Magical Blogorail: Favorite Disney Character Dining

Welcome to those of you joining me from A World View and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail.

This month, Magical Blogorail Red is sharing our favorite Walt Disney World restaurants for character dining. I've covered this before (click here) so I am going to take a slightly different approach from what I expect the rest of the gang is doing. I'll be briefly discussing the character meal locations within the theme parks.

Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace: Serves buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner. Characters are Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet.

I prefer breakfast here over the other meals. I love how bright it is in the morning and it's a fun way to start the day. I find buffet character meals to be chaotic and this one is no exception but a Pooh bear hug seems to make it better. And my children eat breakfast better than any other meal, so that helps it be a more enjoyable experience.

Oh, my lovely Crystal Palace costume

Expecting Tink, October 2008

Bear hugs!, May 2013

This girl loves breakfast

Cinderella's Royal Table: Serves plated breakfast, lunch and dinner. The characters are Cinderella and her royal friends (no specific list is guaranteed.) For those on the Disney Dining Plan, two table service credits are required. A photo package is included in the cost.
This used to be a family favorite going back to the King Stephan's days but I haven't been here since 2005. At that time it was my choice for my post-marathon celebration dinner and other than the occasional meet and greet with Cinderella in the lobby, characters were not involved except at breakfast. I have two little girls so I am sure we will dine with Cinderella in the future. Since we are frequent WDW guests, I am spacing out some of the quintessential Disney experiences to make them more special. I think both of my girls will be the perfect age for this in about two more years.

Epcot
Garden Grill: We've dined here a few times, most recently as May 2013. This is a dinner served family style and Mickey, Pluto and Chip and Dale visit each table. The food here is very good and I have an overall good impression of the place. Gotta love a rotating restaurant. On our last visit, it seemed very hot and very loud but it just wasn't our best night so I'm not sure anywhere would have worked out smoothly.

Hanging out with Dale, May 2013

Couldn't resist a selfie

Menu from May 2013

Ridge with Mickey in February 2007.  I don't think Mickey's costume has changed.

Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: One word: Fabulous! Akershus offers breakfast, lunch and dinner with an assortment of princesses. A photo package is included. The hot food is brought to your table and a cold buffet is available as well.

My brother and I had lunch at Akershus many years ago and other than a running inside joke, the experience didn't inspire us. Now this is a character dining location and it's wonderful. On our girls only trip in January 2013, we had the best time here. I can't do it justice in a paragraph. You'll just have to check out the review.

Me, my girls, my BFF, and Belle. 

One of my favorite Disney moments.

I do have pictures other than her eating...somewhere...

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Play 'N Dine at Hollywood and Vine: Breakfast and lunch buffets with characters from Disney Junior shows. I haven't been yet since my girls didn't really know the characters well enough to spend more time and money on character meals. However, Janine from our Minnie Moms had a fantastic time there for breakfast.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Tusker House: African-inspired breakfast and lunch buffets with Donald greeting outside the restaurant and Minnie, Daisy and Goofy visiting inside. Dinner is not a character meal.

We have had lunch here twice since it changed format from counter service to buffet and both experiences were very good. One of the advantages of writing a blog is being able to look back at what you thought in the past. After Tink's first WDW for her first birthday, I reviewed Tusker House as our best meal of the trip. We took both girls to the character buffet there in November 2012 and also had a good time. As I've said before, my girls eat breakfast well and we made our first pass on the buffet during the transition from breakfast to lunch. I was able to get Mickey waffles for the girls and the adults could begin to enjoy the seafood stew, samosas, and the other lunch offerings. As with other character meals, it was hectic for a time but the restaurant seemed to settle down about halfway through our meal.

The best pictures at character meals tend to come when the restaurant is slow, so the beginning or end of a meal period can work out well.

DisneyDad getting in on the fun

(If the spacing on today's article looks odd, I apologize. My computer is fighting my efforts to correct the overly spaced sections. It's after midnight as I write this and I am about to give up and go to bed. ~Amy)

Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is My Dreams of Disney.
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:

1st Stop ~ Colorado Mountain Mom

2nd Stop ~ A World View
3rd Stop ~ Growing Up Disney
4th Stop ~ My Dreams of Disney
Final Stop ~ Disney Donna Kay

Photo Flashback! Disney Breakfasts

Clockwise from top left: Mickey waffles from Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus, Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe, Mickey waffles from my kitchen (who says the fun can't follow you home?) and Mickey pancakes from Kona Cafe

Minnie Moms: Favorite Character Dining: Akershus

Today I have the honor of completing our Minnie Moms series on our favorite character dining at Walt Disney World. Please also take a look at the previous posts while you are visiting us. ~Amy

In the trip report for my girls only vacation last month, I began to tell you about our visit to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall but stopped short so I could devote an entire post to it.  And here it is.

To review, we had been looking forward to breakfast with the princesses more than anything on this vacation.  I was at Walt Disney World with my two young daughters and my best friend from college.  Nothing went according to plan since my oldest daughter had a stomach bug bad enough to land us in the Celebration Health ER.  I had cancelled our 9:30 a.m. reservation but when Tink felt better that morning, I called Disney Dining and they found a spot for us at 11:00.  A little pixie dust if we ever needed it.  We arrived at Akershus few minutes early per the standard instructions and were almost immediately escorted inside.

Tink was thrilled to meet Belle and ran over for a hug.  Minnie was a little more apprehensive even though she loves Belle at any other time.  This meal is pricey ($40+ adult, $25+ child) but a photo package is included in the cost.  We chose to have our whole group in the photo as a special souvenir but I could have opted for it to be just the little girls.  The photo package was delivered to our table during the meal.  It consisted of one 8x10 and four 4x6, all of one pose, and was presented in a lovely folder.  For larger parties, you get more poses and photos. Basically one set per four guests but I am not sure if children under three would count in that total since you don't pay for them here.  Minnie ate for free!  There is a PhotoPass code on the pictures so you can add them to your account if you'd like.

Confession time.  I actually did a happy dance in the restaurant when I realized they were still serving breakfast.  I had thought we were there for lunch.  My girls eat breakfast foods far better than anything I had seen on the lunch menu.  And as a bonus, the place was nearly empty during the switchover period.  Score!

The food at Akershus during breakfast is pretty standard but the great thing is that most of it is brought to your table family-style.  The hot food (eggs, bacon, sausage, and potato casserole) was served on a big platter and we could have requested more of any of it.  Mickey waffles are available but you have to ask for them and of course, we did.  The buffet is for the cold items and offered a nice selection of fruit, yogurt, granola, cheese, etc.  There were also several smoked or pickled fishes, several flavors of cream cheese and bagels.  We all ate plenty.  My youngest was 19 months old and seemed to care more about her Mickey waffles than she did about the princesses.  

Ah, yes, the princesses.  That's really why you dine here.  No disrespect to the lovely Norwegian Cast Members but we were here for royalty.  Belle stays in her meet and greet area at the front of the restaurant but the other princesses visit you at your table.  They were all understanding when I wanted to take a moment to pull Minnie's high chair away from the table for photos.  I hate seeing dirty dishes in my pictures.  No specific list of characters is guaranteed to appear but we met Belle, Ariel, Snow White, Cinderella (!) and Aurora.  All of them took time to chat with the girls.  When it was time for the Princess Processional, Aurora came back to our table.  Tink happily pranced around the dining room with her but Minnie wanted to stay put with us.  And since they don't want you following your child during the parade, that was really for the best.

We used a Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount.  For those on the Disney Dining Plan, this experience is one credit versus the two required to dine at Cinderella's Royal Table.  

Overall, we were thrilled with our experience here.  Quick seating, good food, and time with our favorite princesses; what's not to love!

The rest of our Minnie Moms shared their favorite Disney character dining earlier this week.  Did your top pick make the list? What is on your "must-do's"?

Girls' Trip Day 5: The Day We Had All Been Waiting For

Finally an awesome day on our Girls' Trip! Check out the other days of this unique vacation here.

Once everyone was up and at 'em on Thursday morning, we decided to try to get a reservation somewhere for lunch since Tink was feeling much better after a full day of medicine and a good night's rest.  We had already passed up on breakfast with the princesses at Akershus.  Chris suggested Biergarten and while that sounded like fun, Amy S. and I decided to take a chance on a lunch at Akershus.  I'll spare you the painful process of trying to get a reservation, suffice it to say computers and apps are great but sometimes things become more difficult than they should be.  I called Disney Dining and ended up with an 11:00 reservation for Akershus.  Well, that was at 9:00.  We hustled and got ourselves out the door toward the bus stop at 9:30.

(Old Key West tip: If your room is close to the front of the resort and it isn't a very busy time of the year, walk to the Hospitality House to catch the bus.  From there, you immediately leave the resort and don't have to ride to all the other stops.  By the same token, when you return to Old Key West, get off the bus at Peninsular Road, the first stop, and save the extra time riding around the resort.)

We arrived at Epcot and this time we were very thankful for the MyMagic+ testing.  Since they wanted Amy and her Key to the World card to go to the trial area, I convinced the Cast Member giving directions to let me go with her.  I knew to go straight to the Cast Member in plaid who scanned my family's annual passes.  This bypassed the huge lines of Brazilian tour groups that were crowding the regular entrance area.  

Once at Akershus, I checked us in, we parked the stroller and we were almost immediately called into the restaurant.  With no further waiting, we were greeted by Belle.  Tink was ecstatic and ran right over for a hug.  Minnie is only 19 months old, so while she loves Belle at home, she wasn't quite as sure about her in person.  The PhotoPass Cast Member had asked if I wanted the photo to be just of the little girls but this was a special girls' trip celebration and I wanted a picture of us all.  We were wearing our matching "I Am Queen" t-shirts from Design-a-Tee and the photo package is included with this meal.  I'm going to cut this part short for now because this experience was so much fun that it deserves its own post.  LOVED IT!

Tink was Aurora's buddy during the Princess Procession

My littlest one was more interested in breakfast than the princesses and really enjoyed her meal

And this moment, my friends, was worth it all

Grinning like a bunch of very full Cheshire Cats, we moseyed to Mexico and rode Gran Fiesta Tour.  Tink was still milking her situation and insisted on being carried into and out of the pavilion.  (She's three with a flair for the dramatic, which some would say she comes by honestly.)

It was a stunningly gorgeous day weather-wise.  Beautiful skies for photography and just a pleasure to be outside.  

On our way to Future World, we saw that Duffy had a short line for his meet and greet.  Of course, as soon as we were in the queue, he left for milk and cookies.  His break was brief and we only waited through two or three other families before it was our turn.  Minnie had been less than impressed by the princesses but her little toddler heart about jumped out when it was time to see Duffy.  (This is also going to get a separate post later.)  Both of the girls loved giving Duffy big hugs.  DisneyDad got them each a Duffy bear for Christmas this year.

After saying 'bye bear' we made our way to Future World and the Imagination Pavilion.  We all enjoyed saying hello to Figment and the girls liked the games at the end.  Aunt Amy said her favorite part was letting the girls play in the fountains outside.

Next was the required ride of Living with the Land.  I've always liked this but with the kids it is now a must do.  We almost always eat at Sunshine Seasons now too.  Guess those go hand in hand.

By this point, the kids were tired.  Tink even asked to skip Nemo so she could rest.  So we loaded up the truck and moved to Beverly. Oh wait, wrong story.  Anyway, it didn't take long for Tink to nap but Minnie was a different story.  I sent Amy S to France and I took the girls toward International Gateway.  Minnie got a quick snack of cheese crackers and she would only eat the Mickey shaped ones.  If I gave her a goldfish, she just put it back in the box.  After snacktime, I turned on the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack on my iPhone, placed the phone on the stroller canopy and walked in big circles by the water until Minnie was snoozing.

With two sleeping kiddos, I made my way over to France and a Grand Marnier orange slush.  I've wanted to try one for years but it seems like I have been pregnant or too busy chasing kids every trip since I learned of this frozen concoction and its pal, the Grey Goose Lemon Citron slush.  Oh, man.  It's good.  I met up with Amy S and she got the lemon one.  Can't go wrong with either but I wouldn't suggest both as they pack a moderate punch.

I had been trying to meet up with Chris all day to give him a cup to take home to DisneyDad.  We finally met up with him and Shelley Caran (YAY!!!) near Morocco where we had found a quiet bench and were letting the girls nap.  Honestly, Amy and I were thankful for a few minutes off our feet too!

Tink woke before Minnie so she and I headed in to the pavilion for some coloring time at the Kidcot stop.  They currently have Duffy or Agent P on a stick for children to color.  One of the Cast Members wrote Audrey's name on the back of her bear in Arabic.  I let her color until there was a rush of kids.  I do have to complain about this experience for just a moment.  There were lots of permanent Sharpie markers in the basket.  Really?  How about we just stick to washable so the kids don't ruin their clothes.  Rant over.

Next was a quick early dinner at Liberty Inn.  Yes, I know it's the most boring place to eat in World Showcase but it's a good bet for feeding the kids.  We'll get back to the more interesting places in time.  My girls are only 3 and 1 now.  The black bean veggie burger for me was pretty tasty.

When we left Liberty Inn, Shelley's daughter, Zoe, and husband, Dave, had arrived.  Tink and Zoe had watched fireworks together in November and were so cute.  Once again, they hit it off famously.  Tink likes hanging out with a big girl (1st grade) and Zoe gets to be the big girl.  It's a win-win.  The girls had a blast playing as we walked around toward Spaceship Earth.  Shelley had a great idea and loaded them up in our double stroller.  The girls were happy to catch a ride and we didn't have to chase them.  Minnie was being toted by Uncle Chris and Dave.  Tink got to ride Spaceship Earth with Zoe, which she thought was awesome.  Minnie was still hanging out with Dave so he and I sat behind the girls.  Dave held her up so that Minnie was in the future video.  Based on the "Greetings from the Future" image that I emailed after the ride, the future will be beautiful, spunky, and stylish.

Uncle Chris and Baby Minnie

We had time for one more activity so Chris and Shelley took the older girls to Habit Heroes.  I know they have to complete activities related to good health but Tink was most excited about the colorful wristbands she exited wearing.  Thanks to Chris and Shelley for sharing theirs so Tink could have one of each color.

It was a pleasant surprise to see another friend, Dana, inside Innoventions and have a chance to catch up a bit while we chased Minnie through a playhouse.

After some playtime on the fiber-optic, I mean magic, sidewalk, it was hugs all around and time for my crew to head for the buses.

Me & Tink

We had a really terrific day and I just know it would have been a wonderful week if everyone had been healthy.  A big thanks to all the friends who made it such a special day! 

~Amy