Hollywood and Vine vs. 50s Primetime Cafe

[Disneymom1102]

Looking for advice on which to do for lunch. Going with a toddler who loves Jake and Neverland Pirates and Little Einsteins and also likes Sophia the First. I know food is rumored to be not great at H&V and honestly not much sounds that interesting on the menu, and the price is definitely more, but does the character experience for my daughter outweigh these in your opinion? Is it much like other character meals or more interactive?
Also, there is a range in the price...how do I know which price applies when I'm going?

 

[Daniela Rose]

Disney jr is only at breakfast at h&v

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Disney jr is only at breakfast at h&v

For now, lunch is also Disney Jr. Lunch is scheduled to change from Disney Jr to Minnie and friends in early Sept.

Disney Jr. characters at H&V are Doc, Sophia, Handy Manny, and Jake (Little Einsteins have not been there in years). You can meet 3 of them (all except Handy Manny) near Disney Jr live on stage with a relatively short line.

H&V's food has gotten better recently, so I would discount all but recent reviews. Pricing is no longer seasonal, and from the sticky in this forum:

bfast . . . 11/24/2016 Adult: $34.08, Child: $20.24
lunch . . . 11/24/2016 Adult: $47.93, Child: $28.76
l-fantasmic 11/24/2016 Adult: $55.38, Child: $34.08
dinner. . . 11/24/2016 Adult: $53.25, Child: $31.95
d-fantasmic 11/24/2016 Adult: $60.71, Child: $37.28

You also might want to consider the Fantasmic package, if you do choose H&V.

Character interaction is the same set up as other meals. However, in our experience, we do find the characters will stay at each table longer than many other character meals as it is a relatively small restaurant, and they don't need to get through as many people.

All this said, I would not choose H&V just for the characters, as you can see 3/4 of them elsewhere (and the 3 you care most about), and the food does not excite you. But, if you were interested in the Fantasmic package, that would change things.

 

[1st*toright]

I appreciate PrincessArlena'sDad's input - I was doing the same waffling between HW&V and another TS with better food. I ultimately decided to do HW&V because my preschooler loves Sofia and Doc, and likes Jake too. It will be our first day in the parks and although I know the lines for each character aren't super long, the time savings of not having to wait in 3 different lines did it for me. She can be a little shy in new situations, so having the chance to see the characters interact with other kids and have time to "warm up" to seeing them may be a good thing too.