The Disney Fandom is a beautiful thing, full of varied preferences and diverse opinions. No two Disney fans are alike. Even so, I was shocked to the core when I discovered that my Disney buddy and fellow Kristen, Kristen D, did not share my opinion on one crucial matter.
Story Book Dining at Artist Pointe with Snow White.
For her, this was not quite the magical experience she hoped for, with hit or miss character interactions, a rushed experience, and poor seating. But for me?
For me this was the single best character meal I had ever done.
When I was planning my 2019 Girls Trip, I had one ADR I cared about. Only one meal I needed to do. Story Book Dining at Artist Pointe with Snow White. This character meal was added after my 2018 trip, and the buzz was electric. New character meals are always a big deal at Disney, especially when they are in the resorts. Artist Point was a fine dining experience at the Wilderness Lodge that wasn’t pulling in the numbers it once did. The glow up of turning it into a character meal was instantaneous. All of a sudden, this restaurant many, myself included, were not interested in became the hot ticket.
And I do mean hot. Even at 180 days out, I could not get a reservation. But I did that thing you do when you’re a Disney Fan who must eat somewhere. I checked the website every single day. For 180 days. Snow White is my favorite princess and if I read one more review of the mushroom soup appetizer I was going to die of jealousy. A few days before the trip, the magic mirror told me my dining reservation was the fairest of them all. We would be dining at Story Book Dining on our arrival night.
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to dinner we go.
- Who: Story Book Dining at Artist Pointe with Snow White
- What: Dinner Only
- Where: Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
- How: Cash, Credit, and the Dining Plan accepted (1 Table Service Credit on the Dining Plan), $35-$60, depending on season
- When: Open daily, Dinner 4-9.
- Characters: Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, the Evil Queen
Disney says: Experience Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White—a delicious, fanciful dinner with visits from Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and even The Queen!
Quench your thirst with creative and fun cocktails (and mocktails). The spectacular dinner offers a choice of individual plated entrées and shared starters and desserts. With kid-friendly and vegetarian options, this is a feast fit for all royalty.
Kristen B Says: “Hi, how are? I just wanted to thank you. This has been the best meal I’ve ever had at Disney World. The characters were amazing, the service was fantastic, the food was delicious. Just, thank you so much.” This is taken VERBATIM from what I said to the manager when he stopped by specifically to tell me he loved my dress (Snow White print!)
Artist Point is located in the Wilderness Lodge. We were staying at Port Orleans-Orleans-French Quarter, so we took a boat to Disney Springs and then a bus to the Wilderness Lodge.
When you reach Artist Point, you’ll notice the lobby area is decorated to the 9s (7s?) with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves art and memorabilia. This is a nice way to set the mood and gives you something to look at while you wait.
Which for us, was just long enough to snap a few selfies.
We were seated very close to the entrance, so I didn’t get a good look at the whole room. It appeared to be T shaped, the the entrance at the bottom of the T, the picture op with the Evil Queen where the base meets the top of the T, and then more dining areas in either direction. Kristen D didn’t love their seats, but I had no complaints with our location. The chairs in particular were a step up from some other Disney Dining establishments. Mine had arms!
The vibe here is enchanted forest, as evidenced by the tree branches and fairy lights. There were lots of little touches that sold me on the atmosphere, like the place settings and the woodland serving dishes.
And this poem on the menu! I could practically hear it in the narrator voice of all the classic Disney fairy tales.
The menu is very straightforward. You share apps, you pick your entree, and then you share desserts.
The specialty drinks at Storybook Dining have gotten a lot of attention, so I had to see what all the buzz was about! I got an Evil to the Core and if you think I didn’t have “Rotten to the Core” from Descendants stuck in my head the whole time I drank it, then you never knew me. I love a little spice in my drink, but the habanero here was very understated. The blackberry and orange was an unexpectedly delicious combination.
The shared portions are all placed on your adorable tree serving dish and it’s up to you how you want to divvy them up. The Mushroom Bisque came in individual, teeny cauldrons and I about died.
The Mushroom Bisque was my absolute favorite of the appetizers: it was creamy and rich, topped with crispy mushroom pieces which made for a surprising texture that I adored.
The other appetizers were pretty good. The Wicked Shrimp Cocktail was a solid shrimp cocktail with a light, tangy sauce.
The Hunter’s Terrine is a woodsy spin on a charcuterie plate, with the standout being the homemade pickles. But the clear star was the Bisque. Have I mentioned I loved the Bisque?
The plates from the appetizers had just been whisked off our table when Snow White arrived. On adult only trips, I always get a little nervous about character interactions, but I needn’t have been here. All the cast members are such pros, and really gave it their all. I said something about my children being back home with my husband and without missing a beat, Snow White goes, “You must have married a prince, too!” Our reservation was towards the end of the night (8:30pm), and the restaurant seemed at about half capacity. We were very happy with the amount of time each character spent with us.
Snow White left and our food arrived, so the timing was just perfect. We both ordered the Royal Prime Rib Roast with Horseradish Mashed Potato, Carrots, and a Popover.
Listen, this might be a hot take, but this was the best steak I’ve ever had at Disney. I’m including the Yachtsman, I’m including 1900 Park Fare. This steak was delicious. Perfectly cooked and the sauce was so flavorful. While I liked the vegetables, I was surprised at the popover. Firstly, because it was huge but also because it was delicious. I don’t know that I’ve ever had a popover before, so I was pleased to discover the flaky pastry was the perfect compliment to the heavier steak.
Once again, our excellent server hadn’t so much as turned the corner with our plates than Dopey showed up, with Grumpy hot on his tail. Both these dwarfs were giving us antics and character appropriate pictures, but I’ll be honest, this is when I started to feel how tight some of the tables were. With Snow White, she wasn’t wearing a big mask on her head, so she was able to navigate a little better. We had a harder time positioning and maneuvering with the dwarfs. They were still a blast, but if you’ve got a certain picture in mind, maybe scope out your area and proximity to other tables before they get to you.
All the dwarf hijinks had us ready for dessert.
The Poison Apple is a little chocolate mousse decorated to look like the famous apple from Snow White’s story. This is a decadent little treat with a sour center.Very tasty.
The Miner’s Treasure is served in a shot glass with an edible dwarf hat. It was pretty good, light and fluffy, but very similar to other stacked desserts you can get on property.
My favorite of the desserts was the Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie. A perfectly portioned mini pie, with a buttery crust, sweet-tart filling and delicate meringue topping. I’m normally a chocolate gal, but this was unlike any dessert I’d ever had, let alone at Disney. I also just loved that gooseberry pie was on the menu, since it is something taken directly from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Speaking of unique, while you’re noshing on these treats, there is one more in store. The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen is brought out separately. Smoking.
The cracked maple popcorn is served with ganache hearts and while they’re yummy, most of the fun is in the presentation. It definitely makes you feel like you’re a part of some enchanted tale.
We couldn’t leave without a visit to the Queen. The Evil Queen has a photo spot set up in the central location of the dining room. Unlike the other characters, the Queen will not come to your table. You go to her. Which is as it should be. She is royalty and all. You can visit anytime during your meal. Finding a good time to see her was a little tricky for us. Between the courses and the other characters, not to mention the song and dance Snow White and the Dwarfs do at intervals during the meal, there is just a lot going on. We ended up going at the end of our meal, like a few other diners, and waited about ten minutes. Not bad for face time with a monarch.
Something to note about the Evil Queen: she is an evil queen. She can be a lot of fun, but she’s a tough cookie. There will be no smiling and handholding here. The photographer loved my dress, and we ended up talking for a few minutes. When I got to the Queen, the photographer exclaimed, “Look at her dress! You’re on there, with Snow White and the Prince!” The Queen responded, “The whole dress should be of me. Come back when you’re appropriately attired.” For two grown women it was an amusing, though slightly intimidating, interaction. If you’ve got littles who can be afraid of characters, be sure to talk to them about what to expect before hand.
Storybook Dining is a terrific meal combined with an excellent character experience that is unique among dining options at Disney World. For me, it ticks all the boxes. It’s a princess meal that is 1) outside of the parks and 2) at dinner. It’s a character meal that is not a buffet, which is so key. I get unbelievably stressed out at character meals that are buffets: should I go now to get the food? What if I miss the princesses? Now? Do I go now? AH, I missed my food window and here the princesses are and now I will starve. And most importantly, the food was so, so good. How many character meals have we all gone to where we have to remind ourselves, “we’re not paying for the hashbrowns, we’re paying for face time with royalty.”
Storybook Dining takes the best of character meals, exclusive time with beloved characters, and combines it with the ease and sophistication of table service dining. I would do it again in a heartbeat, as it truly was the best character meal I’ve ever experienced at Walt Disney World. I have a feeling that even when the “newness” and buzz die down, this will still be one very hot ADR.
Have you checked out Storybook Dining? Did you love it as much as I did? Let me know down below!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!