID and the character interaction was 'eh. We won't be going back here anytime soon!

Character Meals for our next trip (leave in 9 days):

Chef Mickey's (D)
1900 Park Fare (B & D) - a bit of overkill, especially since they are the same day, but dd is doing the Pirate Cruise from GF that morning so it was a convenient spot for breakfast!
Tusker House (B) - We had lunch here in December (2007) and it was our favorite meal of our entire trip. Dd and I are looking forward to trying breakfast!
CRT - First seating of breakfast on the morning of dd's birthday... can't get any better than that!
Akershus - Trying it for lunch and hoping to hang w/ Ariel a bit (she wasn't a breakfast in December).

 

[kurt33]

My wife, dd and I did Crystal Palace last summer - last reservation of the morning for breakfast - and had Tigger, Pooh, Piglet and Eeyore practically all to ourselves. In our opinion, the food was about the same quality as 'Ohana and Chef Mickey.

I would stress time of the reservation as much as I would the place. we had great character interaction at all of them because there were fewer people at the restaurants.

Pooh's breakfast lasagna and breakfast pizza at the Crystal Palace, YUMMY!