Our package includes a "free" character breakfast...I have a few questions...

[colbybug]

I know it's all relative and a matter of opinion but that's just it - I am asking all of you who have done them - your opinion! This time we are splurging and staying at the DLH (first time and probably last time due to $$$$)
So, I am leaning towards Goofy's Kitchen due to the convenience. We have only done one other character breakfast and that was two years ago at Storytellers. The buffet was good but the character interaction was only so-so. (Chip and Dale NEVER come out together - so the manager said.) The clincher for me is that we are going for my son who will be turning six years old and we want to celebrate by going somewhere fun. My first question is, will Goofy's do the trick? Is the food decent?

My second question(s) is, I want to go on Sunday (on his actual birthday) but that is also a MM. So, should we go to the park for a few hours and then try to hit Goofy's around 10:30 or so? I have read that the characters tend to disappear after 11:00 am - is this true? Aren't they there for the people who are at Goofy's for brunch?

My last question is, I think the breakfast hours go until 2:00 pm but isn't that really brunch and I wonder if we could go for lunch instead. Have any of you seen characters around for brunch? So, when is the best time to go?

Thanks a million for any help you can give me! I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with me!

Kathy

 

[victorandbellasmom]

My first question is, will Goofy's do the trick? Is the food decent?
I'm actually partial to Lilo & Stitch's for breakfast and Goofy's for dinner. We've done Goofy's once for brunch in 2004 and it is fun, festive and loud. It's a great place to celebrate a birthday and they offer birthday bucket as well as birthday goody bags. The food is good with lots of variety but character interaction has been hit and miss and quite varied. We've done Lilo's about 5-6 times now and have never been disapointed with their food and character interaction. You can order off the menu or get the buffet. The characters here are pretty set; Lilo, Stitch, Minnie, Daisy and Goofy. So hands down, we always chose Lilo & Stitch's for breakfast.


My second question(s) is, I want to go on Sunday (on his actual birthday) but that is also a MM. So, should we go to the park for a few hours and then try to hit Goofy's around 10:30 or so? I have read that the characters tend to disappear after 11:00 am - is this true? Aren't they there for the people who are at Goofy's for brunch?
If the park opens at 8 or earlier, I would do a 10am ps. I haven't been to Goofy's for breakfast in several years, so I'm not sure when they cut off breakfast/brunch. We try to do hotel character meals before we head to the park so we don't have to leave the park once we're there for breakfast.


My last question is, I think the breakfast hours go until 2:00 pm but isn't that really brunch and I wonder if we could go for lunch instead. Have any of you seen characters around for brunch? So, when is the best time to go?
Definietly call disney dining to find out their exact hours. Sorry I can't help you on this question.

 

[bumbershoot]

disneydining might know hours, but they don't know about the characters. if at all possible, see if you can call the hotel and get connected to the restaurant at a non-busy time and ask about the characters.

 

[bethy]

Our favorite is Minnie's at the Plaza Inn inside the Park. We get up early, eat a light breakfast in our room and then rush off to rope drop/opening. We power through all of our favorite rides while the lines are relatively short. Then as the Park begins to get really busy we go to one of the later seatings at Minnies and relax and eat "brunch". We love sitting outside and watching Disneyland in action. It's lovely. The character interaction has always been great for us and in the later morning the breakfast has been less crowded and so they really spent a lot of time hanging out with us.

If you do the later seating I personally wouldn't recommend hiking all the way back to the DLH or PP unless you plan on taking an extended midday break at your hotel anyway.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

If the parks open at 8 am or earlier with MM... a 10 am breakfast might work... but you'll need to be leaving fantasyland no later than 9:30 to make it to DLH in time to check in for a 10 am breakfast... and you'll have to walk pretty quickly. Keep that in mind...

We loved Goofy's for breakfast, but are staying at GCH this time, and are going to give Chip & Dale a go... we do the 7:30 breakfast on mornings when the park doesn't open until 9... gives us an hour to eat (more than enough time at Goofy's for us to see 7 characters), and then go out to the gates...

I am sure your son will have fun no matter what!

--Lisa

 

[bumbershoot]

OK now that my son isn't sitting on my left hand, I can type more.
When we made our late b'fast reservations at Chip and Dales, nothing was said about character interaction, and we just figured that they were there for the whole time.

But when we got there and checked in, we were told two things. One, they stop serving from the menu at 11:30 and go strictly with the buffet, and two, chip and dale don't come out after 10:30 b/c they have other obligations in the parks. That they tell people this as soon as they get there b/c they know that disney dining never tells people either of those things.

So if ti's at all possible to talk to the restaurants directly, I'd do that!

So, I am leaning towards Goofy's Kitchen due to the convenience. We have only done one other character breakfast and that was two years ago at Storytellers. The buffet was good but the character interaction was only so-so. (Chip and Dale NEVER come out together - so the manager said.) The clincher for me is that we are going for my son who will be turning six years old and we want to celebrate by going somewhere fun. My first question is, will Goofy's do the trick? Is the food decent?

My second question(s) is, I want to go on Sunday (on his actual birthday) but that is also a MM. So, should we go to the park for a few hours and then try to hit Goofy's around 10:30 or so?

If you're thinking of Goofy's for the convenience b/c of staying at the DLH, then don't schedule it when you're going to the parks earlier. Schedule it so you can get up and go downstairs for it, or so you do the parks all day, then come back, freshen up, and have dinner in the hotel.

On the other hand, if you're playing for MM and near the monorail anyway, you could just take it back to DTD near DLH.

 

[tink2dw]

I tried to find dining info about the Character Meals. This is the best I came acoss.

La_Bella_au_Bois_dormant 03-18-2006

There are several charecter meals you can attend within the resort.
Goofy's Kitchen is a must for children and adults alike. They serve breakfast/brunch, luch and dinner.
Featuring Goofy of course, you will also be entertained by chip and dale, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Minni Mouse, Jasmin and sometimes aladdin, And many others. They do switch the charecters often.

The next one I will suggest is within Disney's Paridice Pier Hotel. The PCH Grill has a lovely buffet aloha breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch. They are a little smaller in size when it comes to occupancy, so make sure you make a reservation for this one. You can dance around and do the hula with Lilo and Stich or even have a hulahoop contest with them as well. GREAT FUN!

The Plaza Inn within Disneyland use to be the princess breakfast, But now it is called Minnie Mouse and friends has a Wonderful buffet breakfast! You have the chance to meet all the winnie the pooh charecters and Minnie Mouse herself. We also bumped into Captain Hook and chip and Dale. This is also a great Place to meet Max Goofy's son.

Ariels Grotto is like you are stepping into Ariels world. This is not a buffet like most of the other dining experiences and can be a bit pricey, but if you want to thrill the little princesses in your family, it is a wonderful time for them. Not to mention for the husbands. If the Princesses are in a cheeky mood, They do try very hard to make your husbands blush by a little innocent flirting.... lol
What happens? They come to your table and create a very special time for you and your family. Weather it be signing the autographs and photo opps, or just goofing around with you and your children. It is such a pleasure to have this opportunity, because sometimes waiting in the lines within the parks can be time consuming not to mention you never know if they will be walked away by a CM.

I highly recomend anyone experiencing any of these dining opportunities.

 

[tink2dw]

I think there is a Character Breakfast at "Carnation something", can't remember the name. But I see it when I come out of the Disney Watch Store.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I think there is a Character Breakfast at "Carnation something", can't remember the name. But I see it when I come out of the Disney Watch Store.

I think you're referring to Carnation Cafe, but that's not a character meal. They have a great breakfast, just no characters invloved. The only character meal in disneyland is in Plaza Inn, Minnie & friends. Tink2w's list of character meals is descriptive but its missing Chip N Dale's character breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe in GCH.

 

[colbybug]

I still can't decide but am leaning towards Goofy's Kitchen.....anyone else? (maybe I'll do a poll.... )

Kathy

 

[pixiewings71]

I wouldn't do GK, we had a horrible experience for breakfast. Took us forever to check in, had to wait for our table and then we were seated in a terrible location and we saw almost no characters. We were there at about 10 am.

I would suggest Lilo and Stitch breakfast, we had much more fun that time! The characters were great, they came to our table many times, interacted with the kids and had great food. We much preferred Lilo and Stitch.

 

[boiseflyfisher]

I second victorandbellasmom's opinion. We love Lilo & Stitch's for breakfast and prefer to go to Goofy's Kitchen for dinner.