Character Dining at WDW

[Sue]

<DIV>Just got back from our WDW trip....what fun! Although we are all still recovering from 7 straight days with a toddler..hehehe Sue <IMG src="http://www.wdwplanner.com/ubb/smile.gif">

[34Angels]

Thanks Sue!! I'm planning on being at WDW for my birthday and the character meal reviews are helpful!!

[Tink]

Sue, thanks so much for those reviews. I have always heard Chef Mickey's is the place to go, so wonder if the bad food was a one time experience, or the standard.
The Crystal Palace definitely seems the place to be!
Leanne

[Sue]

The food wasn't "bad" per se at Chef Mickey's ... but for what you pay for dinner, I did expect a bit more variety and higher quality. But I think you pay for the interaction opportunities, not the meals when it comes to character dining.
But for the food quality...I would stick with the Crystal Palace. I have also heard that the food at Cinderella's Castle is also so-so and overrated.

[Tink]

Thanks so much for clearing that up. So it is like most other character meals. Food, mediocre.
Leanne

[Sue]

Yup...just tended to have less quality at Chef Mickey's. Given the hype, wasn't worth it compared to our other experiences.

[Tink]

And the character interaction was just okay too, right?
Leanne

[Sue]

Yes, unfortunately. It seems to be a more difficult venue for them to navigate, and they dedicated much less time to each table. And I found it unacceptable to wait almost 30 min AFTER we completed a meal (taking 50 min) to wait for a character.

[Tink]

Okay thanks.

[kristisomer]

Every year myself, husband Troy, son Trey (5) and daughter Kyan (2) go to Disney World. Each year we have done a character dining. I thought I would offer my opinion on a few of them.
The first one we attended was at the Crystal Palace and if you make reservations in advance you still may spend up to an hour waiting to be seated. This is what happened to us with a reservation time of 11:40. By once inside and seated everything was great.
We have ate at Donald's Breakfast at Restaurantosaurs three different times and really like the atmosphere. This is at the Animal Kingdom and we have never had any problems with being seated on time. This buffet features Donald, Mickey, Pluto and Goofy. The food is okay not the best I have had.
Ohana's was by far my children's favorite yet. This is at the Polynesian resort and is so relaxing. My children loved the parade, they got to march in with Mickey, Pluto and Stitch around the restaurant. And the food there was excellent especially the pineapple bread.
Akershus Royal Banquet: This one is in Norway in Epcot. This is one for the little princesses in your family. We was able to spend time with Mulan, Jasmine, Snow White, Aurora, &amp; Mary Poppins. And again the food was great!
When we go back in June we will be trying Cinderella's Royal Dining for Lunch and going back to Ohana's for sure. I think we are going to also squeeze in the new one at MGM featuring Jojo circus and Little Einsteins. The prices for these character dining can be a little expensive but are worth it especially not having to wait in lines to meet these characters. For example when I called to make reservations for the Cinderella's Royal Table it was $33 for lunch for an adult and $23 for a child and you must prepay in advance to secure your reservation.

[Tink]

Kristi - I don't know how I missed this post before! Thanks so much for all of that information. It will be very helpful to all of us!
Leanne

[kristisomer]

No problem Leanne. We have actually scheduled 3 character dining for June. We are doing Cinderella's castle, Ohana's again with Lilo &amp; Stitch and the Garden Grill with Mickey, Pluto , Chip &amp; Dale. The Garden Grill is actually where we have our anniversary supper planned. The lady taking our restaurant noted this also on the reservation. I am not sure what that means but we'll see.

[Sue]

When we did the character meals and indicated they were for Trey's birthday, they did a great job with a birthday cake, signed placemats, etc.
We will have to try a couple of those next time we go kris! Like I said in the other thread, we decided the castle wasn't worth the price...also, you get a set meal, no buffet...so if you have picky kids, you are kinda screwed! :)

[Disney5]

I really need buffet at all the meals for us with Morgan, it's so much more helpful!!!

[kristisomer]

Ohana is a breakfast that is an all you care to eat meal. They bring your food out in a skillet but you may ask for more. If I remember correct you got potato wedges, eggs, sausage, bacon, pineapple bread, biscuits, &amp; waffles. All the food was soooo good. Especially the pineapple bread and potatoes.

[Sue]

Sounds wonderful...will definitely have that on my list for the next trip!

[Disney5]

Yum!!!