Character Dining

by Magic Maker® Courtney Harris

For my family, our vacation can’t officially begin until we have had a character breakfast with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore at The Crystal Palace Restaurant in Magic Kingdom® Park.  In fact, we love character meals so much that we try to plan one for each day of our trip. This saves us so much time that we would normally use standing in line in the parks to meet the characters and get autographs. We can then use that saved time to squeeze in even more rides!

Character meals are so convenient because the characters actually come to your table while you are enjoying your meal. Once they are at your table, they will sign autograph books and pose for pictures with your family. The interaction is amazing!  It isn’t rushed and the characters are even sensitive to your child’s comfort level with them.  Some of my favorite vacation memories are of my children interacting with the characters at these meals. One night at dinner, my husband was up getting his plate from the buffet, and Tigger came and sat down in his seat next to my three year old son.  He stayed there for probably five minutes or more just playing and goofing off with my son. The smile on his face was priceless! He still talks about it to this day.

Many of the character meals are buffets, where you have lots of different items to sample and enjoy at your own pace.  Others are served family-style, where the server actually brings platters of food to you at your table, and you don’t have to do a thing!  Several of the restaurants even take your family’s photo before the meal, and then bring the photos around for you to preview and purchase while you are dining. Also, if you are a vegetarian or have dietary concerns, just tell your server and they will be sure to work with the chef to make those accommodations for you.

If you have a Magic Your Way® Package Plus Dining, all character meals, with the exclusion of Cinderella’s Royal Table, are only one table service credit.  Even if you are not on a dining plan, it is still worth every penny to be able to meet all of your favorite characters in an air-conditioned building while you eat, instead of standing in long lines out in the hot Florida sun. So whether it’s Pooh and Friends you’re looking for, or Jake from The Neverland Pirates, they can most likely be found at one of the numerous character meal experiences throughout the Walt Disney World® Resort! Just check with your Magic Maker® to find out which characters are featured at each location.

Character meals can be booked 180 days out and do tend to fill up quickly due to popularity, so be sure to ask your Magic Maker® for help in planning all of your dining reservations as soon as you book your trip!