Which character meal would you choose? Why?

[englishteacha]

We're planning our first family trip with our daughter, who will be 4 when we go.
She loves princesses, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Mickey and Minnie, and really, everything.

So we're trying to decide on one, maybe two, character meals for our trip. The budget doesn't allow for more than that. CRT is too expensive, and the dinner shows are also out due to cost.

I've narrowed it down to Akershus (probably breakfast, as it's cheaper), 1900 Park Fare dinner (she loves Cinderella and she thinks the stepsisters are hilarious), or 1900 Park Fare breakfast (she loves Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter, and Pooh and Tigger).

Is there any chance of Anna and Elsa appearing in Akershus after the Norway remodeling is done? She also loves Frozen.

She likes EVERYTHING, so it's very hard to choose! Our ADR date is approaching so I'm hoping to make some decisions soon. I know there are meet and greets to meet Minnie and Mickey so I'm not worried about them at a meal. It's harder to find Mary Poppins, Alice, Prince Charming (isn't 1900 dinner the only place to meet him?), and the stepsisters (which I know sometimes don't appear at 1900 dinner).

Thanks for any input!

 

[_auroraborealis_]

There is close to zero chance of Elsa and Anna joining at a character meal. They did it only briefly, and never since, which seems to set precedent. They need two sets at the meet and greet at all times, and use them in parades, so it's pretty highly scheduled.

The stepsisters are often at MK, usually around the Carousel. Not guaranteed, but no appearance is.

I would say 1900 Park Fare breakfast is one of the most unique of the breakfasts. I would say to do that, then Akershus on an Epcot day. If it's after June (assuming, sine we're talking ADRs), Akershus breakfast will be a must-reserve at 180 days. You may be able to book FastPass for the new Frozen ride by your FP window, so watch for that.

 

[pjweaver]

My favorites are 1900 Park Fare at dinner and Tusker House for breakfast (I know you didn't make your list, but it's overlooked often and has most of the fab five). Akershus has many princesses, I just find the food not to my liking for the price, much like CRT.

 

[OhThePain]

I would do 1900 PF breakfast and Tusker House breakfast. This will cover Mary, Alice, MH, Pooh, Tigger, Donald, Mickey, Goofy and Daisy (however that is always subject to change). Also, breakfasts tend to be less expensive, so 2 doesn't really hurt the budget too much.

 

[TheRustyScupper]

OUR WDW CHARACTER MEAL & BUFFET RANKINGS (*rev: August 2015*):
Results are listed from best to worst
Best Food (quality first, then variety):
. . . 1900 Park Fare
. . . Ohana
. . . Garden Grill
. . . Tusker House, breakfast-Lunch (moved from #1 Spot due to menu changes)
. . . Garden Grove Swan-dinner
. . . Akershus Royal Banquet
. . . Tusker House, Dinner
. . . Cape May Café
. . . Hollywood & Vine
. . . Crystal Palace
. . . Cinderella Royal Table (since new menu)
. . . Chef Mickey's
Best Character Interaction (time with guest first, then friendliness):
. . . Tusker House, Breakfast-Lunch
. . . Akershus Royal Banquet
. . . 1900 Park Fare
. . . Garden Grill
. . . Tusker House, Dinner
. . . Ohana
. . . Garden Grove (Swan, dinner)
. . . 1900 Park Fare
. . . Chef Mickey's
. . . Cape May Café
. . . Hollywood & Vine
. . . Cinderella Royal Table
. . . Crystal Palace (barely enough time for a photo)
Best Atmosphere (surroundings and ambiance):
. . . Cinderella Royal Table
. . . Tusker House, Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner
. . . Akershus Royal Banquet
. . . Ohana
. . . 1900 Park Fare
. . . Garden Grill
. . . Crystal Palace
. . . Hollywood & Vine
. . . Cape May Café
. . . Garden Grove (Swan, dinner)
. . . Chef Mickey's
.
NOTE1: Results are listed from best to worst. Overall, Tusker House wins due to best food and the length of time the characters stay at each table. A close second is 1900 Park Fare. By far, Chef Mickey's is the loser, due to mediocre character interaction and almost terrible food quality. The very distant second worst is Cinderella Royal Table, for brief time at tables by characters and the new menu. For non-character breakfast buffets, we prefer The Wave (CR) or Trail's End (FW).

 

[Meriweather]

I would do 1900 PF breakfast and Tusker House breakfast. This will cover Mary, Alice, MH, Pooh, Tigger, Donald, Mickey, Goofy and Daisy (however that is always subject to change). Also, breakfasts tend to be less expensive, so 2 doesn't really hurt the budget too much.

Just got back and did both of these and they were great character meets!
Tusker House's food was better, but the other was okay.

 

[pjweaver]

Great list Scupper.

OP, I would want to know is this just for your daughter to meet, or is food quality/quantity key, and how many will be in your group? We loved Garden Grill dinner (but think it's better with a larger group) for the food and the time the characters spent, and are excited to go for breakfast on our next trip. We (it is only my wife and I, both 40) rank them by 1. food quality 2. character interaction 3. characters available. DW wanted to meet Anna & Elsa so we FP+ the M&G at MK rather than spending the money for another character meal.

We do take advantage of early breakfast ADRs to get into AK and MK before rope drop to get great photos without the crowds. Breakfast buffets are cheaper too, and if you really want to save money (and have lower scruples), your daughter is 3 not 4.

 

[englishteacha]

It's just the 3 of us. I'd like good food, of course, but really want a chance for Z to meet the amazing characters she adores while everything is still magical. We're going to do a few character meets, as well, but we don't want to spend all day in line to meet characters. She loves rides and shows and characters at our local theme park, so she'll be over the moon to be in Disney.

 

[TeamSy]

I'm voting for Akershus breakfast. It's one of my favorite Disney character breakfasts in terms of food and interaction. Its not as crazy as say chef mickeys or tusk. My second favorite breakfast is Ohana - those Mickey waffles!!!

 

[jaiminee krikit]

My daughter and I went to 1900 PF for breakfast last summer and it quickly turned into our favorite character meal (1900 PF dinner is a close second though!) The characters were great - The Mad Hatter was the best, and Alice and Mary Poppins were good, too. Tigger bonked into me with his tail and came over and gave me lots of hugs to apologize. Pooh was also super cute. The characters at dinner are great, too. The stepsisters are a riot! They never fail to disappoint. Lady Tremaine is good, too, very spooky. Cinderella and Prince Charming are IMO, just... there. The last time they barely spoke to us at all. It was cute to see them dance together and everything, but I like good interaction, too. I will say, if your daughter is shy or nervous around characters, I would not do the dinner. A couple of years ago we went with my 2 and 4 year old nieces, and the stepsisters and LT scared both of them, one of them so bad she hid behind her mother the entire meal - wouldn't even come out for Cinderella and Prince Charming. During breakfast, The Mad Hatter can get very enthusiastic, but he seemed to sense it when kids weren't up for his antics and toned it down a lot.
The food is great for both meals. And they both have strawberry soup (my absolute favorite!) But breakfast is a bit cheaper and I liked the food just a bit better.
We've done Akershus a couple of times and it's okay. I'm not a huge fan of the food, and I'm the most adventurous eater out of my family, so we have avoided it the last few trips. And the princess interaction has never been anything to write home about.
We did breakfast at Ohana last summer also, and while the food (and Stitch) were great, we'll never go back. If your daughter likes Lilo & Stitch I would look at that one, if not, ignore me.
We like breakfast at Crystal Palace, too. Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, and Piglet - great character interaction and good food, too (Pooh's Puffed French Toast OMG!) We did not like dinner there at all - same characters but the food was not our favorite. Plus you can make an early ADR and - as long as they don't add EMH - get in before park opening and get almost empty pictures of the castle and Main Street USA.
Have fun!