There are character meal opportunities everywhere at Disney World (just about a dozen, in fact) and they are all different. If you have limited time on your vacation, you will likely only be able to enjoy a couple of them. How to choose the best character meals for your family? I break each one down below to help with your planning.

Magic Kingdom

Cinderella’s Royal Table inside Cinderella’s Castle

• Breakfast (8 am to 10 am), lunch (11:30 am to 3 pm), or dinner (4 pm to 10 pm)
• Characters for all meals include Disney Princesses – Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine and Snow White
• All meals are prix fixe (fixed price for appetizer, entrée, and dessert)
• Price is $35 for kids and $60 for adults for all meals
• TIP: Due to the popularity of this restaurant and it’s small, limited seating size, you’ll want to make a reservation exactly 180 days in advance. It sells out very quickly for every meal, every day.
• Link to Cinderella’s Royal Table menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Cinderella’s Royal Table
  

  

  

  
  
  

                                 My son even got a kiss from Princess Jasmine!

The Crystal Palace on Main Street USA 

• Breakfast (8 am to 10:30 am), lunch (11:30 am to 3 pm), or dinner (4 pm to 10 pm)
• Characters include Winnie the Pooh and friends set in an 1800s Victorian green house-like room. Very whimsical, light and airy.
• All meals are buffet-style
• Breakfast price is $15 for kids and $27 for adults
• Lunch price is $16 for kids and $30 for adults
• Dinner price is $20 for kids and $45 for adults
• Link to Crystal Palace menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Crystal Palace

Epcot

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway

• Breakfast (8 am to 11 am), lunch (12 pm to 3:30 pm), or dinner (5 pm to 10 pm) in a castle-like setting
• Characters for all meals include Disney Princesses – Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, and Ariel
• Breakfast is American food, served family style
• Lunch and Dinner are Norway themed and are prix fixe (fixed price for appetizer, entrée and dessert)
• Price is $35 for kids and $60 for adults for all meals
• TIP: Book a breakfast right at 8 am so you’re front and center for Epcot rope drop at 9 am!
• Link to Akershus Banquet Hall menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Akershus Banquet Hall

Garden Grill in Future World

• Breakfast (8 am to 10:30 am), lunch (11:30 pm to 3 pm), or dinner (4 pm to 8:30 pm) in a slowly rotating restaurant above the Living with the Land attraction
• Features food grown in the Land greenhouse
• Characters include Farmer Mickey, Chip, Dale, and Pluto
• All meals are Prix Fixe (set price for appetizer, entrée, and dessert)
• Price is $19 for kids and $38 for adults for all meals
• TIP: Request a booth for unobstructed views of the scenes you’re passing by from the ride below
• Link to Garden Grill menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Garden Grill

 

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood and Vine in the Echo Lake area

• Breakfast (8 am to 10:30 am), Lunch (11 am to 1:45 pm), or Dinner (3 pm to 8 pm)
• Breakfast is a buffet with Disney Junior characters, including Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Handy Manny. Price for the breakfast buffet is $32 for adults and $20 for kids.
• Lunch buffet until 9/4/17 is the above with Disney Junior characters. Price for the Disney Junior lunch buffet is $41 for adults and $25 for kids
• Lunch buffet after 9/4/17 is Minnie’s Seasonal Dining Event with Minnie, Mickey, Daisy, Donald, and Goofy
• Dinner is Minnie’s Seasonal Dining Event with the same characters as above. It will celebrate the current season and holidays.
• Minnie’s Seasonal Dining events cost $50.00 per adult and $30.00 per child
• TIP: Book a Fantasmic Dinner package with this restaurant and get VIP Fantasmic tickets for the best viewing area
• Link to Hollywood and Vine menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Hollywood and Vine

Animal Kingdom

Tusker House in the Africa area

• Breakfast (8 am to 11 am), Lunch (11 am to 3:30 pm), or Dinner (4 to 9:30 pm)
• Characters include Donald, Daisy, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy all dressed for an African Safari
• Restaurant has wonderful theming – you feel like you’re in an African market
• All meals are buffet-style with very unique African-inspired food options
• Breakfast price is $20 for kids and $32 for adults
• Lunch price is $25 for kids and $42 for adults
• Dinner price is $26 for kids and $45 for adults
• TIP: Book meal at Tusker house with the Rivers of Light Dining Package. You’ll get premium seating for the Rivers of Light show the same evening!
• Link to Tusker House menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Tusker House

Resorts

1900 Park Fare at Grand Floridian Resort

• Breakfast (8 am to 11:30 am) or Dinner (4 pm to 9 pm)
• Breakfast characters include Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, Tigger, and Pooh
• Breakfast price range is $20 for kids and $32 for adults and is a buffet
• Dinner characters include Cinderella and Prince Charming
• Dinner price range is $27 for kids and $45 per adults. The culinary selections are representative of several “kingdoms” from around the globe, and is also a buffet
• Link to 1900 Park Fare menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for 1900 Park Fare

Cape May Cafe at Beach Club Resort

• Breakfast only from 7:30 am to 11 am. It’s called a “Beach Blast Breakfast”
• Characters include Minnie and friends
• Price range is $20 for kids and $35 for adults
• Buffet style, American cuisine breakfast
• Link to Cape May Café Beach Blast Breakfast menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Cape May Cafe

Chef Mickey’s at Contemporary Resort

• Breakfast (7 am to 11 am), Brunch (11:30 am to 2:30 pm), or Dinner (5 pm to 9:30 pm)
• Characters include the classics – Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald
• Price range for Breakfast/Brunch is $25 for kids and $41 for adults. Dinner is $30 for kids and $50 for adults.
• All meals are buffet style and American cuisine
• TIP: Book a breakfast at 7 am, then hop on the monorail to Magic Kingdom to arrive right as the rope drops.
• Link to Chef Mickey’s menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Chef Mickey’s

Garden Grove at the Swan Hotel

• Character breakfasts are on the weekends only (8 am to 11 am)
• Character dinners are every night (5 pm to 8 pm)
• Breakfast is buffet-style and is $16 for kids and $26 for adults
• Dinner is from a normal menu
• Characters include a mix of Pluto, Goofy, Chip and Dale
• There is a massive oak tree in the middle of the restaurant to give a Central Park theme setting
• TIP: The Swan Resort is NOT a Disney-owned Resort, so WDW guests do not have charging privileges. This restaurant is also not on the Disney Dining Plan.
• Link to Garden Grove menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Garden Grove

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at the Fort Wilderness Campsites

• Dinner only at 5:30 pm
• All-you-can-eat BBQ picnic with live music
• Characters include Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale
• Price is $37-$47 for kids and $62-$72 for adults (price depends on your seats)
• TIP: Pre-payment is required for this event and you’ll receive your tickets at the concierge desk at your resort.
• Food includes barbeque ribs, smoked chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese and more
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Mickey’s Backyard BBQ

‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort

• Character Breakfast only (7:30 am to 12 pm)
• One of the most popular restaurants at WDW with a fun Hawaiian paradise theme with a massive fire pit in the center
• Characters include “Best Friends” Lilo and Stitch and Mickey and Pluto
• Breakfast is prix fixe with an all-you-can-eat menu. Served family style.
• Price is $20 for kids and $31 for adults.
• Link to Ohana breakfast menu
• Link to Trip Advisor reviews for Ohana