Best in-park character dining?

[KRAKENvsMANTA]

I'm finally going back to Disney. Haven't been since '08. I'm going with my daughter, almost 4, niece, 3, and nephew, 6. I remember all my great experiences at the Crystal Palace, meeting Pooh and friends, and plan on bringing the kids there. But does anyone have any reviews on the character dining experiences at EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, or Studios? If so, what the best ones for young kids? I appreciate any input. Thank you.

 

[ShadyLady]

The only character dining @ AK is breakfast at Tusker House.
The only one @ HS is Playhouse Disney @ Hollywood & Vine.

Epcot offers princesses at Akershaus in Norway, and dinner at the Garden Grill.

We've eaten breakfast @ Akershaus 3 years and its wonderful! The Garden Grill is supposed to be great - our May '11 trip is the first time we've been able to get a reservation.

Look @ Chef Mickey, O'hana, and 1900 Park Fare for other fantastic character options.

 

[HouCuseChickie]

We didn't do Hollywood & Vine or Garden Grill this past trip, but we did take our girls to Akershus and Tusker House. Akershus was a hit and worth it in all of the grown ups' opinions, but Tusker House was a complete let down for us- would not return nor would I recommend it. We did Crystal Palace and Cinderella's Royal Table at MK and would do both again.

 

[crispy]

My favorite in-park meal would be Akershus especially if you have little girls. The character interaction is great and the food is pretty good. We also like the phot package that comes with the meal because it makes a nice souvenir.

Crystal Palace would be my other favorite option. CRT is great to do once, but it is extremely expensive. You are definitely paying for that castle view.

My favorite character experiences are at the resorts though. I think Chef Mickey's, 'Ohana, and 1900 Park Faire are wonderful. The evil stepmother and stepsisters at the 1900 Park Faire dinner are absolutely hilarious.

 

[lebeau]

I'll throw out Garden Grill in Epcot. We were pleasantly surprised by the character interactions. The rotating restaurant is neat. The food was good (although I've heard from others here that the food can be inconsistent). We'll definitely try it again.