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!
Happy listening!
The newest character dining opened up, over the holidays, as a one-off for dinner at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. It was a one-off experience because it was supposed to just be a holiday party event called Minnie’s Holiday Dine. It was so popular that they decided (because they are SMART) to make it every night and it would change themes based on seasons.
We went on our girls trip at the end of January and got to partake in the Silver Screen Dine which was a fantastic theme and so much fun. We had reservations at 6:40pm and Hollywood Studios closed at 8pm. We did have to wait in the rain for a few because we got there early and they did not allow us to even check-in early so that was a bummer. The reason I am sharing this info is because it ended up making the experience even better because we were in the last wave
of diners and once it started clearing out the characters had all the time in the world to play with whoever was left. Daisy was decked out in diamonds and an evening dress and was asking all the boys to dance. The family next to me had a beautiful teenage son who had special needs. Daisy was amazing and made his trip total magic. She kept pointing to her ring finger and he figured out she wanted him to propose. Those two danced the night away as I sat there with the other girls in tears of joy watching Disney magic right in front of us.
The characters that are there are of course Minnie, our gracious host, Daisy, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto. They all were in cocktail dress and tux attire and looked very fancy! The food was good, it was Hollywood and Vine and a buffet so lots of 
options and the desserts were really quite nice. But, it was the fun with the characters that made this a favorite.
I want to go to all the different themes and smart they are because this is not the normal one and done character meal. No more been there done that until you hit all seasons!
For my family’s trip to Walt Disney World early this November I was lucky enough to snag a reservation at the new Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood Studio’s Hollywood & Vine restaurant. I am SO glad I did! This meal was the perfect thing to get me in to the holiday season, and a great accompaniment to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
This meal was very popular! We checked in at Hollywood & Vine 5 minutes before our reservation time and had a wait of about 15 minutes before we were called in. First up was meeting Goofy!
Once we were seated at our table we were given tiny cups of the most delicious hot chocolate we’ve ever tasted. Yum! Great way to start the meal. We ordered our drinks and were instructed to the buffet to get the rest of our dinner.
The food from the buffet was amazing. Much better than you’d expect from a typical buffet meal. Some of the offerings were:
Shrimp & Lobster Mac and Cheese, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Asiago Ranch Chicken Breast, Pumpkin Ravioli (that looked more like pumpkin gnocci to me!), Barbequed Meatballs (a personal favorite), Marinated Flank Steak, Sweet Potato Casserole, Fish and Chips, Corn Bread Stuffing, Apricot Roasted Pork, Green Bean Casserole, Brussel Sprouts, Carrots, Salads, Rolls (including Pretzel bread!) and lots more.
While we ate we enjoyed visits from Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Mickey himself. The character interaction at this meal didn’t feel rushed at all! They took time to play with my little princess and make her smile. One small note, there were no autographs. A card with all the characters autographs was left on the table, but they did not sign autograph books.
After the characters came around we went back up to the buffet for the biggest selection of desserts I’ve ever seen. You’d better believe I had a small bite of each one!
Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine was an incredible meal! I’m so glad Disney started a seasonal Holiday meal for guests to enjoy like this. I look forward to see what they’re going to do with it in the other seasons.
Quick Facts
Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Hours: 8:00-11:20 a.m.
Characters: Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, Jake the Pirate, and Handy Manny (characters are always subject to change)
Dining Plan: 1 credit
Hollywood and Vine is a large buffet-style restaurant with an art-deco theme. If you have a Disney Junior fan, this is THE place to be. Not only do some of the most popular Disney Junior stars visit your tables, there is also singing and dancing to all the Disney Junior songs like the Hotdog Dance and the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song. It truly is a preschooler’s dream come true.
Breakfast Buffet Menu
(items are subject to change)
The food here was phenomenal. All of it was fresh and there was a great variety of breakfast foods to try.
Gluten-free options from the buffet: fresh fruit, cheddar grits, Mexican egg casserole, tater tots, sausage. There were not any gluten-free Mickey waffles, but there was plenty here available for those who suffer from a gluten allergy. My favorite two items were the egg casserole and the grits: they were different options and tasted great! I rank this as one of my absolute favorite gluten-free meals at Disney World.
Characters
At this meal the Disney Junior characters participate in the singing and the dancing and they also visit your table. When we visited we met Jake, Handy Manny, Agent Oso and June from Little Einsteins. Sofia the First and Doc McStuffins have replaced Agent Oso and June. The characters here were so much fun and my son had a fantastic time playing with them.
In Conclusion
As long as Anthony is a Disney Junior fan, we will make this character meal a must-do. The food was different and tasty and the characters are just perfect for a toddler. I cannot wait until our next visit when Sofia and Doc McStuffins are there.
Dole Whipped 