Quick, answer this question: if you could choose just one restaurant to dine at for the rest of your life, which would you choose?
For me, it’s an easy choice – Topolino’s Terrace: Flavors of the Riviera at Disney’s Rivera Resort! More specifically, I would want to eat at character breakfast for two main reasons:
1) The amazing food options (both regular and allergy friendly)
2) because of the amazing character interactions you get to have with Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy.
Although character dining may not be the first thing you think of when visiting destinations outside of Disney-owned properties, it’s surprisingly common among several popular destinations such as:
- The Grinch & Friends Character Breakfast at Universal Orlando Resort (*specific holiday offering)
- Suess at Sea – Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast on Carnival Cruise Line
- Sesame Street Character Breakfast (all characters except Julia) at Beaches Resorts by Sandals
As one of your Magic Vacation Planners who travels often either by herself or in adult-only groups, I’m here to tell you not to skip out on character dining experiences!
Below are a few tips to help make your experience fun and interactive:
Know Your Characters
In my experience, the best way to interact with characters at meals is to ask questions about their exciting storyline. When I am interacting with Mickey, I will ask him about Pluto or what he and Minnie have been up to. It’s a great conversation starter that doesn’t take too much effort and can lead to a fun interaction.
Keep It Simple
Are conversations not your preference? Just ask for a picture! When I am feeling more tired and not interested in keeping up a conversation, I will ask the characters for a picture, thank them, and then the character will move on to the next table.
Have Fun
Cast Members, Team Members, and Crew Members are all trained to interact with both children and adults. And sometimes, having an adults-only group can be fun because you can joke (appropriately) with the characters. When I eat at Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, I like to joke with Donald Duck that he is #1, which is a running joke from his cartoon. He gets really excited every time I do this, and it’s a great way to create a positive and fun experience with characters.
Character dining may feel like an intimidating experience. However, they are NOT to be missed! The food is usually great, as well as the experience, and it’s such a fun time that absolutely everyone can enjoy.
For more tips like these, contact your Magical Vacation Planner!