Is character dining for us?

[DizzyWhirled]

Planning first trip with myself, Hubby and our 13 year old DD who likes all things Disney but is a bit of a tomboy and old enough to start thinking she's "cool". Would we still enjoy character dining? Any suggestions for good ones? How many do you do per trip - just one or more? I'm finding a few look interesting ;-)

[faline]

I'd check with your daughter to see if she's willing to go to a character meal. Then you need to decide - do you want to do the princesses or will this be something your daughter doesn't enjoy? Do you want to see the major characters (Mickey & friends)? Winnie the Pooh (or will daughter feel too grown up for this crew)?

One fun possibility is dinner at 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian. While Cinderella and Prince Charming appear here, the Stepmother and stepsisters are also present and can be quite a lot of fun.

By the way, typically my trips include only my husband and myself and we usually dine at a character meal each trip.

[BrerGnat]

I've never done one (been going to WDW since I was 9 months old), and don't feel like I've missed out on anything.

The characters are all over the parks to visit with for free. You are paying for the "experience" but it comes at a premium price tag with mediocre (at best) food.

Ask your daughter how she feels about it. My guess is at this age, she might find it a little baby-ish, particularly when most of the diners are parties with little children. When I was 13, I would have died of embarrassment if my parents tried to make me go to a character meal. I was more than happy to see them in the parks and get pics with them, but having them come around to my table while I was eating would have been embarrassing to my "super cool" 13 year old psyche. :blush:

[SBETigg]

At 14, my daughter was not too cool for characters. I think that stage where she was too cool for them actually came earlier and by the time she was 14, it was okay again, like she was mature enough to enjoy it without being silly about it and thinking it was just for little ones. All her friends used to come over and watch Disney movies all through high school, so maybe she was just in with the geek crowd, but more power to them.

I think character meals are actually preferable than wasting park time trying to meet characters and actually "cooler" than waiting in line for them. If you ask them at that age if they want to meet characters, they might say no, but if they happen to just be where they are dining, they might be into it. My son was cool with it if they just happened to be there, though he wouldn't have gone out of his way to see any of them. So who knows, kids are all different. Yes, I'm not a big fan of buffets but some of the character meal food is not bad at all. 'Ohana's breakfast, for instance. I really like that one. I think 1900 Park Fare was a good suggestion, too. It depends on which characters your daughter might be into, if any. If she's not into the idea at all, it's easy enough to find lots of good places to eat without characters. We haven't done character meals in years, but I can't imagine never having done one. It's just part of Disney, to me.

[PETE FROM NYC]

Different strokes for different folks.
DW and I are senior citizens, and we both enjoy character meals when we are by ourselves or with friends and family. I think it is up to each individual whether or not they like character meals.

[TheDuckRocks]

Just this past weekend my 14 year old granddaughter and I were talking about our next trip to WDW and she stated that she would like to do a character meal. Her opinion is "there's nothing funner than dancing with Donald and Goofy or better than hugs from Eyeore".
We find the breakfast food at the buffets to be better than the plated meals or the dinner choices and less expensive. I also wouldn't call the food mediocre at best, I have always found things on the buffets that are really good. I found that a stange comment from someone who has never actually been to a character meal.

[DizzyWhirled]

thank you for the feedback! I don't think DD would be "embarassed" at all to go to a Character meal - it is just hard for any of us to decide IF we want to without having done one before, which is why I was asking opinions. :-) Personally, I think it sounds like fun - and just need a few more recommendations on where. I have a fantasy about eating in Cinderella's Castle - but I've seen some pretty "iffy" reviews about the food and it is very expensive ...is it worth it, or would we be better off elsewhere?

[Mickey'sGirl]

I think character dining is the best way to see the characters up close and personal. There is no way my youngest son would wait in line out in a hot park to see Mickey and the Gang, so it is really worth it for us, to be able to take him to a meal where he can interact comfortably.

The character buffets are much maligned, but the food is hot and fresh and plentiful, and if you go with that in mind, you will have an awesome time.

We all like dining in the castle (DS8 and DS13 included). The FairyGodmother is a hoot if you go for dinner! We have also always enjoyed our meals there.

So, I would make a choice based on your daughter's favourite characters. Does she want to see princesses, Pooh and friends, Mary Poppins or Mickey and the Gang. Perhaps she wants to have breakfast with Stitch. I would find out who she really would love to see, and then make a meal reservation based on that. I don't think one is ever too old for the fun! :thumbsup:

[mydisneygirls]

I personally don't think Cinderalla's Castle is worth the money (it's a signature restaurant). I'd say try 1900, Crystal Palace or Chef Mickey's. My dd's are 12 and 14 and love each of these....especially when a character comes from behind and scares ME -- happens every time!!!!

[cuteduck223]

We just took a 14 year old last spring. She even carried an autograph book and she for sure falls into the "too cool" category. Disney is a whole different realm. We LOVE character dining. You can decide how much you interact with the characters.

Our favorite is Garden Grill with Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale. It's a slowly rotating restaurant and we've always had great food (family style, set menu).

It might be a good one to try if you're looking for a cool experience and not too "kiddish".

[wdwfansince75]

We have done at least one character meal on just about every trip. We have had kids and grandkids, boys and girls, in the group...Tons of memories, and lots of pictures from those trips...DD's and a friend at 17 and 15

Daughters, granddaughters, and daughters-in-law seem to enjoy CP, CM, and TH...for some reason, Chip and Dale and/or Pooh and Eyore are special friends. Goofy is also popular. Alice and the Mad Hatter, not so much.
For us, best food experiences have been Garden Grill, 1900 Park Faire, and the breakfast at AK...For our group, which has usually been 10 or more, the buffets ensure that there is something for everyone...although we also enjoyed Garden Grill and the Ohana Breakfast, which are family style...

[disneynarula]

I guess I am in the minority here but I am not a big fan of the character meals. I have a two year old DD and she loves Minnie ever since we took her to Goofy's Kitchen at DLR. "Mimmie" was one of her first words.

I know we will end up at Chef Mickey's for her. We ate there about four years ago and it was the worst (food wise) meal that we had that week. It wasn't terrible but it was maybe a step above Golden Corral. It certainly wasn't worth $35 dollars plus gratutiy per adult. This is a case where you are really paying for the atmosphere and not the food.

That being said... it was a really fun atmosphere and if you want to have character time without waiting in line a character meal is the way to go.

[cuteduck223]

I guess I am in the minority here but I am not a big fan of the character meals. I have a two year old DD and she loves Minnie ever since we took her to Goofy's Kitchen at DLR. "Mimmie" was one of her first words.

I know we will end up at Chef Mickey's for her.

I think..just maybe...Minnie is at Cape May Breakfast as well. A little cheaper...and, well its CAPE MAY, so delicious.

[Janmac]

I have a fantasy about eating in Cinderella's Castle - but I've seen some pretty "iffy" reviews about the food and it is very expensive ...is it worth it, or would we be better off elsewhere?

On the one hand, if you have the fantasy, perhaps you should make a reservation to eat there. :thumbsup:

Friends went to WDW for the first time as adults last July. She had the Cinderella Castle fantasy, as well, and had a 6 year old little princess with her.

They ate breakfast at Chef Mickey's and at the Storybook Princess Breakfast at Akershus in Norway at Epcot, lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table in her Castle, and supper at 1900 Park Fare.

They are not very adventurous eaters so I was surprised when they came home to hear her saying that while she was glad to have eaten finally in the Castle, she did not need to eat there again. Same with Chef Mickey's. But they were definitely going to be returning to breakfast at Akershus and to supper at 1900 Park Fare where Lady Tremaine and her daughters were entertaining.

Personal experience: we love the potato dish at Akershus and who can resist smoked fish for breakfast?!?! :secret:

And we love supper at 1900 Park Fare. The food is often uneven, except for the itty bitty desserts which are wonderful.

The breakfast at Tusker House, while noisy (bring ear plugs) is still one of my sister's and her daughter's favorite food places at WDW. They love all the variety.

We also find mixing with the characters at a meal to be more to our liking than visiting with them in a park. We only go to WDW once every two years, and seldom eat out in between, so paying admittedly exorbitant prices for a meal is something we're willing to splurge on. Like, we're having 6 character meals on our upcoming trip.

Jan

[ElenitaB]

I'd second (third, etc.) the suggestions for 1900 Park Fare. The stepsisters are really a hoot ... what cool teen doesn't like funny and sarcastic?

I think we manage a character meal on every trip. I'd much rather meet the characters in a cool room somewhere while having a nice meal, than waiting on line in the heat. And while some meals might not have the best food, I've learned not to steer clear of them.

If you want to eat in the Castle, definitely do so! I'm not a fan of lunch or dinner there, but breakfast there with the princesses is truly an iconic experience.

[Jared]

I've never done one (been going to WDW since I was 9 months old), and don't feel like I've missed out on anything.

The characters are all over the parks to visit with for free. You are paying for the "experience" but it comes at a premium price tag with mediocre (at best) food.

Ask your daughter how she feels about it. My guess is at this age, she might find it a little baby-ish, particularly when most of the diners are parties with little children. When I was 13, I would have died of embarrassment if my parents tried to make me go to a character meal. I was more than happy to see them in the parks and get pics with them, but having them come around to my table while I was eating would have been embarrassing to my "super cool" 13 year old psyche. :blush:
Listen, everyone's entitled to an opinion, but it's hard to take yours seriously after you acknowledge that you've never even tried a character meal. How could you possibly comment intelligently on the subject if you have no experience?

All young teenagers are different. Some might think that a character meal is beneath them, but there are lots of 13-year-olds that still find the concept incredibly fulfilling. The only way to know is to ask.

Personally, I don't love character meals. I would always rather go someplace with better than food than have a lackluster meal with characters. I say that after having tried a majority of the character meals on property.

I will say that if I was going to pick one, it would definitely be breakfast at Tusker House over at the Animal Kingdom. It's the one character meal with decent food, and I actually liked the characters in their safari gear.

EDIT: Oh, and for the record, you're not just paying for the experience -- you're also paying for the convenience. Instead of standing in line in the hot sun for an hour to see Mickey for 30 seconds, you can sit at a table in an air conditioned room and have a bunch of characters come to you. That has to be worth something at least.

[Kairi_7378]

I think that the Garden Grill would also be a fun experience for a teenager. (Especially if she likes to cook at all... being able to see the Land ride might make more sense to a teen than a younger child.)

[Disney-4-Me]

We have a group from 5 years old to 50s and we almost always go to Chef Mickey's. We enjoy the food and the character visits. There is such a good variety of food that everyone can find something they enjoy. And who can sit still and not join in the P-A-R-T-Y???!!!

[Disney4us2]

We usually have about 3 +/- character meals during our trips. My DD is 12 and has a couple of favorites that we both enjoy. Loves the 1900 Park Fare dinner with Cindy and the gang. The step-sisters are a real hoot and has DD laughing outloud. The Garden Grill is another favorite. Another one we do is the Crystal Palace with Pooh and friends. It is not a "must do", but enjoyable. We did the Tusker House breakfast and that was good as well.

It is the only way we usually get pics with the characters as DD doesn't like to wait in line for them and will do with out. She used to like to do the meet & greets, but now that she is older she would rather be visiting an attraction.

Have fun planning:mickey:

[renecat]

Maybe Park Fare at the Grand Floridian. The dinner has Cinderella, Prince Charming, Step mother and sisters. WE were seven women last year and enjoyed it very much.

[DVC2004]

All good advice here. I'd agree, ask your daughter what she thinks and go from there.
Personally, character meals are not for me/us! Not anymore at least. We did several when my boys were small and they enjoyed it. Priceless memories!

Now they are 13 and almost 15 so there is no interest. I have asked them, too. In fact, my husband booked a character breakfast for our upcoming trip at Aulani. The kids both said they don't want to, it's no big deal, met the characters before etc, so he cancelled it. He asked, they said no, we're all OK with it. We'll take the $130 it would have cost and go have a nice dinner together instead. Or let them take a surfing lesson.

We all like the characters, and the boys are actually not "too cool" to still stop and waive or sometimes pose for a pic at the parks with them. They enjoy, and ask to go to , the Spirit of Aloha Polynesian show. We've done a few times and we all like that alot.

No wrong answers here, only preferences.:mickey: