Walt Disney World character breakfast is a chance for guests to meet a variety of different Disney characters while they also enjoy classic Disney staples like Mickey Waffles. Enjoying a character dining experience is a great way to save time if you want to meet a ton of characters without having to wait in line. There are many different character dining experiences offered at both the theme parks and Disney resort hotels.
Our guide is going to cover the best Disney World character breakfast options along with which ones to skip. Not all Walt Disney World character breakfast options are the best and some could easily be skipped for better alternatives. Let's talk about all the best Disney World character breakfast experiences!
What is Walt Disney World Character Dining?
Character dining at Walt Disney World combines the experience of a character meet and greet with a sit-down meal. There are some misconceptions that characters actually sit down and dine with you, that's not the case here. Rather you enjoy your meal (often buffet style) and characters will roam the restaurant taking photos and signing autographs. No need to chase down the characters, cast members ensure they make the rounds through the entire restaurant so it's an easygoing experience. Nearly all the experiences will also provide each guest with a postcard with a picture of the characters and their signatures on the back.
Many of the best Disney World character breakfast meals also include a short show or song led by the Disney characters. Each Disney World character breakfast option varies on the type of food offered, how upscale vs casual it is, and which Disney characters are included.
How to Make Walt Disney World Dining Reservations
Guests of Disney Resort Hotels (including Disney Vacation Club Guests) can enjoy an extended window for making dining reservations. Starting 60 days in advance of your arrival date, you can book dining for the entire length of your Resort stay—up to 10 days. For guests not staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, will need to book each day at the 60 day mark.
You can make dining reservations online or by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463. Guests under 18 years of age must have parent or guardian permission to call. If you miss out and don’t find a reservation, I recommend trying Mouse Watcher which will search relentlessly for a variety of days/times for your chosen restaurant for $5 per restaurant search. While many free services like this exist, I’ve found this one to be the most successful.
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Best Disney World Character Breakfast
Let's start with the best Disney World character breakfast options. The best Disney World character breakfast options are ranked based on the variety of characters, atmosphere, and dining options. I don't think you could have a bad experience with any of the Disney World character breakfast options but some definitely outrank others for a variety of different reasons. But it all does come down to personal preference, one of your favorite Disney World character breakfast options might be one of the ones we list as a skip!
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends at Topolino's Terrace is located at Disney's Riveria Resort in the EPCOT resort area. You can easily take the Skyliner to this hotel from either EPCOT or Hollywood Studios since this hotel has a Skyliner station. This best Disney World character meal is only available for breakfast.
The characters featured at this character meal are Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck all wearing Parisian/European-styled outfits. This character breakfast includes all the traditional Disney characters making it a good choice for guests that want to meet the classics. The characters do a Disneys style interpretation of “Funiculi, Funicula” which is a merry Neapolitan tune as the fab four will dance around the restaurant giving guests another chance to interact with the characters.
Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends is also one of the best character Disney World breakfast options for food quality. Each table begins with fresh pastries and bread.
Adults can choose from a choice of entrée for $45:
- Quiche Gruyère
- House-made Pancetta, Roasted Potatoes, Field Greens, Lemon Vinaigrette
- Fruit Plate
- Fresh Fruit, Honey Yogurt, Seed Granola
- Avocado Toast
- Prosciutto, Poached Egg, Toy Box Tomatoes, Fennel, Harissa Vinaigrette, Ciabatta
- Two Eggs-Any Style
- Roasted Potatoes served with choice of Smoked Bacon, Ham, Sausage, or Plant-based Sausage
- Wild Mushroom Scramble
- Spinach, Plant-based Eggs, Plant-based Sausage, Tomatoes (Plant-based)
- Sour Cream Waffle
- Roasted Apple, Chantilly, Orange-Maple Syrup, and served with choice of Smoked Bacon, Ham, Sausage, or Plant-based Sausage
- Smoked Salmon
- Everything Bagel, Tomato, Red Onion, Cream Cheese, Capers
- Wood-fired Butchers Steak
- Polenta, Pomodoraccio Tomatoes, Roasted Onions, Wild Mushroom Conserva, Watercress
- French Toast Brûlée
- with Seasonal Compote and choice of Smoked Bacon, Ham, Sausage, or Plant-based Sausage
Kids can choose from a choice of entrée for $29:
I rank this as one of the best Disney World character meals due to the great food quality, the ambiance of the impressive Riveria Resort, and the classic characters offered here in their unique Parisian outfits. If you are looking for a character meal experience that offers great interactions along with superb food then this is a great choice. It's easy access to the theme parks due to being at a Skyliner resort which only increases the ranking of this character meal. It would be quite easy to hop over to EPCOT or Hollywood Studios after breakfast to spend a day at the parks.
Cinderella’s Royal Table Character Dining
Cinderella's Royal Table character dining is one of the most well-known Disney World character breakfast experiences in Magic Kingdom. This is the only location that allows you to dine inside Cinderella's Castle which is a must-do experience for many guests visiting Walt Disney World. This is a Princess dining location where you can see Cinderella along with other Disney Princesses. This is one of our favorite Disney Princess character dining experiences, kids will light up at this meal as they enter the castle.
Cinderella's Royal Table features Cinderella along with other classic Disney Princesses like Snow White, Aurora, and Rapunzel. It's common for parents to make a reservation for this restaurant after their kids have had a day at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique so they can enjoy the experience in their full Princess attire. This is a great Princess interaction experience and there will usually be a royal announcement each time they enter the room.
This is the priciest best Disney World breakfast character dining experience at $65 per adult and $39 per child. But many feel the price is worth it to get the experience of dining inside the castle. And you will get higher quality food items here which helps increase the value. But no doubt about it, this is a splurge experience but it's something everyone should try at least once.
The adult entrée options for breakfast include:
Crystal Palace Character Dining
Crystal Palace ranks as one of the best Disney World character dining options due to its easy proximity to Magic Kingdom and unique character options. This character meal includes Winnie the Pooh characters and food served buffet style. While this restaurant serves breakfast, it also has the option of lunch and dinner too to meet the characters.
The characters at this location are Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. They are all there to celebrate Friendship Day which is right from the Winnie the Pooh stories. The characters will parade through the restaurant occasionally throughout the meal as they ask everyone to join them in celebrating Friendship Day. Each character will be holding various celebratory items in this dance like balloons, pinwheels, and a flag reading Hunny
The Crystal Palace is a charming restaurant inspired by the Victorian greenhouses of the late 1800s with glass ceilings, topiaries, and tropical palms. Its location at the end of Main Street and facing Cinderella's Castle only adds to its charm.
The price for adults is $45 per person and $29 per child. The price goes up to $59 per person for adults for lunch and dinner making breakfast the better choice as the experience is still the same but with just lunch offerings.
The breakfast buffet offered at the Crystal Palace includes all the traditional Disney classics like Mickey waffles, pancakes, hash browns, eggs, pastries, cereal, fruit, etc. There is also a decent variety of other options like biscuits and gravy, roast beef hash, tofu curry, frittatas, and more. The food here offers a great selection of items and everything is made fresh. Plus if you're looking for those iconic Mickey waffles, this is one place to find them. If you make your reservation right before 11AM, you will be charged the breakfast price but you may also be there as they switch over to the lunch menu.
This is one of the best Disney World character meals due to the unique characters (all the main Winnie the Pooh favorites!) and the beautiful ambiance of the restaurant. The easy proximity of being in Magic Kingdom only makes it better since you do not need to go to a separate resort and can enjoy it on a park day.
Read our full review of the Crystal Palace character dining in Magic Kingdom to see why this is one of the best Disney World breakfast character experiences!
Chef Mickey's
Chef Mickey's is one of the most popular and well-known character dining experiences at Walt Disney World. This best Disney World breakfast meal is located in the Contemporary Resort which is just a monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom. This is a great choice for guests looking for a classic character dining experience with the “Fab 5” characters.
The characters at Chef Mickey's include Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy. They are all dressed in cooking attire like chef hats, aprons, etc. waiting to serve you a great breakfast. All the reviews of the character interactions at Chef Mickey's are always positive and the characters spend a decent amount of time with guests as they roam the restaurant.
The breakfast buffet here includes buttermilk biscuits and gravy, corned beef hash, fruit, eggs, waffles, french toast, carved pit ham and beef brisket, and frittatas. There is also one of the largest selections of breakfast cocktails for adults when compared to most other character dining meals. Chef Mickey's is also available for dinner.
The cost is $51 per adult and $33 per child for breakfast.
Chef Mickey's is located at the Contemporary Resort which is known for the hotel with the monorails that go through the middle. Depending on where you sit, you will be able to see the passing monorails as you dine. There is also a 90-foot-high mural done by the famed Disney artist Mary Blair that is worth seeing for Disney fans. Combining this classic Disney atmosphere with the classic Disney characters results in the reason why this is one of the best Disney World breakfast experiences.
The ambiance of the Contemporary Resort is a big part of why Chef Mickey's is one of the best Disney World character dining experiences. Chef Mickey's is a bit average when it comes to the menu which makes many Walt Disney World regulars rank this option low on the list of best Disney World breakfast character experiences. However, this is a classic option that's often highly sought after by first-time Walt Disney World visitors and the ambiance of the Contemporary Resort helps keep it on our best Disney World character breakfast list.
Chip ‘n' Dale's Harvest Feast
Chip ‘n' Dale's Harvest Feast is located at the Garden Grill restaurant inside The Land pavilion in EPCOT. This is the same building where you will find the attractions Soarin' and Living with the Land. This best Disney World breakfast option serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The restaurant itself rotates slowly in a circle giving guests views of the Living with the Land attraction. This is what this best Disney World breakfast character meal is most famous for.
Characters seen at Chip ‘n' Dale's Harvest Feast include Chip ‘n' Dale along with Pluto and Mickey Mouse dressed in farm attire. The restaurant has two different levels of seating, regular tables and booths. The booths make the view of Living with the Land easier to see so I recommend asking for a booth before you're seated. The characters will make frequent experiences as you dine and the cast members will make sure they get around to everyone.
The food options here are all in the style of farm-to-table. Which is quite legit considering the produce grown in Living with the Land is served at the Garden Grill. This is a unique detail that just helps set this best Disney World character breakfast apart.
The cost for this character meal is more affordable than other options at $42 per person and $27 for children. The buffet-style menu for breakfast includes fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs, smoked bacon, cheesy potato casserole, grilled flank steak with ranchero sauce, plus plant-based options like Impossible sausage and Mickey Waffles. This is a great spot for vegetarians and vegans to enjoy. The menu is a bit more limited though in comparison to the other best Disney World character breakfasts but the price is right.
The unique ambiance of dining in a rotating restaurant with views of Living with the Land, the vegetarian-friendly menu, and the classic characters all help this deal score a spot on the best Disney World character breakfast list.
Tusker House Restaurant Character Dining
Tusker House is located inside Africa in Animal Kingdom. This Harambe marketplace-themed restaurant features both American and African food. The characters here include Donald Duck and his friends in safari gear. The diverse food selection at this best Disney World breakfast character meal helps set it apart from the others.
The characters you can find at Tusker House character dining include Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy (plus sometimes Daisy Duck) all dressed in their safari gear. The characters will also periodically do a dance through the restaurant and sometimes even dance with the cast members.
Animal Kingdom is known for its excellent theming and atmosphere which shines at Tusker House. Pair that with the African food items in the buffet and this makes for a great unique best Disney World breakfast character dining experience. This character dining breakfast also features some of the best variety at Walt Disney World including:
This best Disney World breakfast character experience makes a great choice for guests looking for an unconventional menu at a reasonable price.
‘Ohana Character Dining
‘Ohana is located at the popular Polynesian Village Resort in the Magic Kingdom area and features Lilo and Stitch. This popular Polynesian-themed dining atmosphere includes tikis and tropical plants. The menu includes a buffet o American and Hawaiian fare including the popular coconut bread and Mickey Waffles.
This character dining experience includes Lilo, Stitch, Pluto, and Mickey. Mickey is dressed in his Hawaiian shirt and Pluto is wearing a lei. The characters will go around the room to meet with guests and also lead a character-style parade through the restaurant. Since Lilo and Stitch are considered rare characters and not ones you can often get photos with, this makes this character selection a bit more special.
The breakfast buffet includes pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, sausage links, Hawaiin-style ham topped with pineapple compote, fried island-style potatoes, Mickey-shaped waffles, and biscuits.
The cost for adults is $45 per person and $29 for children.
‘Ohana is more famous for its dinner option which includes the famous ‘Ohana Noodles, bread pudding, ‘Ohana bread, and endless meat options. Unfortunately, characters only appear at breakfast. Since the dinner menu is what really makes this restaurant one of the most sought-after reservations at Walt Disney World, we drop this one to the end of our list but I don't necessarily think it qualifies as one you should skip for breakfast!
For Lilo and Stitch fans, this is the place to meet them and you still get the great atmosphere and the delicious breakfast options. If you're more interested in the dinner menu, you might want to skip the character dining and come for dinner instead.
Be Our Guest
Technically, Be Our Guest is not often considered a full-character meal since you only meet the Beast from Beauty and the Beast. But it's often categorized as a character meal so we will add it to our list, although in its own category. Be Our Guest gives guests the experience of dining in the Beast's castle from the Beauty and the Beast film.
There are three different rooms from the film you can dine in, the Grand Ballroom, the West Wing, and the Castle Gallery. The windows are also themed to look like a snowy evening which further adds to the ambiance of this restaurant. This is a fan-favorite place and one of the other castle experiences you can enjoy at Magic Kingdom.
The menu here is themed as French/American dining and it comes with a pre-fix menu. You will pick your appetizer, entrée, and dessert from the available selections. Be Our Guest used to offer a quick-service breakfast option but currently, that option has not returned. If it does then breakfast at Be Our Guest is a good option for a best Disney World character experience. It was a well-known tip to enjoy the breakfast here when it was offered to get this experience for a lesser cost so we hope it returns soon, hence adding it to our best Disney World breakfast character dining list.
Beast will come out periodically to greet guests but this is more of an appearance than a character meet and greet. This is the reason why this isn't often counted as a character meal. However, this is a fantastic dining experience due to the beautiful setting of the restaurant. For Beauty and the Beast fans it's a must-see. But if characters are a priority, then you should opt for another experience.
You can see our full review of our recent Be Our Guest experience to see why we love this atmosphere so much.
Disney World Character Breakfast to Skip
These are the Disney World character meals that did not make our best list and instead qualify as ones you can skip. However, these are all still great experiences but we factor in the menu, value for what you pay, and consider what better options are offered. With that in mind, let's look at the Disney World character breakfast options you can skip.
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Character Dining
Akershus Banquet Hall is one of the more popular Disney World breakfast character experiences due to its selection of Disney Princesses characters, the ambiance of a castle-like setting, and the unique Norwegian food items. Akershus Banquet Hall is located in the World Showcase inside EPCOT in the Norway Pavilion.
This location features Disney storybook Princesses like Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Ariel, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, and Ariel. Not all these Princesses will be at the character experience at the same time, you can expect about four Princesses at the meal from this list. The Disney Princesses will also invite children to join them in a parade around the restaurant which makes for perfect photo-op moments.
The breakfast menu costs $53 per adult and $34 per child. The menu features Norwegian-inspired food and American traditional items including pastries, scrambled eggs, potato casserole, fruit, bacon, sausage, and Norwegian waffles. Like many character dining experiences at Walt Disney World, the breakfast meal is more affordable than lunch and dinner. The food items offer a mix of a unique menu with Norwegian items along with traditional American dishes that will appeal to all food tastes.
Despite the pros of Akershus Banquet Hall, if you are looking for the best Disney Princess dining experience in a castle you should book Cinderella's Royal Table instead. You get far more value for your money with the larger selection and quality of food plus the experience of dining in Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom. The “wow” factor of dining in the castle will be worth it for your group. However, Akershus Banquet Hall is less expensive than Cinderella's Castle (by about $15 less for an adult and a child both) so if you are looking for a similar experience with less cost this makes it a good one.
Disney Junior Play n' Dine Character Dining
The breakfast character dining option at Hollywood & Vine features popular Disney Junior stars. Hollywood & Vine switches out their character dining options for seasonal options for lunch and dinner. The seasonal character dining options focus on Minnie Mouse and Friends which often includes Mickey Mouse, Pluto, and Goofy. The characters will change outfits depending on the season for summer, Halloween, or Christmas.
Hollywood & Vine is located in Hollywood Studios so this would count as theme park dining. And one we're usually fairly fond of! The Disney Junior characters you will find at breakfast includes Vampiria, Doc McStuffins, and Sophia the First.
The breakfast food items include assorted pastries, an omelet station, biscuits and gravy, Mickey-shaped waffles, and eggs benedict. Signature specialties offered are salmon and bagel casserole, plant-based frittata, and brioche french toast with banana’s fosters sauce. The food options offered at Hollywood & Vine are always great so there's no negatives to say there, I especially always enjoy anything with the Disney banana's foster sauce. The cost is $42 per adult and $27 per child.
However, we're talking about the best Disney World breakfast character options. So for breakfast at Hollywood & Vine, the characters featured are only the Disney Junior stars. If you have kids in your group that are Disney Junior fans, then this is a must for you! If not, you will find more popular characters elsewhere. Or you can simply come to lunch or dinner at Hollywood & Vine. Because of the character selection for breakfast, we think this is a skip if you don't have small children in your group.
Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast Character Dining
Minnie's Beach Bash Character Dining is located at Disney's Beach Club Resort in the EPCOT area of the resort. This beachy-themed character dining experience includes Minnie Mouse and some of her friends which means other characters may change. The breakfast buffet features traditional favorites and it's a good choice for guests staying at this resort. You can see our full Cape May Café review for more details on this experience!
Minnie Mouse is a for sure character at this experience but sometimes she will be joined by Goofy, Donald, and Chip ‘n' Dale. The beach theme lines up with the Beach Club Resort and all the characters will be dressed in their summer attire.
Breakfast at Cape May Café includes a traditional buffet with eggs, waffles, french toast, bacon, sausage, cheddar biscuits and gravy, oatmeal and grits, and an omelet and carving stations. The breakfast also features salted caramel “beach buns” served with ice-cream. These are great and are one of the standout dishes at this restaurant. The cost is $45 per adult and $29 per child.
Since this character meal is lesser known than the others on our best Disney World breakfast character meals list, this can be a great meal to book at the last minute. It's not quite as popular as the other contenders making dining reservations much easier to come by. While this is a perfectly fine character experience with a variety of traditional characters, the atmosphere in this restaurant is fairly basic. The restaurant is decorated to carry over the beach theme in the rest of the hotel but it does not feel as especially unique as the other restaurants at Disney World. For this reason, we think this one could be a skip.
Good Morning Breakfast with Goofy and His Pals Character Dining
Surprising to some guests, you can actually enjoy character dining at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World. This is a nice perk for off-site guests staying at this hotel and for those guests, this is an easy experience to take advantage of. For everyone else, we think this experience is a skip.
The only guaranteed character here is Goofy but it sometimes includes Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. This is a lesser well-known character experience and is only offered Thursday and Saturday mornings and some select Tuesdays. The Four Seasons Resort Orlando is located on Walt Disney World property near the Fort Wilderness Campground. It's located fairly close to Magic Kingdom so this is not necessarily an inconvenient stop to make if you're close by.
The food at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando features a traditional buffet with eggs, waffles, bacon, sausage, and a make-your-own omelet station. The cost is $48 per adult and $28 per child.
The reason we call this a skip is that there are far better best Disney World character dining experiences. The food is decent but a pretty run-of-mill hotel breakfast option. Other Walt Disney World character dining experiences offer far more for a similar price.
And that's our breakdown of all the best Disney World breakfast character options! While we may name some of these experiences as a skip, all of these breakfast options can be a great experience.
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