Now this is a topic I can really sink my teeth into 
This week for Heidi’s Head Destination Disney meme we are writing about our favorite six restaurants in Disney. This is an easy one for me because I truly love the restaurants in Disney World. You will find my list has one common theme and this was not on purpose; my favorites are all Character Meals! It’s true! Some people are not fans of character meals and I get that. Some prefer to maybe do one on their trip, maybe two, but not me. I adore character meals and you will see why in the following post…
1) ‘Ohana; Lilo and Stitch Best Friends Breakfast
This awesome meal is at the Polynesian Resort, which is the first reason I love it. We are not able to stay at a Deluxe Resort, so the best way to get to see them is to have a meal at one. ‘Ohana’s is a buffet meal serving the usual fare of eggs, sausage, fried potatoes, Mickey waffles and a wonderful assortment of breads, pastries and fruit. I absolutely adore the juice they serve which is called POG juice; pineapple, orange and guava together. The best part is the character interaction. Lilo, Stitch, Pluto and my main mouse Mickey, all visit you at your table for some quality face time There is also a parade through the beautifully decorated restaurant several times during the morning in which kids ( and ahem, the odd adult 
) participate in, playing instruments and dancing with their Best Friends! LOVE ‘Ohana’s!!
2) Cinderella’s Royal Table, Fairytale Dining
One of the best ways to see inside Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom is to have a meal there. We have had both lunch and dinner here and loved them both. It is on my list to try breakfast the next time, but ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations) are hard to come by if you are not booking at your six month window. However, we have had lots of luck getting ADRs and for that I am grateful. Cinderella’s Royal Table is not cheap, but alongside your meal you get photos. Downstairs, in the grand lobby, you and your party will be able to get a “portrait” photo taken with Cinderella herself. Your meal package includes copies of the photo and each child gets a sweet souvenir. I can honestly tell you that all of our photos taken with Cinderella have turned out beautifully (okay they are just Cindy and my daughter, but still) and every single time I have received the “special gift” to. On our first trip with my daughter we dined at the Castle for a late meal. Our server was super sweet and she gave my husband, who can be very charming, a glass mug engraved with the castle on it! It was such a lovely gesture and made us love Disney all the more. Oh and the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle for dessert is to die for!!
3) The Crystal Palace
Also found in the Magic Kingdom, The Crystal Palace is a must do for every trip. It is conveniently located in the Magic Kingdom so we always book a late lunch for an afternoon reprieve and I love not having to leave the park to get to it. The buffet serves a nice variety of foods, with the typical American flavour to it. The cookies on the dessert bar are great for taking a few extra in your bag for a snack later on The atmosphere is festive and oh so happy at The Crystal Palace because the servers, Cast Members, love their permanent guests of honor; Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and Eeyore!! These residents of the One Hundred Acre Woods visit your table for photos and unlimited hugs!
4) Chef Mickey’s
Told you I was all about the Character Meals Chef Mickey’s is found at the Contemporary Resort, another great opportunity to see a resort I can’t afford to stay at Currently you can have either breakfast or dinner there and enjoy the company of some wonderful friends. In the morning it is Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale and in the evening the last two are switched out with Donald and Goofy. We enjoy breakfast meals here and my favorite memory was when we celebrated my daughter’s and her two cousin’s birthdays. At that time we had Donald and Goofy for breakfast and we got some great photos. This restaurant is also a buffet and serves typical breakfast fare. If you are so inclined you can walk off your meal by strolling over to the Magic Kingdom, right next door!
5) The Garden Grill
This sweet restaurant is found in The Land Pavilion in Future World in Epcot! The Land is a wonderful place to spend some time for lots of reasons and one of those is eating! I really enjoy Chip and Dale’s Harvest Feast for a late lunch or early dinner. You also get to visit with Mickey and Pluto during your meal, along with Chip and Dale. Great character interaction. Something to note is that at each of these wonderful character meals our favorite friends are typically dressed in entire appropriate for the setting. So, if you are itching for a photo of Mickey in denim overalls, The Garden Grill is where you will get it The meal is served family style so you get lots of variety and good amount of it to eat. Dessert does not let you down either, usually. My favorite was a Blueberry Buckle with vanilla ice cream. Yummy! Oh, and did I mention that the restaurant rotates while you are eating so your view and the scenery, changes.
6) Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
The Princess Storybook Dining meals are so much fun! This is a great alternative if you can not get a ressie at Cinderella’s Castle, but your little princess (or prince) wants to dine with royalty. Found in the Norway Pavilion in the World Showcase of Epcot, Akershus offers some unique foods, although breakfast is American style. I am not super keen when it comes to trying new foods, but the selection of Norwegian foods is not overwhelming and there are traditional foods to eat as well. The fun begins when the princesses make their rounds. You will usually get to see four or five of the following; Jasmine, Mulan, Ariel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mary Poppins, Pocahontas and sometimes even Cinderella herself. It is a wonderful way to surprise your princess and have an air conditioned rest
So there you have it. I love the characters and when you can combine dining with them, well, it is a win-win situation. The food is usually very good in all of these locals and the characters will never disappoint. So now it is your turn. Share your favorite Disney restaurants with me in the comments and lets see what we have in common. Make sure you check out my blogger friends lists by visiting Heidi’s Head and reviewing the links and lists there. Thanks for reading!
FT&PD
Suz
Hi Suz,
Oh, I haven’t been to ANY of these restaurants! I so want to try Chef Mickey’s and a few others. Did you find that it’s a pain to have to travel to places outside the parks for meals? My DH doesn’t really want to take the extra transportation time to leave the parks, go to a resort for dinner, and come back to the park.
I totally understand where your DH is coming from Cass. Mobility is an issue for me so leaving a park and coming back is not something I look forward to. So we rarely do that. I love booking breakfast ADRs for as early as possible so you can enjoy the restaurant, preferably a character meal, then head to the park. Now this usually happens when I know I will get to see Rope Drop for a particular park on another morning. However, I am more flexible with Epcot and Animal Kingdom or even a water park day. Those I can miss being there when the park opens if I can score a great ADR at a great restaurant. Atfter all you get a good meal, which you need anyway AND you get to meet characters so it is like a different kind of rope drop ceremony
Now, when we are in the park already and plan to stay until closing for Wishes or IllumiNations, then I will book the ADR in the park, like Crystal Palace, the Castle, or any of the wonderful restaurants in Epcot. Then you are not leaving the park, but getting a break to rest, fuel up and finish up the day inside the park. Leaving for naps and swims in the afternoon and then returning later has not worked for us. We just end up wasting time so I would rather eat in the park when I can. Having said all of that you can still book a great resort or two for a meal on a non park day, on your arrival or departure day or when a park does not have a nighttime hold on you like Animal Kingdom or even sometimes HS ( unless you are staying for Fantasmic).
Suz
Wow, thanks for the tips! Amazing how much planning has to go into these trips. We’ve decided that our next trip has to have a couple non-park chill out days, so hopefully we can visit a few resort restaurants on those days. I wish we could go tomorrow!!
LOL, I am with you there
Half the fun is in the planning for me 
Suz
You have a great list but it’s been so long since I was there that I only remember the one restaurant but it’s the most important because we were at Epcot that day so we ate at the Canadian restaurant