Disney Character Shows - which are worth doing?

[Libertymae]

Hi all,
Could any of you recommend a character experience or dinner show at Disney Florida that you really enjoyed please?

I've got 3 kids aged between 5 and 10, and a husband that isn't fond of Disney at all, but I would like to book just one of these types of experiences in advance - don't mind breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Good food would help to win over my DH!! But it's most important that the kids (2 DS and 1 DD) love it.

Thanks for your help x

We had lunch in the castle, nearly all the princesses were there. I had read reviews & the dinner had lots of bad reviews.

Our dd's loved it!

All princesses came to the table, posed for photographs and signed autographs. Someone was checking to make sure everyone had time with each princess.

Food was perfectly fine - dessert was lovely!! I would recommend it.

We aldo did breakfast at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary resort.

It was brilliant, Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy & Donald, maybe more I can't remember!

Again they all came & posed and signed autographs.

Breakfast is an all you can eat buffet and the Mickey shaped waffles are great!!

We booked both of these online before we went. This year my dds want to go back and do the breakfast again!

If the food is important then I would really recommend breakfast as this seems to suffer less for being buffet style.

That said we have done lunch at the Crystal Palace (MK) and that was lovely imo but it also depends which characters you want as Crystal Palace is Winnie the Pooh and friends - they do a big conga line round the restaurant which is great!

We went to Cinderella's Table (the castle in MK) for evening meal when that wasn't a character meal and the food was good. It's very princess heavy though so with 2 DS maybe not the best. There is also the new Be Our Guest restaurant in Fantasy Land which is the first place to serve alcohol in the Magic Kingdom alongside a French influenced menu - I'm not sure how much of a character experience this is though?

O'hana at the Polynesian is always rated as good food - it's BBQ style and served on platters at your table so less 'buffet' like but again it depends if your DCs would like those characters (Lilo & Stitch)

We really enjoyed Donald's Safari Breakfast at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom. The main classic characters are there in Safari outfits and it wasn't too busy.

Very about your trip but happy to discuss anything WDW!

Who do they want to see?

We found that when DD was little she was quite distracted by the characters so didnt eat much, so the food was less of an issue. We chose places based on the characters she wanted to see at the time.

disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/#/character-dining/ - these are all the options

We have experienced:

Chef Mickeys for breakfast - was really good, big buffet all you can eat breakfast. Saw lots of characters, they spent a lot of time with DD

The Crystal Palace - for lunch and dinner; food was very good; all the Winnie the pooh characters; dd had a great time when she was little

Hollywood & Vine - buffet meal again, for lunch; we didn't really know all these characters but was relaxed and lots of children enjoying it

Tusker House Restaurant - great breakfast, all you can eat buffet; lots of the characters in safari outfits, got there early so not too busy, can get v busy later on

Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare - for dinner; buffet all you can; lovely food but expensive for what it was; its Cinderella characters which dd loved at that time, the ugly sisters were the best as they were funny and interacted more with guests; not sure worth how much it was though compared to the others

Not character dining but a place DD really loves - 50's Prime Time Café
. Very big portions and DD loved the whole interaction/event, even the getting told off for leaving her greens, and her grandad being reprimanded for having his elbows on the table; been a couple of times and was great fun and we will go back in February

I can't wait to see Be Our Guest this year!!

Thanks for all your suggestions.
I don't think the kids will really mind who they see, although Princesses probably not that high up on the list! I just thought it would be a simple, stress free way for them to see some characters. We've never been to WDW before, but I get the impression that over the Easter holidays it will be manic.

ImpatientOne - think we will stick to breakfast.

Bit surprised by how spendy it is, mind! Would you guys recommend doing it? Or is it very easy to see characters in the parks?

Hulababy - going to check out the 50s Prime Time Cafe, also sounds fun!

Advantage of thd chapter tuning is the characters come to you and have a strict order of the route they take round tables. In the parks it's a case of queuing and the queues can be lengthy.

I'd recommend the breakfast at animal kingdom as first option.

And yes, for a fun but not chapter dining lunch - 50s diner

Chef Mickey's is a great breakfast experience would totally recommend it.

Mickey's backyard BBQ!!!!! Dd got to dance with Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip n Dale & Pluto. They had photograph and signin sessions and played games with the children. There is a buffet BBQ and the price includes all beer wine and soft drinks. I would recommend it because of the amount of interaction they get with the characters and the dancing. It gets sold out early so book as soon as you can.

The castle I great because it is quite special for the children but it is just princesses and you only see them for 10 seconds.

We went to The Grand Floridian for breakfast which was the same sort of thing as the castle, just a quick meet and greet but the breakfast is good and the range of characters different - mad hatter, Alice, ariel, Winnie the pooh, fairy godmother.

Strawberry i have looked at the BBQ lots but have never booked it, i don't know why.

I think i might now!

You will love it!!! The best one I've been to and we've got loads of videos of dd holding hands and dancing with Minnie.

We've done breakfast with the princesses at MK which was fabulous, the kids really loved it, even DS.

We've also done lunch several times at the Crystal Palace in MK (Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and Eyore) the food there is much better than some of the other restaurants and you are not so rushed. We tend to book to go just before or after the parade.

Did Chef Mickeys breakfast once but not as impressed as food a bit crap and was very rushed. You had about 10 seconds with Mickey if that.

With the princesses and Mickey you really need to book way in advance, bookings open 180 days before whereas with the WTP one you don't have to book so much in advance and we've sometimes booked on the day which you could never do with the others

My girls loved Chip and Dale's restaurant and Akershus which are both n Epcot.
Also, it's not character dining, but The T Rex Cafe at Downtown Disney is brilliant!

Ooh Ihave booked a slot at lunch for T Rex I have heard its great.

Another vote for mickeys backyard BBQ. We have been to disneyworld more than once and have done all the character meals. DCs are five and seven. The BBQ is by far the best (although we also love Hollywood and Vine for the Playhouse Disney characters but that one is definitely geared towards the little nes). Chip and Dale around at the start when you are waiting to go in. Then all the main Mickey and friends characters dance with the DCs for a couple of hours. Mine had goofy to themselves dancing for ages. Then you are guaranteed time with the characters at the end for any additional photos. They also do a lassoo (sp?) show and the country singers are great.

If you go then think twice about getting the boat back. We queued for ages and would have been better getting the bus.

T. rex is amazing. Service is rubbish though but you can overlook that due to the sheer amazingness of the place.

We enjoyed Cafe Cape May for breakfast at the Beach Club near Epcot. Minnie, Donald, Goofy dressed in surfing outfits...and fabulous buffet breakfast.
We went three times (because we were staying there and on the dining plan) and booked the earliest slot of 7.30am. As result we saw the characters more than our allotted times as it was quiet. Donald especially was great fun!
Also we enjoyed Garden Grill in Epcot which revolves and has Mickey, Pluto and Chip n Dale. the food is served 'family style' which is like an individual buffet on your table. Food was surprisingly nice.
I also enjoyed Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends.
We also did the castle for breakfast which was lovely but we wouldn't go back as DSs not so keen and very expensive. But we have done it for DD. She is Belle mad and Belle wasn't there so we want to go back to see the new Belle castle when it opens!
Non character but fun was also the restaurant in the sea area of Epcot (I can't remember the name of it). You eat underground next to enormous windows into the massive acquarium which was fun!