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When I was a child I was terrified of costumed characters. For some reason Halloween didn’t bother me, but I didn’t want to go near Santa Claus’ lap at the mall, to my parents’ relief (it saved them the long line wait).
What frightened me the most, however, were costumed characters at amusement parks. One of my earliest memories is running in fear from the parade at Sesame Place when I was only about three. Trips to Hershey Park had me breaking out into a nervous sweat should one of the giant anthropomorphic candy bars wander near me.
On second thought, perhaps I wasn’t so silly to be horrified by the concept of human-sized pieces of candy coming after me. It begs the question, however, how I would have coped if my family ever made the much-desired trip to Disney World. I loved Santa Claus and the characters on Sesame Street yet I was afraid of meeting them, so would my abiding love for Disney have been enough, or would I have run from Disney World cast members too?
We’ll never know how I might have reacted to meeting my favorite Disney characters. If your child loves the idea of doing so, however, then you should consider setting up a special treat for them. It’s not hard to run into any of the more popular Disney figures at either of the parks, given that they wander around everywhere. But what about getting to eat a meal with them?
Any visitors to the parks have the option of setting up a special “character dining” experience. Today I’m focusing on the options at Disneyland.
Obviously many of the characters won’t actually eat with you; it’s probably rather difficult to get food past those huge head-sized masks. Whether or not actual consumption is involved on the characters’ part, your family will get to enjoy a meal while meeting a Disney character or two.
Unfortunately, Disneyland doesn’t let you pick any character with whom you want to have a meal. It has several options of meals with specific characters from which families may choose. The official Disney Parks blog has the details of what characters you’ll meet and what food you’ll eat at each one.
It’s not surprising that one of the options on the list is to eat with the Disney Princesses, given their popularity. Over in Ariel’s Grotto at California Adventure you can have a family-style breakfast or a beef, seafood, and pasta lunch with the Disney princesses.
If you like your characters a bit more classic, set up a Minnie & Friends Breakfast at Disneyland’s Plaza Inn. You’ll get to meet Minnie and her other classic friends for an 11 a.m. buffet of omelets, Mickey waffles, pastries, fruit, and more.
If mischievous chipmunks are your favorite (they’re some of mine, thanks to the early-90s Disney cartoon “Rescue Rangers”) then sign up for the Chip ‘n Dale Critter Breakfast at the Grand Californian’s Storytellers Cafe. Or if you want something even goofier, try out Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel, where Goofy leads a dance party over peanut butter and jelly pizza for breakfast or carved meats for dinner.
And of course you’ll have the chance to meet the mouse himself. The PCH Grill at Paradise Pier Hotel serves Surf’s Up! with Mickey & Friends, another buffet with the chance to dance with Mickey Mouse.
If you’re interested in any of these character dining options, book up to 60 days in advance by calling 714-781-DINE (3463).
Related Articles:
A Day at the Magic Kingdom – Tips for Your First Visit
*(This image by I Don’t Know, Maybe is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
