Best Disney World Character Meals in 2024 (Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner)

One of the things that many people want to include on Disney World trips are character meals, but there are so many to choose from that it’s hard to figure out which one (or ones!) to do.

In this post, we have listed all the character meals at Disney World with info on which characters appear, prices, menus, plus we have some handy transportation information on how to get to early breakfast reservations.

Let’s get started…

1900 Park Fare is now open

Fantastic news! 1900 Park Fare returned to full operation on April 10. And with it comes some classics (like the Strawberry Soup!) plus fun new characters and an updated space. More on what to expect below.

What character meals are available?

Character Meal Comparison Chart (Graphic)

We go into more details below, but here’s a quick overview of how the current character meals compare to one another:

Click to open full-sized PDF

Pros and cons of every Disney World character meal

First, it’s important to note that the Disney Dining Plan is temporarily suspended, but Disney has that dining packages are returning at some point in the future.

Please keep in mind that some photos below may not reflect current procedures and are intended for reference only.

Now, let’s dive in and look at the pros and cons of each character meal…

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall offers character dining featuring a variety of Disney princesses. Meals here are served family-style.

Akershus Royal Banquet hall is where you can normally meet Disney princesses, like Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, and Ariel.

The character dining spot is usually open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This is a popular place to dine, so reservations are recommended.

While breakfast is pretty standard food, lunch and dinner features a “Taste of Norway,” which includes Scandinavian seafood, imported cheeses, cured and sliced meets, salads, fruits, and desserts.

There are also hot plates, like grilled fillet of salmon, herb-roasted chicken breast, and a Norwegian meatball dish called Kjøttkake.

Be Our Guest

Be Our Guest is one of the most popular Table Service options at Disney World, especially at Magic Kingdom.

After all, this is the only place you can wave to The Beast and dine inside his castle. There are 3 rooms to dine in: The Grand Ballroom, The Rose Gallery, and The West Wing (this may scare little ones).

While the experience is one-of-a-kind, there’s no denying it is a very pricey meal.

Reservations are accepted and very much recommended.

Cape May Cafe – Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast

Cape May Cafe is a New England-style restaurant that serves both breakfast and dinner buffets. You can only meet Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy in beach attire during breakfast, though.

Breakfast fare here is pretty typical – but they do have crêpes and a nice selection of sides.

While maybe not the best food in the world, Chef Mickey’s remains one of the most iconic character meals at Walt Disney World.

I mean, where else can you meet Mickey while the monorail is zooming above you?!

Expect it to be loud and a little chaotic here. But, if you are looking for a fun experience for kids that is near Magic Kingdom, this might be a decent option. Just know that large price is for the experience, and not necessarily for the food.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table is a sit-down restaurant, where you can meet princesses (like Cinderella, of course) and dine inside her castle.

While it’s certainly a unique experience and the only way you’re able to enter the castle, it’s extremely pricey.

While in the past, the food hasn’t been memorable, it has improved greatly over the years. We recommend lunch and dinner over breakfast.

If this is a top option and you (and your little one) want to meet several Disney princesses at once, be sure to snag a reservation as soon as possible!

The Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace is a character dining spot on Main Street that serves buffet-style during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

You can, of course, also meet characters here, including Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore.

We highly suggest snagging a reservation here. While it’s not the most popular character dining location at Disney World, it can still get busy.

Garden Grill

Garden Grill is a character dining spot, where you can meet farmer Mickey, Chip, Dale, and Pluto.

Better yet, this is a rotating restaurant that offers cool views of the rainforest, farmhouse, thunderstorm, sandstorm, and prairie scenes from Living with the Land.

You’re served an all-you-can-eat family-style meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Breakfast includes Mickey waffles, pastries, fruit, bacon, eggs, grilled steak and potatoes.

Lunch and dinner include salad, chicken, macaroni and cheese, grilled beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables, Southern-style spoon break, and berry short cake.

There are also plant-based and allergy-friendly platters available upon request.

Advance reservations are highly recommended. You can book up to 60 days in advance.

Hollywood & Vine

Hollywood & Vine offers two different character dining opportunities. The first is the Disney Junior Play n’ Dine for breakfast with Disney Junior characters (Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins, and Goofy). The second is Minnie’s Seasonal Dining for lunch and dinner with Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto in rotating attire based on the season (Springtime, Summertime, Halloween, Holiday, and Silver Screen). All meals are served buffet-style.

Hollywood & Vine is the only character dining in Hollywood Studios.

For breakfast, you can meet Disney Junior characters. For lunch and dinner, you can meet Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto.

Regarding the latter, the themes change depending on the season and is known as “Minnie’s Seasonal Dining”.

Here’s a breakdown of each character experience:

• Disney Junior Play n’ Dine (year-round)
• Minnie’s Summertime Dine (May through August)
• Minnie’s Halloween Dine (August through November)
• Minnie’s Holiday Dine (November through January)
• Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine (January through February)
• Minnie’s Springtime Dine (March through May)

Depending on the season, the characters appearing during Minnie’s Seasonal Dining wear different outfits!

Reservations are accepted and recommended.

This has served both family-style and buffet meals, with the latter being the main form of dining.

The character breakfast at ‘Ohana offers a relaxed setting to start your day.

Here, guests can enjoy a variety of breakfast favorites served family-style while Disney characters mingle with the diners, adding a personal touch to the meal. The location is great for a pre-park breakfast since you’ll be within walking distance to the Transportation and Ticket Center, which can take you to Epcot, or you can jump on the monorail to Magic Kingdom right at the Poly.

And although there is zero science to confirm it, the waffles just taste extra delicious here for some reason!

Story Book Dining is one of the more unique character dining experiences in that it includes at villain, and not just the good guys.

Located at Wilderness Lodge, the surroundings are lovely, and it feels a bit more upscale than the other character meals. And because this isn’t a buffet, it also isn’t as noisy (which is a huge perk if you just want to relax and dine).

The food here can be hit or miss – but we’re hopeful that Disney figures it out and gets the consistently good grub headed out of the kitchen, because when this meal is good, the entire experience is great.

Tusker House

Tusker House offers character dining featuring Donald, Daisy, Mickey, and Goofy in safari attire. Meals here are served buffet-style.

Tusker House is the only character meal at Animal Kingdom — and it’s a great one.

In addition to a buffet serving African dishes (with many kid-friendly choices), you get to meet Safari Donald, Mickey, Goofy, and Daisy!

This is one of the best character dining options and is super fun. You can book it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Topolino’s Terrace offers a character breakfast with a European flair, featuring a rooftop view at Disney’s Riviera Resort – and it is an abslute treat.

Guests can savor à la carte dishes while enjoying interactions with Disney characters in some of the best costumes at WDW.

It’s a sophisticated yet playful dining experience that blends gourmet cuisine with the joy of character meet-and-greets, and since this isn’t a buffet, it also feels less hectic.

Reservations here can be tricky to get, so if you want to dine here, be sure to make this a top priority when your window opens up.

What is the best character meal at Disney World?

While we love the experience you can find at many of the character meals, Garden Grill at Epcot is still our favorite.

Not only can you get delicious food here, but the rotating restaurant is fun for both adults and kids, and the characters are adorable.

Plus, it isn’t a buffet, which we typically prefer simply because it makes for a more relaxing meal.

What is the best character breakfast?

When it comes to breakfast at Disney World, our absolute favorite is Topolino’s Terrace. The characters here are so freaking cute. Love the uniqueness of the costumes and the theming.

We also love that this restaurant is accessible via the Skyliner, which makes it a great option for guests staying at Pop Century, Art of Animation, and Disney’s Caribbean Beach resorts.

More on why we love both Garden Grill and Topolino’s Terrace above, where we list out the pros and cons to all character meals.

How to book a character meal at Disney World

As you can imagine, character meals are very popular and many on the list below are some of the most difficult reservations to get in all of Walt Disney World.

If you want to dine with the characters you’ll definitely want to plan on making your Advanced Dining Reservations at that 60 day mark right when the booking window opens which is typically around 5:45 a.m. EST.

We have lots more advice for maximizing your chances of getting exactly what you want in our How to snag hard-to-get Disney World dining reservations post. 

When to schedule Disney World character dining meals

Trying to decide the best time to schedule a character meal?

Because character meals are a fun experience that (in our opinion) shouldn’t be rushed, we recommend you choose days and times when you can relax and fully enjoy it.

One great option for that is to book your character meals on non-park days. Just make sure you pick restaurants that are located at one of the resort hotels (and not a theme park) so that you don’t have to use a park ticket for entry.

Another great time for character meals may be your arrival and departure days.

Lots of people don’t like to waste a park ticket on their travel days, but they still want some of that Disney magic, and character meals are a great way to do just that. 

Just make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get to (or from) the airport if you’re flying. 

If you opt to dine with the characters on a day you’ll be visiting one of the theme parks, we highly recommend you book your dining in the park where you’ll be (or at a nearby resort) to save transportation time. 

Can the characters sign autographs?

Yes! characters can sign autographs at character meals. Cast Members will just ask that you have your autograph book out and ready.

How long do character meals take?

You’ll want to budget about 90 minutes (plus travel time) for your meal.

That gives you time to check in, be seated, and then time to eat and see all the characters without racing through anything.

It may take less time than that, but for planning purposes, 90 minutes is a good rule of thumb.

In a hurry? If eating at a fixed-price meal, ask for your check as soon as you sit down, so you can pay and then leave as soon as you’re finished eating.

What about character breakfasts?

Character meals for breakfasts are a popular way to start a day, but here are some things to keep in mind:

• If you want to maximize your park touring, you’ll definitely want to have the earliest reservation possible (which on most days is around 8:00 a.m.).
• Park hours can (and do) change, which means that pre-park opening breakfast might wind up not being before the park opens, which can throw off your touring plans for the entire day.
• Breakfasts are generally the least expensive character meals, so while they aren’t always a good value on the Disney Dining Plan (when available), they are a great way to save a few bucks if you’re planning to pay for your meal out-of-pocket.
• Some character breakfasts put you in a good position to be at the front of the line for a popular nearby attraction, so that is something to consider as well. 

VIDEO: Disney Character Meals you DON’T Need a Park Ticket For

What about PhotoPass photographers?

We’ve slowly started to see PhotoPass photographers returning to character meals.

Here’s where you can find them:

• Story Book Dining at Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge)
• Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort)
• Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)

Several other restaurants (like Tusker House) used to also have a photo op; however, there are no PhotoPass photographers there currently.

You don’t get a physical copy of the photo, but it will be added to your PhotoPass account and will be available to download – and the photos taken are included with Memory Maker, too.

Also – there are no PhotoPass photographers at the tables themselves, so you’ll need to be ready with your own camera or phone if you want your picture taken.

Buffet – yay or nay?

As you go through the pros and cons of all the character meals above, you’ll find that lots of them are buffets.

Buffets are great for picky eaters, and the nice thing about Disney World buffets is that they all have a section of kid-friendly options like mac and cheese and Mickey Waffles. However, kids are also welcome to eat from any of the food stations available.

The downside to buffets is that they are often a bit loud and if the number of kids in your group outnumbers the adults, getting everybody’s plates filled in a timely manner can be tricky. 

If buffets aren’t your thing, Disney does have character meals that serve food family style (like Garden Grill) or ones where you order off a menu and the food is brought to your table (like Cinderella’s Royal Table) so keep your preference in mind when making your selections.

How do you get to character meals?

You’ve booked a character meal, but have you thought about how you’ll get there?

Some places can be trickier to get to than others, so make sure you check out the information below you’ll need to make it to your reservation on time.

Transportation to early morning character meals at Disney World

The only time we ever recommend breakfast is if it’s before the parks open (if you eat any later, you end up eating during prime park touring time), but it’s confusing to understand how to get to the dining reservations.

Although Disney will often tell you that transportation begins 1 hour before the parks open, there are earlier options for people with early dining reservations (and those who want to rope drop).

Here’s what’s available for early morning transportation at Disney World:

Bus

While we used to recommend arriving at the bus stop 60 to 75 minutes before Early Entry begins, after testing the timing out many times, we now recommend 90 minutes. That 90-minute window is especially important if you:

• want to be on the first bus (which we recommend), or
• if you are staying at a large resort like Art of Animation, Pop Century, or the All-Stars, or
• if you are staying at a resort with multiple internal stops, like Caribbean Beach or Coronado Springs.

Expect the first bus of the day to arrive between 1 hour to 75 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry starts. The goal is to be on the first bus of the day, and the lines for the buses will get very long, very fast. Arriving 90 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry will get you to the front of the pack, and likely on that first bus.

Skyliner

For the Disney Skyliner, aim for 75 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry begins if you don’t have to transfer, and 90 minutes if you do. Both the Hollywood Studios and Epcot lines start up about 1 hour before Early Entry begins.

Monorail

Plan to get to your monorail stop about 60-75 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry. For reference, the Resort Monorail Loop goes:

• Transportation and Ticket Center
• Polynesian Resort
• Grand Floridian Resort
• Magic Kingdom
• Contemporary Resort

Boat

If traveling by boat, 60-75 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry is probably good.

Walking

Walking? You’ll have it the easiest!

Guests that walk are typically allowed to line up at the tapstiles around 60 minutes before the park opens for Early Theme Park Entry. If you want to be at the front of the pack of the walkers, plan to arrive ahead of that. (If you arrive before they begin allowing people to line up at the tapstiles, you’ll be held back by security.)

Car

When traveling by car, plan to arrive at the parking lot entrance about 70 minutes before Early Theme Park Entry. If the parking lot booths are not open at that time, you should be able to just wait for them to officially open up. But, don’t show up too early because they may not let you wait for the booths to open and instead will force you to turn around and come back closer to opening.

Want to learn more about Disney World buses, boats, monorail, and more?

Take a look at these handy posts for even more information on how to get around Walt Disney World.

• How to Navigate with Disney World Transportation
• How to Get Anywhere on Disney World Property (WDW Prep Navigator)
• Complete Guide to the Disney Skyliner
• How Minnie Vans Work
• How to use Lyft or Uber at Walt Disney World
• Renting a Car at Walt Disney World

Are character meals a good value on the Disney Dining Plan?

You can now add the Disney Dining Plan to Walt Disney World vacation packages.

If you end up doing several character meals, the Disney Dining Plan might make a lot of sense. Review our post on maximizing Disney Dining Plan credits to see which restaurants offer the best value.

Which character meals remain closed?

Although most character meals returned after the closures in 2020, there are a few meals and experiences that remain closed:

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Will you be doing any character meals at Disney World for your trip? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.