Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White review: is it worth it?

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it’s off to Artist Point we go!

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is one of the most beautiful resorts on Walt Disney World property. While it’s recognized for its architecture and theming, the Deluxe hotel is also known for its dining. Specifically, Artist Point.

Artist Point, otherwise known as Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White, is character dining featuring favorites from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Only dinner is served in the Enchanted Forest dining room that brings the story of Snow White to life. You even get the chance to pose for a photo with The (Evil) Queen!

This isn’t a buffet, but rather a prix fixe menu where each guest is served individual plated entrées, along with shared starters and desserts.

We dined at Artist Point on July 25, 2023 and have a review all about our experience. Don’t worry, we walked away without biting into a poisoned apple.

The basics

How we got an Artist Point reservation

This is a pretty popular character meal. Really, no matter the restaurant, we highly recommend booking dining reservations immediately.

Reservations for all the restaurants at Disney World currently open up exactly 60 days in advance — and you should book dining as soon as you can.

Grabbing dining reservations at Disney World is extremely competitive. We snagged our Artist Point reservation 20 days prior to our trip.

You never know when there will be availability, but the most surefire way to get any reservation is booking 60 days before your trip begins.

Other ways to score an Artist Point dining reservation

Set dining alerts

If you don’t get a dinner reservation at Artist Point or want to try to book one last minute, try setting up a dining alert.

Reservation finding services are built to constantly check for openings at restaurants that you choose. Depending on the service, you can receive an email and/or text alert or a push notification when something becomes available.

Keep checking

You can also keeping checking yourself to see if anything opens up. We’ve had a lot of luck with this method. Trust us when we say reservations become available all the time — even the day of!

Join the waitlist

Many Disney World restaurants also have a waitlist option that you can either join in the My Disney Experience app or in person.

If you don’t have luck snagging a reservation, this might be your next best bet. But, keep in mind, it’s not always a guarantee.

Checking in

Like with many Table Service restaurants across Disney World, you are able to check in for dining reservations 20 minutes prior using the My Disney Experience app.

If you check in via the app, you can only do so up to 20 minutes prior to your reservation time. For our 4:25 p.m. dinner on July 25, 2023, we checked in at 3:50 p.m.

Instead of checking in using the My Disney Experience app, we checked in at the desk (follow the signs and look for the stand with all of the Snow White art behind it) to see if we could get in early — and we did!

We didn’t have to wait and received a text immediately that our table was ready.

Tip: Once you receive a notification that your table is ready, you’ll want to go up the ramp next to the host stand. Cast Members will be waiting to seat you.

What’s included at Artist Point

Let’s take a look at what’s included during dinner at Artist Point…

Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White’s prix fixe meal includes:

• Shared appetizers
• Individual plated entrées
• Shared desserts
• Beverages (select non-alcoholic specialty drinks are an additional price; all alcoholic drinks cost extra)

You also get to meet 4 characters from Snow White (they all sign autographs and you are also given an autograph card to take home):

• Snow White
• Dopey
• Grumpy
• The Queen

There’s the special bonus of:

• A PhotoPass photo with The Queen (more on this below)

PhotoPass with The Queen

While you don’t get to take a PhotoPass photo with Snow White, Dopey, or Grumpy, you can do so with The Queen!

The photo opportunity takes place inside Artist Point, but know that this is a separate meet and greet outside of your meal.

At the end of your dinner, your server will give you a royal invitation to meet the one and only Queen. As the invitation reads, “By royal decree your presence is requested by her majesty. The Queen.”

Before taking her position by the giant story book you encounter upon entering the restaurant, The Queen makes her grand entrance by sweeping across the dining room — and shooting off “evil” looks as she does so.

Once you’ve finished your dessert and paid the bill, you’ll get in line to meet The Queen and take photos with her. She also signs autographs.

You simply hand your invitation to the Cast Member. Our line wasn’t too long and the interaction moved quickly. The Queen was very good at her job, you know, by making you feel inferior.

While this allows you to take a nice, professional photo at a character meal versus what you snap on your phone, remember — The Queen will not come to your table and you must get in line to meet her.

You can also ask the Cast Member to take photos with your camera or phone, if you’d like.

Remember: photos are not included with your dining reservation, unless you have a PhotoPass entitlement (Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day) or are a qualifying Annual Passholder with a PhotoPass download benefit. You can also buy photos individually.

Character Interactions

Artist Point is a more unique character dining experience because you aren’t meeting classic Disney characters, like Mickey and Minnie. You get to say hello to Snow White characters.

Here’s who you get to meet:

Snow White

Dopey

Grumpy

And, of course, The Queen, who we met during the separate character meet and greet that we mentioned above.

When you are first seated, you’ll receive an autograph card with signatures from Snow White, The Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy.

They all sign autographs, as well.

Overall, the characters interactions at Artist Point were cute. Each time a character entered the dining room, they were announced and special music played adding to the already perfect story book theme.

Snow White was lovely and Dopey was adorably dopey, but the award for best interaction goes to Grumpy.

Not only did he demand all of us take a photo with him, but he also judged us on how well we could be grumpy alongside him in photos. In no surprise whatsoever, Heather won.

He even came back around a second time after Heather accidentally dropped her reusable water bottle on the ground. He accused her of throwing it at him and it was hilarious. Grumpy for the win!

At one point during the meal as the trees lit up and sparkled (it was so pretty!), there was a mini-parade set to cute music starring the characters. They marched and danced around the dining room together. It was adorable.

Overall, our character interactions were good (not the best we’ve ever had, but still fun). They moved quickly, efficiently, and allowed enough time to chat, take photos, and sign autographs (for anyone who wants them).

Artist Point food and drinks

A prix-fixe dinner is served at Artist Point, where you enjoy shared appetizers, individual plated entrées, shared desserts, and both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages.

On each table, you’ll see this adorable setting, where the shared appetizers and desserts are placed.

Keep in mind that if you receive an allergy-friendly offering or are served plant-based items, they will not be placed here. These items will be served separately to each guest and not shared with the entire table.

We experienced this due to Heather’s shellfish allergy and Allyson ordering the plant-based dishes. You’ll see this reflected in some of the photos below.

Here’s what was included with our July 25, 2023 dinner at Artist Point (keep in mind that menus and prices change, so the following may not always be the same).

And So The Story Begins… Shared Appetizers

The standard appetizers here include:

• Wild Mushroom Bisque with Chive Oil
• Hunter’s Pie with Turkey and Chicken, Cranberry Preserve, Crispy Sauerkraut
• Wicked Shrimp Cocktail with Bloody Mary Vinaigrette, Seaweed Salad, Spiced House-made Seasoning

We also received the following appetizer sampler that was plant-based:

• Wild Mushroom Bisque with Chive Oil
• Impossible Meatball
• Tomato Salad with dressing

If we’re being honest, most of the appetizers were fine. The tomato salad was your standard tomato salad that anyone could easily make at home. The Impossible Meatball was tasty, but nothing out of this world.

Heather and Felicia’s Hunters Pie was served cold. We confirmed with our server that it’s most definitely supposed to be hot. She apologized for the dish being cold and offered to bring out hot Hunters Pie for both of them, but they refused to save room for the rest of the meal.

One thing we all agreed on is that the Wild Mushroom Bisque was the star of the appetizers. We wish you could order just a big bowl of this in place of everything else. It’s so good.

The Core of the Story Entrées (choose one)

There are a range of entrées you can choose, including:

• “Cottage” Beef Stroganoff with Tender Beef, Preserved Vegetables, Spätzle, Mushrooms, Aged Cow’s Milk Cheese
• Royal Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish-Mashed Potato, Carrots, Jus
• A Stroll through Nature with Asparagus, Leeks, Arugula, Gnocchi, Sage, Parmesan
• Magic Mirror’s Slow-braised Pork Shank with Polenta, Gastrique
• Brother’s Grimm Herb Chicken with Cauliflower Purée, Roasted Vegetables, Chicken Jus
• Bashful’s Sustainable Fish with Herbed Risotto, Gremolata
• Sorceress Spell of “Tricken” Chicken with Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Vegetables, Vegetable Jus (Plant-based)

Here’s what we ordered:

Heather tried the “Cottage” Beef Stroganoff with Tender Beef, Preserved Vegetables, Spätzle, Mushrooms, Aged Cow’s Milk Cheese.

This wasn’t what any of us were expecting for a beef stroganoff. Overall, it was ok, but not the best Disney World meal.

Felicia had the Royal Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish-Mashed Potato, Carrots, and Jus.

This was good, but also not the best prime rib ever. Can we also talk about the massive dinner roll that comes with this? The photo doesn’t do the size of the roll justice.

Allyson ordered the plant-based Sorceress Spell of “Tricken” Chicken with Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Vegetables, and Vegetable Jus.

This presentation was spot-on. The dish was stunning. But, again, not an outstanding entrée. It tasted fine, but that’s it — only fine.

FYI: those pieces of “chicken” are actually big ole pieces of tofu. They definitely look like chicken breast, so we’ll give an A+ for tricking our eye. Too bad they didn’t taste better. It’s just a lot of tofu (and Allyson really likes tofu).

Sweet Endings Shared Desserts

Here are the desserts served at Artist Point:

• Miner’s Treasures with Cookies ‘n Cream Panna Cotta, Chocolate Gems
• Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart with Meringue and Gooseberry
• “Poison” Apple with Dark Chocolate-Apple Mousse, Sour Center

So, how did we feel about the desserts? Well, they may look cute and nail the theme of the dining experience, but they aren’t noteworthy by any means. The appearance is much better than the taste.

For plant-based eaters, you will get the following vegan desserts:

• Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart with Meringue and Gooseberry
• “Poison” Apple with chocolate mousse
• Chia Pudding with mango

Overall, these were just ok. They aren’t as cute or as fancy as the regular desserts, but that didn’t bother us. Allyson only ate these, and, well, she’s had better vegan sweet treats.

Your table also receives “The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen.” This is quite the presentation. Your server opens a box that leaks out smoke and reveals three small chocolate hearts. These are standard chocolates, but still yummy!

We honestly liked these small chocolate hearts better than any of the desserts. That says a lot.

While we don’t have photos of the kids’ offerings, here’s what you can expect from the kids’ menu…

Kids’ Appetizers (a la carte)

• From the Garden: Create-Your-Own Honey-Butter with Fruit, Vegetables and Cheese

Kids’ Entrées (choose one)

• Grilled Chicken served with Small Lowfat Milk, Small DASANI® Bottled Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
• Grilled Fish of the Day served with Small Lowfat Milk, Small DASANI® Bottled Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice
• Prime Rib Roast served with Small Lowfat Milk, Small DASANI® Bottled Water, or Small Minute Maid® Apple Juice

Kids’ Selections (Choose two)

• Roasted Potatoes
• Carrots
• Broccolini
• Mashed Potatoes
• Macaroni & Cheese

Drinks

There are a variety of drinks you can order with your meal, including water, soft drinks, coffee, non-alcoholic specialty drinks, beer, wine, cocktails, and more.

Included

Water, soft drinks, juice, coffee, tea, and milk are all included with the cost of your meal.

Non-alcoholic beverages for an additional price

There are a variety of specialty non-alcoholic beverages available, like lemonades and other concoctions.

Alcoholic beverages for an additional price

You can also order beer, cider, seltzer, wine, or cocktails for an additional price.

We ordered the following (from left to right):

• Alchemy (Heather): Fords Gin, St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Watermelon
• Enchanted Apple (Allyson): SKYY Infusions Citrus Vodka, DeKuyper Pucker Sour Apple Liqueur, White Cranberry Juice
• The Smoking Mirror (Felicia): Johnnie Walker Black 12yr Whisky, Wildberry, Lime, Rosemary Smoke

These cocktails were actually delicious. They are on the pricier side, but also a nice way to treat yourself.

If you’re not a sweet person, you’ll probably want to steer clear from the Enchanted Apple. The Alchemy is on the dangerous side, because it tastes like lemonade. You, obviously, should also have a palate for whiskey or you probably won’t be a fan of The Smoking Mirror.

Important: If you or someone in your party has dietary restrictions, many Disney World restaurants have accommodations and they also sometimes list the allergy-friendly items on the menu (online and in the My Disney Experience app). If you have questions, be sure to chat with a Cast Member and they’ll be able to assist you.

Our most recent review of Artist Point

There’s no denying that Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is some of the most unique character dining on Disney World property.

We absolutely love the fact that you can meet Snow White, The Queen, Grumpy, and Dopey — all in the same location. The characters are cute. We loved Grumpy a little bit more than the others, because he embodied his grumpiness extremely well. He seriously made the dinner.

We were one of the first groups to dine during our early dinner timeslot (as you can tell by the many empty tables). This was really nice, because not only did service move quickly, but we were able to meet the characters fast.

We were basically in and out of Artist Point within 60 minutes (maybe even less). Now, that might sound rushed, but it wasn’t at all. There is nothing worse than a long, drawn out character meal, even more so if you have other plans.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here. We aren’t sure if the efficiency of our meal had to do with being one of the first dining parties of the day. Whatever the case, we weren’t mad about it.

If you want a more relaxing breakfast, lunch, or dinner, we recommend choosing a restaurant that’s not character dining. More often than not, they will try to move you in and out as quickly as possible to keep up with the number of tables they have to fill compared to a meal without characters.

Now, let’s chat price. Not only does Artist Point require 2 Table Service credits on the Disney Dining Plan (it used to be one), but dinner costs $65 per adult and $39 per child (ages 3 to 9). That is far from affordable for a family.

Yes, this is cheaper compared to some character meals (we’re looking at you Cinderella’s Royal Table). And then there is Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, which is only 2 dollars less for adults and 2 dollars more for children. Either way, Artist Point is on the more expensive side and the cost is a bit hard to stomach.

What about the food? The presentation was phenomenal, but we can’t say the same for the taste. What a disappointment. The food used to be such a standout here. Our drinks, appetizers, entrées, and desserts weren’t the worst things we ever ate, but they also weren’t the best.

We don’t want something that only tastes fine. We want something outstanding, especially if we’re paying $65 for three adults.

To summarize…

Pros:

Cons:

We didn’t walk away raving about Artist Point. Overall, we are sad to say Snow White’s character meal was a let down.

Is Artist Point worth it?

Based on our review, you can probably predict if we think Artist Point is worth it. The straight to the point answer is: no.

When character dining is this expensive and the food is mediocre, well, it’s just not worth forking over that much money.

The characters were cute, the presentation was good, the theming was fun, the restaurant is beautiful, and the experience was unique. But when you remove the food and price from the pro list, is any restaurant really worth it, especially when you’re already paying so much to be at Disney World?

In our opinion, definitely not.

There are much better (and more affordable) character meals we recommend trying, like Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine at Hollywood Studios, Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom, and Tusker House at Animal Kingdom.

*****************

Have you ever had dinner at Artist Point? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments.