Character meals are a huge part of many Disney vacations. It is a great way to meet some of your favorite Disney characters while having a meal at the same time. When planning to dine, many Guests know about the most popular Disney character meals.
Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, breakfast at Topolino’s in Disney’s Riviera, and Tuskerk House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are the four most popular character meals at Walt Disney World. Because they are so popular, it can be tough to get into them.
We want to provide alternative character meals that many people need to remember when planning their character dining. These character meals offer significant interactions, a fun atmosphere, and delicious food.
Let’s take a look at some of the character meals that Disney Guests often forget about when planning their dining.
Garden Grill- EPCOT
Found in the Land Pavilion is Garden Grill. This character meal, if many Guests don’t know, is available within EPCOT.
Here Guests can enjoy lunch and dinner as they experience Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Harvest Feast. This is a you care to eat family style meal. Large platters are served at the table. These include delicious options such as barbecue chicken, mac & cheese, mashed potatoes, and much more.
Right now, Guests can meet beloved Disney characters such as Mickey, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale. We love how often the characters visit the tables. Because Garden Grill is a smaller location, it allows for more time and fun interactions with the characters.
We also love that they are all dressed in their farmer outfits, ready to help with all of the work that goes into providing fresh items at the restaurant.
A bonus at Garden Grill is that the seating area slowly rotates. Guests can enjoy views of Living with the Land of the classic EPCOT attractions. Here Guests can see the gardens and other scenes of this ride while enjoying their meal.
We do hope that, eventually, breakfast will return to Garden Grill, but until then, we enjoy having a nice lunch or dinner with Chip ‘n’ Dale!
Hollywood and Vine- Disney’s Hollywood Studios
What we love about Hollywood and Vine is that two-character meal options are offered here daily. Disney Junior characters appear at the Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine Breakfast. Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and Roadster Goofy appear throughout the meal.
For lunch and dinner, Minnie’s Seasonal Dine can be experienced. There are five different themed experiences throughout the year. Silver Screen Dine, Springtime Dine, Summertime Dine, Halloween Dine, and finally, Holiday Dine brings well-themed, adorable outfits.
Minnie is joined by her friends Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and even sometimes Pluto, all dressed up to fit the theme.
Hollywood and Vine is a good choice for a character meal because of the variety of characters you can experience. If you can’t get into Chef Mickey’s, this is a great option for seeing some Fab Five characters.
Where Garden Grill is a family-style meal, Hollywood and Vine is a buffet. Although buffets aren’t our favorite meals at Disney, they provide various options and significant character interactions.
Crystal Palace- Magic Kingdom
When dining in the Magic Kingdom, many Guests focus on visiting Cinderella’s Royal Table. There is no arguing that being able to dine in the castle is magical; we also like the price tag and characters at Crystal Palace.
Crystal Palace is located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. and is open for all three meals daily. Guests can visit with Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger during their meals. These are some of our favorite character interactions at Walt Disney World. These characters are so much fun, and although we love Mickey Mouse, it is fun to visit other friends too.
Crystal Palace is a buffet for all three meals. Get your Mickey waffles in the morning or enjoy some great flavors, such as roasted carved meats, at lunch and dinner.
Dining at Crystal Palace with adorable friends from the Hundred-Acre Woods is a lot of fun.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall- EPCOT
We are thrilled that the princesses have returned to Akershus in Norway. This princess character meal is a great backup when you can’t get into Cinderella’s Royal Table or don’t like the price tag of eating in the castle.
This storybook dining experience takes place in a medieval castle with beautiful archways and a gorgeous cathedral ceiling. Opened for dinner only right now, Guests can visit with a variety of princesses while enjoying a family-style meal.
Adults will enjoy unique Norwegian cuisine while little ones can experience traditional favorites. Although the princesses rotate, we can often see favorites such as Belle, Aurora, and Snow White.
Enjoying a magical meal with the princesses in Norway during your EPCOT visit.
When planning character meals at Walt Disney World, the following continues to be the top choices:
- Chef Mickey’s- Disney’s Contemporary Resort
- Ohana Breakfast- Disney’s Polynesian Resort
- Cinderella’s Royal Table- Magic Kingdom
- Tusker House- Disney’s Animal Kingdom
- Topolino’s Terrace- Disney’s Riviera
Although all of these character meals are great, we also enjoy these less, known character meals. They provide significant character interactions in a fun, exciting environment with delicious food.
By sharing some of these character meals that people forget about, you will be able to find some excellent character dining experiences for your upcoming Walt Disney World vacation.
