which character meal for a boy 10 and 2 girls 2 and 4??

[kailuagirl]

Which one do you recommend? We've never been to one and am excited myself. I really was thinking of doing Ariels. I don't think the boy would mind, but would he be really bored? or would another one be better? Thank you!!

 

[clairabell29]

Goofy's has a little bit for everyone, there is usually at least one princess wondering around and of course all the other characters as well. They also do a fun little dance with pots and pans with the kids, it's cute. I'm trying Minnie and friends for the first time in 20 some odd years, but am told they have GREAT character interaction.

 

[specialks]

We have only ever done Ariels and I don't know if it would be the best. I think they all would enjoy the larger character numbers at one of the buffets. The food choices might be a little better too -- more variety. Ariels has kind of a formal feeling with an appetizer tower and desert dish whereas the buffets might be a little less formal. However, it was nice to skip the PFF line this year because we knew the girls would see princesses at the meal.

 

[lilsprstr]

With those age ranges, I'd say Goofy's Kitchen is your best bet.

 

[pixiewings71]

I don't like GK at all. We had hardly any character interaction at all.
I'd suggest Minnie & Friends, Storyteller's and the new Mickey meal before I would suggest GK.
If you can only do 1 then do 1 of the above, if you can do more then 1 do AG for a lunch or dinner and one of the others for breakfast on a different day.

 

[Sherry E]

Goofy's has great food, and a very wide variety of options - including the P, B & J pizza that the kids might like, worms and dirt, cupcakes, etc. - and they have increased their number of characters recently (though still not to the Minnie & Friends level), based on what I saw in December and have heard on the DIS recently. If you don't want to risk Ariel's Grotto because you aren't sure how the 10-year-old boy would feel about it, I think Goofy's Kitchen or Minnie and Friends will be the best for you. (In fact, I encouraged Clairabell29 and her family to try Goofy's last year and their family loved it.) But maybe Minnie & Friends - because it is cheaper and has more characters - might be the best for you. Or maybe Surf's Up with Mickey and Friends at the PPH.

Honestly, Storytellers Critter Breakfast is kind of boring as a character meal, especially for kids, I think. I mean, if that is the only character meal a child has ever done, then they would have nothing to compare it to and probably would like it. But I am convinced that Minnie & Friends or Goofy's Kitchen would be a bigger hit with kids if they had them to compare. Even on a day when the food is at its best (which it was not the last time I was there, in October), the mood is very laid-back at Storytellers and you have to be into Koda, Kenai, Meeko, Terk, etc., to enjoy it. I would rather try the new Surf's Up with Mickey meal at the PPH before I go back to Storytellers again. Fortunately, Chip and Dale are at Goofy's and Minnie's too, so I don't have to be forced to go back to Storytellers again to see them!!!

 

[radius]

Goofys kitchen all the way. My parents took me there when I was younger and I enjoyed it. The charecters will do their best to show affection towards your table as long as your table is having fun and talk to them. Ive been over 10 times and never had a issue with the charecters. I do see tables with all adults get less attention from the charecters then one with kids.

 

[pixiewings71]

Ya, when we went to GK there were loads of characters, we saw probably 7 or 8, BUT only 2 or 3 came to our table. And the kids didn't like the pbj pizza at all...it was such a bust for us. We were really expecting to have fun but nope, we were so disappointed/upset when we left and that's not how you should feel after a meal like that.

 

[Sherry E]

Goofys kitchen all the way. My parents took me there when I was younger and I enjoyed it. The charecters will do their best to show affection towards your table as long as your table is having fun and talk to them. Ive been over 10 times and never had a issue with the charecters. I do see tables with all adults get less attention from the charecters then one with kids.

Ahhh....Radius, a fellow Goofy's fan! I've been eating at GK since 1992, and there have been really only a couple of days in all that time where the characters were slow in getting over or not around at all, or where the food was having an 'off day.' And we are all adults, but the characters show us love too! More often than not, it's a good time for all! There used to be fewer characters, but I suspect they are now trying to give guests an alternative to Ariel's in offering up Princesses outside of the parks, and to compete with Minnie's by just having a couple more characters around, period.

I really think all the restaurants in DL have off days and probably really excellent days, and that certainly applies to the character meals too. If my last visit to Storytellers Critter Breakfast had been my only visit, I would not recommend it at all, but fortunately I've tried it a few times so I know it is not always like that. It's still boring to me, but a lot of other people like it and love the food. However, character meals are very $$$, so if the first time doesn't impress, it's better to go back to something tried and true that works for your group so you know that your money will be well spent.

And as for the P,B & J pizza - it's personal taste. It is not something I would personally eat at all, but there have certainly been lots of people who have posted here on the DIS that their kids loved it. In fact, my adult friend ate it and enjoyed it! So what works for one person/family may not work for another family. You just never know. But it is worth it to bring it up in a character meal thread because someone's children may love P, B & J and want to try it!!

 

[jacs1234]

My 10 year old boy would NOT like Ariels grotto. My daughter at 4 and at 2 wouldn't be that great there either. It's a bit quieter with 4 quiet visits from princesses.

My four wild ones thrive in the noise and bustle of goofy's kitchen and Minnies breakfast. Minnies breakfast if my fave at the moment. How fun to dance with Captain Hook and Rabbit, get teased by Tigger and lose our hat to Chip and Dale. We saw pinnochio and the Alice Characters. It was soooooooo much fun.