Which character meal?

[StarSeven7]

We're trying to decide on a character meal for our trip in January. We're deciding between Tusker House, Chef Mickey's, and Cape May Cafe. The kids have requested a meal with Mickey characters (we have another booked at Crystal Palace).
-Pros of Tusker House: we've never been before and it looks like fun! Cons: This is a day at AK where we would be with my sister and her 2 kids but they wouldn't be doing the character meal (unfortunately it's out of their price range) so I feel a bit bad about that, I've read about seating delays and I hate eating into park time!
-Pros of Chef Mickey's: my kids love it (we've been twice before) and have requested it, it would be on our rest/no parks day so there's no eating into park time. Cons: My hubby really doesn't want any ADRs on our off day since he just wants to relax at POFQ (we're switching over to ASMo later that day).
-Pros of Cape May: Looks like a nice alternative to Chef Mickey's! Cons: Same as above, it would have to be on our rest day which my hubby doesn't want!

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Last trip we did Chef Mickey's and Tusker House. We were sat almost immediately at Tusker House for our ADR time. The food is pretty good for a buffet, the characters are wearing fun safari clothes, and if you like Daisy she's there! If you haven't done it, it's definitely worth trying once.

 

[StarSeven7]

Last trip we did Chef Mickey's and Tusker House. We were sat almost immediately at Tusker House for our ADR time. The food is pretty good for a buffet, the characters are wearing fun safari clothes, and if you like Daisy she's there! If you haven't done it, it's definitely worth trying once.

Can I ask what time you ate at? We have a late breakfast time booked (I think 10:40am). I've read so many reports of them seating late and the characters being slow to come around that it has me nervous that it will eat up too much park time! But it does look really fun!

 

[lovemy2girls4eva]

Mickey is not at Cape May Cafe. I personally would do Chef Mickey's!

 

[foodiddiedoo]

Can I ask what time you ate at? We have a late breakfast time booked (I think 10:40am). I've read so many reports of them seating late and the characters being slow to come around that it has me nervous that it will eat up too much park time! But it does look really fun!

It was fairly early like 5PM.

 

[crabbygal902]

I do not like PPO breakfasts at all. They feel rushed and we are too full to tour the way we like after eating so much. Paying that much for breakfast means that I am going to sit and enjoy it, by gosh. If your sis can't join--and you'd feel bad about leaving her out--and worried about getting into that insane line into AK's Pandora, (by the way, they've been opening early which would definitely be a deciding factor against a PPO character meal but I don't know if that is a trend that will continue) that would be it for me. No Tusker House.

Chef Mickey's: Since you've been twice already, it is the most expensive option, and DH isn't jazzed about it anyway--I'd drop this one from the list, too.

Cape May would be the winner for me. It is laid back and relaxed compared to Chef Mickey's and other character breakfasts and is in a lovely setting that is close to POFQ... IF you have a car or use Uber/Lyft. I'd schedule a late breakfast, sleep in and/or enjoy POFQ for a bit, pack up to move to ASMo, have breakfast at Cape May, then check in at ASMo. Ya gotta eat anyway on rest day, might as well make it somewhere convenient and fun, somewhere that fits your resort move plans.

 

[KrazeeK120]

We were just at Disney 3 weeks ago and had a late breakfast (10:50) at Tusker House. We were seated within 5 minutes of our reservation time. We were actually in and out of the meal in less than an hour! I’d vote for that first with Cape May as a 2nd choice.

 

[Destinyz12]

Keep in mind that Tusker doesn't have Minnie, and Cape May doesn't have Mickey. If those minor details don't matter, I'd go with the late breakfast at Tusker House as it will give some time to rest if you planned on rope dropping rides the first couple of hours. And at that time, you can sample both breakfast and lunch foods.

 

[StarSeven7]

We were just at Disney 3 weeks ago and had a late breakfast (10:50) at Tusker House. We were seated within 5 minutes of our reservation time. We were actually in and out of the meal in less than an hour! I’d vote for that first with Cape May as a 2nd choice.

That would be the perfect scenario and would make Tusker House my first choice if I could guarantee that! I've shown the kids the videos of both Tusker House and Cape May and they realize Minnie is not at TH and Mickey is not at CM and they're fine with that! They're just requesting "Mickey and friends" characters vs. face characters.

 

[disneyfreak202]

Tusker House is my favorite character meal. I have always had a 10:30/10:45 reservation and it is perfect timing. I have only had one problem being sat late and we were sat about 15 minutes after we checked in (we checked in about 10 minutes late). Our meals always only took about an hour too.

 

[StarSeven7]

Ok, I'm hearing a lot of good things about Tusker House, maybe we will stick with that! Thanks everyone!

 

[kastoney]

Definitely stick with Tusker House. We aren't big buffet or character meal fans in general, but Tusker House is unquestionably the only one we like and return to. The food is great for the parents and you cannot beat mickey and company in their safari gear.

 

[sapphirerose915]

To totally throw a wrench in the post, there is also Hollywood and Vine at HS... they have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.. and the have have seasonal parties where the characters are dressed up.. so cute and ALL the gang is there!! Plus there really isnt much to eat at HS so you can kill 2 birds!!

 

[StarSeven7]

To totally throw a wrench in the post, there is also Hollywood and Vine at HS... they have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.. and the have have seasonal parties where the characters are dressed up.. so cute and ALL the gang is there!! Plus there really isnt much to eat at HS so you can kill 2 birds!!

I did consider that but I believe it's only lunch/dinner? We definitely want breakfast since it's so much cheaper (and my children will eat a lot more!) Plus we have Sci-Fi Diner booked for our HS day!

 

[sapphirerose915]

I did consider that but I believe it's only lunch/dinner? We definitely want breakfast since it's so much cheaper (and my children will eat a lot more!) Plus we have Sci-Fi Diner booked for our HS day!

Gotcha!!!! Didn't realize for breakfast!!!

 

[Nancyg56]

Ok, I'm hearing a lot of good things about Tusker House, maybe we will stick with that! Thanks everyone!

Okay, I am just going to say it. If you know your sister and her kids cannot go to a character meal, why pick one on the day they are joining you? I am not sure what characters are at teh Garden Grove in the Swan/Dolphin resort, but can you consider that one instead if it works with your plans?

To totally throw a wrench in the post, there is also Hollywood and Vine at HS... they have Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy.. and the have have seasonal parties where the characters are dressed up.. so cute and ALL the gang is there!! Plus there really isnt much to eat at HS so you can kill 2 birds!!

I would totally pick this one, even if it was not breakfast. If you booked it as a late lunch, early dinner you could pretty much skip a meal, have a snack later in the evening, and perhaps even out the cost.

 

[StarSeven7]

Okay, I am just going to say it. If you know your sister and her kids cannot go to a character meal, why pick one on the day they are joining you? .

We're doing the parks for 6 days together as an extended family so it's not like this is our one day together and we would be ditching them! But on this one particular day at AK it is just my family and her family together (my parents and other sister's family are going to HS) so I do have some qualms about it! My sister said she didn't mind at all and to go ahead with Tusker House BUT our kids are close and I don't want her kids to feel left out at all. Hollywood and Vine really doesn't work for us even though it looks great! We're doing HS with the extended family and we have a lunch reservation for all of us at Sci-Fi Diner!

So we've decided to do Cape May Cafe on our Epcot day (this will be before my extended family arrives) for a late breakfast! We'll do Epcot for morning EMH and then walk over to Beach Club, and have a relaxing afternoon in the World Showcase. Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Nancyg56]

We're doing the parks for 6 days together as an extended family so it's not like this is our one day together and we would be ditching them! But on this one particular day at AK it is just my family and her family together (my parents and other sister's family are going to HS) so I do have some qualms about it! My sister said she didn't mind at all and to go ahead with Tusker House BUT our kids are close and I don't want her kids to feel left out at all. Hollywood and Vine really doesn't work for us even though it looks great! We're doing HS with the extended family and we have a lunch reservation for all of us at Sci-Fi Diner!

So we've decided to do Cape May Cafe on our Epcot day (this will be before my extended family arrives) for a late breakfast! We'll do Epcot for morning EMH and then walk over to Beach Club, and have a relaxing afternoon in the World Showcase. Thanks for the input everyone!

Sounds great!!!

 

[StarSeven7]

Sounds great!!!

And thanks for your honesty! It gave me the push I needed to cancel that Tusker House reservation and feel confident about my decision to go with Cape May Cafe!

 

[marchingstar]

And thanks for your honesty! It gave me the push I needed to cancel that Tusker House reservation and feel confident about my decision to go with Cape May Cafe!

i hope you have a great time i agree with nancy—i think it would have been hard on everyone to pick TH. It’s one thing to decide to do your own things for part of a day and another for some to be left out just because of cost.

plus, now you get to maximize your park time and add a fun experience at beach club i hope you have a great time. it sounds like a big family trip, and lots of chances for your extended family and all the little cousins to make some great memories.