The infamous Mickey waffle!

by Sunny

While in Disney, my daughter is not one for sitting down to a meal when there are characters to meet, shows to see, and rides to tackle.  On her 4-year-old trip, we were wearing down at around 6pm having gone nonstop since our quick-service breakfast at the resort that morning.  Our party of 5 started heading to the nearest restaurant when my daughter inquired as to where we were going.  “To dinner,” I responded.  She scoffed in return, “But we already ate breakfast today!”  See what I mean? She would be more than happy to just eat Mickey-shaped ice cream on a stick while waiting in line as opposed to sitting down with the fear of missing out. On our trip earlier this month, we decided that it was time to branch out and experience the variety of dining options that Disney has to offer.  We were pleasantly surprised, and it even won over our little princess…

Counter/Quick Service – Counter service dining is kind of like the “fast food” of Disney.  You typically order at a window or counter and then take your tray of food to your seat.  This is the method I have always preferred due to the fact that our Disney to-do list is usually miles long!  The food is fine, but the lines can get long and you have to scavenge for seating. However, be sure to check out these favorites if you haven’t before:

Columbia Harbour House  (Magic Kingdom) – This is an annual favorite of ours.  It is located near the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom, generally has shorter lines, has food that is consistently good, and it has an upstairs dining room which we often find deserted.  It is a nice cool place to sit and relax and take in the views of the Liberty Square Riverboat and the Haunted Mansion.

Table Service – Table Service is traditional in that you are seated by a host/hostess and are waited on at the table.  However, I have found in recent visits that that is where the traditional part ends!  Each Table Service Restaurant has a theme and everything from the decor to the menu to the Cast Members makes the theme come to life.

• 50’s Prime Time Cafe (Hollywood Studios) – Earlier this month, my husband, daughter, parents, and I enjoyed a fun and filling dinner at the 50’s Prime Time Cafe.  My husband made the reservation after a friend of his recommended it.  Being a bit wary of the amount of time it takes to sit down to a meal, we decided on a 7pm reservation – our last attraction of the day.  Upon entering, we felt as though we were entering the kitchen or dining room of a 1950’s kitchen complete with nostalgic memorabilia, black and white tile, and retro dinette style tables.  Our waitress, “Aunt Rachel,” set out the rules of dining in her kitchen early: no fighting, no elbows on the table, no chewing with your mouth full, eat all of your veggies, and say please and thank you.  My daughter stared at her, wide-eyed, as she set the rules to memory, turning them over in her mind. My 5-year-old is a strict rule-follower, wanting to achieve perfection in behavior and avoid any trouble.  You can only imagine her surprise and wonder as a grown man , a dad to two school-aged children, got caught playing on his “fancy etch-a-sketch” (smartphone) and was sent to stand in the corner since he wasn’t abiding by the “dinner time is family time, not playtime, rule.”  We also witnessed Aunt Rachel spoon-feeding an adult his veggies choo-choo train style when he didn’t eat them all! The funniest moment at our table happened to be when Aunt Rachel brought my daughter a refill and her mouth was full.  MJ was visibly torn: do I talk with my mouthful to thank her, or do I not thank her and get in trouble for not using my manners?!  She started gesturing to her mouth, and luckily, Aunt Rachel saw the dilemma she was in and assured her it was okay since her mouth was full!  The food was hearty and filling: pot roast, meatloaf, and fried chicken sampler for my husband and parents; the vegetarian lasagna for me. So was the Table Service meal worth the 1.5 hours out of our Park day?  Absolutely.  We made lots of fun memories, and MJ still gets on us for putting our elbows on the table.

Character Dining  – As many times as we have visited Disney, we had never tried a Character Meal until our 2015 trip.  Again, we always wondered if the time commitment was worth it when we usually see many characters in the Parks throughout our trip.  During a Character Meal, pre-announced characters walk around to each table to interact with guests as they eat.  The characters pose for pictures and sign autographs and also lead a parade through the restaurant in which all diners can participate.  It’s on the expensive side, but the food at most venues is unlimited and the experience unforgettable.

• Ohana (Disney’s Polynesian Resort) – For our very first Character Breakfast experience, we chose Ohana located in the Polynesian Resort, situated across the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom and on the monorail line.  The characters included Lilo, Stitch, Mickey, and Pluto, all decked out in their Hawaiian finest.  MJ was eager to see the characters (she LOVES to meet any and all characters in Disney) so she was craning her neck to get a peek of them as we were escorted to our table.  The characters were on the opposite side of the dining room which made for good timing, giving us a chance to eat and relax a bit before the picture-taking and  autograph-signing frenzy began.  The food was standard breakfast fare: sweet Hawaiian rolls, passion fruit juice (delish),  eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage, and Mickey and Stitch waffles. The food is unlimited and is served directly to your table which I appreciated much more than a standard buffet line.  Plus, we had the pleasure of being waited upon by Carolyn, a Cast Member since Disney World opened in 1971!  During our meal, the characters began a parade, encouraged all of the kids (and grown-ups) to join in, and gave the kids maracas to shake as they snaked their way through the dining room.  As we were finishing our meal, the characters had made their way over to our side of the dining room.  Each one took time to interact with MJ and took plenty of pictures, including a very charming one of Stitch picking his nose as he does in the movie.  It was also entertaining to watch our fellow diners meet and greet the characters at the adjacent tables.  It was a nice way to relax at the end of our meal.  Being on the monorail line, we were filled up from breakfast, had already met 4 characters, and were in the Magic Kingdom a mere 15 minutes after it opened – no Park time spent!

It should be noted that Table Service, and especially Character Dining, is VERY popular in Disney Parks.  Reservations are strongly recommended, some as far as 6 months in advance.  If you think you will be visiting Disney, I would advise you  to make all of your dining reservations immediately in order to avoid disappointment.  You must submit a credit card to hold your reservation, but you are allowed to cancel if you give enough notice.

Let me hear YOUR Disney Dining recommendations!  What restaurant MUST we try on our next visit?  Share with me in the comments below!

 Disclaimer: I do not work for Disney and am not affiliated in any way.  I write from a Disney fan’s perspective.  For official information, visit DisneyParks.com