food IS a theme park
It looks like Disney’s Swan Resort recently lost some of its character!
Garden Grove ©Disney
That’s because a long-time running character meal held at Garden Grove Cafe has suddenly disappeared!
Surf’s up at Disney’s PCH Grill, where we recently enjoyed Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast! This character meal is at Disneyland’s Paradise Pier Hotel and offers the chance to fill up on breakfast eats and character interactions.
PCH Grill Character Breakfast Buffet
As you might’ve guessed, Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast features characters in their beach finest (you’ll see them in a bit!). [Read more…]
We visit Walt Disney World A LOT… and when we say a lot we REALLY mean it! We have writers in the parks nearly EVERY day riding rides, eating food, watching shows, and perusing merchandise so we can keep you up to date on ALL of the Disney park happenings!
Balloons on Main Street
We love making sure that we are in-the-know when it comes to all things Disney, and we’ve come to know a few super-simple hacks that are sure to upgrade your Walt Disney World vacay! Because who doesn’t want to save a little money, or enhance your dreamy trip to Disney, amiright?
In 2015, Minnie Mouse started a brand new holiday celebration: Minnie’s Hollywood & Vine Holiday Dine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This buffet celebrates the season with flavors that bring the comfort and warmth of the holiday to your plate. And there are characters! In their holiday attire! With sparkly shoes!
Sorry, that was a lot of exclamation points. But the punctuation expresses our love for the overall experience at Minnie’s Holiday Dine. Though the decor is relatively subtle (just a sparkly Christmas tree and some wraps on the pillars), the opportunity to meet Santa Goofy and to mingle with Minnie, Mickey, Daisy, and Donald is fantastic.
As character meals go, this is one of the more underrated options at Walt Disney World. Perhaps because it’s tucked into a Park rather than in a generally more accessible Resort setting, Hollywood & Vine is oft forgotten by guests planning their Disney World dining. Breakfast at Hollywood & Vine features Disney Junior pals, and lunch and dinner are now Minnie’s Seasonal dining; in addition to the Holiday Dine, Minnie also celebrates spring, summer, and Halloween! (See — even Minnie knows it’s Halloween and straight into Christmas. Sorry, Thanksgiving!)
Welcome to Hollywood & Vine!
Happy Christmas and Merry Holidays — let’s go eat!
In the pantheon of Walt Disney World character meals, 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has not historically been one of our favorites.
It’s passable, with food that will fill you up even if it’s otherwise lackluster. And the atmosphere is in keeping with the Victorian stylings of the Resort, which many guests really embrace and enjoy.
There are characters at breakfast and dinner that cover a lot of ground. The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast brings Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, Winnie-the-Pooh, and Tigger together in an inexplicable mash-up of British-y and colorful characters. Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner is a little more thematic, with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia, and Drizella.
Afternoons from 2PM to 3PM, 1900 Park Fare transforms for guests age 4-12 into the Wonderland Tea Party. This party is hosted by Alice in Wonderland and a couple of her friends and features apple juice masquerading as tea, the chance to decorate a cupcake, and a few fun games. Click here to read more about it!
Of all the options, the dinner line-up of characters offer the most fun for grown-ups, with Lady Tremaine and the Step-Sisters bringing the funny. But are the characters worth the price…and has the food improved since our last visit?
1900 Park Fare Decor
To get to 1900 Park Fare, you’ll need to find your way to the Grand Floridian Resort, located on the monorail loop and right next door to Magic Kingdom. [Read more…]
Jambo
from Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Time to visit one of our favorite character dining locations: Tusker House! Tusker House is located in Animal Kingdom’s African village of Harambe and offers a character buffet for breakfast and lunch and a “family style dinner buffet” (really just a buffet — no family style service), also with characters!
One added element of dining at Tusker House is the opportunity to reserve the Rivers of Light Dining Package here, which saves a seat at Animal Kingdom’s newly-revamped Rivers of Life: We Are One nighttime spectacular. Generally, the price differential between the character meal and the dining package is pretty small here, so you may find it’s worth the slight splurge to score that reserved seating.
We weren’t after the Dining Package this time, but we sure were excited to see if the food and experience at Tusker House lived up to its past quality. And we ended up eating TWO full meals at once, which we really didn’t expect! (Read on to find out how we did it!)
Tusker House Entrance
Tusker House is a charming restaurant located on your left-hand side in Harambe as you head toward Kilimanjaro Safaris. Check in is at a stand near the Dawa Bar, and you’ll be given a pager. Here you’re welcome to glance at the menu — but keep in mind it’s pretty generic because it’s a buffet! (Don’t worry: we’ll get more specific, and we have photos of EVERYTHING below!)
We’re at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to bring you What’s New from this park-in-progress! It’s not a very busy stroll, but it’s got character(s)! Let’s go!
Chinese Theater
Remember just a few days ago when Oasis Canteen was serving up loaded funnel cakes and cold beer? [Read more…]
Hope you’re enjoying your weekend so far! We’re back with another DFB Video this weekend, and we’re talking about Character Dining in Walt Disney World… because we’ve gone to EVERY Character Meal (so you don’t have to)!
Storybook Dining at Artist Point
There are a LOT of Character Meals offered in Walt Disney World… and they are, understandably, a HUGE draw! Pairing a meal with a chance to meet several characters without waiting in line… well, what’s not to love? As it turns out, though, it’s not that simple, because there’s a lot to consider: which characters do you (or your children) most want to meet? What kind of food and service style do you enjoy? Where are all the various character meals located? We’re talking about ALL of that — along with tips and tricks for YOUR character meal — in our latest DFB YouTube Video!
On March 30, 2019, a new character breakfast will make its debut at Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Disneyland Resort!
Napa Rose Dining Room
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures will feature a three-course meal along with personal interactions and photo opportunities with Disney Princesses! The experience will also include a takeaway bag and themed activities which will highlight what makes Disney Princesses unique. [Read more…]
Walt Disney World’s Land Pavilion
is home to one of our go-to quick service spots in Epcot’s Future World — Sunshine Seasons — but upstairs from Living with the Land is one of my favorite underrated character meals: Garden Grill. It’s here, in a rotating restaurant, that diners meet Disney character friends, dine on some really great grub, and get a bird’s eye view of the attraction below. It’s truly one-of-a-kind.
Garden Grill
Remember, at Garden Grill, always ask for a booth versus a table. I just think they’re more fun, plus your view of the Livin’ With The Land attraction scenes below is much better with a booth!
Booth Seating Facing The Land Attraction
Table Seating
Before we get into the food, let’s say hello to some friends. Garden Grill is home to Farmer Mickey who always looks sharp in his overalls and plaid!
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