Character Meals Superlatives

On our trip last trip to Walt Disney World we did 7 character meals. Yes. SEVEN. All in one week! . It was intense, but my kids were into meeting the characters and we decided having sit down meals with characters would be worth the money vs spending the whole day waiting in line for them. And since we were doing the meal plan, it was the most cost effective way to get our money's worth.

As a result, I have lots of opinions on which meals were my favorite and which were just fine; Your Character Meal Superlatives:

Hollywood & Vine @ Hollywood Studios (Breakfast: Disney Jr Characters)
Typically Sophia the First, Doc McStuffins, Jake & Handy Manny

Our Hollywood & Vine breakfast with the former cast of Disney Jr was the "Most Little Kid Friendly." The kids loved the laid back environment - no need to feel proper in the diner. The food was fine - the kids were happy and were probably the silliest because we got a spot at breakfast before the park opened which was perfect. If you are doing this one with your preschoolers, try to grab that 8am slot!

Tusker House @ Disney's Animal Kingdom
Typically Donald, Daisy, Goofy & Mickey in Safari Gear

Tusker House won "Best Food" by a landslide. We had a reservation at 10:30 which was perfect because our first plates were breakfast buffet and when we went back for seconds they had lunch! It was delicious and the most variety. The characters were great too. Overall a great experience.

1900 Park Fare: Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner @ The Grand Floridian 
Typically Cinderella, Prince Charming, Anastasia, Drizella & Lady Tremaine

Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner was by far the "Most Romantic." It was adorable how Prince Charming was oogling over his bride and the step sisters were silly & Lady Tremaine was stoic in the best way. The step sisters were funny, but went above the kids heads a bit. I think older kids would appreaciate this experience the best. The food was also very good and had good variety - it had the healthiest food I think at any of them. It was overall a nice experience.

Chef Mickey's @ The Contemporary 
Typically Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald & Goofy

By far, Chef Mickey's had the "Best Character Interactions" or "Most Hilarious." The characters were silly, fun and kind. They spent a lot of time with us and kept swinging back and making everyone laugh. I was almost on the floor laughing when Goofy did a Jimmy Fallon Thank You Notes  impression (the arm thing)...I was dying and I think he was too (they are mute). The food wasn't my favorite and the place we sat wasn't the best, but the characters were just SO. GOOD. And I am not that into the whole character thing and I had a blast. Probably the most fun I had. It was just so fun.


The Crystal Palace @ Magic Kingdom 
Typically with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore & Piglet come around

The Crystal Palace wins my "Happiest Experience." It was laid back, the kids had fun with the characters and the space is convenient and beautiful. For the kid that loves Winnie the Pooh, this is a must do. I think this was Grandma Jan's favorite on our trip. Food was good and characters were fun. Good overall.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall @ EPCOT
Typically photo with Belle; Aurora, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel & Mary Poppins may come around

Akershus wins "Most Royal." How can you not feel royal eating in a Norwegian Castle, being visited by Disney Princesses and having an appetizer bar to munch on while your dinner is getting ready?! While the environments was beautiful and the appetizer was good, the entrees and Princesses left quite a bit to be desired. When we were here 5 years ago we had a much better experience. We felt the quality was less than ideal and don't plan to return.

Best Friends Breakfast - Ohana @ The Polynesian (Breakfast only) 
Typically photopass photo with Stitch; Lilo, Pluto & Mickey come around

Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast was probably our "Best Overall Experience." The kids had a blast parading with the characters around the restaurant mid meal. We all loved it not being a buffet and having everything brought out to the table. There wasn't a ton of variety, but the food we had was good. We loved the environment, the character interactions and overall had a great time.

While there is no perfect character meal and they are rather expensive, they can really be a great, unique experience to make your trip special. Since quite a few of the character meals are not in the parks, we liked doing them on our non-park days. Made them way more relaxing and fun.

While I can figure Cinderella's Royal Table would be "Best Location," it is also "Most Expensive" since it's inside the castle, I am not sure what the other experiences are like. I am sure they all have their advantages and disadvantages as well. Check out other Character Meals/Experiences here. Hope my experiences help you decide if you will do one or a handful of character meals on your next WDW trip!

What is YOUR favorite or least favorite character meal? Why?! I'd love to hear your experiences!