Worst Character Meals at Disney World
Character meals are an incredibly popular dining experience at Walt Disney World, but not all character breakfasts and dinners are created equally. In this post, we highlight the character meals that are consistently the worst at Walt Disney World. In some cases, we also provide better alternatives to a particular character meal.
Before we get going, we have to concede that your opinion of any character meal has a lot to do with how lucky you get with interactions and how long your food choices have been sitting under the heat lamp. There’s more than a little truth to the notion that all character meals are inconsistent, so even the ‘best’ can have bad moments, and the ‘worst’ can have standout moments.
Moreover, some people have polarized opinions on character dining. At one end of the spectrum, some people think all character meals are an overpriced waste of money with food that doesn’t measure up to the prices. That’s understandable, but not helpful to people who see value in the convenience of character meals or view them as a quintessential Walt Disney World experience. (I still remember character meals from when I was a kid–so they left an impression on me!)
At the other end of the spectrum, character dining is an incredibly emotive experience and food quality is immaterial for some people. Your kid hugging Mickey Mouse in the Grand Canyon Concourse of the Contemporary can be such an emotionally powerful experience that you don’t even remember what the food tasted like. That’s also understandable, but not exactly helpful when it comes to narrowing the character dining field.
Let’s start with a couple of character meals that don’t exactly have the best reputations among fans: Mickey’s Backyard BBQ and Hollywood & Vine. Part of the poor reviews for Mickey’s Backyard BBQ seem predicated upon its high cost (undoubtedly caused by unlimited alcohol, a peculiar choice for a character meal) and unconventional style. We haven’t dined there, so we can’t really speak to the actual quality beyond that.
Hollywood & Vine is a bit more complicated. It is routinely blasted for being the worst character meal at Walt Disney World, but that has not been our experience in dining there twice. However, we think this disconnect comes down to our meals being during the seasonal meals, whereas most poor reviews relate to the Disney Junior Character Breakfast.
As I don’t even know who most of the characters at the Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine even are, it’s not one we plan on doing anytime soon. (By the time we have kids, I’m optimistic that Ludwig Von Drake will have made a huge comeback, and will be the star of this meal.)
I will say that our meal and overall experience at Minnie’s Holiday Dine was one of our best character meals ever at Walt Disney World. Perhaps this is a difference in quality between the two meals at Hollywood & Vine (that’s our suspicion), or maybe this just underscores the notion that character meals quality is very much hit or miss.
We still believe there are several character meals that consistently deliver subpar experiences and meals as compared to their counterparts…
Anything in Non-Disney Hotels – If you’re a Disney hotel or bust sort of person, you may not even realize that a few of the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels (both Hiltons and Wyndham Lake Buena Vista), Swan & Dolphin, and Four Seasons Orlando all offer character dining. While we have yet to dine at all of these (and honestly, never will), we’ve also yet to have what we consider a good character dining experience at one of these hotels.
The characters are always limited, and the atmosphere muted. There is something to be said about convenience if you’re staying at one of these hotels, and it’s also possible that you’ll enjoy an uncrowded restaurant and receive more attention as a result. That’s a gamble, though, and one that we think is not worth it.
Akershus (Breakfast) – We will be the first to admit that we’re biased towards character dining that features fur characters instead of the princesses and other face characters. We just prefer Mickey and friends, and find that our interactions with them are more fun and comical–but that’s just us.
Setting that aside, Akershus breakfast was our worst face character dining experience. The food was underwhelming (and not exactly Norwegian), the interactions just fine, and the setting was a far cry from Cinderella’s Royal Table. That last point is probably the salient one: if you want a princess meal, go big with a meal in Cinderella Castle, instead of this “overflow” castle dining option.
Chef Mickey’s (Dinner) – Our disdain for dinner at Chef Mickey’s is well-documented, and something we’ve referenced in several posts. I’ll reiterate for those who have not read our scathing Chef Mickey’s Dinner Review: the food should have an asterisk attached as it’s barely edible, the restaurant is loud, and the price is outlandish.
One point that should be underscored is that breakfast at Chef Mickey’s is a very different experience. While it has been a while since we’ve done that meal, our memories of it are fond, and numerous commenters on the above review have reiterated that it’s the far superior meal. The takeaway here is that you can save money and have a better meal by doing Chef Mickey’s breakfast instead of dinner.
‘Ohana (Breakfast) – The quality of breakfast at ‘Ohana further underscores how one restaurant can differ so dramatically from one meal to another. When it comes to dinner, ‘Ohana has tasty cuisine and is an incredibly fun experience, albeit without characters. It’s one of the toughest ADRs to score for good reason.
Breakfast is a totally different story. The same attempts are made at a fun atmosphere, with a character parade and (obviously) the same views and other qualities inherent to the restaurant. Yet, ‘Ohana doesn’t seem–to us at least–to have the same energy at breakfast. Perhaps our opinion is soured by virtue of the food, which is quite literally family style portions of counter service staples like rubber bacon and fake eggs. You’re much better off just eating at Captain Cook’s and doing a character meal elsewhere.
When it comes to the ideal ‘arrangement’ of these two popular Magic Kingdom Resort Area restaurants, we’d strongly recommend breakfast at Chef Mickey’s and dinner at ‘Ohana. That’s truly the best of both worlds, and you’ll enjoy food that is significantly better than doing those meals in reverse.
Crystal Palace (Dinner) – We have a lot of nostalgia for Crystal Palace from our first few trips together ages ago that makes me a bit hesitant to include this. We still enjoy both breakfast and dinner at Crystal Palace, but that’s colored by our personal experiences there.
Taking a step back and thinking about my least favorite character meals both in terms of characters and food, I have to concede that Crystal Palace is right behind Chef Mickey’s at dinner. This is not to say there’s anything wrong with it, but it’s just “meh” all-around. We’ll enjoy our fond memories of our visits here, but we have no urgent need to go back anytime soon.
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Your Thoughts
Have you had any poor experiences at character meals? Do you agree or disagree with our choices on this list? Any questions we can help you answer about these character dining experiences? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Completely agree with regard to ‘Ohana. Our breakfast experience there was terrible. From the food to the service to the character interactions, it was just plain bad. The restaurant was virtually empty and it was still a struggle to get characters to come to our table, so we didn’t even get to meet Lilo. Glad to hear dinner is better, our meal there left us cautious to even try it.
If I log in early the morning that I can begin making ADR, will the system automatically let me starting making them once the time window opens for that day?
I do agree with most of your observations. However the most fun we’ve had is 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian for dinner. The Cinderella characters are GREAT especially the “ugly stepsisters”. They do inter-act with guests wonderfully and the food is pretty good as well.
the best breakfast is at Animal Kingdom character dining at tusker house the buffet is awesome. Breakfast lunch and dinner.
I love Tusker House, but prefer lunch or dinner
I have to agree about O’hana. Our breakfast experience was terrible. Food was awful, Waitstaff was terrible. We waited forever to be seated when they sent us away when we were early. When we were finally seated after 45 minutes the place was half empty. Then Stitch the one character we wanted to see skipped us and we had to wait 30 minutes without any food because they had taken it already to see him. The only good thing was that we got tow extra fast passes for the trouble. Will never go back and would never recommend it to anyone else.
I agree with you. The breakfast was horrible. The eggs, were so salty, in fact, I’m not sure they were real eggs at all. Dinner at O’Hana is also way over rated. I suggest avoiding it altogether.
I usually agree with all of your articles but on this one I have a different opinion.
Crystal Palace- annoying to do a buffet while trying to track down characters but otherwise good food and beautiful restaurant.
Akershaus- Best way to see princesses! No wait times, no stress. If you have princess fans in you family, this is a happy meal all around.
I have to ask, when was the last time you ate at Chef Mickey’s? I ask because your review article is originally from 2014, which is the last time we ate at Chef Mickey’s before this year. By my recollection, the food was significantly improved at Chef Mickey’s in our late May visit. To me, the salmon was just really good at every buffet this time, no matter how it was served, and other portions were also improved. The characters were even better than ever; the interactions with Minnie and Donald with a 1and 1/2 year old next to us was priceless.
The best “facetime” buffet was easily dinner at 1900 Park Fare. Cinderella and Prince Charming, were, er, charming, but the stars were the ugly stepsisters, who just went to town in their roles. The CM who was playing Anastasia (the red-head) was great, but the CM who was playing Drizella (the black-haired sister) was beyond compare, and kept going over the top, and then managing to go over that top, and then going over that top, all perfectly in character. The food was the best buffet we went to, they’d just changed chefs.
But, again, I found the food at all the buffets to be superior to 2014. I would agree that breakfast at ‘Ohana wasn’t as good as it had been In the past, but it’s also not really a buffet.
Can’t disagree more regarding Ohana Breakfast and Crystal Palace for dinner. We go there every year, sometimes more.
Did Ohana June 2018……the food is close to inedible. Fill up on waffles…..the rest is all rubbery. Atmosphere is beautiful……..servers excellent…..characters were lovely. I was with 6 people…..and we all commented on even the juice was just ok. Disney can do better. If i ever go for the view or greet again, I will eat before going lol
I suppose tastes vary, I can a completely different experience
I like your articles, but two adults frequenting kid’s character meals and critiquing the experience seems a little creepy.
not creepy at all wow
Disney fans are all ages. We still go to character breakfasts even though our kids are adults now.
Walt Disney was quoted as saying – Disney parks are for the young and young at heart. If you find adults meeting characters creepy – then you shouldn’t go to Disney. The responses on this particular article are baffling (is this everyone’s first time reading this blog? Tom and Sarah makes lists (like In this article) to help Disney novices (and veterans alike) spend their time and money wisely at Disney. I, for one, appreciate the work they put into this blog and look forward to more best of / worst of lists.
When at Disney, EVERYONE is a kid. Character meals can be fun for adults too; just ask my 29 year old son who enjoyed his lunch and his princesses at Akershus.
The knowledge and incredibly up to date tips that Tom and Sarah share made our last Disney World trip seamless. It was by far the least stressful, best planned Disney trip we ever had – including a character meal I didn’t even know existed if it weren’t for them. My family actually thanked me every day of the trip for what I planned (thank you Tom & Sarah for making me look like a genius!). There’s nothing creepy about this. It’s Disney, it’s their passion, and it’s helping other people make the most of their vacation. Good grief.
I can agree with ‘Ohana. I went there once and the service was horrible; we seem to have been completely forgotten by our waiter.
Regarding the Four Seasons character breakfast: that one is incredible. It’s also more expensive than any of the others, but the food is fresh and good (they even have a juice bar). You’ll see the only place with Mickey wearing a golf polo, and there’s a photo pass photographer with Mickey (I think you even get the photo for free).
I think pretty much any time you are paying $40 for scrambed eggs and mickey waffles you are going feel ripped off. The takeaway here is don’t do character meals for breakfast unless you are going for a PPO advantage.
Agree 100% on the underrated H&V dinner. That is a great meal! Again, breakfast is another story. The same could be said about Akershus, which has amazing food at dinner and a terrible breakfast. You and Sarah need to try it!
1900 Park fare, at the Floridian resort, is the best character dining. It’s the best at breakfast and the characters actually interact with you and talk with you. They are Alice, the Mad Hatter and Mary Poppins. We have been at dinner as well and the characters are different. Prince Charming and Cinderella and the steep sisters.
The Grand Floridan character breakfast is the best, hands down! Cinderella breakfast at the castle is very over rated but the grandkids love it. They barely eat the little bit of food they serve you. I only enjoyed the pastries and coffee. The price they charge is a lot but since my son in law paid for it, it was a bargain for me!
you. are wrong about ohanas. . we do this every trip the food has always been hit fresh plentiful. the characters came often and were great with interaction. … everything about this is great. if anyone is considering try it make your own decision.
On a positive note, Cape May Cafe has a wonderful character breakfast.
Really? We went 5 months ago to Cape May’s and the food was ridiculously subpar… another family even asked us if this was how all the character meals are! Took 2 hours just to meet everyone, and our server was inattentive. My favorites are Garden Grill, CRT, and 1900 Park Fare . We book those every trip! Agree with you about all of these, Tom!
I would put The Crystal Palace at #1 for the worst by far.
Let me see mediocre food at worst versus inedible food gotta agree with you
We have after breakfast and lunch at the Crystal Palace and found the experience immense fun, both in the atmosphere and the food, which was very good.
The breakfast at the Four Seasons is surprisingly good – the food is exceptional, the character interaction was plentiful. I’d heartily recommend – but do check your dates, the meal only has characters on select dates. And you get to be nosy and see all those pricey Golden Oak homes on your way to the hotel.
I have to agree with you on Hollywood & Vine.
We went three times last year – all to the Minnie seasonal event themes. Summertime & Halloween (our trip overlapped the change) and Christmas.
We found the food to be pretty good for a buffet, the servers were excellent (Hi Brian! Thanks for my huge bowl for the ice cream!) and the characters spent so much time with us.
We dined there just before Irma hit and obviously there went many people, we practically had Mickey at our table for 30 minutes. There was interaction between the characters and their handlers and the wait staff, we had a great time.
Like yourselves, we have never done the Disney Junior meal though.
In my 60 plus visits to Disney in my 45 years, I have not had the luxury to visit all character meals. In reading the blog above, I must question what is your true agenda. I have visited several through my childhood and adulthood while bringing up 3 children. We get excited at all ages just from the experience. When restaurants are serving food for this many people, you can t expect the food from the top chefs in the world. As far as the characters, it is an interaction and I can say on all of my visits, they have all been great ones. One may need to go back and view their pictures or videos taken to remember the smiles and Joy’s on people’s faces.
Tom and Sarah are trying to steer people towards the better character meals. These things cost a lot of money, so it is nice to hear about ones that may not be worth it. Yes, characters are usually awesome, but for that much money – I want more than fake eggs. Thanks Brickers!
yes to that
Sally s,
You’re point would have been taken better without the “true agenda” question.
What “true agenda” are you imagining?
That’s right Tom’s true agenda is outrageous. He actually tries to inform the uninformed about all things having to do with disney vacation. Tom for shame for shame
yes to that another one that “knows everything”
I was surprised not to see Tusker house on the list! We’ve done breakfast there a few times and the food has been great and I love that the whole gang of Mickey & Friends are there in their safari gear. The characters all took a lot of time to interact with us…especially Goofy. Love him!
Isn’t this WORST meals though? We liked Tusker House.