Character Meals in Disney World

For the first time since I was a child, last weekend, I got to experience Disney World through the eyes of a child -- namely our friends' 4 year old daughter Isabella. Since we were really just tagging along to our friends' trip to Disney, we left the planning up to them.

One of the activities that I have not experienced since I was a child was a character meal. For kids, this is really an awesome experience. There are character breakfasts and dinners all throughout Disney World. We attended a dinner at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort (which also serves breakfast) and our friends went to numerous other ones during the week of their stay.

A character meal is exactly what it sounds like -- you eat your meal while various characters walk through the restaurant, take pictures and give autographs to the kids (or the adults per the picture of my husband aboev). And the kids love this! Whenever a character walked through Chef Mickey, excitement followed. All of the kids put down their mac and cheese and waited with baited breath for the character to stop by THEIR table. It really was very cute. And this being Disney World, the dinner was planned such that during an hour meal every character at that restaurant would stop by your table. It is very efficient. 

The food at these events are usually a buffet. That makes it easier for the kids to get their food and eat on their schedule so they can maximize their time with the characters. The food ranges in quality for sure. At Chef Mickeys the food was not too bad. Pretty basic American fare, but fairly good quality. Our friends went to the character breakfast at the Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom and they said the food was awesome. Besides normal breakfast food, there was African inspired dishes as well. Part of the buffet is always geared towards kids to make it even easier on the parents.

There are many other places that do character dining besides what I have listed above. 1900 Park Fare, located in the Grand Floridian Resort, does American breakfast with an Alice in Wonderland theme and a dinner with a Cinderella theme. There is also a Wonderland Tea Party in the afternoon. The Garden View Tea Room, also located in the Grand Floridian, serves traditional afternoon tea and hosts the My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party, which is a fairly extravagant tea party starring Sleeping Beauty. The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion in EPCOT showcases American cuisine for breakfast and Norwegian cuisine for lunch and dinner, but mostly showcases all of the Disney Princesses. The Cape May Cafe, located at Disney's Beach Club Resort, serves breakfast and dinner with a focus on seafood. The Garden Grill Restaurant in the Land Pavilion in EPCOT serves American style dinner and features Chip 'n Dale. Cinderella's Royal Table in Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom is a Princess Experience also, as it is situated IN Cinderella's castle. It serves American style breakfast, lunch and dinner a la carte, which is different from the usual buffet. The Crystal Palace, also located in the Magic Kingdom right off of Main Street USA, offers American-style character dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner and features Winnie the Pooh. The Garden Grove, located in the Swan Resort, serves American breakfast, lunch and dinner, but the characters are only available for dinner and breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Hollywood & Vine, located in Disney's Hollywood Studios, features a breakfast and lunch buffet featuring the Disney Junior characters from the Disney channel. 'Ohana, located in the Polynesian Resort, offers character dining at breakfast starring Lilo & Stitch.

TIP: These events book up fast. I would highly recommend making reservations as soon as you know you are coming to Disney World.

I would highly recommend taking your kids to a character meal (or two or three) the next time you go to Disney World. It is an experience all of you will remember!

Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida
http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/
(407) WDW-DINE

EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival

Last weekend my husband and I and another couple went to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. This was our second time attending this event and we cannot wait to go back. This is a fantastic event, which I encourage everyone to attend.

I do not need to go into detail regarding what Disney World is, or, in fact, what EPCOT is.  I am a huge Disney fan and have enjoyed one of the great perks of living in Florida -- Florida resident discounts at Disney World! Awwww yeah....

But, even if you can't get the discount, Disney World is obviously a well treasured national and international landmark. So, the big question is, why make a trip there during the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival? Oh sooo many reasons!

First, the festival runs during October and November, which is a really nice time to visit central Florida. It is still very warm, but not oppressively hot. I wore short sleeves and shorts/skirts and was mostly comfortable. 

Second, it is a wine and food festival. I know that is an obvious statement, but how can you beat a day walking around in the sun noshing on appetizers and alcohol? The festival booths are scattered throughout the World Showcase portion of EPCOT. Each booth is focused on a different country (with a few random booths, like "Desserts and Champagne" thrown in for good measure). There are 2-3 food options and 3-5 drink options (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) at each booth. Like everything at Disney, the quality is incredible. This year I had sauteed barramundi with greens at the Australia booth -- it is amazing how a small outside booth can make perfectly cooked fish. I was blown away! The festival does not focus on a specific region, but instead, makes a wide sweep of the globe. We ate food from France, Mexico, South Korea and Singapore to name just a few. It is a great way to try many different types of food from many different regions. I tried pierogies for the first time (and of course loved them)!

In addition to the booths scattered around the World Showcase, there are numerous other events occurring during the Festival. There are concerts with family friendly acts. There are cooking demonstrations and wine tastings, which usually costs extra. At night, there is the Party for the Senses -- a huge cocktail party-type event, which also costs extra. There are also book signings and various other random activities, such as a chocolate tasting. Depending on how much money you want to spend, you can really partake in a wide range of activities. For those who are heat adverse, you can sign up for enough activities to even skip the outdoors. There is even a half marathon for those who want to try to burn off all the food and alcohol they consumed.

TIP: You can purchase a gift card at the beginning of the day which is attached to a wrist band that you can use at the various booths. It makes both purchasing and watching your funds so much easier. Because while I do not find the food outrageously priced, it can really add up.

The EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival is a fabulous event and I highly recommend planning a Disney World vacation around it! It is definitely a way to squeeze some adult time into a very kid-focused vacation. 

Disney World
Orlando, Florida
(407) 939-6244
www.disneyworld.disney.go.com