Today, I’m finally doing a post that I have been putting off for months – a guide to Walt Disney World Character Dining!
Disney World Character Dining
As of the writing of this post, there are 12 on-site Disney World Character Dining options. Technically, there’s a 13th option at the Four Seasons, however I’m only covering options that are on-site. I’ve been putting this post off in hopes that I would eat at more of these restaurants and be able to provide a better analysis of each one. However, that doesn’t seem likely anytime soon. So, I’m going to cover all 12 and provide reviews as possible. Once I am able to try them out, I will update this post with a review.
1900 Park Fare
I was lucky enough to enjoy 1900 Park Fare about a decade ago. However, after the pandemic it’s a different meal now. There are different characters now. Initially, I was going to try it out with my mom on the December 2025 trip. Unfortunately, she was having mobility issues. So, we cancelled that reservation and enjoyed dinner at The Crystal Palace since we were attending the Christmas party.
It appears that you can currently meet prince/princesses here. This may include: Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Princess Tiana. I think it’s fitting that you can meet Disney royalty here since it’s held at the Grand Floridian Resort. That resort is uber nice. I will encourage everyone to try the Strawberry Soup if you eat here.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Again, Akershus is another princess meal. This one is located in Epcot though. I also enjoyed this one about a decade ago. However, I was also able to visit it again for breakfast with my mom back in 2023. You can read my full Akershus Princess Breakfast Review at Epcot here. My mom and I enjoyed the interactions with the princesses and found the food to be good. Although, it was a bit rushed.
I want to point out that this meal is 1 table service for breakfast only. Both lunch and dinner will cost you 2 table service credits to dine here. I think that is because of the popularity of the restaurant. Personally, I find $69 for 2 table service credits to be a terrible value.
Cape May Cafe
Cape May Cafe is a character buffet for breakfast only! Dinner here is a seafood buffet without characters. It is located at the Beach Club Resort. I’ve been lucky enough to eat breakfast here a few times. In fact, it has the distinction of being my first character meal! I most recently ate here a few years ago in December 2022 with my mom. You can read my entire Cape May Café Breakfast Character Meal Review here, but suffice it to say that we really like this restaurant. There’s always a variety of foods available. Plus, who doesn’t love to see characters in beachy outfits? Also, my favorite character, Donald Duck, can be found here!
Chef Mickey’s
Chef Mickey’s is the character buffet located at the Contemporary Resort. Featuring the Fab Five in chef outfits, it’s a fun experience. Plus, it’s another opportunity to see Donald Duck! Once again, I have been lucky enough to enjoy a meal here several times over the years. Most recently, my mom and I ate dinner here in February 2024 prior to a Magic Kingdom After Hours event. You can read my Chef Mickey’s Character Dinner Review here. I know that some folks complain about the food here, but they have improved the quality of food. We were pleased with the variety of foods available and nothing we had was outright bad.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Cinderella’s Royal Table is the princess dining experience located in the castle in Magic Kingdom! Due to its location and popularity, it costs 2 Table Service Credits to dine here on the dining plan. It’s one of the more expensive places to eat on property. In fact, I’ve eaten here only once. I enjoyed breakfast here in 2021 with my husband. Due to Covid, the princesses didn’t come to the table. In fact, Cinderella just came out and waved. However, thanks to those changes, it was cheaper back then. It’s great to be able to say I’ve eaten here. However, I don’t know that I would pay the prices they are charging these days and certainly wouldn’t use 2 credits.
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace is a greenhouse inspired restaurant featuring Winnie the Pooh and friends! I’ve had the pleasure of eating here a few times over the years. I had breakfast with my husband back in October 2023 and you can read my Crystal Palace Character Breakfast Review here for that experience. Then, in December 2025, I enjoyed dinner here with my mom prior to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. You can read my Crystal Palace Character Dinner Review too. Once again, I think Disney has improved the food here over the years as well. There’s something for everyone on the buffet and the characters are great!
Garden Grill Restaurant
Garden Grill is a classic character dining experience in Epcot. Featuring Chip, Dale, and farmer Mickey Mouse, it’s a meal that gives you a rotating view of the ride Living with the Land. The food leans more towards basic, but it’s done well and pleases most people. I’ve eaten here a couple of times as well. You can read my Garden Grill Dinner Epcot Character Meal Review from my most recent experience in February 2023.
Hollywood and Vine
Hollywood & Vine is a seasonal character dining experience in Hollywood Studios. I’ve dined here several times as well, since the characters’ outfits change seasonally! I haven’t posted my review yet, but my mom and I enjoyed dinner here during the Holiday Dining prior to Jollywood Nights in December 2025. It was a great way to get into the holiday spirit before the party. We enjoyed the character interactions and the buffet was plentiful. Again, kudos to Disney for improving food quality over the years. My only complaint is that they seem to have lost Donald at this location over the years. I hope they bring him back sometime.
‘Ohana
‘Ohana is a popular restaurant at the Polynesian Resort. This restaurant offers character dining for breakfast only. Dinner doesn’t have characters, but the meal is a favorite among Disney fans. Breakfast features Lilo & Stitch! It’s the only place where you can meet them currently. I haven’t eaten here in many years. However, I recall the pineapple-coconut bread at breakfast with fond memories. Plus, I wore a Lilo dress to this meal and it was a great core memory made to interact with the characters while being dressed like one of them.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point
Another restaurant I’ve been lucky to eat at previously, but not in recent years is Story Book Dining at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. My husband and I cosplayed as Snow White and The Prince when we ate here and had a great time. The Queen glared at us in the photos! It was awesome. My mom enjoyed interacting with Grumpy. The food here was elevated as well. Due to the experience and popularity, this restaurant is also 2 Table Service dining credits. Although, it is open for dinner only.
Topolino’s Terrace
Topolino’s Terrace is a character breakfast at the Riviera Resort. Dinner does not feature characters and is a signature dining experience. The character breakfast only requires 1 dining credit though. However, since it’s a signature restaurant, the food is better here than at some other buffets. You can read my full Topolino’s Terrace Character Breakfast Review for a closer look at this experience. However, I gotta love an artsy Donald Duck!
Tusker House Restaurant
Lastly, we have Tusker House! It’s a safari themed character meal in Animal Kingdom. Open for all three meals and only 1 table service credit, it’s pretty popular. Plus, it features Donald Duck! You can read my full Tusker House Breakfast Review from my February 2023 trip. I have not eaten dinner here in many years though. However, it is the only character dining available at this park.
Disney World Character Dining
As you can see, there are loads of options for Disney World Character Dining. From parks to deluxe resorts, they are located all over the resort. However, I would encourage everyone to pay attention to the dining credits required at some of the restaurants (Cinderella’s Royal Table, Artist Point, and Akershus). While the seated meals tend to have better food, the buffets have greatly improved in recent years. So, what’s your favorite character meal at Disney?
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