Hi Andrea,
Character Dining is a great way to have special time with beloved Disney characters,
and enjoy a delicious meal at the same time. One of the best ways that we have found to make a Character Dining experience more cost efficient is to book breakfast in the "brunch" time slot. This would be around 10:00 a.m. or so. In doing this, we are able to cover breakfast and lunch with the same meal. This way, when allocating money for meals, we divide the cost of the meal in half (on paper) and cover breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is typically the least expensive meal of the day at the buffet restaurants. Additionally, by choosing a buffet meal which is all-you-care-to-eat, you can make sure that everyone has filled up enough to hold them over. On days that we book a character brunch, we often just grab a special treat like Mickey's Premium Ice-Cream Bar as an afternoon snack and we are set until dinner. You could do this with "dunch" as well (lunch and dinner), and cover two meals by booking a mid-afternoon time slot. Breakfast is generally less expensive though.
Some of our very favorite buffet Character Dining brunch choices, based on venue, experience, and interaction are:
The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom: Winnie-the-Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet
Donald's Safari Breakfast at the Tusker House in the Animal Kingdom: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy
Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast at the Beach Club, Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot, and Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary Resort are other great choices.
Wishing you magical memories,
Kaylene