Hi Jason!
Welcome to planDisney! And thank you so much for sending this
Disneyland Resort Character Dining question to us hEAR!
Oh, I love so much that you have life-long memories of going to Disneyland Resort! One of the things I love so much about looking at pictures from visits when I was in the baby days is how much everything has changed - the fashion choices, Minnie Mouse's makeup, even the style of stroller rentals in the park. But I also
love comparing what's stayed the same!
In terms of available
Character Dining, there sadly hasn't been anything offered at
Cafe Orleans in the last few pre-and-during pandemic years. (However, the
infamous espresso machine purchased by Walt himself while on a 1965 European vacation is still on display.) Plaza Inn does offer the '
Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park' character breakfast that typically features Minnie, Chip & Dale, Pooh, Eeyore, and at least two or three more friends on a rotating basis. This meal is mighty popular, so be sure to book it right when Dining Reservation open at 6:00 AM PST, 60 days in advance of your dining day. Pro Tip:
Plaza Inn switches over to a cafeteria-style quick service meal for lunch starting at noon, but the breakfast items start to get cleaned up around 11:45 AM.
However, if you're looking for a late breakfast or a lunch reservation, I'm going to suggest looking into booking either
Mickey's Tales of Adventure Brunch Buffet at Storytellers Cafe in the
Disney Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, or lunch at
Goofy's Kitchen at the
Disneyland Hotel. And hEARs a Pro Tip, Jason: For these two locations, try to book the latest reservation time that you can find. If you look at the "hours", those are the
seating times, meaning you could really book a reservation to be seated at 11:55 when the doors close at Noon. Not only will you still be able to help yourself to a full buffet of choices that get replenished with the same time regularity as when the restaurant is hopping in the morning, both the buffet and our favorite Character pals will still stay put until the last table leaves. This is how I book most of my character meals as not only is there less competition for the best Mickey Waffle of the bunch, but the characters can make multiple rounds to your table as the restaurant clEARs out. Sometimes they'll even interact with each other (usually they visit the tables one-by-one) which makes for some super cute photos! (*Note that this only works at locations that close and take a few hours of a break between breakfast/brunch and the dinner service.)
I hope this helped to plan your upcoming Disney days, Jason! Be sure to follow the
official planDisney Instagram account for even more tips and tricks, as well as the brand new
planDisney Podcast! And if you have any more Disneyland Resort vacation planning questions, We're All Ears!
~Kristen