One of the best things about Walt Disney World, especially if you have kiddos or you are a kid at heart, is enjoying a character dining experience. Character dining is a unique opportunity to indulge in tasty Disney World eats while also meeting a range of favorite characters, from Winnie the Pooh to Elsa. In total, there are 11 character dining breakfasts across WDW, with some at the parks and some at the resorts. Remember, you do not have to be a guest at that particular resort or any Disney hotel to make reservations for meals at the hotel restaurants.
Although the experiences can be similar in concept, the execution is a much different story. The vast majority of these restaurants serve similar foods buffet-style and are a more expensive sit-down meal than others on the property. That said, only some characters dining breakfasts are worth it. Here, we’ve listed all of the character breakfasts from best to worst. We’ve made the selections based on the responses of frequent WDW visitors and experts. Also, we want to take this opportunity to say we miss breakfasts at Be Our Guest — Disney, you need to bring it back!
‘Ohana
Over at the Polynesian is the absolute fan favorite ‘Ohana restaurant. This is a must-do activity for “Lilo and Stitch” fans, for sure! Not only is Stitch wandering around at breakfast with Lilo, who is rarely out and about, but Mickey and the Fab 5 are here in their best Hawaiian shirts and ready to vacation, too. ‘Ohana is popular enough that you will want to prioritize making a reservation exactly 60 days out from your vacation when reservations open.
This character breakfast is served family-style, unlike many of the breakfast options, which are generally buffets. ‘Ohana is known in particular for its pineapple coconut bread. You won’t find this anywhere else at WDW. You can also get Stitch waffles, which are made of the same tasty batter as the Mickey waffles, just with Stitch’s likeness instead. You will likely get both with your shared breakfast platter.
Marcie Cheung at Marcie in Mommyland calls this restaurant one of the best to eat at Disney World, something we’ve heard echoed from friends after their time here. One of the stars of this meal, though (besides Stich, obviously) is the Polynesian Resort’s famous POG juice. “… they will give you as much Hawaiian POG (Passion Orange Guava juice) as you like! They will even put some in a straw cup for kids!” Cheung writes. Disney Parks fanatics love POG juice. So, unlimited POG to start the day? Incredible.
Chef Mickey’s
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Another resort hitting all the marks is The Contemporary with Chef Mickey’s. This mod eatery manned by the mouse himself is especially good for Magic Kingdom days. You can just walk over to the park after you’re done noshing. Plus, it’s terrific for families with little kiddos who can’t get enough of watching the monorail. Because Chef Mickey’s is in the lobby of The Contemporary, you get to watch the monorail zip through the hotel.
While you’re dining, you get to meet Chef Mickey and his whole crew of kitchen helpers, including Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. The retro vibes of the restaurant are so charming, fitting right into the hotel’s aesthetic. The other members of the Fab 5 will wander through the dining room, but you’ll have to get in line to meet Chef Mickey himself (he’s really busy running the kitchen, you know). This character breakfast is buffet-style, so help yourself to as much as you’d like. Keep an eye out for hidden mickeys in the buffet line too!
Christie Kratz at MouseWatcher highlights that Chef Mickey’s frequently gets negative reviews from diners because the food is similar to any other breakfast on the property. But notes that the experience is about meeting characters and not necessarily about gourmet food. “We enjoyed our meal!” Kratz writes. “The bacon was crispy, the waffles and pancakes were fluffy, and the potato cheese casserole was very tasty.” Add in an order of Celebration Pancakes, and we’re sold!
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
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Princess aficionados, pay attention! Dining at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT is one of the best ways to kickstart a magical day. It has similar eats as the other locations, just with a much more royal attendance — and a smaller pricepoint than Cinderella’s Royal Table. Here, you’ll be able to meet several princesses during the character dining experience; this is only one of two locations with princesses.
As far as pricing goes, this is one of the more expensive character breakfasts. In our experience, the princess or royal dining spots tend to be more expensive than Fab 5-themed areas. Still, if your party is full of princess-loving kiddos or grown-ups, it’s well worth the price tag. This restaurant is no longer a buffet-style eatery for breakfast; instead, they serve the meal family-style at the table. You will generally get the same fare, with the exception of an upgrade to Norwegian waffles and potato casserole.
Lindsay Martin at Laughing Lindsay notes an appreciation for Norwegian twists to the Akershus breakfast, a nod to its location in the Norway pavilion around World Showcase Lagoon. And even if the food is generally the same as elsewhere, it’s worth it. “The food is also better than at some other character meals on property,” Martin writes. “Although, it does mean you will start your day at Epcot full of food. So, that is a trade off here.”
Garden Grill
Like a few of our breakfasts so far, Garden Grill at EPCOT is also served family-style. Not having to wrangle the littles to the buffet or take turns getting food is definitely a huge plus. This slow-rotating restaurant has views of EPCOT’s Land Pavilion, but what makes it more special is that it also overlooks our beloved Living with the Land ride. Indulging guests in its farm theme, you’ll see Mickey and pals like Chip and Dale donning their best outdoor attire.
For other fans of Living with the Land, you’ll be delighted to know that a lot of the fresh food served here comes right from the building’s abundant greenhouses. Food from the greenhouses is served elsewhere in the parks, too, but it is a staple at Garden Grill — it’s in the name, after all.
One bummer for fans of Garden Grill in days gone by is that the restaurant no longer serves Chip & Dale’s Sticky Buns. You get a cinnamon loaf instead, which is still a pretty tasty replacement. Aryiel Astolfi at Disney Food Blog recommends Garden Grill, especially for fans of Living with the Land or anyone looking for a solid, delicious breakfast. Most of all, Astolfi describes it as “a fun character meal,” adding, “The character interactions here are amazing. Mickey is adorable in his overalls, and Chip and Dale can only be found at this dining location. So fun!”
Crystal Palace
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Winnie the Pooh and breakfast, too? Hoo-hoo! At Magic Kingdom’s Crystal Palace, Pooh and friends march (sometimes literally) around the dining room, charming everyone. Between generous helpings of churro Mickey waffles, you can take photos with these adored Hundred Acre Wood critters. Also, about the churro waffles, we have never seen them offered at any other WDW breakfast spot. They are hands down our favorite breakfast item on property.
Crystal Palace is a particular favorite breakfast spot because of its larger buffet selection. It has many of the same items as others, like scrambled eggs, breakfast meats, Mickey waffles, etc., but it also has a bunch of cereals, pastries, and lots of other goodies. It’s especially good for pickier eaters. Just keep an eye out when you go up to the buffet that you aren’t about to miss a visit from Pooh and his friends. You might even get lucky and meet Suzy from “Cinderella” like we did once.
This breakfast spot also has specialty dishes a lot of the time. For Jennifer Heymont at Touring Plans, one of the specials made breakfast particularly memorable. “The Keralan Tofu Curry had a nice coconut sauce and was a good bite for the folks in our party who don’t favor traditional breakfast fare,” Heymont wrote. Crystal Palace, in all its Victorian greenhouse charm, deserves extra “hurrahs” for being an excellent spot for standard and unique breakfast eaters — a rarity to have both at Disney.
Tusker House
Disney Parks
Logistically, doing a character breakfast at Animal Kingdom just makes sense. The best time to enjoy this most humid WDW park is the morning, so a breakfast reservation is just an excellent excuse to get you here. Plus, you can meet Mickey, Minnie, and pals in their best safari attire. Tusker House is also the best spot for “Lion King” fanatics like us because they serve Simba and Nala waffles. We also love the theming, and the location right by the Festival of The Lion King makes this an A+ spot.
For the more part, this is still just regular breakfast like most of the other restaurants. There are some Tusker House adjacent add-ons like cardamom granola or zebra coffee cake. Still, it’s fairly run-of-the-mill. Even if it’s not super different, Tusker House is one of our favorite spots in the parks to grab a sit-down meal.
Kari Becker at Business Insider agrees. Even if it isn’t the most unique dining experience, it is a worthwhile one. “With classic breakfast fare, fun character interactions, and a moderate price tag, Tusker House is a great breakfast option in the parks,” Becker writes. Honestly, the Fab 5 in their safari outfits is one of our favorite themes, especially since so few character meet-and-greets are available at Animal Kingdom.
Topolino’s Terrace
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If you’ve ever seen the adorable pictures of Mickey and friends in artist smocks, they were taken at Topolino’s Terrace. This artsy-themed eatery at the Riviera Resort is a gorgeous dining area popular with families and childless groups alike. What makes Topolino’s a spectacular choice is that it’s a prix-fixe menu from which you can choose entrees like Quiche Gruyère or a Sour Cream Waffle.
We’d be lying, though, if we didn’t say that the views from Topolino’s Terrace are what make it the most special breakfast spot. Atop the Riviera Resort, this roof-top eatery has some of the best views around, especially as the sunlight brings the area back to life. If you can, ask for a seat by the windows or on the balcony for the best vantage point in the restaurant.
WDW dining reservations can be difficult to get, particularly at a restaurant like Topolino’s. Jenn Marrazzo at WDW Magazine recommends being extra diligent about making reservations since this place is always busy. She also recommends checking again closer to your vacation to see if any reservations have opened up. We suggest this, too; you’d be surprised how many last-minute reservations can be made if you check.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Disney Parks
Some might be surprised to see Cinderella’s Royal Table so low on the list. But this Magic Kingdom eatery, besides being the most expensive and difficult to reserve, is known more for its vibes than its food. When it comes to eating here, you might be better off coming for dinner or lunch than spending so much on a Disney breakfast. After all, the fireworks views from CRT are known to be a chef’s kiss moment.
Although this dining experience is a prix fixe in which you pick an entree, you may want just to steer elsewhere, especially if you have picky kiddos who will just want Mickey waffles anyway. It’s also important to keep in mind that, unlike the other restaurants we’ve mentioned so far, a reservation here also requires you to pre-pay for the fixed meal prices. However, you can get a refund if you request it at least two hours in advance.
Even Tom Bricker at Disney Tourist Blog, who really likes the food at CRT, admits that it’s still not as good as it could be. “Even given our praise for the food in this review, you can get better food for less money elsewhere,” he writes. On average, just one adult’s meal is about triple what it would cost to eat a standard breakfast at a Disney World resort. That’s a lotta cheddar, even for the mouse.
Cape May Cafe
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Aside from the absolute 90s nostalgia brought on by the Cape May Cafe logo, this Beach Club resort restaurant is lesser known among the character meals. That could be because Cape May only has characters during breakfast and not at other times of the day, putting it off the character dining radar. Obviously, the Fab 5 are out and about in true New England Beach Club fashion to enchant the morning fans.
Here’s the thing, though: the breakfast offerings at Cape May Cafe are pretty standard compared to the other breakfast options. If you’re staying on The Boardwalk and are within walking distance of the restaurant, a character dining meal here might be convenient. Unless you just really need photos with Daisy in her beach lounging attire, it doesn’t make sense to come out this way.
Heather Thomas at WDW Prep School agreed, writing that the food was just okay and described the atmosphere as “chaotic,” adding, “The characters came in weird bursts (or at least weird to us and not our experience at other character meals), the spacing felt tight — especially around the buffet, and because our table was kind of in the corner, it made it difficult to get in and out.”
Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine
Disney Parks
The big reason Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine is so low on this list is because of its niche. It primarily caters to families with very young children who will appreciate the Disney Junior characters. Because this meal is focused on younger kiddos, you’ll usually get more time with the characters during their interactions. This is especially special for big fans of characters like Vampirina or Doc McStuffins since you won’t have to endure long lines to see them.
The food served here is standard Disney breakfast cuisine, a la Mickey waffles, and the like, but as with most character dining options, you aren’t there for the food. Even with just regular food, the Disney Junior breakfast is still special, per Carla at Disney Daily Dime.
“The buffet will provide an average yet tasty breakfast,” she writes. “The food may not be anything special, but the overall experience of the meal and characters should still provide a memorable experience for your group.” After you’re done eating, you’ll also be well-positioned to pop over to Toy Story Land before the Slinky Dog Dash line gets too out-of-hand (maybe).
Good Morning Breakfast at Ravello
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Probably the least known character breakfast of all is the Good Morning Breakfast at Ravello. This breakfast includes Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy in resort wear in a more upscale setting at the opulent Four Seasons hotel. The biggest reason we’ve listed this breakfast last is because of its location. There isn’t a good or easy way to get to the Four Seasons from elsewhere on Disney property. You can grab an Uber or drive yourself if you have a car, but is a standard breakfast worth that hassle?
Guy Selga Jr. at Touring Plans certainly doesn’t think so. While he didn’t hate his breakfast at Ravello, he says it’s also nothing to write home about. “The breakfast entrees my group ordered at Ravello were neither fantastic or horrible,” he writes. “Overall they were middle of the road and overpriced.” Between the time it takes to get there and a fairly standard breakfast menu, it seems Ravello is better suited to folks actually staying at the Four Seasons rather than other WDW visitors.
Our methodology
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Frequent WDW goers are terrific at letting future guests know what’s a hit and what’s a miss. Everyone has their own opinion on what the best Disney World restaurants are. However, these character dining experiences are frequently talked about among parkgoers. Their elevated price points and often buffet-style service make for very different opinions. We utilized the expert opinions of Disney Parks writers as well as our own experiences and leveraged them to see which dining experiences are often brought to the top.
The list is generally based on the types of food served, the average price point, and each spot’s convenience for WDW visitors. Accessibility was particularly important for resort-based restaurants, weighing heavily on the meal’s placement on the list.
