Disneyland Character Dining
On our first trip to Disneyland Resort, we had the fortune to get reservations for three character dining experiences. We went with a cast member and his family, who had discounts on dining. The food, service, and experience varied greatly between them.
Overall, I’m glad we did them, but on the next trip, we will schedule our character meals a bit differently.
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Find the BEST Disneyland Resort deals here.Character Dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen
We were really impressed with the quality of the food at this buffet dinner. They had quite a selection for both adults and kids. And the dessert assortment was pretty amazing!
Character Breakfast at Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends
The buffet food was decent. We especially enjoyed the little Mickey waffles and the fruit. I liked that they had fruit smoothies available, but the cantaloupe one I had was not very tasty. The eggs were really watery.
It was a full hour before any characters came to our table, which was disappointing.
At that point, we were all done eating and wanted to head to the park, but I wanted my toddler to at least see a few characters. We told our waitress, who told us she had no power over character visits.
However, Minnie Mouse came by a few minutes later, followed by Stitch. Stitch actually had two dance parties while we were there, and my toddler surprised us by rushing over to dance for a bit. It was a great way to handle antsy kids waiting for characters to come by.
For this reason, we’d do this Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey again.
On our next trip, I think we will skip formal breakfasts (Disney character breakfasts or sit-down restaurant breakfasts) on park days and just hit Starbucks to get there earlier. We’ll save Disney character breakfasts for non-park days.
Character Lunch with Disney Princesses at Ariel’s Grotto
Ariel’s Grotto is located in Disney’s California Adventure Park. We arrived for our 11:20 am character dining reservation and had to wait about 20 minutes. We were then ushered down a spiral staircase to meet Ariel.
They had us all on the right side of the staircase, which made it tricky for a toddler since he wanted to roam around a bit.
After meeting Ariel, we were seated downstairs by the cast entrance. This was the only character meal we went to that wasn’t a buffet. I ordered the crab chowder, which was really tasty!
My salmon, however, tasted really off and farm-raised. But I’m from Seattle and am used to really flavorful salmon.
The princesses started coming out right after we were seated, and we saw them all before lunch. We got to see Princess Tiana, Belle, Cinderella, and Rapunzel.
We thought our toddler would love the princesses, but he was not interested (we discovered later that he was getting sick).
The dessert platter was really impressive and came with creme brûlée, s’mores, and a chocolate strawberry.
Ariel’s Grotto princess character lunch was a really fun experience for the parents. However, our toddlers didn’t seem very interested.
Disneyland Character Dining Wrap-Up
Our experience with Disney World character dining at the Walt Disney World Resort was a delightful mix of magical moments and minor mishaps.
From the enchanting encounters with iconic Disney characters at character dining restaurants like Goofy’s Kitchen to the lively family-style breakfast with Mickey and friends at Surf’s Up!, each dining experience offered unique charm.
While the food quality varied across the different venues, the opportunity for our little ones to interact with beloved characters was priceless.
Despite occasional waits and food disappointments, the overall excitement and joy of seeing our toddlers’ faces light up in the presence of their favorite Disney friends made every moment worthwhile.
We’re already planning our next trip to Walt Disney World, eager to create more treasured memories and perhaps try new Disney character meals. After all, Disney World character dining isn’t just about the food—it’s about immersing ourselves in the magic of Disney and sharing unforgettable moments with our loved ones.
Want to know where else you can experience character dining? Check out Disney Aulani Character Breakfast on Oahu, Disneyland Princess Breakfast, Ohana Character Breakfast, and Tusker House Character Breakfast!
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Saturday 27th of May 2017
pinning for reference for our summer trip!
marciecheung
Saturday 27th of May 2017
Glad to help! Have a fabulous trip!