Help !!1900 Character Breakfast Dilemma

[jasmine]

Hi,

This is our first time going to Disney. We leave on March 20th! I have a 61/2 year old girl and a 5 year old boy. We are currently booked for the character breakfast at GF at 8:30 with Mary Poppins and friends on the 21st. I figured we could see Mickey etc. around. But, not these characters. We thought we'd go to MK after the breakfast. Am I totally off? Help !!!

 

[2much2do]

Hi,
Your plans sound pretty good. The character breakfast at the GF is a pretty good, and you could go to the MK afterwards. Might I suggest something, though. If your kids are really excited to meet Mickey, I think you really should add another character breakfast. One with Mickey. Maybe.......Restauranasaurs at AK, or Chef Mickey's at the Contemorary. It is much, much easoer and nicer for the children to meet the characters at a breakfast than at the parks. You will wait on long lines and waste valuable touring time, it will be hot and crowded around the characters as well. And they won't have as much time for hugs and pictures. At the breakfasts they get lots of individual time (at least in my experiences, and we have attended more than 20!) Another idea is the lunch at Liberty in MK. They also have Mickey.
Good Luck!!!!!

 

[jackjenson]

No, you are not totally off, but I might have made a different choice. For instance, I would make the earliest possible ressie at the Crystal Palace (Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore) which is inside the MK, or at Hollywood and Vine (inside MGM) or my personal favorite, at Restaruantasaurus (inside the AK) so that you get a great breakfast with characters and are finished before or at the same time as the parks open so you beat the crowds.

If you have a ps for a park restaurant before the park opens, you will be let in early. Believe me, that is almost worth the cost of breakfast on its own. In addition, the food is good and the characters are great. You get a headstart on everyone else and are in position to be first in line for the best rides (safari, tot, ae, etc,) and can really see lots of attractions before the parks get busy and then you really aren't hungry for lunch until after the lunch rush....or until you head back to WL for a nap with the kids.

 

[2much2do]

Good point Jennifer about getting into the parks early. I have PS at all the park character breakfasts at or before 8 AM. The AK one we have at 7:30. By the time we are done with breakfast, we will be all ready to go and no lines!!!!! Worth every penny But, I wouldn't cancel your 1900 Park Fare PSing. That is a really good breakfast too. We are going in May. I love Alice, and she usually shows up there with the Mad Hatter, who is a hoot! Just add more character breakfasts (unless you have a budget, then maybe add just one more). They are great and we love them. We have a character breakfast every single day we are there, so this year that's...12!!

 

[jasmine]

Thanks so much for your suggestions!! I wish I had discovered this site earlier. I never even thought of half the stuff you all mentioned. I'm going to try to call and add/change my reservations to either the one at AK or Crystal Palace. One of the guide books said that you should save MK for later in the trip (we'll be there four nights and five days) because everything will otherwise be anticlimactic for the kids. Do you agree?

 

[Married@WDW]

I could be wrong, but I believe Liberty Tree Tavern only has characters at the family style dinner, not at lunch, unless things have changed since last summer.

 

[jackjenson]

jas, about the anticlimactic thing...

I totally disagree. All of the parks have great things to do and see and I don't think your kids could possibly be disappointed, except not to have enough time to do all of the things they want to do, the number of times they want to do them. I really think that the first time they turn the corner on Main Street and see Cinderella's castle should happen as soon as you arrive, just to set the magical tone.

Also, in a 4 night 5 day stay with two of those days being at least partially travel days, you are not going to have enough time to see everything you will want to see. (It should also be noted that you will be very tired by the end of the 4 days) So you should be choosy and organized in what you see and when, but not a park commando so that you get so exhausted you can't enjoy yourselves. Make a list of the things you just can't miss and maximize your time in the parks, especially MK for the little ones.

Have a great time.

 

[mkt]

here are all of the character meals @ WDW:

Park Dining

Breakfastosaurus - Disney's Animal Kingdom

breakfast

Donald, Mickey, Goofy, Pluto



Cinderella's Royal Table - Magic Kingdom

breakfast

Cinderella & other fairytale face characters



Crystal Palace - Magic Kingdom

breakfast, lunch, and dinner



Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet



Garden Grille - Epcot

lunch and dinner

Mickey, Pluto, Chip, Dale



Hollywood and Vine - Disney/MGM Studios

breakfast and lunch

Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Dale



Liberty Tree Tavern – Magic Kingdom

dinner

Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Dale


Resort Dining

1900 Park Fare - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

breakfast

Mary Poppins, Alice, Mad Hatter, Winnie the Pooh, 1 random character

dinner

Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet



Baskerville's- Grosvenor Resort

breakfast
(note: Tue, Thurs, Sat ONLY)

Goofy, Pluto



Benihana- Hilton Resort

breakfast
(note: Sundays ONLY)

Minnie, Pluto, Br'er Bear



Cape May Cafe - Disney's Beach Club Resort

breakfast

Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Minnie



Chef Mickey's - Disney's Contemporary Resort

breakfast

Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Goofy

dinner

Donald, Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Goofy



Coral Cafe - Dolphin

breakfast
(note: Sundays ONLY)

Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale



Garden Grove Cafe - Swan

breakfast
(note: Saturdays ONLY)

Goofy, Pluto



Gulliver's Grille - Swan

dinner

Mon & Fri: Timon, Rafiki

all other nights: Goofy, Pluto



‘Ohana - Disney's Polynesian Resort

breakfast

Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Goofy



Watercress Restaurant - Wyndham Palace

breakfast
(note: Sundays ONLY)

Minnie, Goofy, Pluto

 

[jasmine]

Thank you all!! I just changed my reservations from 1900 to the Crystal Palace one day and the one at AK another day. Since then, I've been reading that MGM and Chef Mickey's are better than Crystal Palace because the characters "perform." What's your opinion? Of course I should be packing and buying new shoes instead of obssessing over the breakfast. I just want this to be so special for the kids. Too bad this was such a last minute trip. If the Cinderella thing had been possible I wouldn't be so conflicted. :veryconfu

 

[Beauty and the]

Just a little thought have you considered character dinner, we always go to Chef Mickey's the food is pretty good and the character interaction superb.

 

[2much2do]

First of all I want to say I am so excited for you!! Last minute trips have their own special excitement and charm! It will be very special for your kids no matter what you do, and you are learning how to navigate the planning process so next time you can do some things you won't get to do this time.
I also want to say that I agree 100% with jackjenson. While I can see the logic behind waiting to take them to MK, you really aren't going to be there that long and the MK will be THE place to be for your kids. MGM, Epcot and AK are wonderful and they will love those if you go also. But the MK will probably end up being their favorite at this age. And making a must see list (with your kids) is very important for you to maximize your time. You don't need all the planning and scheduling that some guides would have you do, but a rough, basic plan is a very good idea. You will know what the parks have to offer, where they are located (approximately) and which things you aren't all that interested in that you can skip.
As for the breakfast, I really love Crystal Palace. It is a great character breakfast. The one at Hollywood and Vine is cute cuz Goofy and Minnie dance, but their food isn't as good, their character attention isn't as long (in my opinion) and it would be better for you to be at MK early and let the kids ride all the Fantasyland rides right when the park opens with no crowds. Chef Mickey's is supposed to be fabulous (we are going for our first time in May), but again, you won't get into MK early if you do. I think you will not be disappointed with Crystal Palace. It's Winnie the Pooh and friends and they come out a lot and spend a nice long time at the table with your kids. Then they also stand at the entrance and you can go up to them again (and again) for hugs and pictures, etc. And then you'll have Mickey and friends at Breakfastosaurus, so.....sounds like you're all set. Go, have fun, you have my blessing

 

[jasmine]

Thanks 2much2do I feel much happier now.

I can't wait to get back and try to help others like all of you have helped me. Well -- we're off. Wish us the best!!!

 

[DixieBelle97]

If you want to see Mickey Mouse and want to spend time with him, go to the Ohana character breakfast at the Polynesian Resort at 7:40AM. The characters spend a lot of time at each table, so bring your camera. That was the best character breakfast I had ever been to. I highly recommend it. When I go back to WDW in 19 weeks and 2 days, I'm going back to that character breakfast. :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: :sohappy: