Minnie holds court at Hollywood & Vine, hosting a variety of seasonal dining events. Throughout the year, the theme changes with the season. This gives you a chance to meet your favorite characters in a variety of outfits.
The meal is currently served for both lunch and dinner. And it participates in the Fantasmic Dining Package (where you get special seating to the show with your dinner reservation; it must be specified when you book though and there is a up change).
We decided to check out her awesome Holiday Dine Christmas meal!
We had about a 20 minute wait after we checked in our reservation- which was a bit of a mess because there was no clear line. Thankfully I was on one side of the steps while Tim was on the other (having arrived after parking the stroller). It turns out he was in the correct line so we were able to allow the people in front of me (in the wrong line) over in front of him. This sounds like a bit of a mess and it was- but I’m glad we were able to let our fellow diners (2 parties) in the line, because there was some deep sighing behind Tim as everyone moved into one line, once it was finally indicated where we should be.
When we entered, Santa Goofy was standing in a dedicated area right in front of the doors. Happily we had the option to go sit and eat and return at any time to get our pictures, so we scooted on past and headed towards our table.
I can’t say enough about how great our waitress was. She was attentive without being annoying, and she was the one that gave us the suggestion on getting the glowing ice cube for our daughter, even pointing out the qualifying drink. She kept plates cleared and drinks full, but I never felt like she was wanting to push us out the door. She was also great about letting us know how the characters would come by, even telling us when they reached a certain booth to make sure to stick close to our table. Honestly, she was one of our best waitresses of the trip! She’s pictured above receiving one of our goody bags (no worries, she received a tip too).
The noise level was pretty good here- it wasn’t nearly as loud as some of the character meals and we didn’t experience a “character parade”, which I do sometimes find hectic and loud- especially if there are instruments involved, like at Tusker House. We were comfortable in our half booth, half chair table and didn’t feel crowded. If you look directly over the waitress’s head, you can see the start of one side of the buffet. There were rarely lines or crowds around the buffet, which leads me to…
The Food
This is a buffet. If you love seafood, it’s a great buffet for you, as it has crab claws and peel n eat shrimp, plus seasonal fish! No worries, if you, like me, are not a fish eater there are still plenty of good protein options, like delicious chicken, meatballs, fig stuffed pork loin (divine!) and a carved meat station. Plus, check out that sweet, sweet pretzel roll on Tim’s plate. Awwww yeah you guys. I like my carbs.
My husband raved about this meal- while it wasn’t our favorite, he was still a big fan, as was I. In fact, he went back up for a second plate just full of brussel sprouts!
I felt like my daughter ate less here than some of the other meals we did- but she’s also not quite five. She does that at home too. She definitely loaded up on meatballs, fresh fruit and enjoyed some corn on the cob. She also did some damage to the dessert tray.
The desserts were adorable, cute and themed and yummy (if you can’t tell by my taste test before I remembered to get a picture). The desserts featured treats like eggnog cheesecake, apple cranberry tarts and chocolate bundt cakes!
We also splurged on an alcoholic beverage- I got the Captain’s Mai Tai which was STRONG- delightfully so, as it didn’t overwhelm the fruity taste…but I was definitely feeling mellow after this meal! Tim got the Magical Star Cocktail for the light up ice cube, but he ended up enjoying it, saying it wasn’t as sweet as my Mai Tai.
The Characters
At dinner, you’ll meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Santa Goofy!
The characters here were amazing. At one point, Donald tried to flirt with Daisy, who ignored him because she had tried to wave before and he hadn’t seen her. Donald fell out in the floor, reaching imploringly towards his lady love as she flounced away. I was rolling in the booth laughing. The characters came around several times while we were there and were always happy to interact with our table. The interactions never felt rushed, and I loved seeing everyone in their dapper duds.
All of our character interactions were so sweet, I’m hard-pressed to choose a favorite. While you aren’t getting any super unique characters here, you are at least getting to see everyone in new outfits- and at Christmas, Santa Goofy is a fun score (although we did also see him at Animal Kingdom). Plus, I’d rather meet a sweet, attentive Donald for the fourth time than see a grumpy, rarer character any day.
Extras
Miss Bongo also received a fun sticker activity! It’s a cardstock wreath with ornament stickers and she set to work immediately decorating her beautiful holiday wreath! It made for a cute souvenir and gave her something to do while Tim and I finished up our desserts.
Overall
I would definitely do this meal again, especially on the Dining Plan! While there are cheaper table service options in Hollywood Studios, this is a great way to see Minnie and her friends. The interaction was fantastic, the food was good (even if a fair chunk was seafood, which may not appeal to all diners) and the noise level was great.