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
Want to save money on your Disneyland vacation? Of course, you do! Use discount code TravelMamas to get an extra $10 off any two-night or longer Southern California package (hotel and two-ticket minimum) when you book through our trusted partner, Get Away Today. Find Disneyland Resort deals including ticket discounts and discounted hotel packages!
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.
Love reading about all the character dining and who you will meet
Glad you enjoyed our Disney character meal tips, Mary!
I love Ariel’s Grotto!
Me too! It’s too hard for me to choose a favorite, though!
We tend to only do dinner at the park so this was extremely helpful thanks guys!
We are just in town for one night next week, passing through. Not going to Disneyland. Thought I’d book a character breakfast. I’ve never been to Goofy’s Kitchen but have done Surf’s Up and really enjoyed it. I can’t decide whether to try something new and go to Goofy’s Kitchen or stick with what I know we enjoyed and go back to Surf’s Up. Both have reservations available for our party size at the same time (10:10a). Any advice? 🙂
Hi Emily – I’d probably go with Goofy’s Kitchen since you haven’t done that one before. But the Surf’s Up breakfast has more entertainment for the kids with singalongs and whatnot. You can’t go wrong either way, really!
We are going to Disneyland next week. I have reservations for Disney’s PCH Grill and the Plaza Inn. Which do you think would be better for my son who just turned 4 on Sunday. We will be celebrating his birthday. He is a Disney Jr. fanatic. Do you know the prices for each of these? We will probably only be able to do one. There are 5 of us, 4 adults and my little cutie.
Hi Melinda – It really depends on if your son is the type of kid who likes to get up and dance with characters (at PCH Grill) or if he is more of a sit back and just chat with the characters type of a guy (Plaza Inn). If he’s super into Mickey Mouse, I’d say go for PCH Grill because that is the only meal where Mickey is guaranteed to make an appearance. Here is pricing from November 2014:
Story Teller’s and Plaza Inn: $30 per adult, $14 per child (age 3-9)
Disney’s PCH Grill and Goofy’s Kitchen: $33 per adult, $17 per child (age 3-9)
Ariel’s Grotto: $37 per adult, $20 per child (age 3-9)
To make sure those prices are still accurate, you can ask when booking: Call (714) 781-3463 or you can email them here: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/help/email/
Enjoy!
Hi my family always go to Disney on Ice Shows!!!
Now it’s time to surprise the girls with Disneyland trip… We’re a family of four 3 princesses me+toddlers and my husband lol…
Now I’m always dragging him to do Disney related trips and he’s the typical male he’ll go with the flow, but not excited w prices to make long story short doing these meet and greets which I really want to do with my girls… Is it worth it do all princesses show up and how long do we have with each also is the food worth it thnx 4 response
Hi Candice – I definitely recommend taking advantage of the Disney character meals while your children are still little. Many people think you should wait until kids are older to visit Disneyland or Disney World so they will remember it, but seeing Disney through the eyes of young children is priceless. Time flies and soon they will not believe the princesses and other characters are “real” so I think you are wise to spend the money on a character meal now. I like the food best at Ariel’s Grotto, especially since it is the only sit-down (non-buffet) character meal option. I don’t know if you will see every single Disney princess, but surely a wide range. The only character who is guaranteed to be present is the namesake character, so in this case, for sure Ariel will be there. Enjoy!
Hi there. We are looking at coming to Disneyland from New Zealand in May. My boys are 15 and almost 12. What character breakfast do you think would suit them being a bit older? Thanks very much.
Hi Megan – I think your boys might get a kick out of Surf’s Up! with Mickey & Friends at PCH Grill at the Paradise Pier Hotel since it’s got a surf theme and they sometimes play Elvis music to go along with the Lilo & Stitch/Hawaii theme. They’re probably not going to get up and dance with the characters, but it’s fun to watch the little kids get in on the action. The most subdued meal is probably the Chip n’ Dale Breakfast at Storyteller’s Cafe at the Grand Californian Hotel, if you want a more mellow meal. Hope that helps!
Hi!
We are eating at Adriel’s grotto in mid January for my daughters 4th birthday. We wanted to celebrate her birthday there so we decided to do lunch instead of breakfast. I originally booked it for 4:00 but do you suggest going for an earlier lunch? I just want to make sure we get the experience all of the princesses and not feel rushed because they leave at 5:00.
Hi Michelle – It really depends on what time you think will be best for your family. All of the princesses will make the rounds to your table, so you should be fine with the 4:00 seating. But if you’d like a long, relaxing lunch you might want to switch the time. Enjoy!
Hi! We’ve surprised our 4 kids for Xmas and heading down in January just for a long weekend. Do you know if you need to be a Disney guest with a park ticket to dine at Goofy’s Kitchen?
Hi Dani – You do NOT need a park ticket to dine at Goofy’s Kitchen. The only meals for which you need a park ticket are those located within the parks, namely Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration at Disney’s California Adventure and Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and Friends at Disneyland. Enjoy your meal with Goofy!
I have a question, we bought a package deal that came with premium character dining. If we reserved dinner with Goofy is there an additional charge or is it covered by the ticket?
Hi Linda – I think you’re going to have to ask Disney Dining this one! Their number is (714) 781-3463 or you can email them here: https://disneyland.disney.go.com/help/email/ Bon appetit!
Thank you for doing all of this work! How do all of these compare when it comes to cost?
Hi Diane – I just spoke to Disney Dining and as of today, here’s pricing for brunch (lunch also offered at Ariel’s Grotto and dinner offered at Goofy’s Kitchen for a few more dollars per person):
Story Teller’s and Plaza Inn: $30 per adult, $14 per child (age 3-9)
Disney’s PCH Grill and Goofy’s Kitchen: $33 per adult, $17 per child (age 3-9)
Ariel’s Grotto: $37 per adult, $20 per child (age 3-9)
Children under 3 can eat for free off a parent’s plate at all character meals. This is easily done at the buffets, but at Ariel’s Grotto where you order off the menu, you may want to order something for a young child if they don’t want to eat the same dish as you.
Hope that helps!
Hi there! Thank you so much for taking the time to make planning our trip easier! We will be coming from Brazil to visit Disneyland in December and we want to have breakfast at the PCH Grill. Because of the time difference, we want to make reservations at the later hours, around 10:00. I saw that breakfast is from 7:30-10:30 so I am worried about our reservation time. Do they stop serving at 10:30? Do the characters leave at this time? If the place is crowderd and it takes us a while to get seated, will they extend breakfast hours? Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Marcia – I just spoke to Disney Dining and they said PCH Grill will stop serving fresh food at 11:30 am and the characters will leave around 11:35 am. They assured me you would have plenty of time to be seated and enjoy your character meal. Bon appetit!
We are sending our friends, a family of 15, to Disneyland for three days. With a group that large, I think I should make them dinner reservations for each night. Thank you for the information that Goofy’s Kitchen is the only restaurant with characters at dinner. That will definitely be one night’s dinner booking. Would you have suggestions for family dining with children ages 2-26, plus the parents? Thanks so much!
Tracy – What a fun trip for your friends and family! My family LOVES Tortilla Jo’s Trattoria in Downtown Disney – tasty food plus live entertainment via mariachi band to entertain the kiddos. The Wine Country Trattoria in Disney’s California Adventure park is also quite good. You can purchase a World of Color meal package, which includes a reserved spot at the water, color and fire spectacular. It’s always fun to dine at Blue Bayou beside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride or Big Thunder Ranch (with live music) in Disneyland.
Thanks a million for the great tips! I’m going to run the Dinseyland marathon next month and booked a trip that includes premium character dining. I made a reservation for Goofy’s on one of our park days and after reading your hot tips I realize it would be so much better to go on the day we aren’t planning on going to the park and have to go pick up our bibs at the Disneyland hotel.
Fabulous! Have a great time at Disneyland!
Thanks so much for this!!! We’re headin to Disney this Dec and are trying to figure out the character dining. Our biggest problem is my 11 year old son. He wants characters and my twin girls want princesses… oh the struggle 🙂
A couple of years ago we did the Surf’s Up! breakfast at Paradise Pier. We had 6 kids with us and got to see quite a few characters (Stitch was their fav). They get the kids up and teach them to dance with the characters! Loads of fun and it’s VERY kid friendly food.
That’s what my dad would call a “high class problem”! I hope you come to some sort of resolution. Maybe two character meals?! Or tell your 11yo the princesses are very pretty and it’s a good way for him to practice his flirting skills?! 😉
We made Surf’s Up reservations for the latest available time. By the time we finished eating there were only a handful of kids and they got tons of dancing time! I did feel a little rushed with the meal however. It just didn’t seem to equal a character meal at WDW. We will try a different one at DL next summer and see how it compares.
Hi Shannon – I’m sorry to hear your dining experience didn’t live up to expectations! Next time you might want to try the Ariel’s Grotto character meal. It’s the only sit-down meal, which I really enjoyed. It felt the most relaxing of all of the Disneyland character meals to me. Hope that helps!