We love characters - our favorites:
Crystal Palace - breakfast or lunch, pooh/eeyore are some of our favorites and food is good (though I heard they are testing handing out pre-printed cards versus allowing characters to autograph)
Ohana - for breakfast... we love Lilo... PLUS Mickey and Pluto are there. Food is good, and not buffet, so we got to sit and rest.
Akershus - for breakfast... for princesses, we have a daughter and she got to meet everyone (even Belle) for only 1
DDP credit (versus Cinderella Royal Table that is 2 credits). Breakfast food was good (plus, you can ask your waiter to bring you Mickey waffles). AND, a pre-park opening (PPO) reservation at 8 a.m. got us on Frozen before the rope drop crowds hit (without using a fast pass).
Garden Grill and Tusker House - for breakfast... we have heard good things and are testing these out on our next trip... Garden Grill breakfast Candlelight Processional Package and Tusker House breakfast River of Lights Package. Glad to hear GG is not buffet (rest!) and Mickey/Pluto are usually there with Chip and Dale. Tusker House - heard the food is awesome and characters (inc. Donald / Daisy) are good. Can't wait!
We've tried others (Park Fare for dinner, Cinderella Royal Table for breakfast, Chef Mickey for breakfast/brunch, etc.), but the ones above are our favorites. Ohana is traditionally our leaving day breakfast before we hit the road home (Lilo and Mickey plus no buffet are a good, restful send off for us).