by Eduardo Silva December 27, 2023

Character Dining at Walt Disney World 2024 – Ultimate Guide

Dining with your favorite Disney characters is one of those experiences we all dream about. What's better than great food paired with Disney characters coming right up to your table?! The Walt Disney World resort has lots of character dining options to enjoy. Our guide on Walt Disney World character dining is going to give you all the details you need to know, plus some tips that will make your experiences even better!

The variety of character dining experiences at Walt Disney World is large, allowing you to pick the option that is right for your family. Whether you're in the parks or one of the Disney resorts, you're bound to find an experience you'll enjoy.

Keep reading our Walt Disney World character dining guide to discover everything you need to know about these magical meals!

In this article:

Walt Disney World Character Dining: Overview

Before we look at all of the Walt Disney World character dining options, let's first understand exactly what character dining meals are. We'll also look at how they're different from other character meet-and-greet experiences that you can find.

Character dining experiences are meals where your favorite Disney pals come out into the dining room and greet you at your table. These meals require reservations, have an up-charge price, and are only found at select locations inside the Disney theme parks and resorts. The characters you meet will vary depending on the location you choose, depending on the theme of the restaurant. For example, if you dine at ‘Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, you'll get the opportunity to meet Lilo and Stitch!

Perhaps the biggest perk of a Walt Disney World character dining experience is the fact that you'll get to meet lots of Disney characters without having to wait in long lines. They're a great way to enjoy a deliciously themed meal with entertainment that will please all ages. For most of the experiences, you'll even get to take pictures with the characters, give them big hugs and collect some fun autographs!

With that said, let's take a look and see which of the Walt Disney World character dining options is currently open and which ones are still closed since the pandemic.

Walt Disney World Character Dining: Which Experiences are Open and Closed

Since the pandemic, Disney has slowly reintroduced its character dining options. Luckily, most of the experiences are back, but some are still either closed or back but with slight modifications.

At the time of writing this Walt Disney World character dining guide, the following experiences are open and back to normal:

The following experiences are back, but have modifications that make them a bit different than what we had seen before the pandemic:

The following experiences remain closed, but we're hoping to see them return soon!

Now for the fun part, let's look at all the Walt Disney World character dining options, beginning with experiences in the theme parks!

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Walt Disney World Character Dining: Theme Park Experiences

Character dining experiences inside the Disney theme parks require reservations and do not come with standard theme park tickets. Let's see them all!

The Magic Kingdom: The Crystal Palace

Fast Facts

Location: The Crystal Palace is located inside the Magic Kingdom right in the heart of Main Street USA

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Buffet – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No; buffet.

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $35 – $59.99

Typical Characters found: Meet all of your favorite pals from Winnie the Pooh

The character dining experience at The Crystal Palace is the perfect character meal for any occasion. Since this location offers character dining for all three types of meals, it makes it simple to incorporate into your Magic Kingdom plans. The restaurant is beautiful with its English decor, therefore making it the perfect spot to meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and all of your Hundred Acre Wood friends!

The Magic Kingdom: Be Our Guest

Fast Facts

Location: Be Our Guest restaurant is located inside the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland

Current Status: Back with modifications

Meal type: Pre-Fixe Meal with Options – Lunch and Dinner

Cuisine: French Fare with American Options

Children's Menu?: Yes

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $39 – $67

Typical Characters found: Meet Belle and Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

Be Our Guest is a very popular hard-to-snag reservation, but so worth it! With its grand ballroom at the center of the experience, you'll enjoy some amazing food options for both kids and adults. This character dining experience is offering character sightings, but no individual photo ops like the ones we had seen in the past. Here, Belle and the Beast will come out at varying intervals and walk around the dining rooms. They won't stop for photos or autographs, but you can still take some action shots of the characters as they move around.

The Magic Kingdom: Cinderella's Royal Table

Fast Facts

Location: Cinderella's Royal Table is located inside the castle of The Magic Kingdom

Current Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Pre-Fixe Meal with Options – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: Yes

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: Starting at $39 and going above $60 (note that prices will rise after February 28th)

Typical Characters found: Meet your favorite Disney Princesses

Cinderella's Royal Table is another hugely popular Walt Disney World character dining experience that is soon returning to its normal state. This is the dining experience you want to snag if you're looking for an amazing location and the chance to meet lots of Disney princesses! Located inside the Magic Kingdom castle, this experience is an all-out themed meal with a beautiful setting and lots of character photo ops. We recommend this option for the overall experience, even if the food isn't out of this world.

EPCOT: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Fast Facts

Location: The Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Restaurant is located in the Norway Pavilion inside EPCOT

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Family Style with Options – Dinner

Cuisine: Norwegian Fare

Children's Menu?: Yes

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $41 – $63

Typical Characters found: Meet your favorite Disney Princesses

Similar to Cinderella's Royal Table, the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is another great Walt Disney World character dining opportunity to meet lots of your favorite Disney princesses. While Norwegian cuisine might seem daunting for the little ones, don't worry, there are plenty of kid-friendly options. The ambiance is also similar in that you'll feel as if you stepped into a storybook castle!

EPCOT: The Garden Grill

Fast Facts

Location: The Garden Grill is located in World Nature inside of EPCOT

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Pre-fixe Menu with Options – Lunch and Dinner

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No, but plenty of child friendly-options are available

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $35- $59.99

Typical Characters found: Meet Mickey, Pluto, and their friends Chip ‘N Dale

Garden Grill is another popular option known for two things: great food and the rotating dining room! This unique experience features a circular dining room that slowly moves in a circle so you're never staring at the same thing. Plus, this is where you'll see Mickey, Pluto, and Chip ‘N Dale coming right up to your table! This is a must-d0 in EPCOT if you're looking to meet Mickey as it can save you a lot of time.

Hollywood Studios: Hollywood and Vine

Fast Facts

Location: Hollywood and Vine is located inside Disney's Hollywood Studios

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Buffet – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No; Buffet.

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $35- $59.99

Typical Characters found: Breakfast characters will include all of your favorite Disney Junior stars while lunch and dinner include Minnie and her pals.

With its fun retro vibe, Hollywood and Vine is a great Walt Disney World character dining option if you're looking to meet characters outside of Mickey and the crew. The breakfast Playhouse Disney options make this a great option for the little ones who want to see their television friends in real life! Later in the day, it's fun to meet Minnie and her friends in their retro costumes!

Animal Kingdom: Tusker House Restaurant

Fast Facts

Location: Tusker House Restaurant is located in Africa inside Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Pre-fixe Menu with Options – Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No, but the menu includes options for kids.

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $35- $59.99

Typical Characters found: Meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy in all of their explorer outfits!

Tusker House restaurant is a fun Walt Disney World character dining experience where you'll get to see classic Disney pals in their explorer costumes that you don't often see throughout the parks. The food here is delicious and has a cool African-inspired theme. If you're in Disney's Animal Kingdom, we recommend this location for an easy way to meet lots of Disney characters!

Walt Disney World Character Dining: Disney Resort Experiences

Not headed to the parks on a particular day, but still want to meet your Disney character friends? No problem! You're in luck because character dining experiences can also be found in restaurants located within some of the Deluxe Disney resorts. These opportunities are similar to the ones found inside the theme parks in that they require special reservations and have separate costs.

Let's explore the Walt Disney World character dining options at Disney's resorts!

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort: ‘Ohana

Fast Facts

Location: ‘Ohana is located at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Breakfast Buffet

Cuisine: American and Polynesian Fare

Children's Menu?: No, but the menu includes options for kids.

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $29- $45

Typical Characters found: Meet Mickey, Pluto, and Lilo, and Stitch

Perhaps one of the hardest dining reservations to snag, ‘Ohana is wildly popular, and for good reason! The breakfast here is incredibly delicious and known for its all-you-care-to-enjoy options. The restaurant has lush tropical theming that fits with its Polynesian vibes. Best of all, you'll meet your Disney pals in their tropical luau costumes! This is a must-do if you're looking for amazing food options with character meet and greets.

Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort: Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

Fast Facts

Location: Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is located inside Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Pre-fixe Dinner Menu with Options

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: Yes

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $39- $65

Typical Characters found: Meet Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and even the Evil Queen!

For all of you Disney villain lovers, this is your chance to meet the Evil Queen right at your table! This is one of the few places where you can meet a villain alongside their rivals. In this case, Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy round out the character meet and greets with plenty of fun and photo opportunities. This Walt Disney World character dining experience is perfect if you're looking for a cozy meal!

Disney's Riviera Resort: Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera Disney World Character Dining

Fast Facts

Location: Topolino's is located on the rooftop of Disney's Riviera Resort

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Pre-fixe Breakfast Menu with Options

Cuisine: French and Italian Fare

Children's Menu?: Yes

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $29- $45

Typical Characters found: Meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, and Daisy

Topolino's is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Located inside the newest Disney Vacation Club resort, this posh dining location features your favorite Disney pals in their European-inspired fancy looks! The food here has received great reviews and offers some amazing views of the EPCOT resort area. This location can get pricey, but it's worth the splurge if you're looking for a fancy vibe.

Disney's Contemporary Resort: Chef Mickey's

Fast Facts

Location: Chef Mickey's is located inside the main concourse of Disney's Contemporary Resort

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Breakfast and Dinner Family-style dining – Buffet Service returned March 1st of last year

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No, but plenty of child-friendly options are available

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $29- $59

Typical Characters found: Meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto

With the Monorail trains cruising right above you, this Walt Disney World character dining experience is a classic that serves classic dishes for the entire family. This restaurant is the perfect excuse to make your way over to Disney's Contemporary resort. We recommend stopping here first before heading over to the Magic Kingdom as it's the perfect way to start your magical Disney day!

Disney's Beach Club Resort: Cape May Café

Fast Facts

Location: Cape May Café is located inside the lobby of Disney's Beach Club Resort

Status: Fully Back

Meal type: Breakfast Buffet

Cuisine: American Fare

Children's Menu?: No, but plenty of child-friendly options are available

Menu: Full menu can be found here.

Cost: $29- $45

Typical Characters found: Meet Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy

Located inside of the beautiful Beach Club resort known for its sprawling pool, Cape May cafe is the perfect place to start your day with a belly full of great food. Mickey's Beach Bash Buffet offers classic breakfast options that the entire family will love. Plus, you get to meet your Disney pals in their beach costumes that will have you ready for a swim! This place is a lot of fun and we're glad that it's fully back to its normal operations.

Walt Disney World Character Dining: Is it Worth it?

Now that we've explored all of the fun Walt Disney World character dining experiences, you may have noticed that some come with pretty hefty price tags. Naturally, you're wondering: is it worth it? This is never an easy answer since it all depends on your budget (read our full guide to a Walt Disney World food budget), but we think that if you've saved for these experiences, they can be worth it and provide magical moments. Again, since you're weaving together a meal with characters, you're killing two birds with one stone here and not having to worry about meeting characters inside of the Disney parks.

You can certainly have an amazing Disney vacation without any character dining experiences, but if you're able, we would add it to your Disney bucket list!

Are You Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation?

Our team is ready to help you plan your next magical Disney vacation! Let us guide you through everything you need to know to make the perfect Disney experience. We can prepare a free quote for you that can be tailored to meet your exact needs! This is an easy opportunity to ensure you're not missing out on anything without having to worry about a thing. If you're looking to learn more, check out our following articles: