dwsjas89

Hi:

We'll be heading to Disney in March and our 4 year old would love to dine w/the likes of Cinderella, Snow White, Mary Poppins, etc. Can someone point us in the direction we need to go to make reservations. We don't care if it's breakfast, lunch or dinner. If we could see a few characters at once all the better. Also what should we expect to pay? Thanks

swalter518

Check the Disney website link below:
http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw...ubmit&x=11&y=8. There are many options. We're doing the tea party at the Grand Floridian in May with my niece, but it's a bit pricey from what I recall.

moneygirl

In California, your best bet is GOofy's kitchen for a character meal... not cheap, but the kids love it! The only characters at the Grand Californian Hotel (Storyteller's Cafe) are Chip n' Dale, less than thrilling. The best time to see characters is on Saturdays...on Main Street. Just our experience... hope it helps.

missypie

California or Florida?

jersey

FYI- We took our kids when the youngest was 6. She wasn't disturbed by the costumed adults but there were some kids who were flipped out by the over-sized Chip and Dale (or whoever they were). Make sure you know who'll be there and prepare your child ahead of time. It's a shame to spend that much money only to have your child run screaming.

dwsjas89

Thanks for the responses and help thus far. Sorry...should have said we are doing Florida not California. Thanks

ThePhan

We did the Princess Breakfast at Epcot with our four-year old last year, and it was wonderful. The food was decent, and the atmosphere very controlled (i.e., not chaotic). Each "princess" (I think there were five or six present) came by our table and signed autographs, posed for photos, and spoke with our daughter. It was a real winner. The only drawback is that the Norwegian pavilion where the breakfast was held is a long walk from the front gate, but as long as you are prepared you'll be okay.

lucienne78

Hi,
The Contemporary has a breakfast with the characters, but I suggest you make reservations quickly because they always get booked very fast. Also, there is a breakfast and also a dinner with the characters in the Magic Kingdom right near Cinderella's Castle. As you walk in, go down Main Street. It's pretty much at the end of Main Street to the left. I think there is an ice cream shop attached to it.

The Grand Floridian also has a breakfast and a dinner with the charactes. I think that is at 1900 Park Fare.

Go to a bookstore and get the Birnbaums Walt Disney World Guidebook. It's great and it will answer every question you can possibly think of.

mcmckissic

Hi, could you tell me how you get the reservations at the Epcot for a Princess breakfast?? or the Contemporary for that matter. I have been trying to get a Cinderella breakfast for weeks for the first week of April and it has been impossible. Thanks.

ThePhan

The number to call for the Disney Princess breakfast at Akershus (the Norway pavilion at Epcot) is the same as that for the other character dining events: (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463). Make your reservations as far in advance as possible.

Ryan

We took our two toddlers to the Chef Mickey's Breakfast at the Contemporary Resort. The food was fine, but you're not going for the food so it really is secondary. All the characters went to each table the staff did a good job of insuring that when it was your turn, it was your turn and your kids could talk to Mickey, etc. by themselves. We we're able to take plenty of pictures and my kids were grinning from ear to ear. We had a very early seating which worked out well as we didn't have to wait for a table to open.

My wife also took our not quite 2 year old daughter to the Princess breakfast at Epcot. They both enjoyed it but not as much as Chef Mickey's.

In terms of character greetings, we found the shortest lines to be in Mickey's Toon Town towards the latter part of the day and at the Animal Kingdom, just after we left the Lion King Show.

Agree that making a reservation as early as possible is your best bet. We went when school was in session so it made it a little easier to get reservations.

dgarland

We just got back today from Disney in Florida. Depending upon where you book your breakfast, each hotel or area that has a breakfast has different characters. The meal at The Grand Floridian (sp) seemed to have more princesses and characters that girls would prefer. Cinderella and Mary Poppins were both at the Grand Floridian. You could choose between breakfast or a buffet dinner there and at Chef Mickey's. Chef Mickey's, which is at the Contemporary Hotel had Mickey, Minnie, Goofey, and Pluto. You should go ahead and make make your reservations now. My friend made hers after we got there, for a meal at Chef Mickey's and she had to wait almost a week for a time that was really too late for a 3 year old to be eating dinner (7:40pm, but that was the best time available a week in advance). There is an excellent Disney World guidebook by Birnbaum that has a list of each of the different meals, the locations, and which characters appear at each. The breakfast meals that I saw ran @ $12-15 per adult and the dinner meals were @ $25 per adult with children's prices about half. I also watched the tea party at the Grand Floridian a couple of times in passing. The little girls were just precious. They each got a special princess doll, but I thought the price was a little high. It was $200 for one adult and one child. I don't remember the price for each additional child, I think @ $35.00. If you can find a copy of the guidebook I mentioned, it puts all those meals, teas, ect in a chart where you can easily compare the characters, locations, and prices. I think the key is to make your reservations well in advance, whatever you decide. Have a great time!

Dick

If you are staying in a WDW concierge level room, ask your concierge to get reservations for the princess breakfast.

It has worked for us twice.

mcmckissic

Thank you all for your comments and help. We tried for the Cinderella's Royal Table Breakfast at her castle and have had no luck at all for April. All booked up, completely. So, the other option is the buffet princess dinner at the Grand Floridian where I was told that the Princesses will be there, we may do that one, there are openings, it is $27.95/adult and like half for the kids, just not sure if we should do this one at the G. Floridian, or wait till next year when the girls are a little older and for sure get the Cinderella Royal Table breakfast at the castle.

ThePhan

We were staying at the Grand Floridian and had made reservations for the buffet dinner at the hotel last year, but after the Princess breakfast and a "surprise" visit by Cinderella over lunch at her castle, we decided to cancel. If nothing else works as far as a formal character event, you might try making lunch reservations for Cinderella's castle. My four-year old still had some quality time with the glass slipper woman herself.

mcmckissic

Yes, thank you, I will try the lunch reservations at the Castle, maybe Cinderella may show up for it. Do I call the normal WDW Dine number for that lunch also?? Thank you.

Ryan

As I mentioned, my kids had plenty of time with the characters at Mickey's Toon Town, as there were very few people in that part of the park after 5:30 or so. We went to the park late in the morning which meant my toddlers were still raring to go when the park started to empty out later in the afternoon, early evening.

While we got some great picyures at the character breakfast, we were able to take significantly better pictures later that day.

Guess what I'm suggesting is that you'll have plenty of opportunities to meet the characters if by chance you can't get into one of the character dining sessions.

mcmckissic

Hi, just wondering if those of you who posted on this and helped with this topic have any thoughts on purchasing the Disney "Magic Your Way" passes, we are thinking of buying the passes with the NO Expire option but am curious if this really is the truth and that it truly never does expire, will we be able to use it in future years at the parks?? We are debating which passes to buy, this year will be a short stay, only three days, but with two little ones I am sure we will be back for many years to come and was wondering if this is the most economical way to buy park tickets...if so which website/vendor?? Thanks. Carrie

Ryan

I believe the ParkHopper passes we purchased for our November trip also have no expiration date. I'd look into the relative merits and cost of the Park Hopper versus the Magic passes.

swalter518

Carrie,
The no expiration passes truly don't expire. Disney changed their pass set up as of the first of the year so now you have to pay a bit more for non-expiration passes where it used to be included in the price, but you're then safe from any increase in prices in the future. I've found the cheapest (and easiest) way to buy passes is on Disney's website where you get a 15% discount. You can pick them up at the gate or hotel then or pay to have them mailed to you.