Disney World Character Dining 2026 Guide
- Practically Perfect Pixie Dust
- May 8, 2025
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 15
Updated January 15, 2026
Character dining at Walt Disney World lets guests meet Disney characters while enjoying a table-service meal, without waiting in traditional meet-and-greet lines. In 2026, character dining experiences are available at all four theme parks and select Disney resorts, featuring characters like Mickey Mouse, Disney Princesses, and classic favorites. Most character meals are prix fixe and require advance dining reservations.
Craving Mickey waffles and a visit with the Big Cheese himself? Character dining at Walt Disney World serves up both â no standby lines required. While you enjoy an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal, beloved Disney characters come straight to your table for photos, autographs, and plenty of magical moments.
From Mickey and Minnie stopping by with cheerful waves to Disney Princesses making regal appearances, character dining is one of the easiest (and yummiest!) ways to meet characters without zig-zagging across the parks. Whether youâre planning breakfast, lunch, or dinner, these experiences blend dining and meet-and-greets into one pixie-dusted stop.
đ§ââď¸ Pixie Dust Pro Tip: Character dining is handsâdown the yummiest shortcut to magical meetâandâgreetsâno paradeâstyle queues required. Most meals star a royal lineup of Disney Princesses or Mickeyâs best buddies (but the Big Cheese himself doesnât crash every party, so peek at the roster if heâs on your mustâhug list). A few spots mix it up with surprise VIPsâthink Mary Poppins, Stitch, or even Grumpy and Dopey waddling in for selfies.
Below, we break down every current Walt Disney World character dining location for 2026 â including who youâll meet, where to find them, pricing, meal times, and our honest thoughts on which experiences are worth prioritizing.
Most character dining experiences at Walt Disney World include table-side character visits rather than staged meet-and-greets, making them especially popular with families.
All character meals are prix fixeâone flat price for all-you-can-enjoy buffets or family-style platters. Theyâre ideal for fueling a full park day and catching magical moments without the race from ride to ride.
Below, we break down every current Walt Disney World character dining experienceâwho youâll meet, what it costs, which meals are offered, and our practically-perfect picks for where to sit down and say âcheese.â Bring your autograph book and your appetite!
â¨âŻKeep the Character Magic Rolling!âŻâ¨
Sprinkle a little extra đ§pixie dust on your planning with our readerâfavorite guides:
Pro Tips for Character MeetâandâGreets đ¸Â â Quick hacks for smoother queues, better photos, and autograph moments that feel like pure Disney magic.
55 Fun Questions to Ask Disney Characters đ¤Â â From âWhatâs your favorite ride after hours?â to âHow do you keep your glass slippers so shiny?ââguaranteed to spark giggles, surprises, and unforgettable interactions.
FreeâŻPrintableâŻDisney Character Location CheatâŻSheetsâŻfor WaltâŻDisneyâŻWorld - Grab our 2025 Disney Character Locations Cheat Sheetsâdownloadable as phoneâfriendly JPGs or printâready PDFs.
1900 Park Fare
Character Dining Locations at Walt Disney World
1900 Park Fare
Where: Disneyâs Grand Floridian Resort
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Characters: Aladdin in his Prince Ali attire, Cinderella, Mirabel and Tiana
Pricing: Breakfast - $58 per adult, $37 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Dinner - $69 per adult, $44 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity (previous cost)
Dining style: Buffet
Our thoughts: We are excited for this experience to reopen. Check back for more updates
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Where: Epcotâs Norway Pavilion
Meals: Princess Storybook Dining with Disneyâs princesses for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Characters: You will often see Ariel, Belle, Aurora, Jasmine, and Snow White. Sometimes other princesses will also join the fun.
Pricing: Breakfast - $59 per adult, $38 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $69 per adult, $46 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Buffet
Our thoughts: If you are looking for a princess palooza this is the spot to hit up. Pro tip: if your kid (or you, no judgment) is a picky eater book breakfast, the lunch and dinner options can lean a bit adventurous.
Be Our Guest
Where: Magic Kingdom
Meals: Lunch and Dinner
Characters: This is not a traditional character meal, however the Beast walks through the dining room, and recently it has been reported that guests have been able to once again meet him in his study.
Pricing: Lunch/Dinner - $70 per adult, $41 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Buffet
Our thoughts: If you are looking for a princess palooza this is the spot to hit up. Pro tip: if your kid (or you, no judgment) is a picky eater book breakfast, the lunch and dinner options can lean a bit adventurous.
Cape May Cafe
Where: Disneyâs Beach Club Resort
Meals: Minnieâs Beach Bash Breakfast
Characters: Minnie, Goofy, Daisy, and Donald
Pricing: Breakfast - $49 per adult, $33 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Buffet
Our Thoughts: While you wonât see Mickey, this is a great alternative to Chef Mickeyâs or Topolinos if you could not snag a reservation at one of those two. Pro tip: If you can get an early reservation you can then go to Epcot through the International Gateway Entrance and hop into the line for Remyâs Ratatouille Adventure first thing.
Chef Mickey's
Where: Disneyâs Contemporary Resort
Meals: Chef Mickeyâs Buffet for breakfast and dinner
Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto
Pricing: Breakfast - $59 per adult, $38 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Dinner - $66 per adult, $44 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity)
Dining style: Buffet
Our Thoughts: Weâve eaten here a number of times and have been generally underwhelmed by the food. Itâs fun to see Mickey and the gang, but we would recommend Topolinos over Chef Mickeys. It is a quick hop on the monorail from the Magic Kingdom, so it's a good character option if you will be spending the day there. Note: more recently they have set it up so you will get a family photo with Minnie at the end of your meal, she does not go from table to table.
Cinderella's Royal Table
Where: Magic Kingdom in Cinderella Castle
Meals: Fairytale Dining at Cinderellaâs Royal Table for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Characters: You will always see Cinderella and then a number of other princesses. These may include Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine, and Snow White.
Pricing: Breakfast - $76 per adult, $47 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $88 per adult, $52 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Prix-fixe menu
Our Thoughts: This is a Signature Dining experience, and costs accordingly, because you are dining with princesses in the castle. The actual food is largely not brilliant, in our opinion, so be forewarned.
The Crystal Palace
Where: Magic Kingdom to the left of the hub outside Adventureland
Meals: Poohâs Friendship Day Celebration for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Characters: Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore
Pricing: Breakfast - $54 per adult, $35 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $64 per adult, $44 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Buffet
Our Thoughts: We love Winnie the Pooh and friends so this is one of the character dining locations we have visited most over the years. The food is good, which isnât always a given at a Disney buffet, and the character interactions are always sweet and fun.
Garden Grill Restaurant
Where: Epcot in the Land Pavilion in World Nature
Meals: Chip ânâ Daleâs Harvest Feast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Characters: Chip, Dale, Mickey, and Pluto
Pricing: Breakfast - $49 per adult, $33 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $62 per adult, $42 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Family style
Our Thoughts: We like to grab breakfast here before park opening when Soarinâ is a priority. You get a nice character breakfast with decent food, nice character interactions, and then you can hop into line for Soarinâ as soon as the park opens and ride it with little to no wait. Itâs also fun to walk through the park over to the Land Pavilion before park opening and see the park so empty. Also the restaurant rotates, slowing changing the view diners have of different scenes in The Land ride below.
Hollywood & Vine
Where: Hollywood Studios by Echo Lake
Meals: Minnieâs Seasonal Dining: Breakfast , Lunch and Dinner
Characters: Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy are often joined by Pluot or Donald and Daisy all decked out in their seasonal attire.
Pricing: Breakfast - $49 per adult, $33 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $64 per adult, $44 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity)
Dining style: Buffet
Our Thoughts: We have mostly been underwhelmed by the food at the Hollywood & Vine (especially with 50s Prime Time Cafe next door) but if you have a little one it's a great place for them to interface with the characters they know best. Also, if you are looking for a Fantasmic dining package, you can get one for Hollywood & Vine and tag team getting easy good seats for Fantasmic with character dining.
âOhana
Where: Disneyâs Polynesian Village Resort
Meals: Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo & Stitch
Characters: Lilo, Stitch, and Mickey
Pricing: Breakfast - $53 per adult, $33 per child (ages 3-9) plus taxand gratuity
Dining style: Family Style
Our Thoughts: If you love Lilo & Stitch then this breakfast is a must as this is one of the few places you can interact with Stitch not at a special event. The food is pretty standard disney breakfast fare (eggs, mickey waffles, bacon/sausage, and so forth). Mostly we only work to grab breakfast here when we are already staying at the Polynesian and donât need to make the extra trip.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
Where: Disneyâs Wilderness Lodge Resort
Meals: Signature dining dinner
Characters: Snow White, Grumpy, Dopey, and the Evil Queen
Pricing: Dinner - $67 per adult, $41 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Prix-fixe menu
Our Thoughts: One of the newer character dining locations, Story Book Dining is a Signature meal with food that lives up to that standard. The character interactions are a lot of fun, especially with Grumpy and Dopey, but the Evil Queen steals the show. Story Book Dining is located a little out of the way (unless you are staying at the Wilderness Lodge) so if you choose to go here make sure to plan enough time for travel and the meal.
Topolinoâs Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera
Where: Disneyâs Riviera Resort
Meals: Breakfast al la Art with Mickey & Friends
Characters: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy all done up in their own artistic attire
Pricing: Breakfast - $52 per adult, $33 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Prix-fixe menu
Our Thoughts: This is our favorite character dining at WDW right now, the food is on point and the character interactions are even better. Plus you can take the Skyliner to Hollywood Studios or Epcot afterwards, whatâs not to love. Pro Tip: This is a very popular reservation right now, but if you canât get a reservation at 60 days out keep checking. We often can find reservations for these hard to get restaurants if we check regularly. Iâve even snagged a reservation for here the day before, which may not work with your plans but shows itâs worth it to keep checking.
Tusker House Restaurant
Where: Animal Kingdom in Africa
Meals: Safari dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Characters: Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Daisy
Pricing: Breakfast - $52 per adult, $35 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity; Lunch/Dinner - $64 per adult, $42 per child (ages 3-9) plus tax and gratuity
Dining style: Buffet
Our Thoughts: Donald Duck's Safari breakfast is run-of-the-mill Disney breakfast offerings, this meal is great for picky eaters and we definitely recommend doing breakfast instead of lunch or dinner if you are a family without a lot of flexibility when it comes to food. Lunch and dinner are cut meats, stews, veggies, and salads with an African flare. There are kids sections with a more typical child friendly food. The character interactions here have been great, so itâs worth the visit.
*Pricing is based on time of publication and subject to change. Always double check Disney.com for up to date pricing.
đ§Pixie Dust Bonus: Character Dining Cheat Sheet
We've put together a reference to quickly locate which Disney characters are found at the different character dining locations. Save it as a JPG on your phone or download it at a PDF that can be printed.
đ§ Pixie Dust Hugs,
Bren, Kim and Lyn
P.S. Planning your own magical getaway?
