Is it worth the expense for character meal?

[geetey]

We also use the late breakfast trick, but our favorite breakfast is probably Cape May Buffet at Beach Club. We think the food is much better than Chef Mickey. The only down side IMO is that Mickey isn't there, but you have Chip, Dale, Goofy and Minnie.

We do one character meal per trip. It's become a tradition, regardless of the kids' ages.

 

[calena]

I booked us in at Chef Mickey's for a late breakfast. I want to do this on an off day (no parks), but am thinking of maybe changing to a dinner at Chef Mickeys. I am just NOT a breakfast person. I eat oatmeal and fruit. Will talk to hubby about it. The second week we are there seemed pretty open for reservations, so I think I could change/add if need be.
EXCITED!

 

[westjones]

I've read a lot of comments from posters that chose to do the ice cream social instead of a full character meal. I think the cost mentioned was $6.99 per person. Less expensive to do, the kids still meet characters, & most kids will eat ice cream but, even if they're too excited to eat, you don't have as much money involved. Just something to think of as a possibility...

This was our first 'character meal' experience because of the difference of cost. It really is a nice first experience. The restaurant revolves around and the characters come to each table so you get pictures. The ice cream was a nice break in the middle of the day.

DJ

 

[LovePug]

During our first two trips we figured, "forget it, not interested, don't need it, waste of money" then we went on our 3rd trip and I scheduled a PS at Donald's breakfast as a birthday surprise for our DD. It turned out to be a highlite of our trip! What a pleasant surprise it was. I definitely recommend it. Now, I'm trying to figure out where to go in June. I was planning on the Garden Grill, but now it's not supposed to be open until after our trip .

 

[ncbyrne]

Character meals make the most sense when you buy a package that includes the dining option.

 

[sk!mom]

Lets see- 1st trip with DD we did 2 character meals- CM and CRT. Next trip we repeated those and added Princess dinner at GF. On our upcming trip we have booked CM, CRT, CP, and Ohana. Obviously we think they're worth it- our DD is getting older and we keep adding more. My DH and DS20 love the character meals.

We normally eat two meals a day and sample snacks in between when at WDW. My DH always instructs the kids to "fill both humps" when we are at a buffet.

 

[calena]

YES YES YES YES YES!!!! I made this original post and I can proudly and happily say it is very much worth it to go to a character meal. I ended up cancelling the breakfast reservation at Chef Mickeys and we opted for dinner instead and we LOVED it. The kids were so excited about meeting the characters and we all really enjoyed the food. I ate too much actually cuz it was so good. The next day, DS, 4, said : "Let's eat at Chef Mickey's tonight!" We didn't, but we will eat there again the next trip.
The food was so good!!!!! The characters all came to our table at least twice, and even a third time for some and the kids were just thrilled.
We also even bought the family picture. I never buy those packs, but it seemed like a good idea at the time, and now I am glad I did. The kids, 10,8,4, were so excited and that is nice to remember!
We also had the "bonus" that when we drove up, after a day at MGM and watching Fantasmic, we saw the MK fireworks begin, so we had the two fireworks shows.
Is there a site with the recipies on it for some of items from Chef Mickey's?

 

[riu girl]

I am so glad that you had a great time at Chef Mickey's. Would you mind telling me how much the picture was and what the cost included?
What is this napkin dance I have heard about at Chef Mickey's?
Thanks
Suzy V.

 

[Chris]

We actually did 3 CM's on our last trip in May 2004. We did the Pooh & Friends Breakfast at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom, Chef Mickey at the Contemporary, and the Ice Cream Social at the Garden Grill.

Out of all 3 of those....my son interacted the most during the Ice Cream Social. The times for the ICS are usually from about 2:30 to 3:15. We had the last seating (3:15).

By the time we sat down, the place was practically empty. My son was able to take a picture with all the characters. Mickey came "play" with him for awhile. My son showed Mickey how he can write his own name...etc. Then, Pluto and Chip came to the table at the same time and stayed for a good 5 minutes.

I would suggest an early lunch (like 11am'ish) so that you can work up a good appetite for the Ice Cream. The price was $8.99 for adults and a couple dollars cheaper for kids ($6.99?).

You can then have a late supper that night and eat cheap to make up for the cost of the Ice Cream Social. I've also read that people in your party that do not want the ice cream can pay $5 per person to sit with the party, but not eat....I don't know if that's accurate.

We were also able to order drinks with the Ice Cream which we were not charged for (included in the price).

Finally....I found that the Crystal Palace buffet was good...but, we didn't care much for the actual food at Chef Mickey's.

This year....I've been giving my 5 year old a $2 per week allowance. He's saving to pay for breakfast for all 3 of us and souveniers. He also received $40 worth of Disney Dollars from various relatives for Christmas and he now has over $120 saved for the trip.

If you want to do the Ice Cream Social...make sure to make a Priority Seating arrangement in advance. I called about 2 months before our arrival and everything was booked up until our last day since there are only 3 seating times per day (2:45, 3:00, 3:15).

Hope this helps....
speed

Can you give me more info about the Ice Cream Social?
What park is it held at? Who do I call for reservations. I think that would be great for my family and would fit into the budget nicely.
Thank you.

 

[CarolA]

Every time I take friends with kids or help them plan a trip I tell them they HAVE to do Chef Mickeys.

It is so much easier to see Mickey and Minnie this way!

 

[westjones]

Every time I take friends with kids or help them plan a trip I tell them they HAVE to do Chef Mickeys.

It is so much easier to see Mickey and Minnie this way!

Which is better, dinner or breakfast? We want to try CM in June, but we aren't sure which meal to plan.
Thanks!
DJ

 

[Aidensmom]

Disney does not technically consider it a CM, but what we chose to go to is Mickey's Backyard Barbeque. Besides the meal, there is a country band and dancing. It is held at the Fort Wilderness campgrounds. It is expensive, I believe it was almost $40 for an adult, but it was well worth it. This is something that can truly be enjoyed by the whole family. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Chip and Dale were there, and not only could my son meet the characters, he also got to dance with them while we enjoyed the music and the wonderful food. The price also includes beer and wine. We did this the day of our arrival rather than going to a park, and it was actually the most enjoyable part of our whole trip.

 

[calena]

I am so glad that you had a great time at Chef Mickey's. Would you mind telling me how much the picture was and what the cost included?
What is this napkin dance I have heard about at Chef Mickey's?
Thanks
Suzy V.

The picture package was $26. It included an 8x10, 5x7 (both in special folders) a keychain with wallet sized pix and a fridge magnet with wallet sized pix, also three extra wallet sized pix.

The napkin dance is when you twirl your napkin around and the characters dance and some kids dance with them. It seemed to occcur about every 25 minutes or so!

 

[calena]

Which is better, dinner or breakfast? We want to try CM in June, but we aren't sure which meal to plan.
Thanks!
DJ

I originally booked breakfast because it was cheaper, but I am just not a breakfast eater - I eat oatmeal - and so I am glad we booked the dinner because the food was good and plenty and we were hungry after a day at the parks. There is a menu site somewhere that has the menus listed for both meals. It is actually on Allearsnet.com The desserts were really to die for though!

 

[crl]

I too was not going to do a character meal, but at the very last minute (2:45pm for a lunch that day) ate at the CP. Boy was it worth every penny. DH and I ate in peace. Plus it was the last sitting (2:59pm) for lunch. So we enjoyed the characters and an empty dinning room. We even got pictures with all 4 Pooh characters together!

 

[MUFFYCAT]

Yes, it is worth it. The character dining is just another part of experincing Disney and it's magic. The expression and joy on your childrens faces ( and your too!) after dining with Mickey or the princesses are memories that will last!