Visiting Walt Disney World Resort in itself is a Magical time. Not only for your children but also for yourselves. Whether it be to celebrate an occasion, go on a family vacation, or just enjoy a place that feels like home. While we are there, we know it’s a great feeling to live out some childhood dreams. Feeling like you’re in the center of those famous movies that we grew up with and love, just makes it extra special. Just like the look you see in your children’s eyes as they light up meeting some of their favorite characters. While there are plenty of reasons for choosing character dining meals, this one has the best perk.
If you’re wondering why you should book one if not multiple of these character dinings, then let me tell you. One great reason is, while you are enjoying a decent meal, it’s also a nice time to sit down, relax, and still witness all the magic nearby. The kids will have a blast for the characters are always entertaining throughout the restaurant. Each character that is there on the day of your reservation will approach your table for some one-on-one time with everyone. You can get photos and autographs during these moments. So you’ll want to make sure you have your camera/phone and autograph book ready. These character interactions will help leave more time to enjoy more rides and attractions and also shows and events. Keep in mind that the pricing is similar, if not much more expensive than any other restaurant.
If you start your day off at one of the breakfasts, you can meet some of the iconic characters like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and more of their friends. These characters are available at a few different restaurants. Let’s face it, you’re going to need that energy for the parks anyways. There’s also a Lilo and Stitch dining at O’hana over at the Polynesian Resort. This can be a great way to start your morning with an amazing breakfast before taking the Ferry ride to enjoy your day at Magic Kingdom. While at Magic Kingdom, you can also check out Crystal Palace to meet Winnie the Pooh and his friends. If you have a little princess at your party, or even a little prince then you’ll want to check out the dining reservations at Cinderella’s Royal Table inside the Castle itself. At the backside of Magic Kingdom, you’ll find another beautiful castle where you can enjoy an intriguing menu at Be Our Guest. “If you don’t believe me, ask the dishes.” While dining in this enchanted castle, and noticing all of its beautiful details, you’ll see the Beast himself. Make sure you grab your picture with him before leaving. However, he only appears during their lunch and dinner reservations.
If Magic Kingdom isn’t in your travel plans, no worries each park has some great options as well. For instance, you can enjoy walking around the world at Epcot where you will find Arkersus Royal Banquet Hall with the beautiful princesses, or The Garden Grill with the famous Chip ‘N Dale. Over at Hollywood Studios, there is Hollywood and Vine with Minnie and friends. Visiting Animal Kingdom, you must check out The Tusker House with Donald Duck and his pals. However, the parks aren’t the only locations for character dining. Some of the Walt Disney World Resorts have a great selection as well. Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White and the dwarves can be found at the Wilderness Lodge, and Chef Mickey’s is located at the Contemporary Resort. The amount of options is endless, and I didn’t even get to name them all.
Now for the food, these meals are typically buffet style, however, not all of them are. So look up the menus beforehand. You’ll want to make sure that there are options on the menu for everyone in your party to enjoy. As for the buffets, there are plenty of options for everyone to pick and choose what they will eat. Who personally doesn’t love buffet-style meals? I know I love them, for the vast variety and second helpings are unmatched. These dining reservations can be a great way to sit down and rest your legs and eat some food. This is your chance to get some food in your system and re-energize while your kids are eagerly waiting their turn for EACH character to come on over. The cast members are also fantastic at making sure you do not miss a single interaction experience.
Character interaction is a HUGE part of your experience while visiting Walt Disney World Resort. Yes, you could meet most of these characters throughout the parks, however, there are lines and wait times to do so. These interactions are also on scheduled times, so you’ll want to make sure you add those to your plans in your My Disney Experience app. That’s where you can find out when these characters will be out within the parks and their locations. They will also be around in the parades that happen in the park, mainly the big one at Magic Kingdom. You may even get lucky to have one or two of these characters wave and interact quickly with your children while passing by. But not all of the characters are available for meet and greets. Some are strictly Character Dining only.
Some of these dinings get booked extremely fast. Working with a travel advisor will be a huge benefit. While booking the reservations, some may have open time slots, however, that doesn’t mean the characters will be there. Some restaurants only have character interactions during certain meals of the day. For any reservation that we book, we will make sure that the characters will be present. We will book the reservations for the most convenient time for you. Along with making sure you manage the rest of your plans enjoying what each park has to offer. If you’re not sure where to find these character dining experiences. We will gladly provide you with a list for you to easily pick out your favorites. One of our advisors will assist you by sharing all of these options. Dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance, so set those alarms. But no worries, if you book with one of our trusted travel advisors we will inform you of these dates and send reminders. These open up bright and early each morning but don’t stress that, we will be ready with our coffee to log on and score some of those reservations for you. All you need to do is tell us which dining locations you want and we will handle the rest.
There are no downfalls when it comes to character dining. The food is pretty spectacular. The amount of time your whole experience takes is pretty similar to waiting for one character at the meet and greets within the parks. Let’s face it, one of the best souvenirs is going back and admiring how many signatures you collected throughout your stay.
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