From Mickey Mouse to the Mad Hatter, character meals at Disney's resort hotels offer opportunities to meet both favorite and hard to find characters.
More than the rides and the shows, Disney characters are what make Walt Disney World a special family travel destination. Whether you’re hoping to meet the mouse that started it all or the princesses that captivate little girls everywhere, character dining is a great way to collect autographs and pictures of Disney friends without waiting in long lines for in park meeting spots.
In addition to character meals in the parks, several restaurants at Disney resorts offer character dining experiences. Located at deluxe resorts in the Magic Kingdom and Epcot areas, these restaurants are just a boat or monorail ride away from the action. Like all Disney restaurants, advanced reservations are accepted up to 180 days in advance, and because of the popularity of character dining experiences, reservations are strongly recommended for all locations.
Located on the second floor of the Polynesian resort’s Grand Ceremonial House, Ohana hosts a character breakfast each morning with Lilo & Stitch. The south Pacific theme of the resort is the natural setting for a meal with the Hawaiian pair, who are joined by Mickey and Pluto dressed in their finest floral shirts and leis.
Breakfast at Ohana is an all-you-care-to-eat meal, served family style. The meal starts with a fresh fruit bowl followed by the breakfast platter, which features scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, sausage, bacon and assorted sweet breads.
Ohana serves breakfast from 7:30 to 11. The price for adults is $18.99, and the price for children is $10.99.
This buffet, located just off the breathtaking lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian resort, hosts two character meals each day. Breakfast features Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter. At dinner, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother and the mice Suzy and Perla make the rounds to visit with diners.
Widely considered one of the best buffets Disney has to offer, 1900 Park Fare offers a variety of selections for both breakfast and dinner. At breakfast, an assortment of breads, pastries and muffins are served, along with a plentiful cold buffet featuring the restaurant’s signature chilled strawberry soup along with yogurt, fruit, and cold cereals. The hot buffet offers made-to-order omelets, a selection of breakfast meats, biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and bread pudding. At dinner, the cold buffet offers a selection of salads, from basic garden salad to Greek, Caesar, and tomato mozzarella salads, along with peel and eat shrimp. Several soups are offered on a rotating basis, but the specialty strawberry soup is always featured. Entrees include prime rib, curry chicken, apple stuffed pork loin, cheese lasagna, and chicken marsala. Children’s favorites like macaroni & cheese and chicken strips are offered for the picky eater, and the selection of treats on the dessert bar offers something for everyone.
Breakfast is served at 1900 Park Fare from 8:00 to 11:30, and costs $18.99 for adults and $10.99 for children. Dinner is served from 4:30 to 8:30. Dinner prices are $28.99 for adults and $13.99 for children.
Just a short walk from the Magic Kingdom in the Contemporary resort, Chef Mickey’s features Mickey, Minnie and friends for breakfast and dinner. The atmosphere at Chef Mickey’s is festive, and the characters lead children and adults alike in napkin twirling and other fun.
Meals at Chef Mickey’s are served buffet style. The breakfast menu features scrambled eggs, omelets, French toast, Mickey waffles, and breakfast meats, along with an assortment of fresh fruit, yogurt, pastries, and cold cereal. The dinner buffet offers a wide range of choices, from kid favorites like Mickey-shaped cheese ravioli to more adult dishes such as orange teriyaki chicken and spice rubbed prime rib. The highlight of the dessert choices is the build-your-own sundae bar, but the selection of two-bite pies, cakes, and tarts is also very tempting.
Breakfast is served at Chef Mickey’s from 7:00 to 11:30, and costs $18.99 for adults and $10.99 for children. Dinner is served from 5:00 to 9:30, and costs $27.99 for adults and $12.99 for children.
Cape May Café
At the Beach Club resort, located just a short boat ride from Epcot’s International Gateway entrance, is the Cape May Café, which hosts a beach themed character meal for breakfast each morning. Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale visit with families as they enjoy breakfast in the bright, airy restaurant.
The menu at Cape May Café is basic breakfast fare. Fresh fruit, yogurt and cold cereals are available for those who want a lighter meal, along with scrambled eggs, omelets made-to-order, French toast, pancakes, Mickey waffles, breakfast meats and biscuits & gravy.
Cape May Café serves breakfast from 7:30 to 11:00. Prices are $18.99 for adults and $10.99 for children.
More on Disney World character dining: Character Dining at the Magic Kingdom ~ Character Dining at Epcot
Looking for the best way to get to resort character meals? Getting Around Walt Disney World