Walt Disney World Character Meals and Dinner Shows Ranked in Order
By Dave Shute
How to Eat Where to Eat The Dining Plan Guide to Disney Dining
CHARACTER MEALS AND DINNER SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
This site’s recommended dining venues are in the basic itinerary and are listed at the bottom of this page.
They were selected based on how well-loved they are by families, kid-pleasing menus, how effectively they achieve their show intent, value for money, and convenience.
If you cannot follow these recommendations, use one of two tools.
First, the thumbnail (click to open; when open, click again once or twice to enlarge) ranks all the characters meals and dinner shows at Walt Disney World based both on appeal to kids and appeal to adults.
Use this information to balance these two kinds of appeal.
Or, second, see the list that comes next. This list recommends character meals and dinner shows in order, first on the basis of characters and the visual appeal of the setting, and after that on the relative amount of attention and fun your kids will get from the characters/event.
RECOMMENDED DISNEY WORLD CHARACTER MEALS RANKED IN ORDER
- Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom; Cinderella and Princesses)
- Askerhus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot; Norway; Princesses)
Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort; Mickey, etc)- 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian; Mary Poppins, etc. at breakfast, princesses at dinner)
- Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom, Pooh, Tigger, etc.)
- Garden Grill (Epcot; Mickey, etc.)
- Cape May Café (Beach Club; Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, etc.)
- Donald’s Safari Breakfast (Animal Kingdom; Tusker House; Mickey, Donald Duck, etc)
- Ohana Breakfast (Polynesian; Mickey, Lilo etc.)
(None of the other character meals are recommended.)
RECOMMENDED DISNEY WORLD DINNER SHOWS RANKED IN ORDER
- Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Fort Wilderness
No other dinner shows are recommended.
MORE ON WALT DISNEY WORLD DINING
- How to Eat
- The Disney Dining Plan
- What if You Can’t do the Dining Plan?
- Where to Eat
- Dining Alternatives
- The Comprehensive Guide to Walt Disney World Dining
- Character Meals and Dinner Shows Ranked in Order
- Table Service Meals at the Parks Ranked in Order
- Table Service Meals at the Resorts Ranked in Order
109 comments
We will be in WDW Oct 18-23. Not our first visit. We want to do Cinderella’s Royal Table and have the disney dining plan. Which meal do you suggest is the best (most bang for your dinning credits)? Our party includes 4 adults and 2 kids (14 y.o. boy and 3 y.o. girl). Thanks for your input!
Hi Lil, I don’t have an opinion on that, but see this on Tom’s site: http://www.disneytouristblog.com/dining-plan-table-service-top-value/
Do all ice creams at Beaches and Cream count as a snack? What is up with reservations there now? just if you want to use a TS credit? do they have QS items too? thanks.
Some, but not all ice cream, is a snack credit–http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=3210637 A reservation would require a TS credit…
Hi again, Dave!
Couple dining questions for you…
1) is a 7:20 AM reservation for Chef Mickey’s to kick off a day at MK a good idea?
2) Is dinner at sci fi diner theater a good choice?
and last but the most important to my three daughters… has Disney incorporated anything from the Frozen movie into Disney World? When looking at venues online they preferred Akershus over Cinderella’s table and are now thinking/hoping Disney will be incorporating Frozen characters at Akershus given the Norwegian theme by the time we visit in May 2014…
Thank you!
Hi Kristi, yes to 1 and 2–though on 2 many prefer 50’s Prime Time Cafe. So far there’s nothing from Frozen except a meet and greet in Norway at Epcot that builds enormous lines quickly. I expect to see something, someday, but not at Akershus by May…although I hope I’m wrong!!
Thanks Dave! I figured if anyone could answer their question about Frozen it would be you! We’ll be hoping, too, and just saw that Disney is releasing the DVD in March so maybe the folks at Disney who see dollar signs will be moving things along re: Frozen tie ins. 🙂 I remember last year there was marketing connection in May with Monsters U. As for the dining questions thanks so much for the validation on both…My new mantra when planning is “what would Dave do/say!” My family is a bunch of science/sci fi geeks/fans so the drive in theatre concept seemed equally appealing to everyone – always a good thing! We actually have two reservations on different days for Chef Mickey’s as one kid wanted breakfast there and the other wanted dinner based on the menus. By the way, my kids have an uncle Dave so to avoid confusion when I refer to you ( Disney Dave) they call you Uncle Disney! 🙂 Thanks again from all of us!
Oh Kristi how cute! Thanks for telling me!
Apologies and typo alert — that random ” ‘s ” in my last post should actually say “As for the dining * Q’s* ” …
Fixed!
I looked over your character meal recommendations, which at the bottom states none of the other meet and greets are recommended. I was wondering about Hollywood and Vine.
They started having Doc McStuffin, Jack, and Sophia. I was wondering why it is not recommended?
Hi melissa, pretty much everything here is written from the point of view of kids 8 and older. Enough of them think DIsney Jr is “baby stuff” that I don’t highlight H&V. But if your kids have not outgrown it, they will love it!
Thank You!!!! 🙂
Hi! Thank you so much for this website, it’s the only one I’ve been using in planning our Disney trip. We are going for the first time hopefully on Nov. 9. As far as meal plans go, for a family of 5, two adults an 8 y/o, 4 and 2, I don’t feel like the magic your way package plus gives us enough food, especially since I plan on booking several character dinings. But the package plus deluxe seems like too much food, however I can use credits towards character dinings, correct? Also, character dinings can be for breakfast or lunch too? There’s nothing in between these two options I am missing? Thanks so much for your help:) just don’t want to waste money but don’t want to have starving children either:)
Cheryl, thanks for the kind words!! You can use your credits for almost any meal, including all the character meals. Some cost two credits. But it would be MUCH cheaper to get the regular plan and pay cash for added meals. See the second half of this for why: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2014/04/16/the-best-ever-free-dining-faq-in-the-history-of-the-world/
Hi Dave!
So our trip is fast approaching (August 10-19). We are a family of four (11 year old son/7 year old daughter) and will be staying @ The Wilderness Lodge. I have all of our adrs set and fastpass selections made. Of course with all the waiting I keep moving things around/adding stuff 😉
One thing I am particularly on the fence about adding is dinner at 1900 Park Fare. Our family loves Cinderella and I’ve read that the character interaction here is great. Below is our current itinerary w/adrs listed. Do you think I should add it or will it be too much? This is our first and probably last trip for a while. Of course I know we “can’t do it all”, but we’d like to fit in as much as possible while still having some down time.
Sun 8/10 – HS, Fantasmic Dinner Show @ Mamma Melrose
Mon, 8/11 – Epcot, dinner @ San Angel Inn
Tues 8/12 – MK, late bfast @ Chef Mickey’s — **This is where I would add dinner @ 1900 Park Fare**
Wed 8/13 – MK, late bfast @ CRT/Hoop Dee @ night
Thur, 8/14 – AK, lunch @ Sanaa
Fri 8/15 – MK – bfast at Whispering Canyon/Dinner at BOG
Sat, 8/16 – EP/MK – dinner @ O’hana
Sun/Mon/Tues – Universal
What do you think? Should I book 1900 or leave it as is. Thanks for all of your help! And, congrats on your book 🙂
Hi Rachel, and thanks! You do run the risk of being overscheduled. Here’s what I’d do: go ahead and book it, then decide the day befroe if you really want it–cancel the day befroe and you won’t pay the cancellation fee.
BTW, you didn’t ask…but if you all are so princessy, why San Angel Inn and not Akershus? See https://yourfirstvisit.net/2013/10/31/review-princess-dining-at-akershus/
Thanks for the advice, Dave. I think I will book it and just see how we feel. So the cancellation policy is 24 hours? For some reason I thought it was 3 days. Good to know!
LOVE the idea of Akershus — just looked and there is no availability during our stay/days @ Epcot.
Not sure my husband/son are going to enjoy another princess meal as much as myself and daughter will, so if it doesn’t work – no biggy 🙂 Maybe the stars aren’t aligning for a reason!
Okay so after I responded I went and looked and Akershus had availability! Yes! So does 1900 for my Epcot day/night.
Then I got to thinking….would it be a bad idea to book 1900 on my Epcot day/night – monorail over there for dinner and them come back to Epcot for Illuminations after dinner @ Grand Floridian. We have park hopper so going back and forth is not problem. We will also most likely take a mid day break so can head to dinner then go back to Epcot for illuminations…
OR
Should I just keep my Akershus and stop moving things around.
Rachel, it’s not a bad idea, but a tad more complicated than you think, as you have to change monorails, so you have two monorail rides (plus waiting, and stops on the resort monorail) each way. Honestly, especially given husband objections, I’d just do Akershus on your Epcot day. There’s enough uses of time not to add extra ones…
However, two more thoughts on the husband issues: 1. the Akershus princesses are really hot, and 2. it’s not really his vacation, is it? A frying pan upside his head might help him see this point more clearly…
Totally agree…I cancelled 1900 and now have Akershus and Garden Grill booked for my Epcot day.
As our trip gets closer I’ll make a final decision and cancel one…and maybe buy another frying pan 😉
Thanks again. This site has honestly been so very helpful in my last year of planning for our families first ever trip!
🙂 Rachel!!
Dave,
Great site, thank you!! I just saw on the WDW website that Cinderella’s Royal Table will be closed for planned maintenance starting Jan 5, 2015 and will reopen sometime in the spring of 2015. I’m looking to book our visit in either late January or early February. Do you know if they are going to be moving the character dining with the princesses at that time to another location in the MK or is our only option going to be Akershus to dine with the princesses? My daughter will be 4 during our visit and I know she’d love the see the princesses, but honestly I think Epcot would bore her. Any info you can give is greatly appreciated… thank you!!
Candace, if they were doing so they would have announced it by now. Agree with you that Epcot is thin for youngsters. You could have dinner at Akershus and see a few things + Illuminations. See this for some Epcot ideas: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2011/03/09/the-comprehensive-guide-to-walt-disney-world-rides-and-attractions/ Another option that does not cost you a park admission is dinner at 1900 Park Fare. See the review on this page: https://yourfirstvisit.net/2014/05/22/review-disneys-grand-floridian-resort-spa-page-3/
Hi Dave, I just went to book tickets to the Hoop Dee Doo Review and for the night I selected, I could not use the dining plan for tickets on the main floor? Is this usually the case? Should I check other nights? How are the balcony seats? Is it worth paying (not using the dining plan) to get on the main floor? Thanks! Camille
Camille, yes the dining plan does not let you pick the best seats. IF you have good use of the credits elsewhere, pay cash, as two one credit meals are almost always more valuable than a two credit meal. If not, the balcony is OK!
Hey Dave,
We are planning a trip for the last week in Feb of 2016. We will have with us a 12 year old boy, a little girl of 6 and a 1 1/2 year old. I would like to do a character meal during lunch that would be pleasing to all of them…I am thinking something probably with Mickey. Any suggestions??
Candy, Chef Mickey’s.
Any word on when Cinderella’s Royal Table will be open or what changes are being made?
Kylie, it has re-opened. Apparently the changes were all to the kitchen.
Hi Dave, my family is planning to stay at the Poly, so we were thinking about doing the Luau one night, but I see that you do not recommend it. If you don’t mind, could you please offer a few words as to why. Thanks so very much.
Hi Taylor. The plot of the story told is dull, the food just OK, price is high.
Below I’ve copied the review from our book:
Thank you, Dave! You just saved me a stash…a tiny part of which I am now going to use to order your book!
🙂 Taylor
Thank you!
You bet, Kylie!!
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