Disneyland Character Dining: Which Meal Is Best?
Every Disneyland character dining experience has its own feel, special touches, and star characters. All four of these special meals at Disneyland provide a great way to meet many beloved Disney characters in one fell swoop. This frees up park time to enjoy rides, shows, and other attractions rather than waiting in long lines for a brief photo opportunity. But which meal is best for your family? Decide for yourself by reading our Disneyland character dining reviews and tips below.
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Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park
Where? The Plaza Inn inside the Disneyland theme park. All guests over age 3 must have a Disneyland park entrance ticket to dine here.
Meals offered? Breakfast buffet only.
According to the Disneyland website, you can expect, “made-to-order omelets and Mickey waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, breakfast potatoes, fresh-baked pastries and breads, fruit, and hot and cold cereals.”
Characters? You’ll see a multitude of characters at this meal, from Minnie herself to lesser-known figures like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.
The Verdict? Dining with characters and a view of Tomorrowland’s Astro Orbitor makes a wonderful start to your day at Disneyland. The food is tasty and the restaurant’s stained glass mosaics are beautiful. Personally, though, I’d rather not “waste” precious park time eating a long breakfast. Instead, I suggest eating a character meal at one of the hotels either on your day of arrival or departure. Then you can squeeze in some extra Disney magic when you don’t have the time or money for a full park day.
Tips? Unless you have your heart set on dining al fresco, I suggest requesting a seat indoors. You will feel much more a part of the action when you dine inside the restaurant. Plus, you can get out of the heat or the cold, as the case may be.
Read reviews of Plaza Inn on TripAdvisor.
Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet
Where? Storyteller’s Café at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Meals offered? Breakfast or brunch buffet and table service small plates.
Pile your plates with items from the extensive buffet. You’ll find such goodies as Mickey waffles, chilaquiles, beignets, fresh fruits, pastries, and hand-carved meats. Diners can also opt to order table service items like oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, made-to-order omelets, or avocado toast from their servers.
Characters? Mickey Mouse and other classic Disney characters.
The Verdict? The beautiful Craftsman-style dining room at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel is a warm and welcoming place to dine. If your family has its heart set on seeing the head cheese Mickey Mouse, then this is the meal for you!
Tips? Don’t follow the characters around the restaurant. Enjoy your meal and they will come to you! (This is true of all Disney character dining meals.)
Read reviews of Storyteller Cafe on TripAdvisor.
Goofy’s Kitchen
Where? Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel.
Meals offered? Breakfast buffet only.
Look for cheese blintzes, Mickey-shaped waffles and pancakes, fresh fruits, breakfast meats, eggs benedict, pastries, made-to-order omelets, and more. Be sure to try Goofy’s signature peanut butter and jelly pizza!
Characters? The only character guaranteed to make an appearance at any meal is the meal’s namesake. So, for sure you’ll see Goofy here. You are likely to see other classic characters like Pluto, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck.
The Verdict? In my experience, this is a particularly playful Disneyland character dining option. The highlight for my family was a joyous parade of characters through the dining room. Then the characters split apart and made their way to the tables.
Tips? This used to be the only meal at Disneyland with characters at dinnertime. Note that characters now make appearances at breakfast only, NOT at dinner!
Read reviews of Goofy’s Kitchen on TripAdvisor.
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures
Where? Napa Rose, at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort & Spa. This Disneyland character dining experience replaced Ariel’s Princess Celebration at Disney’s California Adventure Resort.
Meals Offered? Three-course table service breakfast only.
Characters? Expect to see princesses like Ariel, Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. Unlike the masked characters, the princesses talk to diners. They never, ever break character, either. My husband said, “You really look like Snow White.” The raven-haired princess replied in her tiny, bubble gum voice, “Why, whatever do you mean?”
The Verdict? For Disney princess fans, this is the ultimate treat for a birthday or other celebration. Plus, younger children scared of plush characters will be enamored by the charming princesses. My son was just a toddler when we first attended a princess meal and he seemed just as enthralled as his big sister by all the sweet, pretty women stopping by his table to say hello.
Napa Rose is renowned for its high-end, delicious food and this is the most elegant of the Disneyland character dining options. If you prefer table service to buffet meals, then the Disney Princess Celebration makes a good option. Meals include your choice of a starter, main course, and royal desserts.
Tips? You are guaranteed to meet princesses at this character meal but not any one princess in particular. Therefore, if your children are particularly smitten with a certain princess, be sure to tell them beforehand that their favorite princess may not necessarily be present.
Read reviews of Napa Rose on TripAdvisor.
Disneyland Character Dining Tips
Some young children are fearful of life-sized cartoon characters. Before attending a Disneyland character dining meal, you may want to get your child acquainted with Disney personalities. Do this by reading Disney books together, watching shows on Disney+, or renting Disney movies. Also, you might wait until after your family has had a day in the parks to see characters at a distance before plunging into a character meal.
An autograph book brings a whole new, entertaining dimension to the character dining experience. My daughter got her first autograph book at age 5 and proudly brought it to preschool for “show & tell” the following week. Buy your autograph book now from Disney Store!
Don’t forget your camera or smartphone at Disneyland. Pictures of your kids with their favorite characters are priceless. Professional photos taken by Disney crew members are available for purchase at every Disneyland character dining experience, too.
Book Your Disneyland Character Dining Experience
Reservations are recommended for all Disneyland character meals. Book as far as 60 days in advance here or call (714) 781-3463.
Save Money on Your Disneyland Vacation
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Learn More Disneyland Tips
Maximize fun and minimize stress with these tips for visiting Disneyland with kids.
Learn tips to save money on your Disneyland vacation from our friends at Trekaroo.
Take a break from theme parks during your Southern California holiday with this list of fun things to do in Orange County with kids.
Headed to the Happiest Place on Earth with young children? Be sure to check out the best rides at Disneyland for babies and toddlers.
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Which of these Disneyland character dining options would you most like to experience? Let us know in the comments below!
A Note from the Travel Mama: My family paid for all meals mentioned in this post ourselves. I always let you know if I receive any complimentary or discounted goods or services related to a story.
Great article! We will be going to Disneyland in September to celebrate our daughters 5th birthday! We will be doing Ariel Grotto for lunch one day, but we are stuck between The Plaza Inn and PCH Grill. Do you know if its possible to make reservation at the Plaza Inn before the park opens? It also seems that Minnie and friends breakfast & Goofys Kitchen seem to have the same characters, any thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Cindy – You can’t make reservations at The Plaza Inn until after the park opens. I would make your decision based on the main character. Does your child have a preference for Mickey, Minnie or Goofy? Only the title character for any meal is guaranteed to make an appearance at a Disneyland character meal. If you don’t have a character preference, go for convenience. Which meal is closest to your accommodations? Do you want to take away from park time with a long meal or would you rather attend the character meal on an off-day as a special treat?
Hello,
I read your wonderful review on the character dining and my family and I decided to do the Ariel and princess lunch and my only question is what was the duration of the lunch?
Hi Gabriel – I’d plan for 1.5 – 2 hours including check-in time for the Ariel lunch. (Keep in mind, you may need to wait awhile after you check in, even with reservations.) You want to have plenty of time to spend with the princesses chatting, taking photos and getting autographs! Enjoy!
Thank you for the excellent info! We have a HUGE Mickey fan. We are first-timers headed to Disneyland this summer. Just to clarify, do you need a ticket to go the Mickey breakfast at the Paradise Pier?
Hi Tera – You DO need a park ticket to attend Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration inside Disney’s California Adventure Park. You do NOT need a park ticket to attend Breakfast with Mickey & Friends at the PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel. Reservations are strongly suggested for either. You can make reservations as early as 90 days before your trip. Have a great time!
Thank you for the great article! We are going to Disneyland in September and will be spending Monday (evening) thru Friday and leaving CA on Saturday afternoon. I’m wondering if you have advice on whether or not we should wait until Saturday morning to do a Character Breakfast or do it during the week? I’m leaning towards that Saturday…but fear it will be SUPER busy? Do you have any idea how early they start serving? I’m thinking of the breakfast at Paradise Pier. Thanks for any advice/thoughts.
Hi Janeen – What fun – almost whole week at Disneyland! Breakfast is served at the PCH Grill 7:30 – 10:30 am. The wait can be long to get in on weekends, even with a reservation. If you book a table at 7:30, I’d think you’d get seated right away. Since you will be at Disneyland for so long, you will have time to do your character meal another day but it could be a fun send-off on your last morning. It really depends on what time you need to leave on Saturday and if you want to have the extra pressure of another activity on your last day or if you want to take away from park time on the other days to enjoy a character meal. Whatever you choose, I’m sure your family will have a blast!
Is Arial’s breakfast the only one where you see princesses?
Hi Michelle – In all of our many Disneyland character meals over the years I don’t think I ever saw any princesses at any venue besides Ariel’s Grotto. We did, however, meet Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother at the Plaza Inn inside Disneyland. If you’ve got a princess fanatic, Ariel’s is the place for you!
We have seen Jasmine at Goofy’s Kitchen.
We actually saw Snow White and Aurora at Goofy’s Kitchen last may 😀
Randy – Good to know! Still, if the main thing you’re seeking from a character meal are princesses, then I’d head to Ariel’s Grotto.
This was SO helpful in choosing an option for my 3 year old daughter! THANK YOU!!!!!
My husband and I plan are surprising our kids with a trip to Disney before he leaves for boot camp, and plan on staying at Paradise Pier. We have the Disney Chase debit card and they offer 10% off dining. They also have other dining discounts and shopping!
Kelly – Great tip on the Disney Chase debit card discount! You will love Paradise Pier. I hope you get a chance to dine with Mickey and friends while there!
We did Goofy’s kitchen last time and had a blast there! We got to see a lot of characters- we went early (7am) so it didn’t interrupt our park time. Also, there is a walmart not too far from Disneyland and they have a decent selection of items, including autograph books. We got some there for under $5.
I have done the plaza one inside the park and it was pretty fun! We did meet Minnie mouse, tigger, the fairy godmother. We were able to just walk up without a reservation, although we did sit on the porch, it was actually nice, they all came out to the porch to us, we didn’t have to walk in and find them. Very fun, buffet was okay. But just kind of a short and sweet meet and greet, great for older kids who don’t want to dance and sing with them but still want to see the characters.
Kristin – Good to know. Thank you for the Disneyland character meal feedback & tips!
This family would head straight to the Surf’s Up!
Good choice! I do love the Surf’s Up character meal and the interactivity makes it especially appealing.
Good tips. We’ve done character dining in Hong Kong and Tokyo but I agree, not worth park time. I like doing it at the hotels instead (also because they have better booze). 🙂
Katie, We are travelling from Australia to Tokyo Disney in December. Our princess-crazy daughter has her 11th birthday while we are there, and I would love to surprise her with a breakfast with princesses. I am, however, having trouble finding info re same. Can you assist?
Thank you so much
Kylie – Ariel’s Grotto offers a princess-filled breakfast inside Disney’s California Adventure. You will need to have a park ticket to attend this character meal. Enjoy!
Oh sorry, Kylie! I missed that you are looking for character dining in Tokyo! Let me see if I can nudge Katie (my #KidsNTrips business partner) to see if she can help you out!
Hi! Character dining happens at Tokyo DisneySea at the Horizon Restaurant but it is more like Mickey, Minnie, etc. If she likes princess Ariel, then you have to go to DisneySea because she has a grotto there and is only seen in this park (or at least that was the case when we went 2 years ago) but you can take a nice photo of her. Jasmine is at DisneySea, too. Have fun!
who knew? that is SO CUTE!
We haven’t tried a character meal, but I know people who consider it a MUST for any trip to Disneyland. Thanks for the tips!
Allison – Oh my, you haven’t ever done a character meal?! I think your kids would love it and you will probably enjoy it too!
Maureen – You can still dine with princesses at Ariel’s Grotto for breakfast or lunch, just not at dinner. Plus, you can stop by Princess Fantasy Faire to meet your favorite princesses. Here is a link: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/parks/attractions/detail?name=DisneyPrincessFantasyFaireAttractionPage
You may need to stand in line for photo opps but it’s free. Be sure to swing by to listen to one of the princesses reading a fairy tale aloud to the kids at scheduled times during the day! (I think the times are listed on the daily Schedule of Events that you receive when you enter the park.)
Anywhere to dine with princesses after Mid-June?
Hi Debra – Disneyland is much smaller than Disney World but there are other fun meals there, just no other character meals. There’s Blue Bayou inside Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue with live entertainment, oooh- and my favorite – the Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel – just to name a few. If you can ever swing a date night at Disneyland, I highly recommend the Napa Rose. Here’s why: http://142.4.10.17/~travelma/wordpress/romance-at-disneyland/
I’m surprised they don’t have more character meals inside the parks at Disneyland/Calif Adv. So different from WDW.