If you’re visiting Walt Disney World, character dining experiences are one of the most simple and exciting ways to meet the characters. Whether you hope to dine with the princesses, Mickey Mouse, or Donald Duck, you can meet many characters in fun, memorable dining experiences at the different parks at Walt Disney World.

3 Character Dining Experiences You Can’t Miss At Walt Disney World

On a recent trip to Walt Disney World with my husband and two kids, I had the interesting opportunity to visit three different restaurants that were all character dining experiences. Each restaurant offered a unique experience for visitors. 

Cinderella’s Royal Table

One of the most coveted restaurant reservations would be at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Months in advance, reservations start filling up, because the dining experience is so special. If you can’t secure a reservation far in advance, you can check for cancellations every morning. Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table is a coveted experience because you can meet Cinderella inside her castle.

While at Cinderella’s castle, kids receive a special wand and a wishing star. These small touches make it a very exciting experience.

Food At Cinderella’s Royal Table

Dining involves a three course meal at a set price, tip included. For kids, the dinner is as simple as an appetizer of grapes, chicken tenders with gravy for the entree, and a delicious dessert. The kids’ meals were very simple, appealing plates.

For adults, you can get the Chef’s Plate, a cheese and meat platter, as an appetizer. I chose the Beef and Shrimp plate for the entree. It was super delicious. Every bite of gravy mixed with meat was incredibly satisfying.

My dessert was The Clock Strikes Twelve, a spectacularly chocolatey cake that ended the night on a positive note. Another part of the night that was magical was that our reservation time slot, 9:20, was ideal for watching the fireworks out of the windows. 

Even though our time slot from 9:20 – 10:20 was past my daughters’ bedtimes, they had the best time. Earlier in the day, they had visited Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Visiting Cinderella’s castle after having a princess transformation was incredibly exciting!

Dining With Princesses At Cinderella’s Royal Table

When our meal was almost over, the best part was when the princesses were presented. Each princess came out one at a time, greeted the crowd, and then went from table to table as they enthusiastically spoke with each child. We had ample opportunities to get photographs with each princess.

Individually meeting princesses at the restaurant was a convenient and unique experience. We met many princesses who you can’t usually meet in Disney World, like Snow White.

Jasmine was another princess that we didn’t see anywhere at Disney World, except for the character dining experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table. 

Overall, the coolest part of dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table was getting to ascend the staircase at Cinderella’s castle. Heading upstairs into Cinderella’s special restaurant felt very exclusive and exciting.
We had the most amazing time dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table that we ended up canceling our reservation at Epcot’s Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, which offers a very similar experience. Meeting all of the princesses inside Cinderella’s castle was a major highlight of our time at the Magic Kingdom.

Be Our Guest

Another fun character dining experience we had was at the Be Our Guest restaurant, which was also at the Magic Kingdom.

Waiting For Our Table

We made reservations in advance. Several people tried to get in line without reservations, but they were turned away due to the volume of guests. Even with our reservation, we had a 45 minute wait. Even though waiting was not ideal, it did help us enjoy our beautiful surroundings.

One of the most beautiful parts of Be Our Guest was that its setting was Belle’s castle in France. We already knew that Cinderella had a castle at Disney World, but being able to visit Belle’s castle was completely a surprise.

On the side of Belle’s castle, water cascaded down and formed a beautiful waterfall. Most people who were waiting for their table enjoyed the view and took pictures of their gorgeous surroundings.

Entering Belle’s Castle

When our table was ready, a host greeted us by our last name and asked Samantha to walk a candle inside to our table. Being inside Belle’s castle was a marvelous experience. 

Dining Rooms In Be Our Guest

As we moved through the Be Our Guest Restaurant, we discovered multiple dining rooms, each with a unique twist. Even though we dined in the main room, we had plenty of time to check out the other dining rooms, which showed different aspects of Belle and the Beast’s life together.

One of the rooms was very dramatic and dark, and it gave insight into the struggles Belle and the Beast had during their tumultuous relationship. Torn cloth hung around the room, showing the anger the Beast had at what his life had become.

Inside, chandeliers and beautiful decorations made the castle come to life. The seating arrangement was spacious and comfortable.

One of the most beautiful parts of the restaurant was the windows, which showed snow falling down constantly through the night. This picturesque representation of France really helped set the scene for our meal.

Food At Be Our Guest

Another special part about dining at Be Our Guest was getting to eat the Grey Stuff. If you’ve heard the Be Our Guest song, it says, “Try the gray stuff, it’s delicious.” We made sure to order some! Although the Grey Stuff was a small serving size, it was absolutely delicious.

All of the food we ate at Be Our Guest was spectacular. I ordered the ratatouille, which was light and fresh after a long, hot day. 

After eating, we visited the Beast on our way out. He surprised us by being spectacularly friendly and dancing with Samantha and Georgiana.

Overall, Be Our Guest was an awesome experience for the whole family. I loved the food and the setting as much as the kids did.

Tusker House Restaurant

In our last day visiting Disney World, we spent the morning at Animal Kingdom. After our safari, we stopped in the first restaurant we could find. As luck would have it, we stopped in one of the most amazing character dining restaurants for guests who have already met all the princesses, Tusker House Restaurant.

This Harambe marketplace eatery offered an incredibly delightful experience. With buffet style eating, we found plenty of food options that the whole family could enjoy for a late breakfast/early lunch. 

Since the safari-style restaurant had a look that was very different than the other restaurants we had visited, it was an excellent place to visit.

Visiting right in between breakfast and lunch time meant that after we ate breakfast, the waiters switched out the breakfast food and brought out lunch food. I was really excited to get to try so many varieties of food that they offered.

When we ate our food, all of the classic, beloved Disney characters came out dressed in safari gear. Each character stopped at our table for a photo.

From Donald Duck to Daisy Duck, Goofy and Mickey Mouse, we were delighted to meet our favorite Disney characters. 

Goofy was hilarious and friendly, just as you would imagine he would be in real life! He fist bumped my husband, which made my kids laugh hysterically.

While meeting Mickey Mouse the very first time at Magic Kingdom was incredibly special, it was just as incredible to meet him at Tusker House. 

All in all, you can make your trip to Walt Disney World even more spectacular with a character dining experience. Any of these three restaurants will offer delicious food, close encounters with the characters, and good service. To make the most of your trip, visit all three, like we did!

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