rtbreneman
Now is the time...Now is the time...
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2013
I've been going to WDW with the family consistently over the past ten years or so, and have had the opportunity to try almost of the character meals. This is just one man's opinion, but thought I would rank what my family has experienced from best to worst. We are currently a married couple in late 30's with three kids ranging from grade school to entering college, but we've been with toddlers, tweens, teens, and all ages in-between.
To begin, the character meals that we have not experienced so far: Cape May Cafe, Goofy and his pals at Ravello, and the new Storybook Dining with Snow White (although we will be hitting this in March),
#11 - Hollywood and Vine - We've been here 2 or 3 times over the past few years, most recently in November of 2017. We have usually been here at dinner or lunch, and I always leave a little disappointed. The buffet has been mediocre, it always seems a little too noisy, and I'm not a huge fan of the Disney Jr. characters. The one time we went, it did have the "Minnie's Christmas" overlay of some sort, which was a somewhat nice touch. We took my mother-in-law for her birthday, and they did give her a nice little birthday card signed by all of the characters. But, in general, I feel like the food was an afterthought. I wasn't totally disgusted or anything, but this is one of the places I always feel I got royally screwed when I get the bill. It never feels worth the price.
#10 - Chef Mickey's - Only been here once, back in Spring of 2018 for breakfast. The buffet was fine - everything was reasonably warm and edible, but I wasn't a fan of the seating situation or the entire vibe. It felt a little more rushed and not as inviting as I would have liked. The kids liked the character interaction, but it just didn't feel as magical as some of the other interactions we have had. Much like Hollywood and Vine, it almost feels too much like a cafeteria, possibly? I'm big on ambiance, and I just didn't really feel it here.
#9 - Tratorria al Forno - Did breakfast here in 2017, I think. I was really hoping and expecting to be wowed, but it just was kind of average. I know that it is much harder for face characters to stay in character and have great interactions, but my kids just didn't connect with either Rapunzel or Flynn. I get that they are interacting with hundreds and hundreds of kids over the course of a day, but it felt like they both had a quick script they were trying to get through. "Hey kids, have you seen Pascal? I like your frying pan. Ok? great, let's take a picture." Food was better than the two below it on the list, and I will say Flynn Rider did make a point to help us get a good photo by moving around to good lighting. Maybe my expectations were too high, but none of my kids were particularly excited when I asked them about the experience. I feel like if I went back I might have a better time, but for now, this is where it lands.
#8 - Garden Grove - this is the one in the Swan hotel, not the rotating one at Epcot (I know, I get confused). We actually ate here on Thanksgiving Day about 2 years back. Everyone was very friendly, and the menu was Thanksgiving specific, so the food was not what you would normally get there. And it was fine. That's a good word for it. Everyone we interacted with was great, but the characters were pretty scarce. I was surprised, because they place was relatively empty for it being a holiday, and one of the few places we found that you could have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I guess my ratings are based on how sad I am when the bill comes, and I remember getting the check and thinking, "meh. I'm not sure if I'll come back here again." Again, it wasn't miserable, and if someone in my family wanted to go back, I wouldn't fight them (like I would about H&V or Chef Mickey's).
#7 - 1900 Park Faire - We have only been here once, in the fall of 2018 for breakfast. Food was not that remember-able, and I wasn't a huge fan of the famous strawberry soup. Way too sweet, and I felt like I was drinking melted yogurt, but whatever. They did make me a made to order omelet, which was delicious. However, the chef guy obviously hadn't been through Disney's hospitality program as he was a little gruff. I also felt a little confused on some of the character greetings. Mary Poppins came by our table, but then later, we had to go to the back of the room and wait in a line to meet a different character. My girls enjoyed it, my son not so much (go figure). This is probably another one and done for us.
#6 - Crystal Palace - Have been here several times, but not in a few years. Mostly for breakfast, we used to book this pre park opening and then be in the front of the Magic Kingdom crowds, but that advantage has since gone since the change in the opening show. We had some of our best character interactions here - Eeyore and Piglet have been especially great. Might just be my family's preference, but we have always had a good time here and felt happy after leaving.
#5 - Garden Grill - have been here two or three times, usually for lunch or dinner. My family enjoys the family style all-you-can eat meals, and Chip and Dale have been great every time we were there. Food was served quickly, and it almost always kept coming before we asked for more. The rotating aspect is a cool feature, too that keeps my little ones occupied for a few minutes trying to figure out what is going on. I always eat too much here and need a nap almost immediately, but I'm going to count that as more of a positive than a negative.
#4 - Cinderella's Royal Table - My daughters loved this, so it's a little higher just for their sake. We have been here for dinner twice I believe. The character interactions have always been good, and everyone seemed reasonably happy with their meals. The locale is great, and my kids loved the idea of eating inside the castle. The decor puts us in a good mood, so I'm probably a little more lenient on the food simply because my kids are happy and not complaining.
#3 - Akershus - This is a lot like CRT in that I'm probably giving it more credit simply because my two daughters love it. I actually prefer the food at a couple of the other places better, but it's just so darn fun and the kids always have left happy. I've eaten better meals lots of places, even at Disney, but it's always such a warm atmosphere and my family leaves happy, so I'd go back in a second.
#2 - O'hana - this used to be our absolute favorite. We have been probably five times, both for breakfast and lunch. We love the vibe, we loved the food, and the character interactions with Stitch have been great. I will say our last visit - maybe six months ago - wasn't quite as magical. They changed the character interactions slightly so we met Stitch out in the lobby in a line as opposed to coming table to table. Meh. I wasn't a huge fan of that, and neither were the kids. I've heard others mention the food has gone downhill a bit, but I have yet to experience that. All of our servers have been great, and I've had fantastic meals every time I've been. We are booked again for our next trip, and I'm hoping that this stays near the top!
#1 - Tusker House - this is our family's favorite character meal. It feels genuine and different than everything else. It's a buffet, but doesn't feel like a school cafeteria. I like that there is a mix of a few different items that you can't get everywhere else in the park, and the carving station has always been great. We have been here several times where the place felt reasonably crowded, yet the characters came around several times and had fantastic interactions with my kids. Even with picky-eating kids, we have found something they have enjoyed every time we have gone.
Anyway, that's like eleven mini reviews in one!
To begin, the character meals that we have not experienced so far: Cape May Cafe, Goofy and his pals at Ravello, and the new Storybook Dining with Snow White (although we will be hitting this in March),
#11 - Hollywood and Vine - We've been here 2 or 3 times over the past few years, most recently in November of 2017. We have usually been here at dinner or lunch, and I always leave a little disappointed. The buffet has been mediocre, it always seems a little too noisy, and I'm not a huge fan of the Disney Jr. characters. The one time we went, it did have the "Minnie's Christmas" overlay of some sort, which was a somewhat nice touch. We took my mother-in-law for her birthday, and they did give her a nice little birthday card signed by all of the characters. But, in general, I feel like the food was an afterthought. I wasn't totally disgusted or anything, but this is one of the places I always feel I got royally screwed when I get the bill. It never feels worth the price.
#10 - Chef Mickey's - Only been here once, back in Spring of 2018 for breakfast. The buffet was fine - everything was reasonably warm and edible, but I wasn't a fan of the seating situation or the entire vibe. It felt a little more rushed and not as inviting as I would have liked. The kids liked the character interaction, but it just didn't feel as magical as some of the other interactions we have had. Much like Hollywood and Vine, it almost feels too much like a cafeteria, possibly? I'm big on ambiance, and I just didn't really feel it here.
#9 - Tratorria al Forno - Did breakfast here in 2017, I think. I was really hoping and expecting to be wowed, but it just was kind of average. I know that it is much harder for face characters to stay in character and have great interactions, but my kids just didn't connect with either Rapunzel or Flynn. I get that they are interacting with hundreds and hundreds of kids over the course of a day, but it felt like they both had a quick script they were trying to get through. "Hey kids, have you seen Pascal? I like your frying pan. Ok? great, let's take a picture." Food was better than the two below it on the list, and I will say Flynn Rider did make a point to help us get a good photo by moving around to good lighting. Maybe my expectations were too high, but none of my kids were particularly excited when I asked them about the experience. I feel like if I went back I might have a better time, but for now, this is where it lands.
#8 - Garden Grove - this is the one in the Swan hotel, not the rotating one at Epcot (I know, I get confused). We actually ate here on Thanksgiving Day about 2 years back. Everyone was very friendly, and the menu was Thanksgiving specific, so the food was not what you would normally get there. And it was fine. That's a good word for it. Everyone we interacted with was great, but the characters were pretty scarce. I was surprised, because they place was relatively empty for it being a holiday, and one of the few places we found that you could have a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I guess my ratings are based on how sad I am when the bill comes, and I remember getting the check and thinking, "meh. I'm not sure if I'll come back here again." Again, it wasn't miserable, and if someone in my family wanted to go back, I wouldn't fight them (like I would about H&V or Chef Mickey's).
#7 - 1900 Park Faire - We have only been here once, in the fall of 2018 for breakfast. Food was not that remember-able, and I wasn't a huge fan of the famous strawberry soup. Way too sweet, and I felt like I was drinking melted yogurt, but whatever. They did make me a made to order omelet, which was delicious. However, the chef guy obviously hadn't been through Disney's hospitality program as he was a little gruff. I also felt a little confused on some of the character greetings. Mary Poppins came by our table, but then later, we had to go to the back of the room and wait in a line to meet a different character. My girls enjoyed it, my son not so much (go figure). This is probably another one and done for us.
#6 - Crystal Palace - Have been here several times, but not in a few years. Mostly for breakfast, we used to book this pre park opening and then be in the front of the Magic Kingdom crowds, but that advantage has since gone since the change in the opening show. We had some of our best character interactions here - Eeyore and Piglet have been especially great. Might just be my family's preference, but we have always had a good time here and felt happy after leaving.
#5 - Garden Grill - have been here two or three times, usually for lunch or dinner. My family enjoys the family style all-you-can eat meals, and Chip and Dale have been great every time we were there. Food was served quickly, and it almost always kept coming before we asked for more. The rotating aspect is a cool feature, too that keeps my little ones occupied for a few minutes trying to figure out what is going on. I always eat too much here and need a nap almost immediately, but I'm going to count that as more of a positive than a negative.
#4 - Cinderella's Royal Table - My daughters loved this, so it's a little higher just for their sake. We have been here for dinner twice I believe. The character interactions have always been good, and everyone seemed reasonably happy with their meals. The locale is great, and my kids loved the idea of eating inside the castle. The decor puts us in a good mood, so I'm probably a little more lenient on the food simply because my kids are happy and not complaining.
#3 - Akershus - This is a lot like CRT in that I'm probably giving it more credit simply because my two daughters love it. I actually prefer the food at a couple of the other places better, but it's just so darn fun and the kids always have left happy. I've eaten better meals lots of places, even at Disney, but it's always such a warm atmosphere and my family leaves happy, so I'd go back in a second.
#2 - O'hana - this used to be our absolute favorite. We have been probably five times, both for breakfast and lunch. We love the vibe, we loved the food, and the character interactions with Stitch have been great. I will say our last visit - maybe six months ago - wasn't quite as magical. They changed the character interactions slightly so we met Stitch out in the lobby in a line as opposed to coming table to table. Meh. I wasn't a huge fan of that, and neither were the kids. I've heard others mention the food has gone downhill a bit, but I have yet to experience that. All of our servers have been great, and I've had fantastic meals every time I've been. We are booked again for our next trip, and I'm hoping that this stays near the top!
#1 - Tusker House - this is our family's favorite character meal. It feels genuine and different than everything else. It's a buffet, but doesn't feel like a school cafeteria. I like that there is a mix of a few different items that you can't get everywhere else in the park, and the carving station has always been great. We have been here several times where the place felt reasonably crowded, yet the characters came around several times and had fantastic interactions with my kids. Even with picky-eating kids, we have found something they have enjoyed every time we have gone.
Anyway, that's like eleven mini reviews in one!