Character dining is a great way to meet characters and not have to wait in line and waste valuable park time. Most character dining is one table service credit when on the Disney Dining Plan but there are a few that are two table service credits so be aware of that if you are on the dining plan. Character dining is also a nice way to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks. It can be time to sit down, relax and enjoy a meal together all while watching your children interact with their favorite characters. Here are ten tips for character dining while at Walt Disney World.
- Take lots of pictures. If you are traveling with a large party you may want to separate pictures out by family, by children and then even take one with the whole group. Make sure to have a plan and know who is getting what pictures done at the character dining you are attending. This makes the process move smoother and being considerate of the other diners who are waiting for the characters to arrive.
- Make sure your children behave. Prompt them on what to expect. I see it at every meal, kids running up to characters while another table is interacting with them. Let your kids know that every table gets special time to meet with the characters and they have to wait their turn.
- Let your inner child out. It is okay to be goofy (no pun intended) and ham it up with the characters. Why let the kids have all the fun? I have booked a lot of couples without children that get excited about their character dining. It is Disney World and it is okay to act silly. Let it go!
- Go ahead and ask questions about the food. If you have special dietary needs let the restaurant know before arriving. You can call dining and have any special notes attached to your reservation and the restaurant will flag it. If you are gluten free there will be gluten free options available for you, if you are dairy free there will be dairy options, etc.. Question your server if you aren’t sure about something. The chef can also come out and talk to you. Disney in general is the best that I have ever seen at accommodating dietary restrictions. They will bend over backwards for you. Explore restaurants here and feel safe if you have any dietary concerns.
- Dining characters can change. So when Disney says subject to availability for character dining they mean it. A prime example is Ohana for breakfast. Most people will say that Mickey joined Stitch and friends but I have been there when Mickey has not joined them. I usually say something to my kids like it should be Stitch and friends but sometimes his friends change so we will be surprised on who is joining Stitch.
- Try to make early morning character dining reservations at the parks. It is a great way to get in early before the park opens and get some pictures in without the crowds. If you get an 8:00am reservation you can get into the park at 7:45am and the park is empty except for those other people making their way to their reservations.
- Make reservations for character dining at off peak times like lunch for 3:00pm or breakfast at 11:00am. It is less crowded a lot of the time so characters can spend more time with you.
- Larger pens or markers are good for the characters to sign with. It is easier for them to grip them. I know a lot of people take sharpies with them and say those are the best to use.
- Getting a small disposable camera for your kids just for meals is a great idea. The characters’ love when the kids are taking the pictures. My son brought his ipod on our last trip and he took selfies with all of the characters. They loved “hamming” it up with him and he got some great shots.
- Make your reservations as soon as possible. If you are staying onsite at Disney World you can make your reservations 180 days in advance plus 10 days. This means that on your 180th day you can make reservations for 10 days out. If you are not staying off site you will have to schedule your reservations on a daily basis one day at a time starting at the 180 day mark. I have guests ask me all the time if they have to make dining reservations. You don’t have to do anything. It is your vacation and you can do what you want. I would not count on being able to walk up to any restaurant though at Disney World and expect to get seated. It does happen but I personally don’t like to leave things to chance.