Have never done character dining....

[tinkermomma]

... but now that we have a child I feel like it's probably necessary.

So I've tried to read up on threads about it, but I feel like all I can come up with is that it's hit and miss. Any of them could be good or bad obviously, but I don't see one really popping out as the "best".

Our DD will still be super little and so for us the food being good is primarily my concern.

Anyway... Anyone have a favorite?

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

We like Goofys Kitchen but are going to try something different this December.

 

[skiingfast]

... but now that we have a child I feel like it's probably necessary.

How old is that child? How has he or she reacted to characters before?

 

[DizNee Luver]

We've done all of them for breakfast. I'd say the best food was at Ariel's Grotto Princess Breakfast. It's served family style. You start with a 3 tiered platter with fresh fruit, cheeses, pastries, etc. Then they bring out the hot platter with scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage & bacon. Really tasty. The princesses (4) come out one by one & go to each table. You also will meet Ariel when you make your way downstairs.

Minnie & Friends, Goofy's Kitchen & Surf's Up all have buffets. It will be hit & miss on the buffet items. Minnie's I find the scrambled eggs inedible, but the omelets are divine!! Surf's Up offers some different type items than the other buffets, such as flatbreads, salmon, mini churro sticks, peanut butter & choc. french toast, etc. Goofy's Kitchen offers the largest selection of hot & cold items. Anything from cereal to muffins & pastries, to standard breakfast hot foods, including omelets made to order but also offer up peanut butter & jelly pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs & a unending display of goodies.

Characters at Minnies tend to be the classic characters from the movies & the Winnie the Pooh characters. We've seen Minnie, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Fairy Godmother, Max, Capt Hook, Peter Pan, Alice, Rafiki, Chip & Dale, etc.

Characters at Surf's Up will be the only meal you find Mickey at. We've also seen Stitch, Goofy, Minnie, & Pluto.

Characters at Goofy's that we've seen are: Goofy, Max, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Minnie, Alice, Jasmine, Aladdin, Baloo & Brer Fox.

Storytellers Cafe offers a buffet or ordering off the menu....but keep in the mind the menu prices are raised to cover the cost of the character experience. The food here is always good.....our family enjoyed the stuff ordered fresh off the menu more than we did the buffet.

The characters at Storytellers are the animal kind: we saw Chip, Dale, Meeko, Brer Fox & Kenai.

We enjoy all 5 meals.....all for different reasons. Our kids ages range from littles to 10yrs.....so there's always been something for each of them at each meal. They are a wonderful way to get some character interaction & avoid the long lines in the park.

 

[tinkermomma]

How old is that child? How has he or she reacted to characters before?

She's only 7 months now but for the trips I'm planning, she'll either be 1 yr or 22 months.

She will have never seen a Disney character but we have a lot of parades up here in Santa Barbara and she pretty much just zones out. Not sure what she thinks of all of it, honestly. Probably just seems bizarre to her.

 

[skiingfast]

She's only 7 months now but for the trips I'm planning, she'll either be 1 yr or 22 months.

She will have never seen a Disney character but we have a lot of parades up here in Santa Barbara and she pretty much just zones out. Not sure what she thinks of all of it, honestly. Probably just seems bizarre to her.

Unless you want to enjoy one of the character breakfasts, I'd suggest you wait until she is about 3, to do one for her.

 

[tinkermomma]

We've done all of them for breakfast. I'd say the best food was at Ariel's Grotto Princess Breakfast. It's served family style. You start with a 3 tiered platter with fresh fruit, cheeses, pastries, etc. Then they bring out the hot platter with scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage & bacon. Really tasty. The princesses (4) come out one by one & go to each table. You also will meet Ariel when you make your way downstairs.

Minnie & Friends, Goofy's Kitchen & Surf's Up all have buffets. It will be hit & miss on the buffet items. Minnie's I find the scrambled eggs inedible, but the omelets are divine!! Surf's Up offers some different type items than the other buffets, such as flatbreads, salmon, mini churro sticks, peanut butter & choc. french toast, etc. Goofy's Kitchen offers the largest selection of hot & cold items. Anything from cereal to muffins & pastries, to standard breakfast hot foods, including omelets made to order but also offer up peanut butter & jelly pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs & a unending display of goodies.

Characters at Minnies tend to be the classic characters from the movies & the Winnie the Pooh characters. We've seen Minnie, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Fairy Godmother, Max, Capt Hook, Peter Pan, Alice, Rafiki, Chip & Dale, etc.

Characters at Surf's Up will be the only meal you find Mickey at. We've also seen Stitch, Goofy, Minnie, & Pluto.

Characters at Goofy's that we've seen are: Goofy, Max, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Minnie, Alice, Jasmine, Aladdin, Baloo & Brer Fox.

Storytellers Cafe offers a buffet or ordering off the menu....but keep in the mind the menu prices are raised to cover the cost of the character experience. The food here is always good.....our family enjoyed the stuff ordered fresh off the menu more than we did the buffet.

The characters at Storytellers are the animal kind: we saw Chip, Dale, Meeko, Brer Fox & Kenai.

We enjoy all 5 meals.....all for different reasons. Our kids ages range from littles to 10yrs.....so there's always been something for each of them at each meal. They are a wonderful way to get some character interaction & avoid the long lines in the park.

Wow! Thanks for all the info! This is great. Interesting Mickey only comes to Surf's Up. Hm? does that have something to do with Character's not supposed to being seen in multiple places around the parks I wonder...

And yeah Storyteller's breakfast is kinda pricey so that makes sense about the "experience".

I feel like we'll do Ariel's then probably. I feel like as far as characters go the princesses will freak her out less at this age because she can see their faces.

The breakfast sounds good, but also I really wanted to try them for lunch because I wanted to try the Santa Maria Tri Tip and see if it lives up to the time's I've had it up here in SB which really is pretty fantastic.

Oh and having a lunch time grown up drink wouldn't suck either.

 

[tinkermomma]

Unless you want to enjoy one of the character breakfasts, I'd suggest you wait until she is about 3, to do one for her.

You're probably right about that. Have you seen the characters really freak some of the littler ones out then?

 

[skiingfast]

You're probably right about that. Have you seen the characters really freak some of the littler ones out then?

It happens, it's really random, it's better to test out before spending time and money on a special breakfast.

 

[tinkermomma]

It happens, it's really random, it's better to test out before spending time and money on a special breakfast.

Point well taken. Thanks!

 

[mamaofthree]

I second testing her reaction around characters before doing the breakfast. My oldest dd was terrified of them until she was 8. When she was about 3.5 I booked the princess breakfast, which was at plaza inn back then. She loved all the disney princesses and since they don't wear masks I knew she would be thrilled. Imagine my horror and surprise when we show up and the giant Beast is there with Belle! I'm talking huge! She screamed and hid under the table. The cast members were great and escorted him to the other side of the restaurant and then she was fine. My other two kids have always loved characters tho, so its def a minority of kids that hate them.

Added:
Oh, and we did M&F at the plaza inn a while back and thought the food was delicious. I know some people haven't been impressed but I thought it was delicious and there were so many choices. Dh loved the made to order omelette.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Wow! Thanks for all the info! This is great. Interesting Mickey only comes to Surf's Up. Hm? does that have something to do with Character's not supposed to being seen in multiple places around the parks I wonder...

And yeah Storyteller's breakfast is kinda pricey so that makes sense about the "experience".

I feel like we'll do Ariel's then probably. I feel like as far as characters go the princesses will freak her out less at this age because she can see their faces.

The breakfast sounds good, but also I really wanted to try them for lunch because I wanted to try the Santa Maria Tri Tip and see if it lives up to the time's I've had it up here in SB which really is pretty fantastic.

Oh and having a lunch time grown up drink wouldn't suck either.

You could do the character Princess meal at lunch time!!! OR if you're wanting to do the World of Color, Ariel's does the dining package at dinner time. There aren't any characters at the dinner. But if you're not totally stuck at doing a character breakfast....then do the character lunch instead!! (Ariel's & Goofy's are the only meals that do lunch or brunch) (Goofy's is the only one that does dinner)

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

My husband and I are the ones who freak about characters LOL

My (then) 2 year old LOVED Minnie's. The food was yummy to us (but who has time to eat when a character is at your table every 2 min.

I think our favorite part was the meat (sausage/bacon) Yummmmmmmmmm