Hello and welcome to planDisney, Kara. Gawrsh! We're glad you stopped by to share this question with us. A character meal is a great way to have some fun and meet with some friends while recharging and Chef Goofy is always cooking up something great.
Starting or ending (or even halfway between) a trip with a meal surrounded by characters is always an excellent idea. I definitely recommend securing a
dining reservation (which can be made up to 60 days in advance) for this experience. I just checked the Disneyland website and see that
Goofy's Kitchen can accommodate a party of up to 10 guests, and it looks like there's availability on the day of your visit (subject to change).
For even larger parties, I recommend splitting your group and securing two reservations. So perhaps reservations for a party of 10 and then a party of 9 for a total of 19. For a party of 13, I might split the group into a table for 6 and a table for 7. When you arrive at the restaurant to check in, you can let the Cast Member know that you are together. While it's not guaranteed that you will be seated near each other, they always do their very best to make magic happen.
No matter where you happen to be seated, everyone is guaranteed to have a wonderful time. It's also the only place where you'll find
Goofy’s Signature Peanut Butter Jelly Pizza on the menu. You might even run into someone from your party grabbing a slice. I loved having Goofy, Minnie and other pals come visit at our tables to make for a magical meal.
Kara, I hope this is helpful as you are getting ready for your visit, which is just around the corner. Let us know if there's anything else that we can help with. Here's wishing you a magical time at the Happiest Place on Earth. Let the countdown to the magic begin!
Michelle