On
May 31, 2013
Ellen
Asked
Note: This answer was provided prior to the change to planDisney and may still contain references to Disney Parks Moms Panel.
Experiences, policies, pricing and other offerings are subject to change and may have changed since the date of this answer.
“
What's the difference between a character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe or Chef Mickey at the Contemporary? Also, this is our first visit to Disney with our kids (ages 5 and 7). How many "character" meals would you recommend?”
Hi, Ellen! So, the biggest difference you'll notice at the character meals is which characters appear. At the Cape May Character buffet, you will usually find Minnie, Goofy, and Donald wearing their beach attire. The buffet has standard breakfast options, like scrambled eggs, omelets, bacon, sausage, and cold items, like cereals, fruits and yogurts.
At Chef Mickey's, you will also find similar standard breakfast fare, but your are more likely to run into Chef Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, and Minnie. They will, of course, not be dressed for the beach here.
Characters are subject to change without notice, and you may find different variety in breakfast items.
Other character meals feature Lilo and Stitch, Winnie the Pooh and friends, some of the stars of Disney Junior, and the most popular princesses.
As far as how many character meals you should go to, I think it depends how much time you want to give up to enjoy a meal. My kids would much rather be in the parks than sitting down to a meal, and a character meal will easily take an hour of your theme park day. If I'm going for four or five days, I might pick one character meal for my kids to do, plus one other fun dining experience, such as Sci Fi Dine In or Whispering Canyon. So, consider how much time you are willing to sacrifice for character meals.
On the plus side, you don't have to wait in line for the characters you meet at the meals! That may save you some time in the long run!
Have a great trip!