what was the original character dining restaurant?

[CanadianImagineer]

I was just thinking about this last night and realized that I have absolutely no clue! So, oh wise DISers, where was the first character dining experience (in both DLR and WDW) and when did it debut? What character meals have since been retired?

 

[Carolina Blair]

I don't know what the original one was, but they use to have one in the paddle boat (Empress Lily) where Fulton's Crab House is now. When I was little we went every year. Really miss that.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I think Empress Lilly is correct. I have video from there and there were I remember Pluto. And then there was the original Chef Mickeys @ DTD. I still have the mugs.

 

[Carolina Blair]

Chef Mickey was another favorite from my childhood, they use to have a drink that came with a rock candy stick in it.

 

[RysMomma]

I know that my first time we visited the World, we had our character breakfast on the Empress Lilly. That was at least 25 years ago.

 

[BCV23]

I know both the character breakfast at Empress Lily and the one on the first floor of the Polynesian were offered as early as 1983 because that's when we went to our first at the Polynesian. We picked between the two.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I know that my first time we visited the World, we had our character breakfast on the Empress Lilly. That was at least 25 years ago.

Yep ! 25 yrs ago I took my son for the first time to Disney He's 25 now and we went to the Empress Lilly. Time Flies.

 

[abolafiaa]

Just a question about the now-forgotten empress lily breakfast, do the characters hand out balloons sometimes?

 

[HLAuburn]

Sort of on the same topic...how long has Crystal Palace been a restaurant? My mom swears it used to be some sort of show, but I think that's just her excuse for not taking us to character meals as kids!

 

[mechteach]

I don't know what the original one was, but they use to have one in the paddle boat (Empress Lily) where Fulton's Crab House is now. When I was little we went every year. Really miss that.

I didn't know that is what happened to the Empress Lily! We had breakfast on there once when I was a kid (1981? 1982?), and I absolutely loved it. We also went to Discovery Island on that trip...sigh.

 

[MinnieGirl33]

There was a character meal at the Contemporary & (as everyone has mentioned) the Empress Lilly.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Sort of on the same topic...how long has Crystal Palace been a restaurant? My mom swears it used to be some sort of show, but I think that's just her excuse for not taking us to character meals as kids!

Either it was an Italian restaurant without characters in 1988 when I first went, or my mother all these years has been telling me we went to CP when we really went to Tony's.

 

[Hootch]

Sort of on the same topic...how long has Crystal Palace been a restaurant? My mom swears it used to be some sort of show, but I think that's just her excuse for not taking us to character meals as kids!

was a restaurant when the park opened. It has been a character meal for the last thirteen years or so. Your mom may be thinking of the Diamond Horseshoe which once had a show wit the meal.

 

[Yzma and Kronk]

We went to a character breakfast at the CR where Chef Mickey's is in 1978.

I don't think it was called Chef Mickey's but can't remember what the name of the restaurant was.

 

[mpls_mm]

Wasn't there a Holiday dinner too? As for shows, I remember the Polynesian having a way cooler dinner experience than it is now.