Best Character Dining for a 2 year old

[faberj]

My son will be 2 when we go for a convention next March. This will be his first trip to WDW. Any suggestions on places to take him? He loves Mickey Mouse and Pooh already (Mommy has been training him well :mickey:)
I wanted to start with maybe garden grill since it is less intense of a place. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

[exvagirl]

Chef Mickey's-my parents have been taking me there since i was 1 and 1/2 :D absolutely great breakfast for little kids...get to see all the main, classic characters! :mickey:

[Strmchsr]

If those are his favorites then Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's would be the best places. Keep in mind, though, that some 2 yr olds don't like the characters. They like them on TV, but not when they are life-size. The characters are always pretty sensitive to skittish children, but you might try him out at a meet and greet before the meal just to see how he reacts. Some children absolutely love the characters. You just never know but I learned the hard way to not have any set expectations before the trip for a child that age.

[Edenza]

I also recommend Crystal Palace not only for the characters but b/c the food is so toddler-friendly (not just in taste but in how much stuff is either already cut up appropriately or is easily cut for a toddler). You can load up a plate nicely for a two year old at Crystal Palace.

[faberj]

He has liked characters so far. He has meet the Easter bunny and a few mascots. He just turned 16 months old.

[ElenitaB]

My recommendation would definitely be the Garden Grill. You really don't see the characters from afar and that helps with not having to rely or test toddler-sized doses of patience. We've also found that the characters are very generous with their time there, unlike our experience at other character meals (like CM). Lastly, the booth set-up lessens the likelihood of little visitors (which we've had happen at Cape May and Chef Mickey) to our table when the characters are visiting.

[mdricks]

Had two boys grow up on disney trips. I always found the best experience to be crystal palace. They open the resturant an hour before the park opens. If you get a first thing reservation you are allowed in the park early. I wish I had a dollar for everybody that asked....

"How did you get your picture in front of the castle with nobody else around??"

As mentioned the food is great and kid friendly. If you get done in time you can head to the rope in the castle and go wake up tinkerbell.

Then you will have about an hour of "walk on" status for fantasyland rides. Knock out dumbo, pooh, and peter pan all without excessive "mom I'm hot" types of lines.

:number1:

[Strmchsr]

If you get done in time you can head to the rope in the castle and go wake up tinkerbell.

I could be wrong, but I don't think they do the wake up tinkerbelle thing anymore. At least not in the manner they used to where the first child in got to do it. Too many dumb parents trampling each other and their kids to try to get there. They do something now, but it's more general and not the same experience.

[mdricks]

Hey now! I prefer "moderetly inept" over dumb.
;)

Too bad though it was cool to see and the kids loved it.

My boys only wanted to watch, it was a "girly thing".

Cest la vie! Make it an hour and 15 minutes of walk on status!!!

:number1:

[AgentC]

I started taking my kids to character breakfasts at about 10 months.

I agree that Crystal Palace is a great choice and has Winnie, Eeyore Piglet & Tigger. They do breakfast, lunch and dinner which gives you a variety of times. We do not do dining plan so I tend to like breakfast to keep the cost down.

For Mickey fans, you have Ohana's, Chef Mickey, Garden Grill & Tusker House.

Garden Grill only does dinner, but it is also the most laid back. The seating gives you a feeling of a private meeting.

I like Ohana's, but it also has Lilo & Stitch which might not be the best choice for a 2 year old.

I really enjoyed Tusker House. The breakfast buffet is good and you also get Daisy.

I have mixed feelings about Chef Mickey's. You get the main characters and it is fun and bright. It is also loud and sometimes chaotic. Service can be slow. DS (5) loves it so I do have it booked for our next trip, but it is not my favorite.

If Mickey isn't a necessity, Cape May is nice. The buffet is good and it has a calmer feel than Chet Mickey's.

Cindy

[Strmchsr]

Hey now! I prefer "moderetly inept" over dumb.
;)

I didn't mean parents who wanted to take their kids to see it were dumb. :D I was referring to those parents dragging their kids by the arm, pushing others out of the way, and doing whatever was necessary to get their child to the front. It was those folks (and it seems there were plenty) who ruined it for everyone else.

[mdricks]

No worries and I agree whole heartedly! It always seems like the "I paid for this vacation so i can have anything i want and to heck with the rest of you" types screw it up for everybody.

They need to close the parks one week a year and just let the considerte types in. Meeting in Crystal Palace for breakfast ofcourse!!!

:number1:

[darthmacho]

Every kid is different, but my DD enjoyed both Crystal Palace and Chef Mickey's at age 2. I've had a character meal at Garden Grill before, and I highly recommend it. It's a really nice restaurant. :mickey:

[BigThunderFan]

I don't think you can go wrong on any of the character meals, but I recommend trying to get in near the end of a seating time.

We always book around 11:20 or so for Chef Mickey's. This way we get park time at Rope Drop (and collect FastPasses) and then get in for a nice breakfast. Near the end there are less people and the characters will spend more time with you. Also reduces the "chaotic" feeling of rush hour here. Our last trip we were one of two tables in the back room, and the characters each came by three times!

[BrerGnat]

Go with whichever appeals most to YOU. Your child will love the characters no matter which restaurant you pick. If you think a loud, chaotic place won't work well for you, then I'd second the recommendation for Garden Grill, as it's always SO quiet in there.

Otherwise, do whichever one is most convenient to your touring in the parks or one that is close to your resort hotel, to minimize traveling. Since you'll be at the Swan/Dolphin, I think Cape May is a good choice (at the Beach Club).