Disney Character Meals at Resorts: A Complete Guide

Goofy at Cape May Cafe breakfast in beachy attire

Character meals in Disney Parks are excellent but not everyone likes to plan a big sit down meal into their park day. Restaurants at Disney with character dining are not just inside the parks though. There are Disney character meals at resorts and there might be one at yours. Most meals with characters are at restaurants with buffets. Some are traditional buffets while other offer family style serving. Family style is when large portions are delivered to your table for everyone to help themselves. These are replenish-able and you can ask for more of what you and your party like the most.

You’ve got questions about Disney character meals at resorts and we’ve got all the answers. What characters are at Chef Mickey’s? Are Disney character meals worth it? What characters are at Ohana? How much are Disney character meals? Be our guest and read on for all of the information you need to plan your next great breakfast or dinner with Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

a crispy Mickey shaped waffle on a white plate
Mickey waffles are a favorite at Disney character meals, most are buffets.

Disney Character Meals at Resorts, Not in Parks, in 2025

The Disney character meals 2025 has to offer are different than what you may have enjoyed many years ago. This is a current list of all of the options for Disney character meals at resorts. Some restaurants are still open but no longer have characters. At this time, there are no character meals at Disney Springs, just themed environments like those at T-REX Restaurant and Rainforest Cafe.

Disney character meals at resorts do not require the purchase of a theme park ticket. You do not need to be staying at a resort to make a restaurant reservation either. The characters usually make their rounds, visiting each table once. If you take longer to dine, you may be visited twice by some characters. In some restaurants, one of the characters may not visit the table but have their own setting where you go and meet them instead. Disney says characters and entertainment are subject to change without notice.

Donald Duck stands in beachy attire inside Cape May Cafe's coastal atmosphere buffet
Donald Duck at Cape May Cafe breakfast at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.

Cape May Cafe

Location: Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Price: Breakfast is $49 per adult and $33 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Breakfast is typical American fare at an all you care to enjoy buffet.

Characters: Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy appear in beach inspired attire.

red stacked plates next to assorted meats on a buffet
Chef Mickey’s breakfast buffet is self serve.

Chef Mickey’s

Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Price: Breakfast is $58 per adult and $37 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity. Dinner is $69 per adult and $44 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Breakfast and dinner are both typical American fare at an all you care to enjoy buffet.

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Goofy appear in chef inspired attire.

the character pluto covers his eyes with a chef hat on
Pluto at Chef Mickey’s where characters visit very quickly.

‘Ohana

Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Price: Breakfast is $53 per adult and $33 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Breakfast is typical American fare served family style at your table.

Characters: Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto in Polynesian inspired attire.

inside the Snow White character meal restaurant that is inspired by an enchanted forest
Inside Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

Location: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Price: Dinner is $67 per adult and $41 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Dinner has storybook themed, prix fixe menu items like the Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart.

Characters: Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and The Queen.

Flowers in decorative pots sit in front of the tall Riviera hotel building with Topolino's Terrace character meal at the top
Topolino’s Terrace character meal is on the top floor of the Riviera resort.

Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera

Location: Disney’s Riviera Resort

Price: Breakfast is $52 per adult and $33 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Breakfast comes with a paint themed pastry bucket and has a selection of fine dining entrees.

Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy appear in attire inspired by the arts.

A white hotel building with a dark red roof on a sunny day
1900 Park Fare was closed for years but reopened reimagined with new characters in April of 2024.

1900 Park Fare

Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Price: Breakfast is $58 per adult and $37 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity. Dinner is $69 per adult and $44 per child ages 3 to 9 plus tax and gratuity.

Meal: Breakfast and dinner self serve buffets.

Characters: Aladdin in his Prince Ali, Cinderella, Tiana in her new outfit from the upcoming attraction and Mirabel.

Temporarily Unavailable – Character Dining Grand Floridian

Is the Grand Floridian team room open?

The tea room at Disneys’ Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has not reopened since the closure. There was a very unique tea offering that included a visit from a special Disney World character who hosted the event and Aurora from the film Sleeping Beauty. The Grand Floridian has received a major, resort wide refurbishment in the last few years that we’ve been covering in our DVC resort refurbishment schedule. Construction has reached the rooms in the lobby. While the roof of the lobby and exterior have been refreshed, we still don’t have news about the tea room.

Is the Wonderland Tea Party coming back?

There was also a tea party event for children in the 1900 Park Fare venue during the day hosted by Alice and The Mad Hatter There have been no updates on the Wonderland Tea Party, even with news of the restaurant reopening.

dark ceiling with warm lighting fixtures hanging inside one of the former Disney character meals at resorts Trattoria al Forno restaurant
Dark interior of Trattoria al Forno which has a Temporarily Unavailable character breakfast.

Disney Character Meal FAQs

How long are character dining Disney World experiences?

Character dining at Disney is a fantastic way to make the most of your time at Walt Disney World Resort. You can expect to spend 45 to 90 minutes at Disney character meals at resorts and in the parks. This really depends on how fast, and how much, your party likes to eat and if the meal is a buffet or not. In that amount of time, all of the characters will have made it to your table at least once.

Note that some restaurants only have characters at certain meal times. So a restaurant might be open for breakfast and dinner but only have the characters at breakfast. Only the meal times with characters are noted above.

How much are Disney character meal prices?

Disney character meals at resorts start at $49 per adult plus tax and gratuity for some breakfasts. Dinners with characters may cost up to $69 per adult plus tax and gratuity. Menu prices go up every year or every few years. Some of these meals rose $8 per person from just February to October in 2024. Check close to your visit for the most accurate price.

Is it hard to get Disney character meal reservations?

The Disney character meals Disney World has to offer are very popular. It is sometimes possible to walk up but Disney character meal reservations are highly recommended. Guests of Disney resort hotels are able to book their dining reservations before everyone else. Disney resort guests can book for their length of stay up to 60 days in advance of arrival. This booking advantage is available for Disney Vacation Club Members as well. Reservations usually open for booking in the morning around 6:00 a.m. but this may vary. Everyone else can only book 60 days out only. Being able to book those extras days of your stay in advance can help you get the meals you want.

Is character dining available at Disney World?

Character dining is back at Disney World but not at all locations. 1900 Park Fare had two character meals each day, breakfast and dinner, along with a character tea experience for small children in the afternoon in the past. It reopened years after the pandemic but without all of the offerings it once had. Another restaurant missing character dining is Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Is character dining back at Trattoria al Forno?

Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk resort used to have the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast with Rapunzel, Flynn, Ariel and Prince Eric. The menu also supported the theme with fun items like pancakes stamped with confectioner’s sugar in the shape of Rapunzel’s sun. This restaurant is open but no longer has characters. The menu has also been changed to a more simple, traditional breakfast. Disney’s website says the offering is Temporarily Unavailable. 

Tips for Getting Disney Character Meal Reservations

If you’re unable to get the dining reservations you want, or if you change your mind, check and see what’s available to book the day before or the day of. As people cancel or modify their reservations, last minute spots can open up. Many Disney World restaurants have walk up availability. Find out if this is offered at the restaurant of your choice specifically beforehand. You might want to book restaurants at Disney with character breakfast on rest days when you don’t have park plans.

Are character meals worth it at Disney World?

Not sure if the littlest vacationers in your party will like meeting the characters? Enjoying a character meal costs less than a day at the parks. This could be a safe way to introduce the idea of meeting characters for the first time. It’s easier to head back to your room if anyone needs a break after and you won’t have to miss out on your park day.

While these meals can be pricey, going to character meals can open up your schedule when you’re in the theme parks. If you meet Mickey at breakfast, that can give you more time for other characters, rides or shows.

Character meals are also worth it if you like to meet characters in unique outfits. Most character meals have some sort of theme to them and the characters dress within that theme. This may be the only place you can meet them looking a certain way. Topolino’s Terrace is a good example of this with Daisy Duck dressed as a dancer.

These meals can also be great on pool days when you don’t plan to visit the parks or when your itinerary has you visiting a park for half of a day. A character meal paired with a Disney Springs visit also makes for a great slower paced Disney day.

To get the most out of your Disney character meal experience, try to book one of the first or last meals of the time period. When there are less people dining to visit, character interactions can be longer and more personalized. Some restaurants have a little parade or cute songs that play that queue kids to go visit with a character and dance. Be sure to listen for these.

Disney Vacation Club Resorts and Character Meals

All of the resorts listed above are Disney Vacation Club resorts. This means they are part of the Disney timeshare. Becoming a Member can help you get the best possible rate on Disney resort hotel stays. The following is a list of all of the DVC resorts at Walt Disney World. Ones that have Disney character meals are marked with an asterisk.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort*

Disney’s Beach Club Villas*

Disney’s BoardWalk Villas

Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge*

Copper Creek Villas and Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge*

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – A Disney Vacation Club Resort**

The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort*

Old Key West Resort

Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows*

Disney’s Riviera Resort*

Saratoga Springs Resort

** Fort Wilderness is home to Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, a dinner theater experience.

DVC Resale Experts Makes Magic

You can make Disney character meals at resorts an annual thing for your family. DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. Whether you’re adding on points, buying or selling Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help you find the right price to place a bid with or list your contract for. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and delight in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts have seen it all and are happy to answer your questions throughout the process.

DVC resale prices can pleasantly surprise Members interested in buying and selling DVC. See our resale DVC listings for a look at real time availability and pricing. Ready to sell DVC? Get in touch for a complimentary valuation of your specific contract today. There may be someone waiting on our Buyer Wish List for a contract just like yours.

Disney Blogger Nicole and Disney CEO Bob Iger

Sparkly Nicole

Nicole is a native Floridian who attended the University of Central Florida and decided to call the land of theme parks home. She’s been sharing magical tips, tricks and Orlando travel and tourism favorites online for over a decade.

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