Disney World Character Dining

One of the most exciting aspects of a Disney World vacation—especially for little ones — is meeting the Disney characters in person!  There is just something about giving Mickey a high five or getting a hug from Cinderella to make kids of all ages smile from ear to ear!  There’s not much better than Disney World Character Dining!

You can find characters throughout the parks and in the parades, but if you want up close personal time without waiting in the many individual lines, Disney World character dining a great way to meet some of the beloved friends!

Character meals occur at several restaurants in all four theme parks and in some of the hotels.  Generally, you are seated at your table and you eat at your own pace.  During the course of the meal, the characters featured at that particular meal will rotate around the tables, greeting each table and posing for pictures, signing autographs and interacting with guests.  Be sure to bring along a camera and an autograph book.

Characters usually travel from table to table one at a time, so be sure you stay at your table until you’ve seen everyone!  If you are at a buffet and you miss a character while you are filling your plate, just let your server or a cast member know and they’ll get that character back your direction.

Disney World character dining is super popular with guests so be sure to book 180 days in advance (if possible) or as soon as you can!  But don’t give up hope if your trip is close and you don’t have a reservation.  If you are willing to eat at off times, there may still be an opening.  Or you could catch a cancellation from someone else.  You can contact your Disney travel specialist to check for you.

You can find a list of all of the character meals and their descriptions here:  http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/listing/?sortBy=nG:hasDiningExperienceFacet&fv_222815=on.  Most character meals count as one table service meal if you are on the dining plan, though Cinderella’s Royal Table counts as two table service meals.

Some of the most popular Disney World character dining options are:

Cinderella’s Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom — This meal takes place inside Cinderella’s castle!  Cinderella greets her guests in the castle lobby before heading upstairs to eat.  Characters usually include Cinderella, Belle, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty,  and Snow White.

Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort — The meal is in the Contemporary and is right off the monorail so it is easy to get to and from the Magic Kingdom or Epcot.  Characters include Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald.

Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom — This buffet features Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet.

Akershus at Epcot — This meal takes place in the Norway pavilion at Epcot.  It features princesses like Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Mulan.

Hollywood and Vine at Hollywood Studios — Enjoy Playhouse Disney friends Handy Manny, Agent Oso, and some of the Little Einsteins

Tusker House at Animal Kingdom — Join Donald, Daisy, Goofy, and Minnie for a breakfast buffet.

1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort—For breakfast, dine with Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland.  For dinner, dine with Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the step-sisters and step-mother!  Bonus!  You get to eat in the beautiful Grand Floridian resort, located on the monorail (easy access to Epcot and Magic Kingdom)

There are several other meals including ones with Lilo and Stitch, Chip and Dale (very entertaining!), Alice and the Mad Hatter, and more.   These fun meals can be a great way to enjoy the company of characters!!  So, on your next visit, make sure you check out some of these exciting Disney World character dining options!

Leanne Phelps
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
1-888-755-9626
leanne@mickeytravels.com