Hi Don!
I'm so glad you stopped by planDisney to dish on one of my favorite topics -
character dining! Whether we're meeting Disney royalty or some of the "Fab Five," character dining is a must for us on each vacation!
Don, I also have a toddler and love that several things are "free before three" when we visit Walt Disney World Resort. Most notably, children under three do not have to pay theme park admission - a great savings for your family! Dining is another part of vacation planning where people often share that kids are free under three, but there are a few caveats to that which we can explore, particularly as they relate to character dining.
Many character dining experiences offer buffet experiences, currently including:
- 1900 Park Fare
- Cape May Cafe (characters at breakfast only)
- Chef Mickey's
- The Crystal Palace
- Hollywood & Vine
- Tusker House Restaurant
When dining at a buffet, children under three are not charged for their meal, and you are welcome to make a plate (or two, or three!) from the buffet for them. The same is true for family-style character dining experiences, which currently include:
- Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
- Garden Grill Restaurant
- 'Ohana (characters at breakfast only)
Actually, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall offers a blended dining experience, with hot items being brought to your table and cold items being served on a buffet. At these three locations, servers will bring platters of food to your table - and continue to refill them throughout the meal at your request! I love the family-style option when traveling with a toddler, as juggling little ones and plates of food at a buffet can sometimes be a bit challenging.
Lastly, there are three options that I like to put a bit of an asterisk by when we talk about children under three dining for free. At these restaurants, you are ordering a plated meal from a prix fixe menu. Currently, these include:
- Cinderella's Royal Table
- Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White
- Topolino's Terrace - Flavors of the Riviera (characters at breakfast only)
Your little ones are still welcome to eat for free off of your plate at these three locations, but it's important to keep in mind that these are not all-you-care-to-enjoy experiences, so you are truly sharing your meal with your toddler. If you have a toddler with a bit of a bigger appetite, you are always welcome to order them a meal, but you would need to pay the children's price.
Don, when finalizing your dining plans, it's important to keep in mind that character dining is very popular, and
advanced dining reservations are recommended. If you're staying at a hotel in the Disney Resorts Collection, you can enjoy the added advantage of booking your dining reservations 60 days before checking in for the entire length of your stay! This comes in handy with some of the most popular character dining options, like Topolino's Terrace. It's also worth noting that you have the option to add the
Disney Dining Plan to a vacation package that includes your hotel and theme park tickets. I think character dining is a great use of the dining plan, with most restaurants only redeeming one Table-Service meal per person!
I hope this information has been helpful, Don! If you have any other questions, please visit us again!
Bon Appétit!
Kristi