food IS a theme park
We’ve enjoyed saying hello to some our favorite characters (in modified ways) at spots like Garden Grill Restaurant and even Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Mickey and Pluto at Garden Grill Restaurant
Earlier this year, though, one spot — Chef Mickey’s in Disney’s Contemporary Resort — which has traditionally been a character meal, opened without Mickey and friends. But, that is about to change!
Character dining has started to return to spots like Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios and we’ve seen characters make very brief appearances in Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom.
Mickey and Minnie
But, the character dining experience is very much modified from what it used to be in Disney World.
Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios welcomed back guests last week!
Mickey at Hollywood and Vine!
We gave readers a brief overview of our experience after visiting the restaurant. We’re back to give you a detailed review and answer the most frequently asked question, “Is dining here worth it??” Since both restaurants reopened within days of each other, we found ourselves comparing our experience to Cinderella’s Royal Table character dining. You might be surprised to learn our verdict of which character dining came out on top. Hollywood & Vine is amping up the character dining experience and offering a vastly improved menu than they have in the past. Step inside Hollywood & Vine and see what we mean!
For many guests, dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table is at the top of their Disney World bucket list!
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Located inside Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom, the incredible atmosphere and opportunity to meet the Disney Princesses have traditionally been the main selling points of this restaurant. But, upon initial reopening, the princesses are no longer stopping by for guests meet-and-greets — although Cinderella may make an appearance from a distance. So, is Cinderella’s Royal Table worth visiting even without the chance to meet the Disney Princesses? Let’s dive in!
Since the reopening, we’ve seen a few character dining experiences return.
Mickey and Pluto!
You can now see Cinderella (very quickly) at Cinderella’s Royal Table, wave at the Beast in Be Our Guest Restaurant, and get some fun photos with Mickey and some of his friends at Garden Grill Restaurant and Topolino’s Terrace. Today, character dining also returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with a Halloween twist!
Well, we were in for a glorious surprise today!
Cinderella’s Royal Table
As you might have heard, Cinderella’s Royal Table is set to reopen in Magic Kingdom tomorrow. Well, you can imagine our surprise when it soft-opened TODAY. And with a 5 MINUTE wait at that, which is shocking if you know how in demand this place tends to be. Of course, we got ourselves a table — and you’ll never believe WHO we saw!
Updates: Cinderella’s Royal Table opened today, one day earlier than its scheduled reopening date, with a 5 minute wait! Click here to check out all the details. We were also surprised by a special guest during our dining experience today. Click here to see who made a guest appearance during our meal! Stay tuned for our full review of Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Ever wanted to dine like royalty?
Vaulted Ceilings in Cinderella’s Royal Table
You can truly feel like a princess when you eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. But, let’s be honest, this place has always been off-the-charts expensive.
Pre-closure, you could drop over $300 (after tax and tip) for your family of four, and it wasn’t even all you can eat. But we’ve always still recommended it as a one-and-done — because getting the experience to dine inside Cinderella Castle AND seeing five princesses at once almost made it worth the cost. Especially if this was your one and only experience to dine here.
Disney World is continuing their phased reopening! While the theme parks have been reopen for a couple of months now, we’re STILL seeing more locations and experiences reopen for guests to enjoy with the new health and safety guidelines in place.
Magic Kingdom
As the phased reopening continues, two more table service restaurants are preparing to reopen in Disney World. And in preparation for welcoming guests back, you can now book those Advance Dining Reservations for these two locations!
Earlier this week, we learned that character dining is coming BACK to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Hollywood Studios
Yes, Hollywood & Vine, a buffet in the Echo Lake section of the park is returning on September 25th with some spooky twists, but being able to greet Minnie Mouse and friends from a safe social distance while they were Halloween costumes isn’t the only change…
Only 8 weeks until Halloween!
Minnie’s Halloween Dine at Hollywood and Vine
Walt Disney World is gearing up for the spooky season with special entertainment and decorations. We have some news for all of you Mickey Mouse fans and lovers of Halloween! Hollywood and Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios will reopen later this month with it’s annual Halloween seasonal dining option!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
