Hi Danielle!
Welcome to planDisney! Thank you so much for reaching out to us hEAR!
I just love
Character Dining. It's truly the best way to see a lot of friends, get some great photos, and fill up on all-you-care-to-enjoy Mickey waffles. And
Goofy's Kitchen just happens to be in one of the best locations, the
Disneyland Hotel. Be sure to walk around all of the buildings to take in all kinds of cool Disney artifacts and treasures throughout the decades.
This is a great question. I just asked my
dear friend and fellow Panelist Kristin C., who is currently in the parks, if she'd get a status check for us. And hEARs what she found out: Characters at
Goofy's Kitchen are on a moderated interaction schedule. You're able to hug and greet Goofy in his show kitchen with an included Disneyland Photographer photo opp, so be sure to show your
Disneyland PhotoPass code! While seated, the five friends who were serving that day would dance and circle the restaurant to music about every 20 minutes, the same as they did before hugs came back. Only now they're able to get closer to the tables and give high fives. They still aren't interacting with every table, signing autographs, or stopping for pictures, but you might be able to get a quick side hug-in-motion while they're making their rounds when dancing, so parents have your cameras ready!
So that's what the scene is like today in early May. I bet we'll see more improvements and table-side interactions as your Disney dining dates get nearer. What you can do, Danielle, is book the reservation now so you'll have the spots saved, and then come back and ask again for any updates about a week or two before your vacation. You can also keep up with the
Disney Parks Blog as they're the best source of the newest Disney news straight from Mickey himself. Be sure to
follow them across all of your social media channels so you'll never miss an update! Then, if you're still not sure about keeping the booking, you can cancel risk-free up until 24 hours before your reservation.
I hope that this helped to better plan your upcoming Disney days, Danielle! Be sure to follow the
official planDisney Instagram account, where we're sharing all kinds of tips and tricks. And if you have any more Disneyland Resort vacation planning questions, We're All Ears!
~Kristen