Character Dining at the Disneyland Resort

For many, a trip to Disneyland is not complete without a meal with Disney characters.  To help you navigate the different character meals at Disneyland I have put together this list of options to help you figure out what is best for your family.

1. There are 5 different character dining options at the Disneyland Resort.  Three of the character dining experiences are in the resort hotels.  Two of the experiences are in the parks.
2. Theme park tickets are required for the character dining option in the parks.
3. You don’t have to be a Disneyland resort guest to enjoy a character meal at one of the resort hotels.
4. Reservations are recommended and can be made 60 days before arrival through Disneyland Dining either online or by calling (714) 781-DINE.
5. All dining reservations require a credit card hold at Disneyland.  If you fail to show for your reservation, Disneyland will charge the credit card on file $10 per person.
6. Character dining can be added to your Disneyland Resort package.  By prepaying for your character dining, you will not have to worry about the cost at the meal and the prepayment includes tax and tip.

Character dining at the resort hotels:

Goofy’s Kitchen – The most popular Disneyland Character Dining experience

• Location:  Disneyland Hotel
• Menu: Brunch and Dinner Buffett
• Hours:  Brunch 7:00AM – 11:30AM, Dinner 5:00PM – 8:45PM
• Buffett Cost:  $27.99 – $37.99 per adult and $14.99 – $16.99 per child
• Brunch Buffett includes 5 food stations offering traditional breakfast items such as omelets and Mickey pancakes and waffles, salads, desserts and kids items including mac and cheese and chicken nuggets.  Save room for a slice of Goofy’s famous peanut butter and jelly pizza!
• Dinner Buffett includes 5 buffet stations with hearty fare including carved meats, fish, salads, veggies, hot dogs, pizza, Goofyroni and cheese and hot and cold desserts.
• Family photos are taken before entering the restaurant with Goofy.  Characters visit each table.

Storyteller’s Café – The Chip and Dale Critter Breakfast

• Location:  Disney’s Grand Californian Resort and Spa
• Menu:  Breakfast Buffet or Ala Carte Menu
• Hours:  7:00AM – 11:25AM
• Buffet Cost: $28.99 Adult and $13.99 Child
• Buffett includes omelets, cameral French toast, mickey shaped waffles, fruit and pastries
• Characters visit each table

Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends

• Location:  Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel
• Menu:  Breakfast Buffet
• Hours:  7:30AM – 11:00AM
• Buffett Cost:  $31.99 for adults and $16.99 for children
• Buffet includes:  Omelet station, flat bread pizzas, mickey waffles, breakfast meats, fruits
• This is the only character meal that Mickey Mouse is guaranteed to visit.

Character meals in the parks:

Ariel’s Grotto – Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration

• Location:  Disney’s California Adventure Park at Ariel’s Grotto
• Menu:  Breakfast and Lunch
• Hours: Breakfast 9:00AM – 10:00AM, Lunch 11:00AM – 5:00PM
• Cost: $32.99 – $36.99 for adults and $17.99 – $19.99 for children
• Breakfast is a plated meal with options including Belgian waffles, frittatas and traditional American breakfasts.  A breakfast pastry and fruit tray is brought to each table.
• Lunch is a plated meal including soup or salad, entrée and shared dessert tray.  Entrée options include fresh catch of the day, barbecue tri-tip meat and vegetarian options.
• This is the only table service high-end character dining at Disneyland.  Four or five princess visit each table at this “fancy” meal.

Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends

• Location:  Disneyland Park at The Plaza Inn on Main Street
• Menu: Breakfast Buffet
• Hours: 8:00AM – 11:00AM (depending on extra magic hours)
• Cost: $23.99 for adults and $11.99 for children
• Breakfast buffet includes made to order omelets, mickey waffles, French toast, biscuits and gravy, breakfast meats, pastries and fruits.
• The Plaza Inn is located the end of Main Street with views of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.  Seating is available both inside and on the patio.  Characters visit each table to sign autographs and take pictures.

No matter which Disneyland Character Dining Experience you choose, remember to bring your camera, autograph book, and sit back and enjoy the fun and food.

Contact me today to learn more about Disneyland character dining and for free vacation planning from an authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

Kim Rowland
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
MickeyTravels
1-480-226-7169
krowland@mickeytravels.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whispering Canyon Cafe

“KETCHUP!!!! We need KETCHUP!!!!” As 10-20 bottles of ketchup suddenly arrive at your table, you realize why the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Walt Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of the more entertaining dining options available outside of the Parks.

Cape May Café at Disney

The Cape May Café has been named by many of my Disney friends as one of their favorite dining experiences on property. So I was excited to give it a try on my most recent trip to Walt Disney World.

The Cape May Café is located in the Beach Club Resort, a short walk from our room at the Boardwalk. The restaurant offers buffet dining for breakfast (7:30 am – 11:30 am) and dinner (4:30 pm – 9:00 pm).  While I have heard the food found on the dinner buffet is delicious, we chose breakfast for one reason: the characters! During our breakfast we were visited by Goofy, Donald and Minnie.

We had made advanced dining reservations for 8:00 am on a Saturday, and we were pleasantly surprised to find the Cape May Cafe was not packed when we sat down.

The atmosphere of the Cape May Café was light and airy and I did feel like I was at a beach resort. There was a laid-back, New England feel that ties right in to the resort and restaurant’s theming. The characters were even dressed for a day at the beach!

The buffet was probably one of the best I had seen because I like variety, and there was plenty here. One side of the buffet showcased the hot offerings, while another side offered the cold. There was also a separate area with a variety of baked goods.

We have come to expect certain staples at a Disney breakfast buffet, such as Mickey Mouse waffles. And we were not disappointed. But in addition, there was a large variety of choices that included meats and cheeses, and of course the Cape May Café French Toast Bread Pudding (delicious!). My favorite offerings were the four cheese scrambled eggs and the frittatas.

If you are considering the Cape May Café for breakfast, I would highly suggest an early reservation time. When we sat down, the restaurant was barely 1/3rd full. This means no lines at the buffet. It also means a lot more character interactions. Goofy, Donald and Minnie each came to our table three different times and it made for a lot of fun! During his third visit, Goofy professed his love for me. But, alas, just as I was making plans to run away to Disney World to be with him, I saw him professing his love for another guest! That is what I get for falling for one of the world’s most loveable characters!

As we were finishing our meal the restaurant slowly started getting busier. We left around 9:30 am and the line was substantially longer.

An added benefit of this location? It is within walking distance of Epcot’s International Gateway, or you can hop a boat for a short ride to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is the perfect way to start your day before visiting either of these parks!

Contact MickeyTravels today to learn more about the Cape May Café and all our FREE Disney vacation planning services!

Devene Godau
MickeyTravels Guest Blogger
www.mickeytravels.com
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