Character dining is one of our favorite additions to a Walt Disney World trip. A meal and meeting characters? Talk about a win-win! Character dining at Disney World saves time by seeing many characters during a meal rather than waiting in lines. Many options are available throughout the theme parks and resort hotels if you're interested in booking a character meal. We highlight all of the locations below. Don't forget to check out our rankings to see what our top froggy favorites are!
Overview of Character Dining at Disney World
Disney World has quite a variety of character dining experiences, ranging from Disney royalty to Mickey and friends in unique outfits. You'll have plenty of food options to choose from, as well. Moreover, each location offers a fun themed experience sure to delight the entire family!
Each of the four theme parks has at least one character dining location, as well as some at the resort hotels. Over the past few years, character dining has slowly returned, and we are hoppy to say the majority of locations are now open! All the open locations have returned to traditional greetings, so you can get your hug and close photo (and even autographs when possible). The only character dining location that has not returned yet is Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast at Disney's BoardWalk.
We'll provide an overview of each experience below, grouped by location, as well as our top tips for making the most of your character dining experience. Remember that valid park admission (and a park reservation for annual passholders outside of Good-to-Go days) is required to dine inside the theme parks. Advanced dining reservations are highly recommended for all locations. Booking windows open 60 days before arrival for both hotel and off-site guests. However, the ability to book opens at 6 a.m. on the day of for guests staying off-site.
Note: The characters listed generally appear at these dining locations. They are subject to change. During your visit, there may be more, fewer or even different characters. Pricing information is accurate as of the publish date and does not include tax or gratuity.
Character Dining in Magic Kingdom Park
There are two character dining locations located within Magic Kingdom. Though not officially considered character dining, we also want to mention Be Our Guest Restaurant, the elegant table-service restaurant themed to "Beauty and the Beast." This popular location offers an incredibly themed atmosphere. You can even see the Beast make a tour around the ballroom!
Cinderella's Royal Table
When it comes to Disney, nothing says "dream come true" like dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the heart of Magic Kingdom, Find this restaurant inside Cinderella Castle! You’re greeted by Cinderella herself as you enter the castle and ascend the spiral staircase (or take the gilded elevator) to the banquet hall above. As you dine, Disney Princesses, such as Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine and Snow White, will come to your table for photos and a brief interaction.
At Cinderella's Royal Table, you can look out the castle windows overlooking Fantasyland as you enjoy gourmet prix fixe dishes such as chicken roulade and grilled filet mignon. The food is exquisite, but the real showstoppers are the desserts! Enjoy the Clock Strikes Twelve—a chocolate ganache tart with salted caramel coffee mousse. Or give Jaq & Gus a try! This is a vanilla cheesecake with fresh fruit and garnishes to please even the tiniest tummies.
Young princesses are usually given a magic wand to take home, while princes are given a small souvenir sword. To make things a little extra magical, tadpoles are given a wishing star and are prompted to literally wish upon their star with a wave of their wand or sword. Lily has kept her wishing star for years!
Cinderella's Royal Table is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you're lucky enough to be dining during the fireworks, you'll get a spectacular view with the lights turned down and the music piped in! This is one of the toughest places to get a table in all the land, so book this advance dining reservation early, preferably a full 60 days ahead!
Pricing: $74 per adult, $45 per child (breakfast); $88 per adult, $52 per child (lunch/dinner)
The Crystal Palace
A great restaurant for the little ones is The Crystal Palace, nestled beside the castle hub in Magic Kingdom. The Victorian-style greenhouse setting is a bright and verdant backdrop for meeting friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, including Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and the willy, nilly, silly ole bear himself, Pooh.
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with Pooh and friends present at all meals. For all three meals, enjoy a buffet with dishes such as biscuits and gravy, roasted carved beef, shrimp creole, pasta and more. There are even kid-approved selections so everyone can find something they like. Be sure to save room for dessert! For more information, check out our complete Crystal Palace guide!
Pricing: $52 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); $62 per adult, $42 per child (lunch/dinner)
Character Dining in EPCOT
EPCOT offers two character dining experiences.
Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Feast at Garden Grill
The Garden Grill in EPCOT has a unique atmosphere, hearty meals and ample time with characters. The restaurant in The Land pavilion at EPCOT slowly rotates as guests dine, giving them a unique perspective of the Living with the Land boat ride below and a changing background throughout the meal.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the food is classic American fare in bountiful portions, served all-you-can-eat, family style. Heaping plates of fresh-from-The-Land salad and vegetables, along with home-style mashed potatoes, accompany rotisserie-roasted turkey with gravy, grilled steak with chimichurri and macaroni and cheese to appease every taste. (And dessert — strawberry shortcake with whipped cream — is yummy, too!)
We never feel rushed with the characters at Garden Grill. Chip 'n' Dale and Mickey (clad in his farmer’s overalls) meet and play with guests as they dine. Lily and Tad love playing with Chip 'n' Dale every time we visit! (By the way, do you know how to tell Chip 'n' Dale apart? It's easy. Chip has a black nose, like a chocolate chip! Dale's nose is red.)
Hop on over to our Garden Grill foodie review for more details!
Pricing: $49 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); $62 per adult, $42 per child (lunch/dinner)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Akershus is the ultimate princess party in EPCOT's Norway pavilion, now home to Royal Sommerhus and Frozen Ever After. The dining room is set in a medieval castle, with dishes served family-style. Our little princess, Lily, loves meeting her favorite princesses here. The princesses vary, but we've seen Cinderella, Tiana, Jasmine, Aurora, Belle, Ariel and Snow White. Elsa and Anna do not appear at Akershus, but they greet guests nearby at Royal Sommerhus.
You’ll find familiar fare at the banquet tables, along with some Norwegian delights such as the breakfast pastries and accompaniments or the traditional Norwegian meatballs at lunch and dinner. It’s impossible not to feel like royalty as we dine at Akershus! I love seeing the smile on Lily’s face as she gets to visit with her favorite princesses. Tadpoles also participate in a princess processional, dancing and waving alongside their favorite characters!
If you can't get that coveted reservation at Cinderella's Royal Table, Akershus is an excellent alternative.
Pricing: $59 per adult, $38 per child (breakfast), $69 per adult, $46 per child (lunch/dinner)
Character Dining in Disney's Hollywood Studios
There is one character dining location in Disney's Hollywood Studios, but you'll find plenty of variety as it offers seasonal options!
Hollywood & Vine
One of the best character dining restaurants for the littlest tadpoles is Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Disney Junior Play n' Dine breakfast satisfies the entire family with a hearty buffet featuring waffles, omelets, pastries and more. Disney Junior favorites such as Doc McStuffins, Vampirina and Fancy Nancy interact with the little ones.
Minnie Mouse and her friends (including Mickey, Goofy and Pluto) host parties with outfits and decor to reflect the season during lunch and dinner. Head over to our Frog Family review for more details! When making a dining reservation, you'll want to note the time if you're hoping to eat with a particular set of characters!
Note that this video was captured when characters were socially distanced, but they can now greet guests at the table for hugs, autographs and photos.
Pricing: $49 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); $63 per adult, $42 per child (lunch/dinner)
Character Dining in Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park offers one great character dining location — one of our top favorites!
Tusker House Restaurant
Located in the Harambe marketplace in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House adds vibrant flavor and fun to your Disney day! Tusker House offers an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet and an opportunity to snap photos of Donald Duck and friends in safari gear.
We love heading straight to Kilimanjaro Safaris when the park opens in the morning before settling in at Tusker House for a hearty breakfast that includes Mickey and Simba waffles, South African french toast bulkas and omelettes. The African Bloody Mary is a delicious and refreshing breakfast cocktail for us adult frogs. The table also gets a pastries basket filled with a chai-spiced croissant, guava danish, mango-apricot jam cake and bagels.
For lunch and dinner, you can get plentiful Berbere-marinated pork, braised beef tagine, green curry shrimp and an assortment of house-made bread. Sides include spiced broccoli, North African pilau and South-African spiced cauliflower. Top off your meal with seasonal savannah-inspired desserts.
Tusker House serves breakfast, lunch and dinner with character meet-and-greets at all three meals. Explore our foodie review for more details!
Note that this video was captured when characters were socially distanced, but they can now greet guests at the table for hugs and autographs.
Pricing: $49 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); $64 per adult, $42 per child (lunch/dinner)
Character Dining in Resort Hotels
Though there are some great options within the parks, we think some of Disney's best character dining takes place at Disney's Resort hotels. While you don't have to be staying at the hotel to partake in a character meal, it's another good reason to stay on-site (book with us to save some extra green!). If you want to park at the resort, just be prepared to show your dining reservation on your phone to the security at the gate and a photo ID.
Though not an official Disney Resort, we also wanted to mention the Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and His Pals at the Four Seasons as another option.
Storybook Dining at Artist Point — Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort
Heigh-ho, it's off to Disney's Wilderness Lodge we go for a character dinner featuring Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen! Enjoy appetizers and then choose your entrée from a prix fixe menu, including Royal Prime Rib Roast, Brother’s Grimm herb chicken or a vegetarian option — Sorceress Spell of "Tricken" Chicken— featuring cauliflower purèe, roasted vegetables, chimichurri and vegetable jus. Rounding off the menu are cocktails, mocktails and beer and wine from Oregon and Washington state, as well as some sinfully delicious desserts such as Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart and, of course, a “poison” apple.
This Disney character dining location is notable not only because of its delicious eats but also because of its atmosphere. Guests dine in a rustic Enchanted Forest to mimic the iconic movie, complete with twinkling lights.
Hop over to our foodie review for more royal details!
Pricing: $67 per adult, $41 per child (dinner)
Topolino's Terrace: Flavors of the Riviera — Disney's Riviera Resort
As the latest Disney character dining option, Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends at Topolino's Terrace at Disney's Riviera Resort has one of the most adorably themed character dining experiences. Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy have arrived at the European Riviera to study different art forms. Their outfits reflect their areas of expertise: Mickey the painter, Minnie the poet, Donald the sculptor and Daisy the dancer. We think the interactions are the highlight of this character breakfast. We didn't feel rushed during our individual interactions. Furthermore, the characters made multiple rounds. Lily twirled around in her dress alongside Daisy in her tutu!
Entrées include wood-fired steak and eggs, avocado and smoked salmon toast, sour cream waffles and more. The tadpoles can create their own combination of an entrée (Mickey waffle dippers, scrambled eggs or fruit and yogurt). There's also an allergy-friendly menu!
Hop on over to our Topolino's Terrace foodie review for more details!
Pricing: $52 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); open for dinner without characters; prices vary.
‘Ohana — Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Dynamic duo Lilo and Stitch and other classic Disney characters such as Mickey and Pluto join guests for the Best Friends Breakfast at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Breakfast is the standard fare of scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, ham and fruit served 'ohana style. Oh and did we mention that it's all-you-care-to-enjoy?
While we think breakfast is the real star of 'Ohana, we'd be remiss not to talk about dinner. Like the other resorts on the monorail loop, they pipe in Happily Ever After. Enjoying some of the famous 'Ohana bread pudding while watching the fireworks? Count us IN!
Pricing: $53 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); open for dinner without characters
Chef Mickey's — Disney's Contemporary Resort
Disney's Contemporary Resort offers a classic buffet-style restaurant serving breakfast and dinner. At Chef Mickey’s, the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy) join guests for their meals in culinary outfits. The restaurant overlooks Bay Lake, as well as the 90-foot-high mural by Mary Blair that has become an icon of the Contemporary Resort. You also get great views of the monorail above!
For breakfast, enjoy fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, house-made French toast, corned beef hash, scrambled eggs, bacon, and other morning favorites. At dinner, offerings include seasonal-inspired salads, herb-roasted turkey, shrimp scampi, New York strip loin and more. With so many options, this is a great choice for groups with diverse palates and picky eaters.
Pricing: $58 per adult, $37 per child (breakfast); $69 per adult, $44 per child (dinner)
Cape May Cafe — Disney's Beach Club Resort
Minnie Mouse loves to throw a beach party! Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast is a wonderful character dining location at Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club Resort. Minnie and her friends are dressed in their beachy best to start the day sunny side up. Breakfast includes oatmeal, cheddar biscuits and gravy, waffles, scrambled eggs, salted caramel "beach buns" and more!
This is a relaxed, casual dining experience and a perfect choice if you're staying at one of the EPCOT-area resort hotels. Hop on over to our full foodie review for more details!
Pricing: $49 per adult, $33 per child (breakfast); open for dinner without characters
1900 Park Fare — Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa reopened April 10, 2024, with a refurbished location, returning dishes and new additions sure to delight. Open for breakfast and dinner, the buffet will offer classics such as the strawberry soup along with new dishes! There's also a whole new lineup of characters to meet! Guests can greet Aladdin (in his royal Prince Ali outfit), Cinderella, Mirabel and Tiana (in her new look from Tiana's Bayou Adventure) — all characters that understand the power of a wish.
Reservations for 1900 Park Fare are open now.
Pricing: $58 per adult, $37 per child (breakfast); $69 per adult, $44 per child (dinner)
Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast — Trattoria al Forno at Disney's Boardwalk (currently unavailable)
Currently, Trattoria al Forno is open, but the character dining experience is temporarily unavailable.
Located at Disney's BoardWalk (one of our favorite areas on Disney property), Trattoria al Forno is home to a breakfast celebration featuring some of Lily's and my royal favorites: Rapunzel, Flynn Rider, Ariel and Prince Eric. Each is welcomed with a royal entrance and individually makes their way to your table. (Don't shy away from asking them questions ... Flynn had some hilarious conversations with us!) Brief interactive activities are planned for little ones, as well!
Since this character experience is currently closed, we can't offer insight into the prix fixe menu, as nothing is listed on Disney's website. However, we still recommend checking this restaurant out for breakfast! The menu includes eggs your way, florentine frittata, buttermilk pancakes and sunrise breakfast pizza—scrambled eggs, bacon, cheese and sausage.
We hope to see this unique character experience return to Walt Disney World soon!
Tips for Disney World Character Dining
We've done a lot of character dining over the years and have some additional tips for getting the most out of the experience.
- We personally prefer choosing breakfast for character dining. Most locations only offer characters during breakfast. However, some have them at lunch and dinner. We like that breakfast is at a cheaper price. Plus, you can't go wrong with breakfast food (Mickey waffles, anyone?). Furthermore, this allows flexibility for the rest of our day. Lunch and dinner are still great options, as well. Just be sure to double-check which characters are offered during certain times.
- If you're at a buffet, meeting characters as they come to the tables requires the right timing. If you see a character making their way toward your area, we suggest hanging tight before going back up for food, especially if they're only a few tables away. Characters sometimes have a set rotation, so it is easiest to go with the flow.
- If you hoppen to be up from the table when they pass by, don't fret! Character attendants typically try to keep track of which characters have seen which tables. If you're nearing the end of your meal and still haven't seen a certain character, ask a character attendant to see if they are coming back soon. Usually, areas have a great system in place ensuring characters come out in a timely manner. You might even get to see a character a second time before you go!
- Not sure how the kids will handle meeting characters? Sometimes, character dining is that perfect balance between waving to a character from afar or having that one-on-one interaction. Already being at your table may make the meeting less stressful for young tadpoles.
- Use your My Disney Experience app to search for character dining spots on the day of your trip or when your booking window opens.
To summarize, character dining is a fun way to sprinkle a little extra Disney magic into your day! Which character dining at Disney World will you choose? Be sure to check out our rankings (linked above) to see which are our froggy favorites!
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Characters
Your Royally Good Guide to Finding Princesses at Disney World
Hoppy planning!
