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Author Archives: Lisa
Is Disney World Character Dining Worth it or is it Overpriced?
The 411 on Character Dining
Character dining meals at Walt Disney World are an opportunity for your child to meet some favorite Disney characters up close and personal. The characters are integrated into each meal’s theme. In some cases, the characters’ costuming is designed specifically for the meal’s character (pun intended) and other times the characters themselves are central to the location’s theming. Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast with Lilo & Stitch at the Polynesian Resort is an example of both. Lilo and Stitch are a natural fit for this South Pacific inspired resort. They are joined by their good friends Pluto and Mickey who rock some trendy Hawaiian shirts.
Most of the character meals are buffets or family style meals with the notable exception of Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table. As a general rule, you can count on meeting four or five Disney characters in about 75 minutes.
How does it all work? Once guests are settled, the Disney characters will stop at each table for a photo op, to sign autograph books, and for some good-natured antics. They may also lead a parade or a little activity such as napkin twirling.
Defining Value
Value is relative, especially at Walt Disney World. In the case of character dining, I look at four main factors: atmosphere (this includes characters and entertainment), food quality, quantity, and of course cost.
Atmosphere
It’s all about the characters. After all, that’s why you frantically began dialing at 6:55 a.m. (sans coffee) 180 days out to get hold of a coveted Advanced Dining Reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table, isn’t it? There are two types of characters at the character meals – face characters like the princesses and costumed characters like Winnie the Pooh. For me, face characters have an advantage over their costumed friends. Face characters can speak and really engage their guests through conversation while costumed characters are limited to gestures as they do not have a voice. So, if you’re looking for the most value, I say go for character dining with face characters such as the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast or Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare or Princess Storybook Dining in the Norway Pavilion. You’re kids will get more than a quick picture, a hug, and an autograph. That being said, if your child is Handy Manny’s number #1 fan, there’s no doubt meeting him at Playhouse Disney’s Play ‘n Dine at Hollywood & Vine will b e a highlight of the trip, even if he doesn’t speak.
Let’s talk about venue next. Some are truly special such as Akershus Royal Banquet Hall or Cinderella’s Royal Table while others are run-of-the mill. Yes, Playhouse Disney Play ‘n Dine, I’m talking about you. If your food tastes better in pretty surroundings, then book a princess meal which take place in some of the prettier character dining restaurants. Something that is hard to put a value on is taking photographs inside an empty theme park. For a photograph of your kids alone in front of Cinderella Castle, book a breakfast character dining experience before the park opens; you’ll be able to enter early and get those special pictures.
Food Quality
Most Disney World character meals are buffets and I would rate the overall food quality to be mediocre – you’re really paying for the character interaction. Though it may be just average, there is a lot of variety and the food is plentiful. These buffets have kid-centric stations that are sure to please little ones. One of my favorite character dining experiences from both an atmosphere and food quality perspective is Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort. To sum it up, if you weigh food quality heavily when judging value, then you’ll probably think character dining is overpriced.
Food Quantity
There’s no shortage of food at the buffets and family style meals. The problem is my family usually doesn’t eat our money’s worth. My kids are bouncing out of their seats waiting for their favorite character to stop by so it can be an exercise in futility to get them to eat their food. I’m so busy taking pictures and filling plates at the buffet that all-you-can eat often translates into all-you-have-the-chance-to-eat. This is compounded by long lines at some of the buffets since multiple groups are often seated around the same time. Where’s the best value? For my money, family style meals win out. The platters are brought directly to the table and mom and dad don’t spend a lot of time taking turns at the buffet filling plates.
Cost
If you’re paying out-of-pocket and compare restaurants based on price and food quality, you’ll pay more at most character dining. But really, you’re paying for your little ones to have a guaranteed opportunity to meet their favorite Disney friend one-on-one. Guests on the dining plan have the advantage of meeting characters for one table-service credit (with the exception of Fairytale Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table), the same as other table-service restaurants. That’s a good deal.
What I don’t like is feeling obligated to purchase a photograph on top of the sometimes steep cost of the meal. At locations like Ohana’s a photographer will take your group’s picture before breakfast and then will give you the option to purchase it for about $30.
What’s the verdict?
As a mom, atmosphere (i.e., meeting the characters) is the most heavily weighted factor when I judge value. That means if my little guys have a favorite character or two, a couple of character meals are worth the money especially if the character is not so easy to find in the park. In fact, a character meal often means more time for the attractions since I don’t have to arrange our touring schedule to find and meet an elusive character.
What do you think? Is character dining worth the money?
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You call follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/DisneyExplorer.
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Table Service in the Parks vs at the Resorts – Which is Better? Part 2
There are many variables that affect whether table service meals are better in the parks or the resorts. Last time I looked at specialty dining such as character meals, signature dining, buffets, and unique and entertaining restaurants. Today, let’s evaluate table service meals by looking at the convenience factor and the time of day you’ll be eating, shall we?
Convenience
Transportation. Walt Disney World’s most common form of transportation, buses, connects resorts to theme parks, water parks, Downtown Disney, and the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) only, making travel between resorts time-consuming. If you’re staying at a Value Resort without a table-service option, chances are it is more convenient to eat at the theme parks while touring that to travel to another resort to eat. Guests staying at a monorail resort (Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Resort, and Contemporary Resort) or one of the Boardwalk area resorts (Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Boardwalk Inn, Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts) have a wide variety of table service restaurants that are relatively easy to travel to. Other Deluxe and Moderate Resorts have at least one table-service restaurant on-site but you’ll likely not want to eat at the same restaurant day after day.
Flexibility. Generally, it’s more difficult to get an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) at a theme park restaurant than at a resort restaurant; it’s a numbers game, really. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, but if you’re not one to embrace planning your dining months in advance, eating at the resorts may be a better bet for you. You won’t have to worry about fitting your touring plan around your ADR times. Once you finish up for the day, you’ll be able to hop on a bus, monorail, or boat and have a better chance of getting a table at a resort restaurant without an ADR than in the parks.
Touring Plan. If your touring plan has you at the parks both before and after your meal without a rest period in between, it’s more convenient make an ADR at a theme park restaurant rather than exiting the theme parks and traveling to a resort to eat. Some exceptions would be eating at one of the monorail resorts if you’re touring the Magic Kingdom or eating at one of the Boardwalk resorts during a day at Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The proximity of some resorts to these theme parks make it pretty quick to leave to eat and return to the park after dining.
Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner?
Breakfast. Rule #1 for my family when creating our Walt Disney World touring plan is to be at the theme park when it opens. We simply see more attractions with less wait. By the time the parks fill-up midday, we’re ready to take a break and head back to our resort. With that in mind, the only time I think eating a table-service meal for breakfast in the parks wins over eating at the resort is if you have an ADR prior to the park opening. You’ll experience a sight few rarely do – a nearly empty theme park – and you’ll have the opportunity to get those coveted photographs without strangers crowding the shot. By the time you’re finished with breakfast, the park is opening and you won’t miss out on a thing!
Lunch and Dinner. Whether eating at a table-service restaurant in the park is better than at a resort for lunch and dinner primarily depends on convenience. If you’re planning to be in the parks during a particular time of day, it probably makes sense to have your table service meal at that location to maximize your time enjoying the attractions.
In my experience, it’s usually easier to get an ADR at a popular theme park restaurant during lunch, when many people grab quick-service, than dinner. So if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant and cannot get that dinner reservation, try lunch.
If you’re paying out of pocket and wondering if you should splurge on a special restaurant, either at the resorts or the parks, lunch is an option to consider. The menu is usually more affordable for your midday meal than in the evening.
Whether eating in the theme parks or the resorts for your table service meal really is a personal opinion but there are some advantages of one over the other for specialty dining, convenience, and meal.
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Table Service in the Parks vs the Resorts – Which is Better? Part 1
This topic stumped me for a while since it clearly falls into the category of it depends. It’s always tough to make recommendations on matters of personal preference since a one-size-fits-all approach simply doesn’t work. Even if the same approach doesn’t work for everyone, do some options have a slight edge over others for a majority of visitors? I endeavored to find out.
In trying to answer whether eating at table service restaurants in the parks or the resorts wins out, I decided to break down the problem. Let’s take a look at type of dining today. Next time I’ll analyze the time of day and convenience.
Type of Dining
Signature Dining. If signature dining is your pleasure, eating at the resorts wins hands down for number of options. There are eleven signature dining restaurants at the resorts compared to a paltry four in the theme parks. For the most signature dining choices, try the Grand Floridian Resort or Disney’s Boardwalk area.
Signature Dining in the Parks
Bistro de Paris (Epcot)
Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)
Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Le Cellier (Epcot)
Signature Dining at the Resorts
Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge)
California Grill (Contemporary Resort)
Citrico’s (Grand Floridian)
Flying Fish (Disney’s Boardwalk area)
Il Mulino (Walt Disney World Swan Resort)
Jiko (Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Narcoossee’s (Grand Floridian Resort)
Shula’s (Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort)
Todd English’s bluezoo (Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort)
Victoria & Albert’s (Grand Floridian)
Yachtsman Steakhouse (Yacht Club Resort)
Character Dining. The theme park restaurants and resorts are pretty evenly matched when it comes to character dining. Although with three meals each that feature princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, I would give the edge to the parks if you prefer dining with the princesses. Note that not every meal at the character dining locations features character dining.
Character Dining Locations in the Parks
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot)
Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)
Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
Garden Grill (Epcot)
Hollywood & Vine (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Tusker House Restaurant (Animal Kingdom)
Character Dining Locations at the Resorts
1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian)
Cape May Café (Beach Club Resort)
Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort)
Garden Grove (Walt Disney World Swan Resort)
Ohana (Polynesian Resort)
Entertainment while you Dine. Whereas signature dining was weighted heavily in favor of the resorts instead of the parks, the opposite is true for unique dining experiences that have some sort of built-in entertainment. If character dining isn’t your thing but you’re still looking for a unique experience, it’s best to dine in the parks.
Unique Dining in the Parks
50s Prime Time Café (Hollywood Studios)
Coral Reef Restaurant (Epcot)
Restaurant Marrakesh (Epcot)
Biergarten (Epcot)
Rainforest Café (Animal Kingdom)
San Angel Inn (Epcot)
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (Hollywood Studios)
Teppan Edo (Epcot)
Unique Dining at the Resorts
ESPN Zone (Disney’s Boardwalk Area)
Whispering Canyon Café (Wilderness Lodge)
Buffets. Sometimes there’s nothing like a buffet for dining value. Not only do you get to fill up, but many feature guaranteed character interaction also. You have a few more buffet options in the Walt Disney World Resorts. Please keep in mind that just like character dining, not every meal at these dining locations may be a buffet.
Buffets in the Parks
Biergarten (Epcot)
Cinderella’s Royal Table (Magic Kingdom)
Garden Grill (Epcot)
Liberty Tree Tavern (Magic Kingdom; Family Style)
Hollywood & Vine (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Epcot)
Tusker House Restaurant (Animal Kingdom)
Buffets in the Resorts
1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian Resort)
Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge)
Cape May Café (Beach Club Resort)
Captain’s Grille (Yacht Club Resort)
Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort)
Fresh Mediterranean Market (Walt Disney World Dolphin Resort)
Garden Grove Café (Walt Disney World Swan Resort)
Ohana (Polynesian Resort; Family Style)
Trails End (Fort Wilderness)
Wave (Contemporary Resort)
It looks like there’s a pretty even split between the resorts or parks being best for buffets and character dining. In the signature dining category, the resorts take it while theme parks are decidedly better for unique dining.
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Shhh…Naptime in the Disney World Parks
The best laid plans… We took a family trip to Walt Disney World this spring and brought our then fifteen-month old son. He still naps (thankfully) and he’s not the type of kid who can skip some shut-eye during the day unless we want to deal with some cranky meltdowns. And we don’t.
Before our trip, I tried to prepare him for sleeping in the Pack N Play and although it worked at night, he would have none of it during the day. So, with a hope and a prayer, sleeping in the stroller while we toured became our Plan B. He was so comfortable in our stroller from Kingdom Strollersthat many days it worked – but not all. Sometimes the heat, sunshine (even with a great canopy), and sensory stimulation was a bit too much for him to drift off. I needed to improvise and find some attractions that would lull him to sleep. I could then put him in his stroller and he would continue to nap while we toured. It wasn’t my ideal plan but I needed to find a way to get my son the sleep he needed and help the rest of the family enjoy the theme parks.
Here are some attractions that had the magic combination of coolness, darkness, movement, and attraction length (my baby isn’t going to fall asleep immediately) and may be just the thing to try to get your tired baby to sleep.
Magic Kingdom
1. Walt Disney World Railroad. This train ride makes the rounds of the Magic Kingdom theme park in about twenty minutes. Although the ride is not completely dark, there was enough shade to keep my son cool and drowsy enough to fall asleep.
2. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. If movement is a necessity for your baby to sleep, this twenty-minute, dark, theater-type attraction may be a bit of a gamble; it does not move continuously.
3. Tomorrowland Transit Authority. This ten-minute tour of Tomorrowland loads continuously and your family will be able to stay on for more than one loop. The “People Mover” moves nicely but the light levels will vary, especially as you move from inside the buildings to outside.
Epcot
1. Spaceship Earth. Within five minutes of boarding this dark, slow-moving ride with low noise levels, my son was sound asleep. The fifteen-minute long ride was the most successful in getting our baby to sleep quickly.
2. Living with the Land. The gentle movement of this serene boat ride lulled my little guy to sleep. Light levels do vary throughout the ride.
Hollywood Studios
This park is tough – there aren’t a lot of great options so you’ll have to make do.
1. The Great Movie Ride. In my book, Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers, I caution against this ride for preschoolers; it contains some scary elements, not the least is a scene from the movie Alien. However, for babies who aren’t watching the action and have a limited view because they are snuggled up against a caregiver, the lower light levels and slow-moving nature of this approximately 20 minute ride may be enough to put them to sleep. It can be loud so if low noise levels are necessary for your little one to sleep, avoid this one.
Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom is the toughest as there aren’t any indoor attractions that would have done the trick for our son. Luckily, it was one of the days he fell asleep in the stroller.
1. Discovery Island Trails and The Oasis. These animal-viewing areas have shaded pathways and little nooks and crannies to view the animals. These areas can feel more secluded than pushing the stroller through the pathways of the theme park.
Would I have preferred our son to nap in our room? Yes. Are these attractions perfect for lulling your kids to dreamland? No, but they worked in a pinch for me and I hope they work for you. Please share any other suggestions you have in the comments section.
Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You call follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer and Facebook.
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A Stroll in the Parks with Kingdom Strollers
Investing in a few good, key pieces of travel gear for your Walt Disney World vacation can make a great trip really outstanding. A sturdy, quality walking shoe; the perfect theme park bag to carry water, a camera, and ponchos; and if you’re traveling with kids – a high-quality, maneuverable stroller will smooth out some bumps in your theme park touring experience.
Through the years, I’ve learned that I need some different features on the stroller I use at Walt Disney World than at the local mall; namely, a large sunshade, maneuverability, and ease of pushing are my highly prized Walt Disney World stroller characteristics. Of course, the stroller must be super-clean, recline and fold easily, and have storage. My two strollers at home just don’t cut it.
My umbrella stroller doesn’t have enough storage, the sunshade is inadequate for being out most of the day in the strong Florida sun and it doesn’t feel sturdy enough to stand up to the workout we give the stroller while touring the Disney theme parks.
My sturdy Graco stroller is a champ at home – surviving two kids and more than six years of use. Target has coupons available for strollers. However, maneuverability and easy of pushing are not some of its key attributes.
Enter Kingdom Strollers and the Baby Jogger line of strollers. Kingdom Strollers is an Orlando-based stroller rental company that offers Baby Jogger strollers and prides itself on customer service. Kingdom Strollers will deliver your stroller rental to your Orlando-based resort before you check-in and pick it up at the end of your vacation, making the entire experience a breeze from start to finish.
I don’t use my stroller all that much at home so the Baby Jogger line of strollers offers a little more than I need in everyday life but they are perfection at Walt Disney World; they maneuver like a dream, have a large sunshade, and a double stroller holding two children can be easily pushed with one hand. A stroller rental is clearly the answer for my family.
I was very excited to try Kingdom Strollers for the first time this fall and the experience was top-notch. Imagine my surprise when Matt from Kingdom Strollers responded to my email questions within five minutes every time – you don’t get that kind of service every day and it was a real treat.
After discussing my needs with Matt, we decided to use a City Elite Double Stroller. It was waiting when we arrived, was very clean, and had helpful instructions and a short list of Do’s and Don’ts. Another very pleasant surprise was that a parent console is included free with each rental. This was a feature my husband, who primarily pushed the stroller, appreciated the most. Bottles of water and zip lock bags of dry snacks were within easy reach throughout the day. The Elite also has an adjustable handle which made pushing the stroller very comfortable for my six year-old.
I looked at the Orlando weather forecast a few days before our trip and saw something every vacationer dreads – rain. My brain raced into overdrive; how would this impact our touring and how would I keep the stroller and kids dry? A quick email to Matt inquiring if he had rain covers available put my mind at ease. Matt is a parent and it is evident he knows that a vacation should be worry-free. Kingdom Strollers offers rain covers FREE upon request. This extra bit of service was a godsend – the kids and stroller stayed very dry and we were able to get in more touring than we otherwise would have. Best out all, my husband didn’t have to pull out his mad MacGuyver skills and fashion a rain cover with ponchos and duct tape (which I think he was secretly hoping for).
Last but not least, on our last day at Animal Kingdom we had a freak encounter with a very persistent squirrel (I think) and a peanut butter sandwich which caused some minor damage to our stroller. All week, I was very aware that we had a stroller rental and was very careful to follow all instructions and take good care of it; this wildlife incident stressed me but Matt’s understanding and sense of humor when I contacted him put the relaxation back in my vacation.
My experience with Kingdom Strollers was nothing but positive and I’ll be adding this company as a resource to Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers. I’m especially excited that they’ve added cases of water as something you can purchase with your stroller rental. Contact Kingdom Strollers by chat, text, phone, or email and tell them Lisa sent you!
*Disclosure: Kingdom Strollers provided a complimentary, weeklong stroller rental for my last Disney World vacation but it did not influence the views and opinions in this article.
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