Some Advice

[Tiggerholic]

I booked our DLR vacation through Costco Travel and we get something called Premium Character Dining. I have no clue what this is and we will not be getting our travel package until Oct 13th, 2 weeks before our arrival. I copied this from the Costco page:

Premium Character Dining Experience includes Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) or Breakfast or Lunch at Ariel's Grotto (Disney's California Adventure Park). Other Character Dining locations also include Minnie & Friends Breakfast at Plaza Inn (Disneyland Park), Surf's Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends at Disney's PCH Grill (Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel), Chip 'n Dale Critter Breakfast at Storytellers Café (Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa). Tax and Gratuity included.

Given the choices from above, any recommendations? Its just hubby and myself and I don't want to wait until I get the stuff in the mail to make our reservations.

Next issue: we also get "Preferred seating at select attractions in Disney California Adventure® Park." How do I find out what attractions this is good for?

Thanks for any advice whatsoever

Lyn

 

[splash5]

I think that the preferred seating usually refers to the Aladdin show. As to the dining, we've eaten at Goofy's kitchen and really enjoyed it (it's a buffet style meal), I've heard the Ariels Grotto is nice too, but we haven't eaten there.

 

[Tink91]

Ariels Grotto is yum, you get to meet the princesses and get ALOT of food, I have been for breakfast twice and loved it both times. I have heard alot of good reviews of Goofys Kitchen breakfast but not as many for the lunch/dinner.

 

[MaiynaMouse]

In my humble opinion, I'd do the Minnie and Friends or Story Teller's. We've done every character meal in the resorts, numerous times. We love the two previously mentioned and Ariel's Grotto. They have been the most consistent for us. We've done Goofy's kitchen EVERY TRIP ( 9 over the last 4 years) and only the first one was worth it. It's gone downhill every single trip to the point that we won't be back, no matter what. Admittedly, the food at any of them isn't fantastic but the character interaction is amazingly wonderful. We'll be there in a couple of months and we'll be doing the Minnie and Story Teller's FOR SURE!!!!!!! We'll probably end up doing Ariel's as well but only for the WOC seating. Unfortunately, we've outgrown the princesses at my house. :::::sniff, sniff::::::

 

[erinbharris]

If it's just you and your husband, and you don't really care what characters you see, I would do AG for lunch one day. I like where the restaurant is located (right in California Adventure) and the food looks good.

We did Goofy's Kitchen in August and thought it was the worst meal we had ever eaten. I would NEVER eat there again. We chose it because of the variety of characters (we have a boy and girl) but in the end we were very disappointed. Think bad buffet food.

For the preferred seating, it includes Aladdin--you have to arrive 30 minutes before show time. It was an awesome show, and I would definitely recommend seeing it. The other things it includes are...Animation Academy (you really don't need it for that one though), Bugs Life (we didn't go)...and one other but I can't remember what it was.

Have a GREAT trip!!

 

[Tiggerholic]

Wow ... thank you so much for the insight. I was looking at AG because it looks like its a set price and you choose the entree you want, with appetizer and dessert included.

Now if there was a place where I could eat with Tigger or hubby with Jack Skellington, then I'd have to think otherwise

Again, thank you for the advice and keep them coming

 

[MaiynaMouse]

Ha ha.....Tigger is almost always at Minnie and Friends. This is one we've done nearly every trip and we've only missed him once!!!!!!

 

[PoohBearFriends]

Pooh bear is at Minnies is Tigger there also?

 

[DahliaRW]

You also get preffered seating at muppet vision 3d (a row near the front) and at the first show of turtle talk with crush.

 

[MaiynaMouse]

Pooh bear is at Minnies is Tigger there also?

Yes.....I've seen tigger there many, many times!!!!!!!

 

[goofycathy]

Skip Goofy's all together and do Ariels....weve done Goofys the last two time and were sadly disappointed but have heard lots of great reviews of Ariels. Were going to be doing that for a birthday this next trip, cant wait to take pics and do my own review!

 

[mrswh]

If it's just you and DH and you don't care about characters, I'd go for Storyteller's for breakfast. They have an amazing buffet. IMO, most of the food at Disney is subpar, so breakfast will always be your best bet - it's the hardest to screw up! I'm always confused by the positive reviews of AG, I think the food there is horrible. It is supposed to be "upscale" but is of very poor quality and obviously mass made. The desserts are pretty good, I will give it that, but if you don't care about princesses I wouldn't bother! Goofy's is great for character interaction, but, for dinner at least, the food is mediocre at best. (That's being generous.) I'd definitely do breakfast somewhere - that will get you the best food. You'll get the best (and most adult) ambience at Storyteller's.

 

[mrswh]

As for preferred seating, don't waste it on Muppets 3D or Turtle Talk with Crush for that matter, as you can easily get perfectly fine seating at either show, even if the park is very crowded. Aladdin is the way to go!

 

[Vala]

As for preferred seating, don't waste it on Muppets 3D or Turtle Talk with Crush for that matter, as you can easily get perfectly fine seating at either show, even if the park is very crowded. Aladdin is the way to go!

You get preferred seating for each of those. I think Bug's Life too, and our package also included Animation Academy.

Wow ... thank you so much for the insight. I was looking at AG because it looks like its a set price and you choose the entree you want, with appetizer and dessert included.

Now if there was a place where I could eat with Tigger or hubby with Jack Skellington, then I'd have to think otherwise

Again, thank you for the advice and keep them coming

I'd go Ariel's Grotto. AG and Goofy's are the only two premium character dining experiences for $ 35 plus per person. Minnie's and Storyteller's are $ 22 plus depending on the season. So technically you're losing money if you go to one of the others and not AG or Goofy.

I personally never had a problem with Goofy's, at least not with the food. But the Ariel three course meal option is something you're not getting at any other character meal.

Foodwise I rate Minnie's last, just the "average school cafeteria food" (quote from an American friend of mine).

 

[Tiggerholic]

I'd go Ariel's Grotto. AG and Goofy's are the only two premium character dining experiences for $ 35 plus per person. Minnie's and Storyteller's are $ 22 plus depending on the season. So technically you're losing money if you go to one of the others and not AG or Goofy.

Since we have 2, DH's and mine, of the "free meal per se" could we possible use 1 on one day and pay the extra and use the 2nd for someplace else and pay the difference?

 

[pixiewings71]

Since we have 2, DH's and mine, of the "free meal per se" could we possible use 1 on one day and pay the extra and use the 2nd for someplace else and pay the difference?

Hmmm it's been quite a while since I did a package that had a character meal so I'm trying to remember if you get vouchers. I'm 99% sure that yes you do get vouchers so yes, you could use 1 voucher to pay for 1 character meal and then another at another meal but you still have to pay for the other diner's meal so I would just use them both at AG. I would suggest AG because the food there is delish!!! It's a set price and you get a lot of menu choices as your main entree, we've never been disappointed with the food (start to finish) at AG lunch. I'd do lunch over bfast tho, the bfast at AG wasn't that great for us, lunch is very very good.

 

[Tiggerholic]

Thank you everyone for you help with this. The Dis board was always the place to go when VMK was open and I am so thankful that I ventured into other areas to find such helpful people

I think I'm going to officially declare this DH & mine's "honeymoon", since I ended up in the hospital for a week the day before our real one 22 1/2 yrs ago

Again, thanks for all the advice and help

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

You've already got a lot of good advice, but I just wanted to jump in and also recommend Ariel's Grotto. The presentation is great and the food is good. The appetizers are all you can eat, so enjoy (just don't get full because the entree is usually very good. (I like the rubbed rib eye, & my daughter likes the cioppino soup)

 

[SunnyLA]

I booked our DLR vacation through Costco Travel and we get something called Premium Character Dining. I have no clue what this is and we will not be getting our travel package until Oct 13th, 2 weeks before our arrival. I copied this from the Costco page:

Premium Character Dining Experience includes Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner at Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) or Breakfast or Lunch at Ariel's Grotto (Disney's California Adventure Park). Other Character Dining locations also include Minnie & Friends Breakfast at Plaza Inn (Disneyland Park), Surf's Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends at Disney's PCH Grill (Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel), Chip 'n Dale Critter Breakfast at Storytellers Café (Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa). Tax and Gratuity included.

Given the choices from above, any recommendations? Its just hubby and myself and I don't want to wait until I get the stuff in the mail to make our reservations.

Next issue: we also get "Preferred seating at select attractions in Disney California Adventure® Park." How do I find out what attractions this is good for?

Thanks for any advice whatsoever

Lyn

Hands down. For two adults, the Storyteller's Cafe is the nicest venue listed. You'll probably get vouchers in the mail. Call the Grand Califorina concierge office right away as there will be a waiting list for whatever day you want to go. They can better inform you on how to play the game maybe even make arrangements for you. Don't wait to hand that voucher to someone going in the door of the restaurant that morning or you'll be disappointed.

I don't know about the other reserved seating. This is always a problem with third party deals and their vouchers. You may have to wait until you have a voucher in hand for those reservations although I don't think prefered show seating is as critical as breakfast reservations for the day of your visit.

 

[pixiewings71]

Storyteller's is good, but the OP would get a much better value if she does AG for lunch. Storyteller's is only a character meal at bfast so the vouchers can't be used for lunch/dinner there.

OP if you are looking for something yummy go to Storytellers for lunch or dinner, get the corn chowder, it's sooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!