Is a character meal worth it at Disney World? What families should know before booking. (2024)

There's one sure way to seeMickey Mouse without standingin line at Walt Disney World.

Guests who splurge oncharacter diningare guaranteed facetime with beloved characters ranging from the Fab Five to Disney princesses.Theycome right up to your table for photos, autographs and hugswhile you sit down toa hearty meal. Because half of the venuesare located outside of the themeparks, you don'tneed a park ticket to still get aDisney fix, but you should still expect to spend a chunk of money.Character dining is as pricey as it is popular.

Is it worth it?Here's what you should know before deciding for yourself:

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Is a character meal worth it at Disney World? What families should know before booking. (1)

How much does it cost to eat with Disney characters?

Character dining starts at $27for kidsand $42 for "adults"at Hollywood & Vine, but every other venue charges more, so bills can easily balloon above$100.

Is a character meal worth it?

The answer is subjective, but it's worth itfor my family.

It's certainly not an everyday, or even every trip, treat. There have been plenty of trips wherewe've packed meals into the parksor stuck to quick service. But over the years, we've splurged on character meals for a few big occasions: a first trip, a family reunion, a birthdayand most recently, ananniversary.

I personally don't do character meals for the food, though by design there's something for everyone at each venue, and the food and service at Topolino's Terrace, in particular, are top-notch. I go for the overall experience.

I love seeing my kids light up when interacting with characters, who take their time at each table. A lot of guests rush through long lists of to-dos at Disney World. For me, character dining isabout slowing down and savoring that iconicDisney magic. Plus,if you eat as much as we do,you may be able to save money by skipping the next meal.

What character meals are back at Disney?

Character dining has returned to nearly all of the restaurantswhere it was availablebefore the pandemic. Exceptions includeCinderella's Royal Tablein Magic Kingdom, wherecharacter experiences areexpected to return on Feb. 28, and1900 Park Fare, whichremains closed at Disney's Grand FloridianResort & Spa.

Some venues only have characters during certain meals, and characters are subject to change.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT features Disney princesses at dinner.
Cape May Cafe at Disney's Beach Club Resort features Minnie and her friends at breakfast.
Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort features Mickey and his pals at breakfast and dinner.
The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom features Winnie the Pooh and friends at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Garden Grill Restaurant in EPCOT featuresChip ’n’ Dale and pals at lunch and dinner.
Hollywood & VineatDisney's Hollywood Studios features Disney Junior characters at breakfast and Minnie and her friends at lunch and dinner.
'Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort features Lilo & Stich at breakfast.
Story Book Dining at ArtistPoint with Snow White at Disney's Wilderness Lodge features characters from "Snow White andthe Seven Dwarfs" during dinner.
Topolino's Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera at Disney's Riviera Resort features Mickey and pals at breakfast.
Tusker House Restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom features Donald and his friends at breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"Beauty and the Beast" fansshould note thatBe Our Guest Restaurantis not considered character dining even though theBeast may make appearances. He does not visitguests table-to-table.

How do you get Disney character dining?

Guests can bookdining reservations directly throughDisney World's My Disney Experience website, app, or diningline407-939-3463.

Authorized Disney vacation planners canbook reservations for clients for free as part of their trips.

When can I book character dining?

Is a character meal worth it at Disney World? What families should know before booking. (3)

Disney dining reservation windowsopen 60 days in advance, and the most popular restaurants book up quickly.

If you miss out on your first go-around, don't worry. Fellow guests drop reservations all the time and even day-of, nowthatdining reservations canbe canceled up to two hours ahead of time without penalty at manylocations. Third parties like MouseWatcher and MouseDining can also alert you to openingsfor a fee.

At the parks, you can also check forwalk-up or standby availability.

How to save money on food at Disney World

Many families pick up groceries or order grocery delivery, so they don't have tobuyevery mealin the parks. If you know you're going to be spending a lot oncharacter dining, you can offset the cost of othermeals by bringing insandwiches or snacks, which are allowed, for the rest of the day.

Annual pass holders get10% off atDisney character dining venues, but therearen't many other discounts.Dining plans, which helped resort guestsbudget for character dining and other priceymeals, have not been available since the pandemic.

Disney World,however, is running a promotion forselect, non-discounted vacation packages over the summer. Depending ontravel dates, length of stay and category of accommodations, guests mays be eligible for aDisney Dining Promo Card worth hundreds of dollars, which can beused onfoodand drinks. A minimum four-night stay and four-day park tickets are required.Details can be found on the resort's website.

Thrifty guests can also save a little cash using Disney gift cards. You can purchase gift cardsat a slight discount at warehouse stores like Sam's Club or get 5% off using a Red Card at Target.When friends and family ask you what you'd like for gifts, you can also ask for Disney gift cards and save them for meals.

I used a gift card for my family's breakfast at Topolino's Terrace, which came to about$175before tip. It was probably the most expensive meal we had all year,but the memories wereworth itto me.