Hi Lois,
It's also a "great aunt" thing. We have taken my great niece 4 times at ages 4, 5, 6, and 7 and a great time was had by all. Of course, the most recommended character meal is breakfast with Cinderella at the Castle. This is a tough one to book but would be a real treat for an 8 year old I'm sure. There is also a Princess Breakfast at Norway in World Showcase - haven't been but it would be an alternative if you can't get Cinderella. There is also a Cinderella dinner at GF. The prince is there too and some other characters from the story. Wish they had had this one when we were taking Leah. I will hasten to add that you can't be guaranteed a grand time at any character meal. We have had both positive and negative experiences - depends a lot on crowd factor and how short handed (wait persons) they are at the time. I don't mean to dampen your enthusiasm as overall our experiences have been very positive. Just wanted you to be aware that while someone can have an absolutely wonderful experience, it might not be so for another person. For instance, we were very disappointed with Donald's Breakfastasaurus. But it gets an overwhelming endorsement from most folks. One of our happiest times was at the Hoop De Doo Review in Fort Wilderness. It's not a character meal but it was lots of fun and Leah loved it.
I hope you will get lots more responses and have a wonderful time with your granddaughter.
