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Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine review: is lunch & dinner worth it?

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine review: is lunch & dinner worth it?

At Hollywood Studios, there is only one way to enjoy character dining — at Hollywood & Vine found in Echo Lake.

Character dining here is like 6 different character meals in one location. Well, kind of. Allow us to explain why Hollywood & Vine is one of the more unique character dining options at Disney World.

There are two different character meals at Hollywood & Vine:

  • Breakfast: Disney Junior Play n’ Dine is where you can meet Disney Junior characters, like Vampirina, Fancy Nancy and Doc McStuffins, and Goofy (in his traditional outfit)
  • Lunch and dinner: Minnie’s Seasonal Dining is where you can meet Minnie, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto in different outfits, depending on the season

Here are the dining opportunities available during Minnie’s Seasonal Dining:

  • Halloween Dine: the characters dress in Halloween costumes (part of August through part of November)
  • Minnie’s Holiday Dine: the characters don their holiday best (part of November through part of January)
  • Silver Screen Dine: the characters embrace the glitz and glamour of Hollywood (part of January through February)
  • Springtime Dine: the characters channel their best spring looks (March through part of May)
  • Summertime Dine: the characters throw a beach party celebrating summer (part of May through part of August)

You can find dates for each seasonal character dining meal on the official Disney World website (scroll to the bottom).

While the characters’ costumes change throughout the year, the menu typically remains the same. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served buffet-style.

minnie's springtime dine photo backdrop at hollywood & vine

This review is about Minnie’s Seasonal Dining. Our lunch reservation on May 4, 2023 was for the Springtime Dine, where we got to meet the characters sporting their spring outfits.

It’s important to note that the dinner buffet served here is exactly the same as lunch. So, if you’re debating whether or not to book lunch or dinner at Hollywood & Vine, know that the characters, food, and pricing detailed below are exactly the same.

As for the breakfast buffet, it is different and not just because of the food, but because of the characters, who are from Disney Junior shows.

Below is our review of Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine.

The basics

  • Date we dined at Hollywood & Vine: Thursday, May 4, 2023
  • Meal we booked: Lunch buffet
  • Time: 12:40 p.m.
  • Lunch price (plus tax and gratuity): $59 per adult and $38 per child (ages 3 to 9)

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.

minnie's holiday dine at hollywood and vine in hollywood studios

Location type: Buffet-style character dining
Characters available:

  • Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine Breakfast – typically Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, Doc McStuffins
  • Minnie’s Seasonal Dine Lunch and Dinner – typically Mickey Mouse, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy (costumes vary by season)

Type of food: American
Meals Served: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Seating Available: Indoor

  • On the Disney Dining Plan? Yes, 1 Table Service credit(s)
  • Pros: Lunch and dinner experiences change with the seasons, meaning you get to see the characters dressed in different costumes during certain times of the year.
  • Cons: Can be loud and busy.
  • Tips: As the only character dining in the park, can be popular. You can only see Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto at lunch and dinner. During breakfast, Disney Junior characters and Goofy appear.

How we got a Minnie’s Seasonal Dining reservation

Booking ahead

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining can be a difficult dining reservation to get due it being the only character dining option at Hollywood Studios. We recommend (like we do with most dining reservations at Disney World), to make reservations as soon as you can.

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.

lunch confirmation for minnie's seasonal dining at hollywood and vine

Grabbing dining reservations at Disney World is extremely competitive. We were lucky to snag a Minnie’s Seasonal Dining lunch reservation 47 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 a Minnie’s Seasonal Dining reservation

Set dining alerts

If you don’t get a Minnie’s Seasonal Dining reservation 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.

mobile check in for hollywood and vine at hollywood studios

If you check in via the app, you can only do so up to 20 minutes prior to your reservation time. For our 12:40 p.m. lunch on May 4, 2023, we checked in exactly at 12:40 p.m.

Surprisingly, we didn’t have to wait at all. Our name was called immediately, we were escorted in by the host, and quickly sat down at our table.

What’s included at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining lunch

Let’s take a look at what’s included during a lunch at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining…

sign for minnie's springtime dine at hollywood & vine

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining all-you-can-eat lunch buffet includes:

  • Starters
  • Sides
  • Entrees
  • Desserts
  • Beverages (all alcoholic drinks cost extra)

You meet classic Disney characters in seasonal costumes (they all sign autographs, but we were not given an autograph card here):

  • Minnie
  • Mickey
  • Goofy
  • Pluto

Character interactions

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining is so fun because you get to meet characters in themed-outfits. Depending when you visit, you may see them in different attire, creating a different and new experience.

We’ve dined here during different times of the year and it never gets old seeing Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto in seasonal costumes.

Even though their costumes change, you’ll always meet:

Minnie

minnie at hollywood and vine for minnie's springtime dine

Mickey

mickey at hollywood and vine for minnie's springtime dine

Goofy

goofy at hollywood and vine for minnie's springtime dine

Pluto

pluto at hollywood and vine for minnie's springtime dine

We are not exaggerating when we say these were the best character interactions we had during this particular trip.

This speaks volumes, especially since over the course of one week at Disney World we tried 5 different character meals. Hollywood & Vine nailed the characters.

We were able to say hello to each character twice. They never failed in being bubbly and entertaining.

mickey at hollywood and vine in his springtime dine outfit

They were so much fun! At one point, Mickey sat down with us, like he did with several other tables.

Goofy did the same, along with showing off his skills by signing autograph books blind. Goofy placed an autograph book behind his head and signed his name perfectly! He’s basically a magician.

goofy signing an autograph book behind his head

Speaking of autographs, all of the characters sign autographs, but, despite receiving one in the past here, we were not given an autograph card.

Fun music also played introducing the characters, but we personally didn’t see them dance or do a parade around the restaurant, like we’ve experienced at other character meals.

Even without a parade, the character interactions remained fantastic. Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, and Pluto at Hollywood & Vine were absolute perfection. This might not always be the case, but we can’t help but rave about meeting these classic four characters here.

Minnie’s Seasonal Dining food and drinks

For lunch and dinner, you can visit the buffet at Hollywood & Vine.

Here’s what was included in the lunch buffet during our visit to Minnie’s Seasonal Dining on May 4, 2023 (keep in mind that menus and prices change, so the following may not always be the same):

The Main Buffet Line

Most of the buffets at character meals begin with assorted breads and a salad bar. The same can be said for Hollywood & Vine.

salad bar at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

There is also fresh fruit and cold salads, like the plant-based bean salad and couscous salad, both of which were delicious.

It’s also nice to have some fruit and vegetables when visiting a theme park. You can only eat so much fried food, macaroni and cheese, burgers, and pizza, right?

fruit and cold salads at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

You’ll come upon another station with a range of sides, including stew with root vegetables, white rice, roasted pork with spicy mustard sauce, roasted butternut squash, and macaroni and cheese with shrimp and bacon, to name a few.

potatoes and other sides at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

There are two carving stations: one for strip loin and another for roasted turkey. You can also find salmon cakes next to some of the sides.

strip loin at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

For vegans and vegetarians, there is an entire station with strictly plant-based offerings.

A few of these dishes include: roasted mushroom farro risotto, crispy tofu with asian glaze, olive oil crushed potatoes, and broccoli and carrots.

plant-based station at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

Last, but not least, are the two stations for little ones.

The first section features penne pasta and marinara, baked chicken, macaroni and cheese, and green beans.

kids station at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

The second station has a range of fried options: chicken nuggets, potato barrels (aka tater tots), and mini corn dogs.

kids station at hollywood and vine lunch buffet

Adults can also serve themselves from the kids’ buffet station, just like kids can have whatever they’d like from the more “grown-up” offerings.

Desserts

Next to the buffet is a section starring mini-desserts. We really loved the candy magic bar with coconut, smashed cookie pieces, and more deliciousness combined together.

As for the Star Wars-themed cupcake, we believe this was only available during our reservation due to us dining on May the 4th.

It was a carrot cake cupcake, which is probably regularly featured with the other desserts. We suspect it typically has a different wrapper when it isn’t Star Wars Day.

desserts at hollywood and vine for minnie's seasonal dining

There is also a self-serve soft-serve station, where you can fill a bowl with either vanilla, chocolate, or twist (vanilla and chocolate).

You can also add fun Mickey sprinkles!

soft serve ice cream at hollywood and vine for minnie's seasonal dining

Don’t mind our poor presentation of soft-serve, we’re not professionals. But, who cares how it looks, because it tasted fantastic.

It is important to note that this chocolate soft-serve doesn’t taste like your typical chocolate. Have you ever had the chocolate soft-serve at Epic Eats at Hollywood Studios?

It’s very good, but it’s similar to the same flavor as a fudgesicle, rather than standard chocolate soft-serve ice cream. Does that make sense?

Well, if that’s your thing, you will love this chocolate soft-serve at Hollywood & Vine!

Drinks

Here’s what you can expect from beverages at Hollywood & Vine…

Included

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

Alcoholic beverages for an additional price

You can also order beer, cider, seltzer, wine, or cocktails. We didn’t try any alcohol during our lunch reservation.

cocktail menu at hollywood and vine at hollywood studios
wine and beer menu at hollywood and vine at hollywood studios

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. As stated online for Hollywood & Vine, there is an “Allergen Guide available upon arrival to the location.”

Our most recent review of Minnie’s Seasonal Dining

We really love Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine for either lunch or dinner. It’s a top-notch choice for character dining.

During our lunch reservation on May 4, 2023, we walked away loving the characters and the food. Both were absolutely fantastic.

hugging mickey at hollywood and vine in hollywood studios

The characters were fun, extremely interactive, and all-around friendly. This also isn’t the first time we’ve experienced this here. There’s just something special about the characters at Hollywood & Vine.

As for the food, we were beyond relieved to walk away full and happy. In the past, Hollywood & Vine’s buffet options haven’t been very good. Then, the restaurant switched to a prix fixe menu during the pandemic, which we really enjoyed.

We were definitely worried the buffet wouldn’t be as good as the former prix fixe menu, but we are happy to report that it is not the case — at all.

lunch plate at hollywood and vine buffet

There are so may great choices for kids, adults, those who eat meat, and those who do not. Everything tasted fresh, too. We all went back for seconds, because the food was that good.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like super gooey and saucy macaroni and cheese, Felicia wants you to know that Hollywood & Vine’s mac and cheese (at the kids’ buffet, not the dish served with shrimp and bacon) is the perfect texture and consistency. She is extremely particular when it comes to her macaroni and cheese, so you can trust her.

plant-based lunch plate at hollywood and vine

As for the plant-based options — wow! If anything, you need to try the roasted mushroom farro risotto and crispy tofu with asian glaze. Allyson’s mouth waters just thinking about them. The crispy tofu also made Heather’s list of top choices here — and she isn’t vegan or vegetarian.

Overall, we have zero complaints about our experience at Hollywood & Vine. Our service was great and the character meal moved at a nice pace (it only took about 60 minutes total).

At the end of our trip, we discussed which character meal out of the 5 we tried was our favorite and we all agreed that Hollywood & Vine was the winner.

Is Minnie’s Seasonal Dining worth it?

The short answer: yes, very much so.

Now for the longer-ish answer…

If you want great character interaction and solid food, Hollywood & Vine has both. It’s hard to find a character meal that does each so well.

The theming is fun too, because Hollywood & Vine is modeled like an old diner that transports you to the golden days of Hollywood — but starring beloved Disney characters.

dining room at hollywood and vine in hollywood studios

Hollywood & Vine is also super unique, making it worth trying at least once. Depending on the time of year, you could experience a different character meal thanks to the costumes and the decorations.

Want to see the characters in Halloween costumes? You got it. What about wearing summer outfits? Sure! How about their holiday best? Yep! This is such a fun concept and we can’t express how much we love the variety.

And while we can’t speak to having breakfast here (yet), we love that the morning meal is also different and tailored to Disney Junior fans.

pluto at hollywood and vine in hollywood studios

So, who is Hollywood & Vine good for?

  • Families and groups traveling with little ones
  • Those who want to meet classic Disney characters and have a good meal all at once
  • Anyone looking for a character buffet with a nice variety and worthwhile plant-based options
  • If you want to meet several characters at the same time in special costumes, especially Halloween and holiday outfits

We also appreciated that Hollywood & Vine never seemed overwhelming and loud due to the many families in attendance. There were several empty tables during our visit, which also helped with the noise level.

Oh! And don’t forget to take a photo in front of the super cute backdrop before you leave. This is a great way to capture your time here. Unfortunately, there isn’t a PhotoPass photographer, so you’ll have to use your phone.

minnie's springtime dine photo backdrop at hollywood and vine

Like we always say, buffets can be difficult for families, especially when having to worry about serving both yourself and little ones. There are plenty of other character meals at Disney World that aren’t buffet if you’d rather avoid this style of service.

We of course have to mention that character dining isn’t cheap. It’s completely up to you what you want to spend and what kind of experience you want to have during your time at Disney World.

All that said, we can’t wait to go back to Hollywood & Vine!

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Have you ever had lunch or dinner at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments.

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Allyson Koerner

Daniel

Wednesday 14th of February 2024

Some of the best food I’ve had at Disney over last 4 days! Had breakfast buffet.

Michele

Sunday 8th of October 2023

Is that always the offering for the children section? I didn’t see any of that on the menu and I have a picky eater. If they have those things I should be fine though. We will be there next week.