Character dining experiences give you a chance to sit down to decadent meals with some of your favorite Disney pals. If you want to include a character meal in your stay, check out this comprehensive guide to all your Walt Disney World options.
In the Disney theme parks
Image: Christene S., Flickr (license)
Character dining experiences are available in all four of the WDW theme parks. You must have a valid park ticket to get to these restaurants.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Location: Epcot, World Showcase, Norway
Who You’ll Meet: A selection of Disney princesses that may include Snow White, Belle, Aurora, Ariel, and Cinderella
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: Enjoy favorites like scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and potato casserole. Give your meal a Norwegian twist with a selection of meats, cheeses, and garnishes.
Lunch & Dinner: Begin with a Taste of Norway platter featuring Scandinavian cheese, meats, seafood, and salads. Entrees include Norwegian meatballs and lingonberry sauce, pan-seared salmon in a curried-cauliflower cream sauce, pickled mushrooms over braised beef, roasted chicken breast with herb-chicken jus, and more.
What’s Nearby: The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is located in Epcot’s Norway, home to the wildly popular Frozen Ever After Ride. This area also features the oft-overlooked Stave Church Gallery where you’ll find historic artifacts from Norway, some of which inspired Frozen.
Image: Disney
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Location: Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland
Who You’ll Meet: Disney princesses; exact characters are subject to change
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: Start the day with a hearty meal like shrimp and grits, beef tenderloin and egg, or a baked spinach, mushroom, and goat cheese quiche.
Lunch & Dinner: Start with assorted royal charcuteries or a Castle Salad. For your main, options include the Royal Chef’s Fish of the Day, beef and shrimp, pan-searched chicken, seared pork tenderloin, and summer vegetable couscous. Save room for dessert! The Jaq & Gus is a decadent affair with cheesecake, strawberry cake, and meringue. The Clock Strikes Twelve features a dark chocolate mousse, ganache, and raspberry coulis.
What’s Nearby: Cinderella’s Royal Table is inside Cinderella Castle, putting you at the center of Magic Kingdom park. The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is inside the castle as well, so little princesses can get a glittery makeover just before their meal.
The Crystal Palace
Location: Magic Kingdom, Main Street
Who You’ll Meet: Winnie the Pooh and friends
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: You can’t go wrong with this buffet featuring an omelet station, pancakes, waffles, pastries, potatoes, cereals, fruit, and breakfast meats.
Lunch & Dinner: Enjoy a buffet of salads, soups, fish, chicken, roasted carved meats, fresh-baked breads, and assorted vegetables.
What’s Nearby: The Main Street location keeps you close to everything. Some of the best viewing spots for parades and fireworks are just a short walk from the restaurant.
Image: Disney
The Garden Grill
Location: Epcot, Future World
Who You’ll Meet: Chip ‘n’ Dale with other Disney friends
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: Indulge with Chip’s Sticky Bun Bake, Mickey waffles in a chocolate-hazelnut sauce, scrambled eggs, potato barrels, bacon, and sausage.
Lunch: Feast on a buffet featuring turkey breast, pot roast, Italian sausage, mashed potatoes, bacon and leek stuffing, mac and cheese, and fresh vegetables. Finish up with short cake topped with fruit compote and whipped cream.
What’s Nearby: This rotating restaurant is situated above Living with the Land, so you’ll enjoy scenes from the attraction as you dine. Head over to experience the ride yourself when you’re done, or visit other attractions in the building such as Soarin’ and The Circle of Life.
Hollywood & Vine
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Echo Lake
Who You’ll Meet: Disney Junior stars like Doc McStuffins, Sofie the First, Handy Manny, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates join diners for breakfast and lunch through September 2017. Beginning in September, Minnie’s Seasonal Dine, currently dinner-only, will expand to include lunch. Minnie’s meals feature classic members of the Disney gang.
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: The buffet line-up offers classics like Mickey waffles, biscuits and gravy, pastries, frittata, and an omelet bar.
Lunch: Enjoy a tasty American-style buffet with pork, baked chicken, salmon, pasta, and a lobster and shrimp macaroni & cheese.
Dinner: Offerings change seasonally.
What’s Nearby: Take a stroll around Echo Lake to experience Star Tours, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration.
Image: Jeff Christiansen, Flickr (license)
Tusker House Restaurant
Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Africa
Who You’ll Meet: Safari Donald and friends, decked out for African explorations
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: This massive buffet has more variety than most. You’ll find frittatas, spit-roasted ham, corn beef hash, plantains, basmati rice, oven-roasted potatoes, beef bobotie, fresh breads, cheeses, pastries, cereals, breakfast meats, and more.
Lunch & Dinner: Explore a rich African-style lineup including toasted couscous salad, mojo pork, Cape Malay curry chicken, Moroccan multigrain bread, peri-peri whole salmon, taboulleh, oat rolls, and much more.
What’s Nearby: Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail are close at hand.
At Walt Disney World Resorts
Image: Edward Russell, Flickr (license)
Character dining at the Disney resorts gives you easy access to an unforgettable meal without a park ticket. Parking at the resort is free during your meal.
1900 Park Fare
Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Who You’ll Meet: Whimsical Disney characters like Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tigger, Winnie the Pooh, and Mary Poppins attend breakfast. Prince Charming, and their storybook friends host dinner.
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: Customize your meal with made-to-order omelets and eggs. Fresh fruits, breads, pastries, breakfast meats, and more will round out your options.
Dinner: Enjoy a royal buffet with assorted salads, mojo roast pork loin, Mongolian beef, butternut squash ravioli, green beans, mashed potatoes, and jasmine rice.
Cape May Café
Location: Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Who You’ll Meet: Minnie and friends join diners for breakfast.
What’s on the Menu: Enjoy a hearty buffet with sliced meats, Mickey waffles, pastries, fruits, yogurts, cheeses, cereals, breads, and other favorites.
Image: Matthew Freeman, Flickr (license)
Chef Mickey’s
Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Who You’ll Meet: Mickey and friends such as Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald
What’s on the Menu:
Breakfast: Fill up with classics like bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, and cheesy potato casserole. Don’t forget to grab one of Minnie’s muffins!
Brunch: Pick a breakfast-inspired ham and cheese scramble or go for lunch-like options such as barbecue pork ribs and baked salmon.
Dinner: This dinner buffet features a selection of salads, carving stations, and pastas, as well as baked chicken, baked salmon, barbecue pork ribs, and mussels.
Image: Disney
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ
Location: The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
Who You’ll Meet: Disney favorites that may include Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Chip, and Dale
What’s on the Menu: This barbecue buffet includes hamburgers, hot dogs, smoked chicken, and ribs with stick-to-your-ribs sides like corn on the cob and mac and cheese.
‘Ohana
Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Who You’ll Meet: Lilo, Stitch, and other Disney friends join guests for breakfast.
What’s on the Menu: This island buffet includes pork breakfast sausage, smoked bacon, Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, and fried potatoes.
Special Character Dining Events
Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)
Outside of the regular meal offerings, you’ll also find a few special events that let you enjoy a meal, teatime, or dessert with beloved characters.
Tiana’s Riverboat Party Ice Cream Social
Location: Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square Riverboat
Park Ticket Needed: Yes
Who You’ll Meet: Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen
What’s on the Menu: Craft sweet creations at the Riverboat dock’s ice cream social.
What’s Included: After your ice cream, this event includes special viewing of the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade from the Liberty Square Riverboat.
Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and Pals
Location: Disney Springs, Ravello
Park Ticket Needed: No
Who You’ll Meet: Goofy and classic Disney friends
What’s on the Menu: A classic breakfast buffet accompanied by a made-to-order omelet station
What’s Included: This meal includes a complimentary download of your digital photos with the characters.
Image: Disney
Disney’s Perfectly Princess Tea
Location: Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Garden View Tea Room
Park Ticket Needed: No
Who You’ll Meet: A magical rose dubbed “Rose Petal” hosts the event with stories and sing-alongs. Princess Aurora herself may make an appearance.
What’s on the Menu: Apple juice “tea” (and regular tea for adults), tea sandwiches, fresh fruit, cheese, lavosh, and Princess Cake make up a filling tea time.
What’s Included: Little princesses between the ages of 3 and 9 receive an assortment of keepsakes including a tiara, necklace, bracelet, cinch bag, fresh rose, and an 18-inch Princess Aurora doll. Young princes get a sword and shield, souvenir pin, and plush bear.
If you’re looking for special guests to enjoy a Disney meal with, these unforgettable options are the perfect solution. Don’t forget to make your reservations early and take your camera and autograph book along for the event!
