For young children, one of the biggest thrills at Walt Disney World is meeting their favorite characters. There are many opportunities in the theme parks, but the lines can be long. A much more pleasant option, albeit more expensive, is character dining. If you’re willing to pay for a table-service meal, the characters come to you.
Let me tell you right off that you are not there for the food. It’s adequate, just not anything to write home about.
We have visited three of what I think are the most popular restaurants for character dining: The Royal Table at Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom, Chef Mickey’s at The Contemporary Resort, and Play ‘n Dine at the Hollywood & Vine in MGM Studios.
Lunch at the castle with the princesses was our favorite, hands down. The kids were thrilled to be so close to royalty and actually being inside the castle made it a very memorable time. (My 4-year-old had an endless list of questions: Where do the princesses sleep? Who reads Tinkerbell’s bedtime story? Can they see the fireworks every night?) We have been to this lunch site for two consecutive years and the format changed, and I think improved, between visits.
When you arrive, you will be ushered into the great hall where you can have your photo taken with Cinderella, which is included in the price of your meal package. (The prints will be ready to go home with you after your meal.) Next, you head upstairs to the dining room, where the waitress presents each child with a Wishing Star to be used in a ceremony after lunch. Little boys also receive a pirate sword and girls, a fairy wand.
During the meal, we were visited by the Fairy Godmother, Snow White, Jasmine and Belle. (The previous year we met Sleeping Beauty and, for some strange reason, Mary Poppins instead of Jasmine and the Fairy Godmother.) We were able to take photos and sign autographs with everyone, but on both visits we felt rushed because more people were waiting for tables. There is a huge demand for castle dining, so if you are interested, you should book as soon as possible. Disney will accept reservations up to 180 days in advance at 407-WDW-DINE. Be forewarned: You will have to pay in full in advance, but the charge is refundable for cancellations up to 24 hours in advance.
Chef Mickey’s is a fun place for a meal, not only because of the characters, but also because of the monorail trains that whoosh above your head into the Contemporary Resort every few minutes. The format is similar to the castle dining, with professional photos taken of your group before you are seated, and Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n Dale circulating among the tables while you dine. Unlike The Royal Table, Chef Mickey’s is a buffet. Another difference is that the animal characters like to sing and dance and encourage the kids to get up out of their seats and get involved. A nice touch was the surprise dessert I was presented in advance of my birthday.
Hollywood & Vine in MGM Studios was the most uncrowded of the three restaurants. However, I’m not sure if that was because it’s one of the newer character meals or because it was Mother’s Day when we visited. (Other moms don’t want to meet the Little Einsteins and JoJo & Goliath on their special day?!) The Play ‘n Dine experience lives up to its name. Like the other meals, the characters circulated among the diners, but they also performed a short show and parade around the room, and children were invited to join both. It was so unhurried that my daughter actually clung to Leo’s hand for about 10 minutes and danced with him by herself. Meals at Hollywood & Vine are served as buffets.
The best part about character dining, beside the characters? Mickey waffles.
