Character Meals Experiences - from worst to best

rtbreneman

Now is the time...Now is the time...
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
I've been going to WDW with the family consistently over the past ten years or so, and have had the opportunity to try almost of the character meals. This is just one man's opinion, but thought I would rank what my family has experienced from best to worst. We are currently a married couple in late 30's with three kids ranging from grade school to entering college, but we've been with toddlers, tweens, teens, and all ages in-between.

To begin, the character meals that we have not experienced so far: Cape May Cafe, Goofy and his pals at Ravello, and the new Storybook Dining with Snow White (although we will be hitting this in March),

#11 - Hollywood and Vine - We've been here 2 or 3 times over the past few years, most recently in November of 2017. We have usually been here at dinner or lunch, and I always leave a little disappointed. The buffet has been mediocre, it always seems a little too noisy, and I'm not a huge fan of the Disney Jr. characters. The one time we went, it did have the "Minnie's Christmas" overlay of some sort, which was a somewhat nice touch. We took my mother-in-law for her birthday, and they did give her a nice little birthday card signed by all of the characters. But, in general, I feel like the food was an afterthought. I wasn't totally disgusted or anything, but this is one of the places I always feel I got royally screwed when I get the bill. It never feels worth the price.

#10 - Chef Mickey's - Only been here once, back in Spring of 2018 for breakfast. The buffet was fine - everything was reasonably warm and edible, but I wasn't a fan of the seating situation or the entire vibe. It felt a little more rushed and not as inviting as I would have liked. The kids liked the character interaction, but it just didn't feel as magical as some of the other interactions we have had. Much like Hollywood and Vine, it almost feels too much like a cafeteria, possibly? I'm big on ambiance, and I just didn't really feel it here.

#9 - Tratorria al Forno - Did breakfast here in 2017, I think. I was really hoping and expecting to be wowed, but it just was kind of average. I know that it is much harder for face characters to stay in character and have great interactions, but my kids just didn't connect with either Rapunzel or Flynn. I get that they are interacting with hundreds and hundreds of kids over the course of a day, but it felt like they both had a quick script they were trying to get through. "Hey kids, have you seen Pascal? I like your frying pan. Ok? great, let's take a picture." Food was better than the two below it on the list, and I will say Flynn Rider did make a point to help us get a good photo by moving around to good lighting. Maybe my expectations were too high, but none of my kids were particularly excited when I asked them about the experience. I feel like if I went back I might have a better time, but for now, this is where it lands.

#8 - Garden Grove - this is the one in the Swan hotel, not the rotating one at Epcot (I know, I get confused). We actually ate here on Thanksgiving Day about 2 years back. Everyone was very friendly, and the menu was Thanksgiving specific, so the food was not what you would normally get there. And it was fine. That's a good word for it. Everyone we interacted with was great, but the characters were pretty scarce. I was surprised, because they place was relatively empty for it being a holiday, and one of the few places we found that you could have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I guess my ratings are based on how sad I am when the bill comes, and I remember getting the check and thinking, "meh. I'm not sure if I'll come back here again." Again, it wasn't miserable, and if someone in my family wanted to go back, I wouldn't fight them (like I would about H&V or Chef Mickey's).

#7 - 1900 Park Faire - We have only been here once, in the fall of 2018 for breakfast. Food was not that remember-able, and I wasn't a huge fan of the famous strawberry soup. Way too sweet, and I felt like I was drinking melted yogurt, but whatever. They did make me a made to order omelet, which was delicious. However, the chef guy obviously hadn't been through Disney's hospitality program as he was a little gruff. I also felt a little confused on some of the character greetings. Mary Poppins came by our table, but then later, we had to go to the back of the room and wait in a line to meet a different character. My girls enjoyed it, my son not so much (go figure). This is probably another one and done for us.

#6 - Crystal Palace - Have been here several times, but not in a few years. Mostly for breakfast, we used to book this pre park opening and then be in the front of the Magic Kingdom crowds, but that advantage has since gone since the change in the opening show. We had some of our best character interactions here - Eeyore and Piglet have been especially great. Might just be my family's preference, but we have always had a good time here and felt happy after leaving.

#5 - Garden Grill - have been here two or three times, usually for lunch or dinner. My family enjoys the family style all-you-can eat meals, and Chip and Dale have been great every time we were there. Food was served quickly, and it almost always kept coming before we asked for more. The rotating aspect is a cool feature, too that keeps my little ones occupied for a few minutes trying to figure out what is going on. I always eat too much here and need a nap almost immediately, but I'm going to count that as more of a positive than a negative.

#4 - Cinderella's Royal Table - My daughters loved this, so it's a little higher just for their sake. We have been here for dinner twice I believe. The character interactions have always been good, and everyone seemed reasonably happy with their meals. The locale is great, and my kids loved the idea of eating inside the castle. The decor puts us in a good mood, so I'm probably a little more lenient on the food simply because my kids are happy and not complaining.

#3 - Akershus - This is a lot like CRT in that I'm probably giving it more credit simply because my two daughters love it. I actually prefer the food at a couple of the other places better, but it's just so darn fun and the kids always have left happy. I've eaten better meals lots of places, even at Disney, but it's always such a warm atmosphere and my family leaves happy, so I'd go back in a second.

#2 - O'hana - this used to be our absolute favorite. We have been probably five times, both for breakfast and lunch. We love the vibe, we loved the food, and the character interactions with Stitch have been great. I will say our last visit - maybe six months ago - wasn't quite as magical. They changed the character interactions slightly so we met Stitch out in the lobby in a line as opposed to coming table to table. Meh. I wasn't a huge fan of that, and neither were the kids. I've heard others mention the food has gone downhill a bit, but I have yet to experience that. All of our servers have been great, and I've had fantastic meals every time I've been. We are booked again for our next trip, and I'm hoping that this stays near the top!

#1 - Tusker House - this is our family's favorite character meal. It feels genuine and different than everything else. It's a buffet, but doesn't feel like a school cafeteria. I like that there is a mix of a few different items that you can't get everywhere else in the park, and the carving station has always been great. We have been here several times where the place felt reasonably crowded, yet the characters came around several times and had fantastic interactions with my kids. Even with picky-eating kids, we have found something they have enjoyed every time we have gone.

Anyway, that's like eleven mini reviews in one!
 
I have never done Hollywood and Vine as the characters were never of interest to my daughter, but I agree on Chef Mickeys. I didn't enjoy the food though either. I think it seems like a bad cafeteria type of setup. It was a one and done for us! I also agree with Tusker. It is the one location that is always a must for my daughter. Of course it might also be because Donald Duck is her favorite!
I also agree with the ranking of Akershus over CRT. I think CRT is one that everyone should experience once, but that is probably enough!
 
While I disagree a bit with your rankings I loved the reviews. For us 1900 Park Fare had the best interaction we have ever had and Hollywood & Vine was just horrible both food and interaction.
 
Thanks for the reviews. I have done many of these over the years. I would put 1900 PF much higher with the Cinderella characters. This is one of my families favorite meals and we do it nearly every trip. I also like Garden Grill quite a lot, both breakfast and dinner. Tusker House breakfast is excellent too!
 


We would switch the places between ‘Ohana breakfast (which I loathe, I think it is blech...the only sit down where you can tell the eggs are powdered, but my kids love so we keep going back. Sigh) and 1900 Park Fare Breakfast, but, otherwise, a fair assessment.
 
Apparently, I was either too hard on 1900 Park Fair or we just had an off experience. Everyone seems to think I’ve under-ranked it. Maybe I’ll give it another shot...
 
The characters are different at 1900 Park Fare for dinner. That’s the real difference, the stepsisters are incredible as is Lady Tremaine. The food at dinner is also quite good. We have been to Disney 4 times and have repeated all the character meals, but every year we do 1900 Park Fare, Garden Grill and Tusker House so I guess those are our favourites. Lol
 


I’m wanting to try Garden Grill & Ohana breakfast on my next trip, I’ve decided I prefer the family style All you care to enjoy meals over the buffets. I hate having to get up from my table multiple times, juggling plates, and trying not to miss out on characters while I’m getting food. It ends up being more stressful for me and I want to relax! We also have never done CRT, so if I can snag an ADR for that, I will.
 
#2 - O'hana - this used to be our absolute favorite. We have been probably five times, both for breakfast and lunch. We love the vibe, we loved the food, and the character interactions with Stitch have been great. I will say our last visit - maybe six months ago - wasn't quite as magical. They changed the character interactions slightly so we met Stitch out in the lobby in a line as opposed to coming table to table. Meh. I wasn't a huge fan of that, and neither were the kids. I've heard others mention the food has gone downhill a bit, but I have yet to experience that. All of our servers have been great, and I've had fantastic meals every time I've been. We are booked again for our next trip, and I'm hoping that this stays near the top!

We were just there a week ago yesterday and Stitch came around and Pluto was in the lobby. you will have to wait for my review on it for the rest ;)
 
We really love Garden Grill; another big plus is every time we've gone we've gotten to see all the characters at least twice, sometimes even three times, and it doesn't feel as crowded as a place like H&V.

I haven't managed to score reservations to Cinderella yet but we've got an Akershus for next trip. Wondering how it will compare for the kids; we've only done character meals with costume characters so far.
 
Tusker House - As my DS gets older, it's still on our character meal list. Between the unique menu and character rotations, its a hit for our entire family. It is also my DHs favorite.

Chef Mickey - Not for the food, but for the atmosphere - very Disney. The core character, the monorail running through and okay food - it's another one for our list.
 
The only character meal I've ever had that I thought was awful and a total waste of money was Hollywood & Vine for breakfast. The food wasn't great and the characters were not coming around, we only met Goofy and Doc McStuffins. After an hour and a half there we gave up on the other 2 characters. I would not repeat that experience again.

Everything else has been good. Chef Mickeys was good, Tusker House is awesome, Crystal Palace is fantastic (breakfast lasagnaaaaaa OMG), Ohana is great. On our last visit we tried Garden Grill for dinner and that was my new favorite. The food was good but the characters keep coming around the rotating restaurant is neat.
 
I've been going to WDW with the family consistently over the past ten years or so, and have had the opportunity to try almost of the character meals. This is just one man's opinion, but thought I would rank what my family has experienced from best to worst. We are currently a married couple in late 30's with three kids ranging from grade school to entering college, but we've been with toddlers, tweens, teens, and all ages in-between.

To begin, the character meals that we have not experienced so far: Cape May Cafe, Goofy and his pals at Ravello, and the new Storybook Dining with Snow White (although we will be hitting this in March),

#11 - Hollywood and Vine - We've been here 2 or 3 times over the past few years, most recently in November of 2017. We have usually been here at dinner or lunch, and I always leave a little disappointed. The buffet has been mediocre, it always seems a little too noisy, and I'm not a huge fan of the Disney Jr. characters. The one time we went, it did have the "Minnie's Christmas" overlay of some sort, which was a somewhat nice touch. We took my mother-in-law for her birthday, and they did give her a nice little birthday card signed by all of the characters. But, in general, I feel like the food was an afterthought. I wasn't totally disgusted or anything, but this is one of the places I always feel I got royally screwed when I get the bill. It never feels worth the price.

#10 - Chef Mickey's - Only been here once, back in Spring of 2018 for breakfast. The buffet was fine - everything was reasonably warm and edible, but I wasn't a fan of the seating situation or the entire vibe. It felt a little more rushed and not as inviting as I would have liked. The kids liked the character interaction, but it just didn't feel as magical as some of the other interactions we have had. Much like Hollywood and Vine, it almost feels too much like a cafeteria, possibly? I'm big on ambiance, and I just didn't really feel it here.

#9 - Tratorria al Forno - Did breakfast here in 2017, I think. I was really hoping and expecting to be wowed, but it just was kind of average. I know that it is much harder for face characters to stay in character and have great interactions, but my kids just didn't connect with either Rapunzel or Flynn. I get that they are interacting with hundreds and hundreds of kids over the course of a day, but it felt like they both had a quick script they were trying to get through. "Hey kids, have you seen Pascal? I like your frying pan. Ok? great, let's take a picture." Food was better than the two below it on the list, and I will say Flynn Rider did make a point to help us get a good photo by moving around to good lighting. Maybe my expectations were too high, but none of my kids were particularly excited when I asked them about the experience. I feel like if I went back I might have a better time, but for now, this is where it lands.

#8 - Garden Grove - this is the one in the Swan hotel, not the rotating one at Epcot (I know, I get confused). We actually ate here on Thanksgiving Day about 2 years back. Everyone was very friendly, and the menu was Thanksgiving specific, so the food was not what you would normally get there. And it was fine. That's a good word for it. Everyone we interacted with was great, but the characters were pretty scarce. I was surprised, because they place was relatively empty for it being a holiday, and one of the few places we found that you could have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I guess my ratings are based on how sad I am when the bill comes, and I remember getting the check and thinking, "meh. I'm not sure if I'll come back here again." Again, it wasn't miserable, and if someone in my family wanted to go back, I wouldn't fight them (like I would about H&V or Chef Mickey's).

#7 - 1900 Park Faire - We have only been here once, in the fall of 2018 for breakfast. Food was not that remember-able, and I wasn't a huge fan of the famous strawberry soup. Way too sweet, and I felt like I was drinking melted yogurt, but whatever. They did make me a made to order omelet, which was delicious. However, the chef guy obviously hadn't been through Disney's hospitality program as he was a little gruff. I also felt a little confused on some of the character greetings. Mary Poppins came by our table, but then later, we had to go to the back of the room and wait in a line to meet a different character. My girls enjoyed it, my son not so much (go figure). This is probably another one and done for us.

#6 - Crystal Palace - Have been here several times, but not in a few years. Mostly for breakfast, we used to book this pre park opening and then be in the front of the Magic Kingdom crowds, but that advantage has since gone since the change in the opening show. We had some of our best character interactions here - Eeyore and Piglet have been especially great. Might just be my family's preference, but we have always had a good time here and felt happy after leaving.

#5 - Garden Grill - have been here two or three times, usually for lunch or dinner. My family enjoys the family style all-you-can eat meals, and Chip and Dale have been great every time we were there. Food was served quickly, and it almost always kept coming before we asked for more. The rotating aspect is a cool feature, too that keeps my little ones occupied for a few minutes trying to figure out what is going on. I always eat too much here and need a nap almost immediately, but I'm going to count that as more of a positive than a negative.

#4 - Cinderella's Royal Table - My daughters loved this, so it's a little higher just for their sake. We have been here for dinner twice I believe. The character interactions have always been good, and everyone seemed reasonably happy with their meals. The locale is great, and my kids loved the idea of eating inside the castle. The decor puts us in a good mood, so I'm probably a little more lenient on the food simply because my kids are happy and not complaining.

#3 - Akershus - This is a lot like CRT in that I'm probably giving it more credit simply because my two daughters love it. I actually prefer the food at a couple of the other places better, but it's just so darn fun and the kids always have left happy. I've eaten better meals lots of places, even at Disney, but it's always such a warm atmosphere and my family leaves happy, so I'd go back in a second.

#2 - O'hana - this used to be our absolute favorite. We have been probably five times, both for breakfast and lunch. We love the vibe, we loved the food, and the character interactions with Stitch have been great. I will say our last visit - maybe six months ago - wasn't quite as magical. They changed the character interactions slightly so we met Stitch out in the lobby in a line as opposed to coming table to table. Meh. I wasn't a huge fan of that, and neither were the kids. I've heard others mention the food has gone downhill a bit, but I have yet to experience that. All of our servers have been great, and I've had fantastic meals every time I've been. We are booked again for our next trip, and I'm hoping that this stays near the top!

#1 - Tusker House - this is our family's favorite character meal. It feels genuine and different than everything else. It's a buffet, but doesn't feel like a school cafeteria. I like that there is a mix of a few different items that you can't get everywhere else in the park, and the carving station has always been great. We have been here several times where the place felt reasonably crowded, yet the characters came around several times and had fantastic interactions with my kids. Even with picky-eating kids, we have found something they have enjoyed every time we have gone.

Anyway, that's like eleven mini reviews in one!
Tusker House is our favorite too!
 
I've never been to a character meal during any of my past Disney trips, but I definitely want to do one someday -- particularly when I finally get to go to WDW eventually.

I think that 1900 PF is at the top of my list...that's the one with the Tremaine Family and Cinderella/Prince Charming, correct? Or did they switch out those characters?

Also, as far as other character meals that are available...are there still any where Daisy Duck makes regular appearances?
 
Worst: Dinner at Chef Mickeys (breakfast was good). The characters skipped us twice during dinner. I finally spoke up and only one character visited, and briefly. Buffet food was disgusting. We are not picky eaters and don't usually complain.

Best: Tusker House
 
My worse was chef mickeys
Loud and crowded and bad food!

Best so far has been 1900 park fare dinner with great characters interactions and yummy buffet.

Also enjoyed garden grill lunch at Epcot!
 
The OPs top 5 is my top 5 as well. Although we may mix Cape May breakfast in there too. Cape May’s is standard breakfast buffet faire with a few unique touches and the interactions have always been great and never rushed.

Worst is definitely Chef Mickeys for all to same reasons people have listed.

We are staying at GF in September and haven’t done 1900 before but the breakfast characters aren’t ones my kids are super excited about.
 
We had lunch at Tusker House yesterday. The characters were great and it was nice seeing Daisy at a CD but... the food was not good. Maybe I have eaten the authentic dishes enough that these just tasted nothing like what the real thing should taste like (chicken curry, samosas, hummus, even the tzatsiki sauce was way off. The carving station was the only thing that redeemed this place. I received my bill for $268. At home, I would normally NEVER pay that much money for a meal I could have eaten in the mall food court! We lose all sense and are willing to reduce our expectations for quality when at Disney! Oh well we met Daisy!
 

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