re: Frustrated w/so many bad/mixed reviews of character meals. Help!

[pixarmom]

I'm definitely keeping CP for lunch as my kids are huge Winnie fans and that 1 just can't be missed and it looks like 1 of the better places to eat in MK and will be nice break.

I thought 1 poster had a good point that my kids may be too young to appreciate CRT. Anyone else agree? DS is 4 and DD will just be 3 in Jan. She just started to like princesses mainly Snow White but it's not a huge obsession yet. Maybe we should wait on this 1 till older? We've got family in Orlando and will probaby be there once a yr for the next couple of yrs so we will be back.

I"m leaning towards keeping Chef Mickey's for now mainly for convenience, in hotel, and a great way to welcome to Disney with FAB 5.

Thanks again and keep them coming if anyone has other thoughts!

I'd suggest sticking with the ADRs you have and, if you can do it, add Garden Grill!

On most trips, we have a mix of several signatures, regular TS and a few character meals because it's a compromise for two parents, two pre-teens and a pre-schooler.

But during our pre-schooler's birthday celebration weekend in January (which seems more similar to the trip you are planning now) we did a ton of character meals and had a great time. We don't expect the food at the character meals to be the same quality or variety as the food at the signatures. In our opinion, Crystal Palace, CRT and Chef Mickey's don't serve the best food in the world. So yes, at the end of the weekend, we noted that the food was not as good as usual. But as much as we enjoy Disney signatures, our pre-schooler's reaction to character meals is priceless! CRT and Chef Mickey's are classics, and if one of your kids loves Pooh, CP will be a joy! While we really prefer the character interaction at Akershus over CRT, our pre-schooler LOVES the idea of eating in the castle. With kids ages 3 and 4, I think your choices are very fun and I'll bet everyone has a great time.

Of the character dinners, however, Garden Grill is definitely our favorite for food quality (very fresh, good variety) atmosphere (much more low key, with food served family style instead of buffet) and character interaction (much less rushed and multiple visits with each character.) So that's why I agree with goofy4tink - consider adding Garden Grill!

 

[Familyof4lovesDW]

Getting close to ADR time August 1st. The more I read, the more frustrated I become because reviews of WDW restaurants especially these character meals are all over the place and most of them are BAD. some are so bad that the people tell you to run and never eat there again. Could it be that bad? I need your help to tell me what you would do?

My kids, DS is 4 and DD will be almost 3, aren't the best eaters. It's a short trip. Staying at the Contemporary 4 days. Only doing Epcot and MK.

1. Day 1-Arrival late afternoon at CR- had planned a 6 pm Chef Mickey's but sooo many terrible reviews. Should I get rid of this? Do Wave/Contempo Cafe instead?? I just thought it would be something fun and in hotel on late afternoon arrival.
2. Day 2 MK RD- Planned on an 1145 CRT lunch. Everything I read says the food is awful, too much time wasted away from parks and too pricey. Should I keep it or switch to QS lunch at MK instead? Going back to MK hopefully from 4-7 so where dinner if do QS lunch instead of CRT?
3. Day 3 MK RD- Planned 1130 Crystal Palace. Want to keep bc DD loves Pooh.
4. Day 4- Epcot RD- was thinking Sunshine Seasons.

So, between Chef Mickey's arrival dinner, CRT lunch, and Crystal Palace lunch, which one would you get rid of?

FYI- we are staying club level so that's why i was avoiding the breakasts since I hope to eat in club. THANKS EVERYBODY!

I would keep Chef Mickey's dinner. We have been twice and thought it was fine. We have also at at CRT twice, both for dinner. Looking at the age of your kids I would pass on this one. In my opinion wait til they can remember they ate in the castle and it will mean more to them. Crystal Palace we have only been to for breakfast but it was good. We are trying Garden Grill this trip and I cant wait!

 

[MickeyNicki]

Majority of character meals are buffets.

Our experience with dinner buffet is they are just gross but breakfast buffets are very good

 

[dixonsontour]

I would keep chef mickey - gets the when will we see mickey out of the way.

My DD was four last trip and loved chef mickey's. She remembers it well particularly the monorail.

Maybe save CRT until next trip.

 

[mpetti]

I would keep Chef Mickey's and don't read anymore reviews. When it comes to kids and Character Dining they are all about the characters. You will notice most kids hardly eat at those meals. They are so excited about seeing Mickey and Minnie etc they won't stay in their seats. And hey being a mom/parent that's really what it is all about. You love to see their faces light up when they get that hug. Chef Mickey's is a great place for that. We always do CM for Breakfast and for dinner on all our trips and it's not for the food. Crystal Palace is also great as well as Garden Grill and my boys even loved CRT what with all the ladies all over them. A side note we loved the breakfast at CRT. You and your kids are going to have a wonderful trip so go and enjoy!!

Maryann

 

[SnipsNSnails]

No the food isn't gourmet. If you're a real foodie, you probably will have critical things to say. We are not foodies. Like a pp said, the buffets are IMO better than what you get at Golden Corral etc. which means they are very good to me. If you're the type of family, like ours, who mostle eats at chain restaurants, I think you won't find it to be bad.

We love Chef Mickey's! The characters are fun, your kids are the perfect ages. It's always our arrival night meal, and I really don't think you'll be dissapointed.

We have CP on our itinerary for this trip as well, but I've never been.

I've also never been to CRT. We have boys who wouldn't be impressed at all. If we ever have a little princess, CRT is one of the things I would so look forward to doing with her.

 

[hannahdrewmom]

I'd keep CRT... you'll be amazed at what the kids think about eating in the "castle"! That is all we heard about all week and my daughter was 3... son 2. The whole week they kept asking when we were going to eat there again. We are planning to go back in March and they are both already asking when we will go again to eat there!

 

[lakohls]

We have really enjoyed Crystal Palace the last 2 trips - great photos of my then 1.5 yr old DS with each character. Have ADR for breakfast again this fall.

We took the older girls separately to CRT (felt the $$$ was too high for DS who wouldn;t really appreciate it). DD6 LOVED it - her reactions were fantastic & we were glad we waited until she was a little older.

Still haven't tried Chef Mickey - mostly because I have been scared by the reviews as well and they have been more difficult to get.

Like other posters, have also enjoyed Garden Grill & Akershus. I like the food better at Garden Grill, but if you want princesses Akershus it is.

We have an ADR for Park Fair Dinner this trip as well. Had really enjoyed their breakfast last trip, and reviews of character dinner has me sold.

Enjoy & let us know what you thought!

 

[3pletprincesses]

I have for say that you need to try it yourself because everyone has different taste. We had CRT for lunch in May and we really liked it. We disliked Chef Mickey but loved Ohana and Tusker house. We have no problem with crystal palace as it's a must do for us. I like buffets at Disney. Lots of choice to accommodate everyone and the kids can eat adult food if they choose. We do Character meals once a day everyday whe nwe are at Disney. I have no issue with them and actually love them

 

[PirateMami]

I'm so glad I found this post because I've been having the same issue!! The responses have been very reassuring!

DH is starting to walk, well actually run, the other way when I start a conversation with, "I read a review of <insert anywhere we have an ADR> and ..."

This is our first trip to WDW, and as a pp mentioned, this trip is all about seeing my DS have a great time. Plus, as I keep reminding myself, we're not horribly picky eaters. I figure that this time around, we'll keep the three character meals (Crystal Palace breakfast, Chef Mickey dinner, and Hollywood & Vine lunch). I'm looking forward to more TS rather than buffet meals in the future though!

 

[NOLAmom]

Thanks again everybody. All very interesting and no more review reading!

PirateMami-I feel like you...this trip is all about the toddlers so we'll do the character meal buffets for them but I am looking forward to some nicer TS meals in the future when they are older!

It's hard because we live in New Orleans and are in the wine business and my husband is a great cook so we are foodies. Before kids, most of our trips were centered around food so this is just a change of pace for me in terms of trip planning. But this is a kids trip so we will go and try the buffets and see how we do!! I know the kids will love them.

 

[DVCconvert]

re: Frustrated w/so many bad/mixed reviews of character meals. Help!

If you just accept and expect that they all stink, all the time....then no matter what or where you book a character meal, you'll have a wonderfully happy and positive experience!


I agree..ignor the reviews - try an experience and form your own opinions

 

[megan926]

I have never eaten @ CRT...but my friend did for the first time in May and LOVED it. She said it was one of the best meals she has eaten!

 

[pumba]

we went a few months ago and we did a character buffet at Crystal Palace...it is our favorite one for dinner.. This time it was only hubby and myself but even without the kiddos we still had a great time and great food..
Plenty of choices when you do a buffet too..
We also like Hollywood and vine when our grandkids were with us...and Tusker house also...
When you read peoples reviews....remember that we are all soooooo different in our likes and dislikes....
Maybe some were expecting something else....I didnt like some of the food at Tusker house but it was not because the food was not good but because our likes were different in what was offered..
Go and have fun...

 

[ekraxa]

You've already received plenty of great advice. The only thing I would add is this...

We ate at CRT in October of 2002. My daughter was 5. She doesn''t remember what she ate but she remembers being in the castle and meeting Cinderella.

This June we took our DS8, DS12, and DD13. Since returning the kids on many occasions have told the story of meeting Mickey and friends at Chef Mickey's, Pooh and friends at Crystal Palace, and especially meeting the stepmother and stepsisters at 1900 Park Fare. Not once have they mentioned the food they ate or what they thought of it.

When you go to the Character meals you are paying for the experience of engaging the characters in a more relaxed environment than you can get in the parks.

My best advice is to spend some time thinking about unique and fun ways to engage the characters one on one. At 1900 Park Fare we told Druizilla that she could marry our 12 year old son. The shenanigans that followed were some of our favorite Disney memories. Go to the character meals with an idea of a special way to connect with at least one of the characters and then sit back and watch the Disney Magic take over!

 

[CoachKristy]

We do character meals to try and kill two birds with one stone. We are eating and meeting at the same time. It saves us lots of time by not having to wait in long lines to meet characters in the park. For us it just makes more sense to do it with the age our kids are.

If it were me and I had kids your age, I would probably postpone CRT until they were a little older. It is really expensive and if you are on the dining plan you have to use 2 table credits. I would rather do two character meals somewhere else rather than use 2 credits just to eat in a castle that they probably won't remember doing. If you are going to EPCOT I would suggest a meal at Akershus instead of CRT. It is only one credit but you still get to many a lot of princesses. You could also do 1900 Park Fare for dinner to meet Cinderella, the prince, and the rest of her family.

Whatever you decide to do, your kids will have a fabulous time.

 

[JessicaFaye508]

Your kids are so young that they are going to enjoy it to matter what! Just having the characters will be great enough for them! And it'll save you so much time from waiting in line at the parks. I say just keep them

 

[Wendy5055]

First off...I have been taking my dd9 to WDW ever since she was 5. I realize that you will see many conflicting reviews for just about any restaurant...however, you need to try them for yourself. What may not click for one family is an amazing experience for another.

NOTE: I generally steer clear of the counter service restaurants (yes I have been in them and speak from experience). I am a single mom and prefer not having to wait in line to order...wait for food...then steer my dd to the table area to hunt for a place to sit. It is NOT my cup of tea...some really like it. Perhaps if your DH can secure a table while you order and juggle the trays??? The last I heard though, nobody is allowed to do this anymore.

I would keep Chef Mickeys! Your little ones can get to see Mickey and Friends rights away. While I have only done this one for breakfast, the food is always good and plentiful. We do this every trip and leave satisfied every time. I don't think that we would feel much different about the dinner here.

Instead of the CRT for a princess encounter, I would highly recommend the Storybook Princess Dinner at Akershush. I do honestly feel the food at CRT is not that great and it feels overrated. JMHO However, if you MUST do a dinner in the MK...then I would recommend the Liberty Tree Tavern. LTT does not have characters, but we have always enjoyed the food and make sure to go here on every trip. The food is warm and homey (we love the thanksgiving turkey meal and the bottomless salad).

We Crystal Palace and ALWAYS go here at least one time during EVERY trip!!! One can never be too old for Pooh and the Gang! The food is yummy and plentiful so you and your DH can get your fill as well.

I hope this helped as I tried very hard to be impartial and honest.

 

[mousefamily4]

We stayed at the Contemporary in Feb 2011 and the Wave was ok. They did offer a breakfast buffet, which is not advertised on line. Chef Mickey's is definately a keeper. Especially b/c it is super difficult to get a reservation there, long lines to get in too, so keep that one for sure. My daughter celebrated her 1st b-day at The Crystal Palace last Oct 2010 and that was fantastic! They brought her a giant card signed by the staff and a cupcake for free. The food quality is the same overall. We did experience one character buffet that we would never do again and that was at Hollywood Studios=The Vine. The reason I did not like it was b/c 1-the milk they gave my daughter was sour, 2-poor service, 3-Characters were not the ones that little children want to see. They were from some cartoon I have never heard of. Maybe Handy Mandy was the only one I recognized and they whirled through so fast we could barely get a photo. If you can get a princess buffet reservation at Epcot or MK, jump on that for sure! Hope this helps and have fun!!!

 

[LuLuO]

Getting close to ADR time August 1st. The more I read, the more frustrated I become because reviews of WDW restaurants especially these character meals are all over the place and most of them are BAD. some are so bad that the people tell you to run and never eat there again. Could it be that bad? I need your help to tell me what you would do?

My kids, DS is 4 and DD will be almost 3, aren't the best eaters. It's a short trip. Staying at the Contemporary 4 days. Only doing Epcot and MK.

1. Day 1-Arrival late afternoon at CR- had planned a 6 pm Chef Mickey's but sooo many terrible reviews. Should I get rid of this? Do Wave/Contempo Cafe instead?? I just thought it would be something fun and in hotel on late afternoon arrival.
2. Day 2 MK RD- Planned on an 1145 CRT lunch. Everything I read says the food is awful, too much time wasted away from parks and too pricey. Should I keep it or switch to QS lunch at MK instead? Going back to MK hopefully from 4-7 so where dinner if do QS lunch instead of CRT?
3. Day 3 MK RD- Planned 1130 Crystal Palace. Want to keep bc DD loves Pooh.
4. Day 4- Epcot RD- was thinking Sunshine Seasons.

So, between Chef Mickey's arrival dinner, CRT lunch, and Crystal Palace lunch, which one would you get rid of?

FYI- we are staying club level so that's why i was avoiding the breakasts since I hope to eat in club. THANKS EVERYBODY!

We did CM for breakfast and were very happy with it. We did CP for lunch and were also very happy with it. Have not done CRT yet but will in January. I thought the food throughout WDW was fantastic. My favorites were Tuskerhouse and Akershus but IMHO CM and CP were yummy too and the kids loved all of them. Don't stress too much about it. Everyone's tastes are different. The characters are great at all of the locations you listed.