Goofy’s Kitchen Review
Goofy’s Kitchen is a character restaurant in Disneyland Hotel offering a chance to dine with Fab Five Disney characters (minus Mickey Mouse). In this breakfast review, I’ll share food photos, thoughts on our meal, and whether it was worth the money or if you should try another character meal instead.
This is actually our very first California character meal review. We’ve sort of dragged our feet with character meals at Disneyland Resort, but wanted to do the new meal at Disney’s Grand Californian Resort, so naturally, we decided to book all three of the hotel character breakfasts on consecutive mornings so we could have a good frame of reference when comparing and contrasting them.
I’ll be honest: we had put off dining at Goofy’s Kitchen for a long time after our last “unfortunate” experience at Chef Mickey’s, which could be considered the Walt Disney World sister location of Goofy’s Kitchen. We were concerned that this would be more of the same–an overpriced meal of food so bad that the only redeeming aspect of the meal is meeting the characters.
Fortunately, that was far from the case with Goofy’s Kitchen. The character interactions were excellent, the atmosphere was enjoyable, and the food was a pleasant surprise.
I hesitate to call our breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen a “very good” meal, but I would call it very fun.
That might seem like an odd distinction to draw, or a way to parse words to go easy on Goofy’s Kitchen. (If you’ve read our Chef Mickey’s Review, you’re aware we pull no punches when it comes to character dining.) What I mean is that Goofy’s Kitchen is not the epicenter of Disneyland’s culinary scene, but it has some delicious surprises and creative indulgences.
Things like the peanut butter and jelly pizza–it’s not going to win Goofy’s Kitchen a Michelin star, but gawrsh if you don’t find yourself sneaking seconds, impressed by how inexplicably good it tastes. Actually, the PB&J pizza is perhaps the worst of the creative pizzas at Goofy’s Kitchen, which really speaks to the quality of the others as that peanut butter and jelly pizza is good stuff.
The ‘creative pizza station’ seems like as good of a place as any to start the food portion of this review. In pursuit of the greater good of this review (or so I thought at the time), I loaded up a plate with one of each. I was bracing myself for the worst, but every single one of these was good.
My favorite of these was the bananas foster pizza, with the creme brulee also being shockingly good. Aside from the peanut butter and jelly pizza, the other inventive options change regularly (I know s’mores, apple pie, and chocolate strawberry are/have been available at other times), so I wouldn’t get too excited for a particular variety.
I focused most of my appetite on these pizzas, with some room saved for dessert (you know, the cornerstones of any nutritious breakfast) before finishing off with a plate of fruits out of guilt due to everything I had eaten before that.
Sarah had a more ‘diverse’ selection of foods, and agreed that Goofy’s Kitchen had a surprisingly good spread. From the omelet station to salads to eggs benedict, most of the offerings were solid.
This isn’t to say all of the food was good, as that was definitely not the case. The scrambled eggs and bacon, in particular, appeared to be simply the ‘fake eggs’ and ‘paper bacon’ that plague the counter service restaurants. Other breakfast staples were similarly uninspired.
Reasonable minds may vary on this, but it didn’t bother me too much. If I’m paying ~$50 per person for breakfast, scrambled egg, bacon, cereal, and pancakes are not the types of things that are on my radar. I’m not even messing with Mickey Waffles. (Sorry, not sorry.)
I’m going big: wild pizza, decadent desserts, and other more creative, ambitious, and zany options. It’s far more important to me that Disney nails the interesting dishes than the pedestrian ones. In a perfect world, both types would be done well, but character dining pretty much always entails a compromise, and that’s one I’ll happily make. Again, your mileage may vary.
In all of these regards, Goofy’s Kitchen delivered. The dessert spread was formidable, and unquestionably the best of any of the character meals we tried at Disneyland Resort’s hotels. Between this and the pizza, your kids (or you, we’re not here to judge) will be riding a sugar rush for the rest of your trip!
In terms of overall food quality, Goofy’s Kitchen lags slightly behind Mickey’s Tales of Adventure Breakfast Buffet at Storytellers Cafe in Disneyland’s Grand Californian Hotel–but not too far behind. (And really, it all depends upon what you eat at each.)
Character interactions at Goofy’s Kitchen were exceptional. We started by meeting Goofy at the entrance after paying. Normally, I love this approach, as it’s a way to knock out the meal’s iconic character in a controlled, well-lit environment and not worry that they won’t come to your table.
However, all of the other character experiences we had at Goofy’s Kitchen were so good and unrushed that perhaps we would’ve enjoyed free-roaming Goofy more? (Of course, that could’ve just been luck of the draw–I’m still in favor of the entrance characters.)
The rest of the characters–Chip & Dale, Minnie, and Pluto–each came to our table, initiated interactions, and hung around for prolonged interactions. A couple of them even visited for seconds later in the meal. We noticed similar encounters with the characters at the tables around ours, too.
On the morning we dined at Goofy’s Kitchen, the restaurant wasn’t exactly slammed, but it was pretty far from empty.
I’m not sure how the characters manage these kind of satisfying interactions along with the parade around the dining room and still manage to meet everyone, but kudos to them.
Thematically, Goofy’s Kitchen is simply a ‘fun’ environment. Lots of colors and shapes in the decor, with a vibe reminiscent of the 90s.
After dining at a number of ‘repurposed warehouse’ Disney restaurants recently, this was a breath of fresh air. The decor is well-maintained, the atmosphere is boisterous, and the design feels fun. It’s not the paragon of themed design, but it absolutely works for a character meal.
Of course, being the flagship character meal at Disneyland Resort, Goofy’s Kitchen is not cheap. We used the Disneyland Premium Character Dining Vouchers for our meals, which cost $48 each and include the full meal price, plus tax and tip. Our total after tax and tip would’ve been $56 each (per the receipt we received), so that was a nice savings. These vouchers were also really convenient; we’d highly recommend them for all character meals at Disneyland!
Overall, we both loved Goofy’s Kitchen. I’d go as far as to call this my #1 character dining experience at Disneyland Resort. (Sarah wouldn’t go that far–you’ll have to stay tuned for her top pick!) There are definitely some weak, phoned-in items on the breakfast buffet, but the good alternatives more than compensate. The character interactions and general ambiance of Goofy’s Kitchen also really elevate the restaurant. If you’re looking for the character meal that’s the most fun, look no further than Goofy’s Kitchen.
If you’re preparing for a Disneyland trip, check out our other planning posts, including how to save money on Disneyland tickets, our Disney packing tips, tips for booking a hotel (off-site or on-site), where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide!
Your Thoughts
Have you dined at Goofy’s Kitchen? What did you think of the meal? Any standout pizzas or other foods from the buffet spread? What about the character interactions? Do you agree or disagree with our review of Goofy’s Kitchen? Any questions? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
My family and I had one of the best Disney experiences ever at Goofy’s Kitchen (actually, right outside of Goofy’s Kitchen waiting for it to open). It was around Christmas time so my sisters and I were taking a look around the area at some of the Christmas decor. My sister left her phone on a seating area right outside of the restaurant (where my brother stayed and was sitting). When we came back, we were greeted by none other than Goofy himself outside of the restaurant! When we looked over at my brother, he was sandwiched between two princesses- Mulan and Snow White! This was all before the restaurant even opened so it was this awesome and personal little meet and greet! Later that day when my sister got on her phone to look at some pictures she took, she found that Goofy had taken about 9 selfies (some including Mulan and Snow White) on her phone in her absence! Will never forget it.
Are those character dining vouchers still being offered? I can’t find them…
Do you know how much a character diner at Goofeys costs? Is there seasons pricing?
My experience there in 2014 for lunch was outstanding for characters, but way overpriced considering the average quality of food. However a foodie friend of mine always goes to dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen on her Disneyland trips, and convinced me to give them another try. My visit there for dinner this summer was fantastic! Maybe it was because I had low expectations going in, but I actually loved all the food this time. My entire group was surprised how great the food tasted, and we will definitely go back.
I hope they improved the Surf’s Up breakfast at Paradise Pier since eating there 7 years ago. It is the worst buffet we’ve ever had. Even my kids couldn’t eat anything there without complaining how awful and fake it all tasted, and they aren’t picky.
Goofy’s Kitchen has been our families last-day-at-DLR restaurant for many years now. After a leisurely morning of packing, and doing some final things around the hotel, we visit Goofy’s and over-eat at the breakfast bar and get some “face time” with the characters. Then we hit Downtown Disney one more time for any last-minute souvenirs and head off to the airport. The only downer for us has been that a couple of years ago, DLR changed the type of characters allowed at Goofy’s. It used to be that you would meet several “face characters” where the character was one where the Cast Member showed their face (Snow White, Peter Pan, Tarzan, etc.). We always could count on meeting one or more of these “lesser seen” characters during brunch. No so, now.
To our family, the next best character meal at DLR is Minnie & Friends at the Plaza Inn. But you need a park ticket to get in there.
I wondered if they had changed that. My first visit there we met Alladin and it was the highlight of our day. Bummer they don’t do that anymore. This year we only saw the classic characters. Minnie and Friends at Plaza Inn is our next favorite too.
I was wondering if the vouchers can be used anytime? Or do you have to use them on the date you enter when purchasing? We’ll be there the whole weekend so I’d like to use them whenever it works out those 4 days. Thanks
We love Goofys Kitchen for dinner! Its been our tradition to eat at Goofys our first day at Disneyland! Its a family favorite!
Plaza Inn is our favorite breakfast character meals. A lot of characters!! To us , we been to WDW and the Plaza inn is our overall favorite buffet character meal!! Best Breakfast Character Meal
Hello Tom,
I enjoy reading your reviews as my family and I have recently started going to Disneyland here the last 2 years. We will be there for Christmas week this year and have goofy’s Kitchen booked for breakfast towards the end of the week. Based on what you saw, do you think that food wise this will be a good option for an 8 and 3 year old? My wife and I will try just about any food but I don’t like paying a lot of money for my kids to just eat Mickey waffles. Any suggestions help.
Thanks!
Granted that it was 5 years ago, but my then 3 year old and his more picky 3 year old friend both ate pretty well.
I live on the west coast and I grew up going to Disneyland (Walt Disney World is only something I discovered in my adult years). Goofy’s Kitchen was always something my parents booked once each trip and we always looked forward to it. I have such great memories from there, so it’s good to know it still lives up to them. 🙂
My husband and I recently enjoyed dinner on November 1 at Goofy’s Kitchen. Mickey was up front getting pics and the other characters including Goofy were walking around. There was a lot of cool character interactions. The food was delicious with the top sirloin being the best. There was an awesome dessert spread and they had the crazy pizzas at dinner too. We loved it!
my bet is that dinner sucks
I had dinner there and it was great!!
Interesting take on the 90’s decor. My last visit was over 12 months and I thought it could use a carpet refresh. Given the influx of 90’s nostalgia movies, puts it in a new light.
I thought the review was spot on.
There was literally no way they could have possibly done any worse than Chef Mickeys. The food there is horrendous and even with your food review, I’m hesistant to try Goofys Kitchen.
We visited Goofy’s Kitchen for dinner a year and a half ago and loved it! Great character interactions. We actually lucked out too – when we came in the kids got pictures with Chef Pluto like normal, but when we left we noticed it had changed to Chef Mickey. They let us get pictures with him too which was great! We also had a package through Costco that included the photo set from a character meal and we chose this one. It came with a really fun folder including some recipes in addition to our chosen photo. Well worth it over all!
Thanks for the review. I am planning a trip next year and had discounted Goofy’s Kitchen, thinking it would be akin to Chef Mickeys. Will definitely give it another look. Eagerly anticipating the remaining character meal reviews!
We did dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen back in the spring and we had fun. We enjoyed the character interactions greatly especially Chip and Dale. The food was also delicious. It was nice to interact with the characters, eat slowly, and enjoy a drink or 2 without feeling rushed. Any future vacation at DL, this will be a must do for us.
Tom, plaza inn is by far the best character meal on property and you did the hotels breakfasts :(( every time I’ve done plaza inn I’ve had at least 10 characters, which for a Disney character meal is insane. I highly recommend you try it!!!
We have it booked for next week! Just wanted to knock out the 3 hotel options first (and on consecutive days) as they are more apt head to head comparisons.
Very happy to hear that! Make sure you get the banana topping on the French toast. I also recall biscuits and gravy
When i last went (November 2016), i met Pooh , tigger, eeyore,, max , Captain Hook, fairy god mother, Minnie , Rafiki & chip/dale all in one sitting
Had dinner in early September by then goofy was back in front. It wasn’t filet mignon but thought for what it had was the best tasting buffet either coast had and we are at tusker house the trip before that. The two women I had the privilege of eating with totally enjoyed the characters as for me I had 3 plates full
Goofy’s Kitchen is super fun! I’m not used to eating at buffets, because I have multiple different food allergies and typically only wind up being able to eat like 10% of the offered food, if that. At Goofy’s Kitchen, the chef walked me around the entire buffet, showed me what I could safely eat, showed me all the dishes he could cook separately with replacements in order to make it allergy-friendly (which was almost over half of the things being served!), and also discussed an additional list of safe food items he could make for me!
I’d never had a better time at a buffet, and was spoiled by having so many options (which never happens when you have multiple food allergies!). This kind of customer service is what Disney does better than everyone else. Not once did the chef make it seem like an inconvenience at all – he just wanted to make sure I had a good time, ate a lot, and got my money’s worth! A+ Disney service and I totally recommend it.
I went there with a friend in May for dinner the night we flew in to start our trip off with something fun, and the food was terrible; the pizzas old, the meat grey, the sides bland, desserts lacking. Maybe it was an off day for the kitchen, or it was super busy, or we were jet lagged and it wouldn’t matter if it was 5 star cuisine, or a combination. The characters were AMAZING however and I would definitely go again. Lots of fun interactions even though we were two adults who traveled for Bats Day (and we looked it), multiple visits, and we also used the vouchers for a nice deal. Other guests were super nice and took pictures for us, and we returned the favor. It was a magical beginning to our first trip to Disneyland (despite terrible food). Maybe next time I’d go for breakfast instead.
We did dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen back in August and that experience mirrored yours pretty well. Overall pretty good food, with some more appetizing than others, and top notch character interactions. We had our 7 and 10 year old nieces with us and they absolutely loved it (my wife and I did too). At that time, Mickey was meeting at the entrance before being seated and Goofy was free roaming, not sure if that is still the case for dinner but it worked out great for us!