Well Hiya, Folks! We’ve got some news: As most Walt Disney World-fans know, social distancing efforts and COVID-19 protocol have made classic Disney Parks traditions such as Character Dining unavailable for quite some time. Buuuuut…Walt Disney World Resort has officially brought back some of the most popular character dining! Woohoo!
Today, we’re listing out the Walt Disney World Resort Character Dining that is available (or that will be very soon!) so far in 2023.
One of the most quintessential parts about bringing your family to Disney, is that moment when your kids see Mickey or Minnie, in person. The joy on their faces just cannot be matched! It’s been a minute at Disney since character dining was able to be experienced. Some characters in the park have been available to “see” but you couldn’t run up and hug them or wait in line for a photo.
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Storybook Dining with Snow White and Friends at Artist Point
Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Located in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Storybook Dining with Snow White at Artist Point is abbreviated by most guests as simply, “Artist Point.”
Did You Know? Artist Point is for dinner only! With a fixed menu and pre-paid style dining process, all you will have to worry about upon arrival is what delicious items to choose from! (We wish you the best of luck!)
The interior is awesome. On the ceiling and walls, you are framed by forest trees and soft twinkle lights. You’ll feel as though you’re in a storybook. Snow White makes her entrance during the meal, which is exciting considering she’s a face character!
Your menu will seem like it is a storybook itself, adding to the Disney details.
The Evil Queen and The Seven Dwarves will make their entrance not long after Snow White. Guests will be able to take pictures with Snow White and the other characters.
You won’t want to skip out on the Snow White characters’ return to this entertaining dining experience!
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends
Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast – Disney’s Riviera Resort
If you aren’t visiting Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort during your stay, you’re missing out on an Italian-inspired Breakfast menu complete with house-made pancetta, delightful coffee and espresso options, pastries, and of course: Mickey & his friends in their artist-style ensembles, walking around to greet each guest.
Did You Know? Topolino means “mouse” in Italian! Fun Fact: There was also a long Italian series of comics about Mickey, titled Topolino!
The meal experience is complete with Italian tunes played on the speakers! Topolino’s is unique and honestly, very underrated!
Chef Mickey’s
Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Chef Mickey’s is a classic and can be very difficult to get a reservation for, depending on what time of year you go. But it’s always so worth it and their “American” food options are plentiful.
Located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, you can go for Breakfast, Brunch, or Dinner. Chef Mickey’s used to be a buffet, but currently for social distancing purposes – the buffet is non-existent and the servers will bring you all the options to your table, so that you can eat without heading up to a buffet situation.
Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy will be dressed as culinary chefs as they come around to your tables.
Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood Studios
With a classic movie-themed meal, characters visit each table while guests dine on American, family style delicious food.
If you come to Hollywood & Vine for breakfast, you’ll have the chance to bring your kids between 8:30am-10:30am to see the Disney Junior Stars. The reservations for the Disney Junior breakfast fill up fast, so prepare in advance if this is your child’s dream! Adults get to enjoy a frittata and pancakes among other tasty options.
For Lunch and Dinner, from 11:30am-8:00pm, the characters will be Minnie and friends. The music is upbeat, and the atmosphere is fun! The menu includes options such as Salads, Macaroni and Cheese with Shrimp, and even Asparagus and Summer Truffle Risotto as options to pick from.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Magic Kingdom
Cinderella’s Royal Table is every Princess and Prince’s dream character meal. It’s every kids dream to go inside Cinderella’s castle and get to eat inside!
The castle is oh so grand and impressive inside. The ceilings are high, the tables are fancy, and the stained-glass windows are gorgeous!
Cinderella, and so many of her fellow Disney Princesses will attend the meal, so look out for Snow White, Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, Rapunzel, and more!
You can eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table. The other beloved part to this meal is the photo opportunity with Cinderella, (and sometimes the Fairy Godmother!) while guests wait in line downstairs.
During the meal, there is a Wishing Ceremony, where each child receives a sparkly magic wand and gets to wave them all together with music playing over the speakers. It’s a very fun and adorable moment during the meal!
Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and His Pals
Ravello – Four Seasons Resort Orlando at WDW
Did you know there was character dining at the Four Seasons at WDW? Well, now you do! That’s right, you can have breakfast with Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, and more fun faces while the characters are dressed in their vacation best.
A group photo is taken at the beginning before you enter the restaurant, and once inside, characters begin to arrive while you are served delicious breakfast options.
Hoop-Dee-Do Musical Revue
Disney’s Fort Wilderness
This one’s a showstopper y’all. Head over to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort for a character meal like no other in Disney Parks!
Guests will feel as though they’ve been transported to a Hoedown-style dinner and show. It all happens at “Pioneer Hall” which is a large hall that has a stage where the show will be. Guests sit at wooden tables with checkered red and white napkins. Details are everywhere!
The menu has options such as pork ribs, mashed potatoes, cowboy beans, and cornbread. We’re getting hungry just thinking about it! The show includes a stagecoach, The Ballad of Davy Crockett, and more.
It’s a fun time for the whole family. Highly recommended!
Be Our Guest
Magic Kingdom
“Try the grey stuff, it’s delicious! Don’t believe me? Ask the dishes!”
Open each day from 10:00am-just before 6:00pm, guests come to the Be Our Guest restaurant for many reasons. First of all, it’s inside the Beast’s castle! And you feel completely immersed once inside.
Second of all, the food is French cuisine-inspired, and one of the most delicious meals you can find within Magic Kingdom Park. We recommend the French onion soup and the charcuterie selection. Delicious!
If you eat long enough at the Be Our Guest restaurant, chances are that you will see the Beast walk through the castle and even take photos with guests! It’s not always a sure thing that the Beast will be spotted, but it happens pretty frequently.
If you love Beauty and the Beast, French food, or simply want an indoor meal that takes some time during the day, then you should certainly aim to get a reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant! This is one of the places that does fill up fast, so just know that in advance.
Garden Grill with Chip ‘N’ Dale’s Harvest Feast
Epcot
Inside The Land Pavilion at EPCOT, guests can head to their reservations for Garden Grill Restaurant. For lunch and dinner, guests will enjoy a family-style meal with super fresh ingredients and amazing flavors.
The most unique part of this meal experience is that the entire restaurant rotates around in a circle. You don’t feel like you’re moving so much that it hinders the meal, but it is a very special and neat thing to look up and have a different view every few minutes! As the restaurant rotates, part of the visuals shows you a peak into the Living with the Land ride. So neat!
Chip, Dale, and Mickey (and sometimes more friends) will all come by and greet guests throughout the meal.
Tusker House
Animal Kingdom
Tusker House is the first character dining experience that we’ve discussed that is located in Animal Kingdom! Tusker House Restaurant is open from 8:00am-8:00pm.
The flavors are all inspired by African-style food. The menu has some fantastic options, including Cape Malay Green Curry Shrimp, Moroccan-Spiced Beef, and so much more.
Donald Duck, Daisy, Mickey, Goofy, and friends will come by, parade and dance around, and greet guests at their tables.
Well, Folks, we’ve gone through all of the current character dining options available in 2022. But let’s dive in to a few upcoming very soon:
The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom
Returns on September 20th
The Crystal Place is a classic and a favorite of Walt Disney World guests. Located towards the front of Magic Kingdom, it has a buffet with a variety of options. The interior of the Crystal Palace is Victorian and beautiful inside, with elaborate windows to look out while you dine so that you can enjoy viewing whatever show, parade, or firework production is happening at the castle.
The biggest reason that guests love the Crystal Palace, however, is for the characters that show up. They are all Winnie the Pooh and friends (most often: Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger.) Your kids will be overjoyed when their favorite Winnie the Pooh pal appears, and the pictures will be treasured forever.
Characters return to this meal on September 20th, so book your reservation now!
‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast at the Polynesian
Returns on September 27th
This one is such a special meal opportunity if your family loves Lilo and Stitch:
Located in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the ‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast is an awesome dining experience for those who love some Polynesian flavors. Open from 7:30am-noon; this breakfast-only spot has pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, a delicious breakfast skillet option, a “Moana” smoothie, a “Stitch” smoothie, and a “Lilo” smoothie, as well as Kona coffee, and many other delightful options!
The best part about this character dining experience (Returning on September 27th!) is that guests will get to meet and take photos with both Lilo and Stitch! Rare!
We recommend making your reservation for this special dining opportunity in advance.
Cape May Café Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast
Returns on October 4th
To close out our lengthy list of current and upcoming Walt Disney World Resort character dining options… we have Cape May Café. The character dining aspect is coming back on October 4th, folks, and we are so excited for its return!
The Cape May Café can be found at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. Offering both breakfast and dinner (but not lunch!), here you’ll find flavors reminiscent of New England’s cuisine. Guests can look forward to French toast or oatmeal and grits for breakfast. Also, there’s an omelet station! Many other options await you as well at the buffet.
For dinner options, expect snow crab legs, seafood options, soups, and salads, all from the buffet. You can also get a Maine lobster! You won’t be sorry if you choose Cape May Café at the Beach Club!
Guests can usually expect Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Goofy to be walking around the tables during their meal! Other characters may appear as well.
We’re so excited that characters are returning to many of our favorite character dining options at Walt Disney Resort. While it’s still important to social distance when appropriate (and wash those hands!!), we would certainly miss our favorite Disney characters if they were gone for too long! Here’s hoping that you get reservations for the character meal of your dreams as they gradually come back to availability.
There’s nothing more special than that long-awaited hug from Mickey or Minnie. And we all love an autograph from our favorite Disney Princesses, of course. While we all undoubtedly still miss some classic character dining, such as Mickey’s Backyard BBQ and 1900 Park Fare, we’re hopeful that these character returns to the dining experiences are the first of many!
That’s all, Folks! Happy dining, and See Ya Real Soon!
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