We continue our In Depth series with two sister Epcot area resorts, Yacht Club and Beach Club. Situated just outside Epcot’s International Gateway, these resorts are convenient and beautiful. Listen to find out what kinds of activities, dining, and amenities you can find at both these amazing resorts!
Other In Depth episodes:
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One of the most popular activities you can do at Disney is to have a character meal! This is a great way to see your favorite characters without standing in line and while having a delicious meal. Join us as we talk all about the character meals you can find at Walt Disney World!
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Have you ever wondered which Walt Disney World restaurants give you the most bang for your Disney Dining Plan buck? Wonder no longer as we discuss which restaurants we think are the best value for your dining plan credits!
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Sometimes when planning dining reservations for a Walt Disney World vacation people focus on restaurants in the parks. Fortunately, there are many, many choices outside of the parks and if you plan correctly going to a dining reservation outside of the parks doesn’t have to take a lot of time out of your day. Of if you aren’t planning to visit a park you can still have plenty of fun and even meet some Disney friends!
Magic Kingdom Resort Area:
Grand Floridian Resort has two very unique character meal options both at the same restaurant, 1900 Park Fare. For breakfast you can meet Mary Poppins, Alice, the Mad Hatter, Tigger and Winnie the Pooh. For dinner you can meet up with Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine and her daughters Anastasia and Drizella.
Also at the Grand Floridian there is Victoria & Albert’s a very upscale restaurant, having an AAA Five Diamond rating since 2000. There is also the highly coveted Chef’s Table at Victoria & Albert’s which features 13 courses and the chef personally conversing between courses. This is definitely a bucket list item!
Photo via Disney.com
Citricos Dining with an Imagineer is a very unique option outside of the park. Who wouldn’t love to pick the brain of a Disney Imagineer? This is your chance to ask questions and learn about the behind the scenes of Walt Disney World.
Within the Wilderness Lodge you will find the Whispering Canyon Café, a buffet with some shenanigans. If you love great food, a neat atmosphere and sassy and fun cast members you will want to make the trip to Wilderness Lodge for this family style bottomless platters! Just be careful when you ask for ketchup or straws!
In the Polynesian Village Resort there is a unique character meal featuring Lilo and Stitch as well at Mickey and Pluto in Hawaiian gear. Lilo is not featured anywhere else so if you have a person who loves Lilo and Stitch this is THE place to go!
Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is located at the Campsites at Fort Wilderness and boasts an amazing dinner show with great food, fun, vaudeville comedy, singing and dancing. And of course Strawberry Shortcake! There are multiple shows each day in different price categories based on your seat. You can read Tara’s review here.
Epcot Resort Area:
Another great character meal option is at the Beach Club, Cape May Café! This is a character meal for breakfast only and features Minnie and friends in their beach attire! So if you are in Epcot or Hollywood Studios or staying at an Epcot are resort this is a fantastic option that isn’t as well-known as other character meals. You can read a review right here!
Photo via Disney.com
Beaches and Cream in the Beach Club boasts more than just ice cream. This old-fashioned soda fountain has a full menu of burgers, salads, sandwiches, and soup. But most people are coming for The Kitchen Sink. This creation has scoops of 5 different types of ice creams, every topping imaginable plus a whole can of whipped cream. You will need the whole family to finish this monster! But beware when you order it you will cause some heads to turn since the whole restaurant will light up as this treat makes its way to your table.
Todd English’s bluezoo located in the Dolphin Hotel is a sleeper choice. It is a pricey dinner, so maybe for a special occasion this is a great choice. It has won numerous awards and does awesome seafood as well as plenty of beef, chicken and pork dishes to keep everyone happy. They even feature a pretty great kid’s menu if you are bringing the whole family. The restaurant itself is beautiful and you will want to get dressed up for this dinner.
Photo via Disney.com
Check back soon for more dining suggestions on the Animal Kingdom Resort area and Disney Springs!
Disney parks aren’t the only place to find a great breakfast when you’re on vacation. In fact, some of the best character meal options are located in Walt Disney World resort hotels! If you’re looking for a character breakfast give one of these restaurants a try.
Cape May Cafe Located at Disney’s Beach Club resort, Cape May cafe features Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck in their beach wear outfits. There are plenty of hot and cold breakfast options at this buffet including chorizo scrambled eggs and a yogurt bar with toppings. With only 3 characters meeting at this meal we’ve heard a lot about it not being worth the price of admission. Cape May Cafe does often has reservations open past the 180 day booking window though so if you’re looking for something a little bit more last minute give it a shot!
1900 Park Fare Mary Poppins, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Tigger and Winnie the Pooh meet you at this restaurant for breakfast, located inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Character interaction and food are both highly rated at this breakfast. Options include Lobster Eggs Benedict and their famous Strawberry Soup. As a bonus (and this is the case with our next two restaurants as well) you can hop on the monorail after breakfast for a short ride to the Magic Kingdom!
‘Ohana If you’ve read the blog or listened to our podcasts before you might remember that ‘Ohana is one of our very favorite character meals hands down, not just at a resort but in all of Disney World! ‘Ohana has a great breakfast of fresh fruit (with a delicious dipping sauce), scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon and of course Mickey waffles all served family style (on large platters at your table). During breakfast you’ll meet Lilo and Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. ‘Ohana is a not-to-miss meal for us at Dole Whipped so make sure to check it out.
Chef Mickey’s Far and away the most popular character meal featuring the “Fab 5” (Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald) at Disney, the jury is still out on if this meal is worth it. Personally I find it a little loud and chaotic but it is a great way to meet all those very important characters if you don’t want to wait in line in several different locations to do so. Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s is a buffet consisting of typical hot and cold offerings.
Which is your favorite resort character breakfast?
Join us and special guest, Lee, as we talk about all the fun things you can do on your Disney vacation that don’t require a park ticket. It’s always a good idea to take a break from the crowds and do something a little lower key and we have plenty of tips to help you make the most of those days.
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Join us this week as we discuss all your dining options in the Epcot Resort area! This includes everything within BoardWalk Inn, Beach Club, and Yacht Club! We also have ex-Cast Member Chris back on the show with us! If you’re thinking of staying in the Epcot area, you don’t want to miss this show!
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Quick Facts
Location: Beach Club Resort, Epcot Resort Area
Hours: 7:30-11 a.m.
Characters: Minnie, Donald, Goofy (characters are always subject to change)
Dining Plan: 1 credit
This is one of my family’s favorite character meals. We have eaten here four times and each time is consistently delicious! The Cape May Cafe is made to look like a beach-style restaurant and they certainly pull it off! My favorite decorative element are the umbrellas along the side of the restaurant, it really ties the theming together.
All of the food is available through a central buffet. There are two identical sides of hot offerings so the line moves through quickly.
Menu
Gluten-free Options
This is one of my favorite gluten-free breakfasts. There is so much on the buffet that is gluten-free: meats, cheeses, eggs, frittatas, fruit and vegetables, and my favorite: cheddar grits!! The chef will also bring you gluten-free Mickey waffles and a gluten-free doughnut. This is different than the other doughnuts served on property and it’s worth the trip.
Characters
Minnie, Goofy, and Donald are the usual hosts here and they are all in the beach gear ready for a day in the sun and sand! We have always enjoyed the interaction here and the characters will often come around twice.
How to Get Here:
This meal is at the Beach Club and is the most out of the way character meal. If you have a car you will be able to drive over and park at the Beach Club. We have also taken a taxi directly there from our hotel, it costs between $10-$15 from most WDW resorts.
I think it’s worth the extra hassle and here are some ways to get here utilizing Disney transportation:
In Conclusion
I go out of my way to go to this character breakfast for the high quality food and the genuine experiences the characters give my son. It’s far more laid back than the loud and hectic Chef Mickey’s.
In the 6th episode of the Dole Whipped: Dishing on Disney podcast Shannon, Dana, Jillian and Jamie discuss character meals: their favorites and not so favorites, best values and hidden gems! Happy listening!
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