• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 879 0

on select nights (usually Tuesday and Saturday) at Fort Wilderness and features a country band, line dancing with the characters, and picnic food such as barbecued ribs, roast chicken, and corn on the cob. Prices are $51 for adults, $28 for children 3 to 9. The barbecue is decidedly rowdier than other Disney dinner events. A mother of four from New York wrote, “The closest we came to a never-again moment was Mickey’s Backyard Barbecue. It was a free-for-all with characters and kids running loose on the dance floor. On the other hand, the Polynesian luau was a delight, with plenty of entertainment for the kids but a much calmer atmosphere.”

Allow plenty of time to get to your character meal. If you’re relying on Disney transportation, your journey begins at the Magic Kingdom. For the luau, take the resort monorail from the Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian and follow the signs to the beach. For the Hoop-Dee-Doo or the barbecue, take the ferry from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness. Either way, you’re in for a lot of walking. “It takes too much Hoop-Dee-Doo just to get there,” wrote one reader from California who is still steaming over missing her appetizer. If you have a car, obviously driving is easier. Or take a cab.

Character Dining

The character meals are time-consuming and expensive, but families with young kids give them very high marks. It’s not about the food, which is usually fine, it’s about the chance to have the characters actually visit your table so that there’s plenty of time for pictures, hugs, and autographs. Reservations can (and should) be arranged 180 days in advance by calling 407/939–3463 (407/WDW–DINE). Any character meal that takes place inside a theme park requires theme-park admission.

Helpful Hint

Kids under 3 get into the parks for free, but what’s the deal with character meals? Historically the buffets are more liberal than the sit-down venues about comping the under-3 set, but don’t assume: Anytime you book a character meal, ask the restaurant to spell out its policy about who, if anyone, eats for free.

The character meal that gets the most attention is Cinderella’s Royal Table, which is always booked up months in advance—despite being by far the most expensive. Granted there are some little extras included in the cost, but the drastic price jump is a clue to the popularity of this venue; people are willing to pay almost twice as much as the typical character meal just to get their daughters inside the castle. During the on-season it is often sold out within minutes of the reservation line opening. Your best bet is to call 407/939–3463 (407/WDW–DINE) EXACTLY 180 days in advance and PRECISELY at 7 AM. And if you still can’t get in, be prepared with a backup plan in the form of either the Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus in the Norway pavilion at Epcot, which features almost every Disney princess except Cinderella, or 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, which offers a specialty dinner called Cinderella’s Feast.

Money-Saving Tip

Unlike regular restaurant reservations, which can be canceled at the last minute or simply ignored, making reservations for dinner shows and character meals requires a credit-card guarantee. If your plans change, and you fail to cancel your reservation at least 48 hours in advance, you’re charged in full.

And don’t forget: If you’re going to dine with royalty, it’s only fitting that little girls dress for the occasion. If you think the full princess outfit is a little too much for a day in the parks, change your girl back into casual clothes after the meal.

Character-meal times, places, prices, and the characters featured change often, so call to confirm the information before you book the meal. If your child has his heart set on meeting a particular character, be sure to verify that the character will actually be there when you visit.

Since dining will take about two hours, try to book the first character breakfast of the day. Families who have scheduled character breakfasts on the last day of their visits have also noted that a long breakfast