Which is the best Character Meal?

[disneyfor5]

Have never done a character meal. Will be taking our 10 and 3 year old daughters in November. Would love to hear suggestions for character meals and if it is better to do the breakfast or dinners? Thanks

 

[ckotcamp]

Chef Mickey's is great.

Crystal Palace is top notch.

The Cape May Cafe is awesome.

Those are the only ones I can think of right now. But they are amazing.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

As two adults who do character meals, I can speak for your benefit as well as the kids. We've done Crystal Palace breakfast, Cinderella's Royal Table dinner, Chef Mickeys dinner, Liberty Tree Tavern dinner and our favorite is Crystal Palace. The food is good, you get to go into the MK early (if you book an early ADR on a non EMH morning) to get that coveted castle picture and it's just a really nice and relaxing place inside.

 

[TDISFAMILY]

If your 3 yr old has never seen the characters before you might want to do a character meal your 1st morning. We did Chef Mickey's and it was fun DS3 shocked me and loved it. But incase your DD3 gets scared of them you can avoid waiting in those sometimes long lines to see them once in the parks. This trip I plan on getting ADR's for 1 character meal a day, last year we only ADR for the Chef Mickey's b/c I was unsure how DS would be. The only other meal I've eated with characters was Garden Grill for lunch in epcot and it was really good in 2003.This year I plan on Ohana's for breakfast (poly) Liberty Tree Tavern (MK-dinner) Hollywood &vine (HS-lunch)Garden Grill (Epcot-Lucnh&dinner)I am sure others with DD can recommend some good princess meals

 

[abbeyville2862]

Character meals are the best! Well worth the money for the interaction with the characters alone!

IMO, breakfasts are the way to go! Make your reservations for early morning before the park opens. It is awesome to be in the Magic Kingdom before it opens....you get some priceless pictures of the castle too with no one in front of it!

Crystal Palace is a great way to start your vacation. You can see Pooh and the Gang there. It's a beautiful and bright setting, the characters are awesome and the food is good! This was my favorite breakfast.

We had an early ADR the next morning at the castle. DD6 LOVED that breakfast. If your girls like the princesses, it's a very special experience! You may want to consider this one too.

Two completely different experiences, both were fantastic!

I hear that Chef Mickey's is another character meal that people really enjoy. That's on our list for next time.

Have a wonderful trip!!

 

[KatMark]

We have done over the years Chef Mickey's (breakfast and dinner), Crystal Palace (breakfast only), the Princess Lunch in Norway (just DH and I) and Ohana (when it was Minnie's Menehue--we aren't Stitch fans so we haven't gone back since it changed). We have heard wonderful things about Cape May Cafe and will be trying it for breakfast this year. Our favorite, thus far, is the Crystal Palace breakfast. We never miss it on our trips. I love Pooh and Tigger, and the food is very good, the character interaction has always been excellent and the service very good.

 

[pl'smama]

We took our DD, who was then just four, to lunch at Crystal Palace and she loved it! We went back this time for lunch again and it is still a great place to enjoy the character experience.

We took our DD, who is now five to lunch with her two cousins, five and ten, at the Princess Storybook meal in Norway at Epcot. It was fantastic! Awesome food and wonderful interaction with five princesses!! If your ten year will do it, you coudl take the two of them to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and then lunch at Akershus, which is the Storybook meal. The three girls loved it and we got some amazing pictures!

Dinner at 1900 Park Fare was also amazing. We got to see the Grand Floridian and dine with Cinderella in a less formal place.

I also agree that Chef Mickey's is wonderful and would make a great first stop for any meal. We did breakfast there and the food was the best I had all week. But the characters were even more wonderful. It was a great meal and the kids loved it! So did the adults for that matter!!

Suz

 

[teach22180]

We've done Crystal Palace for breakfast and lunch, as Pooh and Tigger are our favorites! The advantage to the 8:05 breakfast is getting into the park early, and I loved the food! The advantage to the lunch is relaxing for a bit in the air conditioning. The food is standard buffet fare, but you can fill up at a late lunch and not have to eat a big dinner.

We also went to Ohana's to see Stitch, and I enjoyed the family style meal, too. Mickey is there, too, and that was the only time we (2 adults) saw him our second trip. That was an extra plus!

My suggestion is think about who their favorite characters may be. The food is pretty much the same at the breakfasts, so think location and characters!

 

[blessedby3]

We never miss Ohanas for breakfast when we go. The food there is so delecious!!! We also only go to the character buffets for breakfast. They are cheaper and we can load up for a better price, still get the characater interaction and then we arent hungry again until dinner. Then we grab a CS meal -something quick- and get back to the rides!

 

[Brian_WDW74]

My suggestion is think about who their favorite characters may be. The food is pretty much the same at the breakfasts, so think location and characters!

I agree completely. Who are your daughters' favorite characters? The Fab Five? The Princesses? Pooh and Friends?

Another character breakfast that will get you into a park early is Donald's Safari Breakfast at AK. It's great if your daughters like Mickey, Donald, Daisy and Goofy. And the African setting of Tusker House is a nice change of pace, too.

 

[Spanky]

We are going to the Cinderella supper at Park 1900 GF because the characters are all 'face characters'. My grandkids don't like to get close the the characters with full costumes. I know the adults will love Lady Tremain and the evil stepsisters but they may scare the little ones. We go next week.

 

[Mom2twinboys]

We did Donald's safari breakfast and loved it. I'm surprised more people don't mention it. I'm sure they are all great and try to pick the ones that I think my children will enjoy most. I didn't realize Mickey is at breakfast at Ohana's, I thought it was just Lilo and Stich?

 

[savvy?71]

I have only done 2 character meals so far:

Chef Mickey: Very laid back, casual, buffet-style (more 'fun' foods for the kids to choose from for the pickier set, especially), very upbeat & interactive

Princess Breakfast: More 'formal' (not stuffy-formal), choice of 3 items (IIRC), but absolutely precious--totally different experience but equally enjoyable. There is interaction here as well with wands given to girls and swords to boys, and a litle wish making 'ceremony'.

Both have picture pack included in price.

Hoping to check out Crystal Palace next trip; it seems a such a basic thing to rave about, but absolutely love the way the characters are so attentive to kids and make them feel so special

I like the earliest breakfast a lot because then you have this magical experience of walking into/through MK before it's 'open'. I could not believe the pics we got in front of the castle and down Main Street.

Also, for us anyway, breakfast is a great meal to start a busy DW day; then we can 'walk it off' I am just not a big luncher.

 

[TIGGERGUY]

My personal favorite is Crystal Palace. Of course, as Tiggerguy I am somewhat biased

For girls, Akershus is the best in my opinion. That princess meal is easier to get in than Cinderella's Castle. It is more reasonably priced and I like the interaction the girls had with all the princesses.

 

[ckotcamp]

I'm with tiggerguy...Crystal Palace happens to be my favorite as well, but I am also biased.

 

[kellykell9]

Ohanas! The best friends breakfast is the way to go. Everything comes out in a skillet to the table family style.

I like it better than standing in a buffet line with the rest of the folks.

No matter what, you'll have a good time!

Kelly

 

[bkhibiscus]

Cape May Cafe had by far the best character interaction, but nothing prepared to order. That being said the food was very good and they had my daughter's favorite, Lox.

We really liked Tusker House breakfast. Interesting food, Donald and Daisy.

Crystal Palace is really good, but the food was a little off in March from our previous experience.

If you have a daughter then don't miss 1900 Park Faire Cinderella Dinner. Our daughter got to dance with Prince Charming! Food is different and very good.