Hi Nicole,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! The Walt Disney World Resort is my favorite place to celebrate birthdays!
For
character meals, I suggest that you visit Hollywood & Vine in Disney's Hollywood Studios and Tusker House Restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom. Another of our favorites is The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom. They always do a Pooh-rade in honor of Friendship Day so the noise level may be a concern for your 11-year old. Try searching YouTube to see videos of character dining experiences - it might help you determine how challenging the activity and noise level might be.
I would also suggest that you do a pre-park opening breakfast reservation. In our experience, early morning dining experiences are a little less noisy and crowded. The parks can also be less crowded, so the walk to the restaurant is more manageable. On our last visit in August, we did a pre-park opening dining reservation at Tusker House Restaurant and were able to just walk onto Kilimanjaro Safaris after breakfast. At Magic Kingdom, we did a pre-park opening dining reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant and were able to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train twice before the standby line got long. To do a pre-park opening dining reservation, be sure to check the park hours and make sure there are no Extra Magic Hours that morning. We prefer 8:00 a.m. reservations when the park opens at 9:00 a.m. If you make a breakfast reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant, be sure to do Order-Ahead Dining. It will save time at the restaurant!
Finally, Nicole, I suggest that you review the
Services for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities. The information on break areas might be especially helpful!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell