We all have our beloved Disney attractions and shows. Whether you run to obtain fastpass for Space Mountain or you wait a full hour before the scheduled parade show time, we all have our must-see, must-do Disney park traditions. However, all those rides and theatrical processions would not nearly be as magical and spectacular without the presence of the Disney characters themselves. Certainly, we can easily name a few of our cherished Disney celebrities (Donald, Daisy, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh…), and, thus, become overly ecstatic when we spot one of our favorites wandering the parks or greeting the families enjoying their meals at one of the many designated character dining experiences.
I must confess, throughout all my frequent Disneyland Resort vacations over the years, I had never visited one of the character restaurants. As a child, I severely dreaded encountering the Disney idols in their enormous costumes and over-sized masks concealing their true identities. No matter which character, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, or the Seven Dwarfs, if they approached, I would rush away in the opposite direction. So, yes, my fear deprived my childhood of any social character interaction. Now, as an adult, I yearned to discover what I may have missed as a child, and decided to investigate my possibilities at the Disneyland Resort.
I quickly discovered several character-dining locations exist within the resort’s premises including:
- Plaza Inn at the Disneyland Park with Minnie and friends for a buffet breakfast
- Ariel’s Grotto at Disney California Adventure with Ariel and other Disney princesses for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
- Storyteller’s Café at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel with Chip n’ Dale and their woodland friends (i.e. Winnie the Pooh) for breakfast
- Disney’s PCH Grill at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, a Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and friends
- Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel with Chef Goofy and his friends for a buffet-style breakfast and dinner
Since I do not consider myself an early-morning person, the scheduled breakfast hours did not appeal to me, which left Ariel’s Grotto and Goofy’s Kitchen with their dinner options. The buffet-style dining experience at Goofy’s Kitchen enticed me more, so I made my reservation online for a table for two on a Tuesday at 6:20pm to dine with Goofy and his pals. I greatly encourage reserving a table either online at Disney Dining or by calling (714) 781-DINE, due to the popularity of this type of dining option.
As the clock ticked closer to six o’clock on that specific Tuesday, I wandered over to the Disneyland Hotel from Downtown Disney, passing the monumental twinkling Sorcerer’s Hat to find the “Goofy’s Kitchen” sign just around the corner from the Fantasy Tower. As I approached the restaurant’s exterior, through the window, I witnessed Goofy and the gang dancing around the seated guests, everyone twirling their fabric napkins high above their heads. I could already tell that this would be an unforgettable evening…
My dear friend from college acted as my date for the night, as she also had never dined with the Disney characters before. The two of us met up at the restaurant’s check-in counter to initiate our fun-filled adventure for the evening. We made our way in line to meet our cheerful chef, Goofy. We exchanged pleasantries with this tall, lanky character dressed in the appropriate all-white chef’s attire. We took pictures, embraced, and finally departed with a quick high-five, before our host politely ushered us to our table. I immediately knew I was in trouble as we passed the dessert table—so many miniature cakes, pies, and pastries, as well as cookies. Oh, I cannot wait to dive into that later!
Now seated, our lovely server appeared with a cheery disposition, a contagious smile, and two “I’m Celebrating” buttons for each of us. She explained the simple rules of engagement when at the food counters and took our drink orders before we rapidly headed towards the giant buffet area. Hunger pangs ensuing, my stomach felt prepared for the plethora of the all-I-could-eat food, and I certainly had quite the selection. Several different types of fruit to create a fruit salad, various kinds of pasta and pizza, popcorn shrimp, chicken, roast beef, smoked salmon, seasonal sautéed vegetables, a salad bar, and, of course, the aforementioned dessert bar lay before me.
Plates filled, both my friend and I happily returned to our table just in time for Minnie Mouse to make her rounds to us. I recommend any newcomers to the character-dining brigade to prepare themselves with cameras at hand and autograph books out and ready to give to the Disney stars since they very quickly go from table to table. My friend donned her Minnie ears, so, of course, our new guest enthusiastically pointed them out and graciously had her picture taken with my friend. And just like that, Minnie wandered off to the next family before she and the other Disney pals all made their way outside. At first, I pondered their quick exit, wondering if they required breaks or shift changes at this time, but I soon realized their intentions. As I discovered throughout the evening, about every 15 minutes, a recorded announcement introduced Goofy and his friends Chip, Dale, Pluto, and Minnie, and invited everyone to twirl their napkins as the group paraded by the tables in a single file line with the help of some upbeat music. Several children followed the procession, mimicking their Disney pals in twirling their napkins high above their heads, before the characters paused in various regions of the restaurant to complete the fun with a little Disney jig. After the brief festivities occurred, Goofy returned to his post up front, while the others continued to make their rounds to the various tables once more.
Having a break from the characters, I returned my focus to the eclectic arrangement of food before me. I enjoyed the sautéed vegetables coated with butter and pepper and the cod smothered in a white cream sauce. Earlier I had also snuck a slice of the peanut butter and jelly pizza since it seemed quite unique, while my friend added a slice of the macaroni and cheese pizza onto her plate. This PB & J pizza tasted similarly to the toasted Skippy peanut butter and plum jelly sandwiches I used to make as a young child. I definitely began to feel nostalgia as the flavors brought me back to the Days of Old. Hmmmm…
However, my dreamlike state did not last long as the same spiel played over the speakers, and the merry lineup commenced again. Knowing the routine this time, I stood near the buffet zone, and had the opportunity to high-five Chip as he danced by. (Yes, I felt accomplished in spite of the blurry image on my camera’s viewing screen.)
OK, now to indulge my sweet tooth!
The sight of itty-bitty molten chocolate cakes, topped by a small dollop of whipped cream and a rolled white and milk chocolate piece, immediately lured me in, as well as the tiny chocolate caramel tart. The moist dark chocolate cake filled with gooey dark fudgy chocolate, as well as the crunchy milk chocolate crust of the tart that encased the creamy caramel center skyrocketed my endorphin level. Such deliciousness! I proceeded to load my plate with extremely small portions of bread pudding and apple berry crisp, and chose a little cup of crème brulee and a lemon bar. I enjoyed the bread pudding with its cinnamon flavors and fluffy, yet also mushy texture. The rest, alas, failed to live up to my standards—the apple crisp was too sweet, the crème brulee had a strange burnt aftertaste, and the lemon bar certainly lived up to its name as it was overwhelmingly lemony. (My friend, however, did not share the same criticism towards the sweet delicacies and eagerly finished what I did not enjoy.)
As I stuffed my face with more of the molten chocolate cakes (hands down, my favorite item of the night), our server, along with Chip and another waiter, presented to the table across from us with a chocolate cupcake topped by a sparkler candle to celebrate a little girl’s 1st birthday. Even though photographs will certainly be her only source of recollecting this evening’s events, the toddler took in her surroundings, intrigued and wide-eyed, enjoying the moment and, yet, also attempting to comprehend what it all meant.
Meanwhile, behind us, a family of five sat with the youngest of the three daughters in tears from her initial failed attempts of capturing her favorite Disney celebrity, Minnie Mouse, in a still image. Apparently, from what I could gather, when Minnie had made her rounds to our side of the restaurant earlier, the two eldest girls successfully had gotten a picture of their smiling faces next to Minnie, but the youngest, aged about four, only managed a blurry picture with the female mouse. I recount this event since I consider what followed later to be truly magical.
Our waitress after discovering the reason for the child’s distressed condition reassured the mother that she would find Minnie and ask her to return to the family’s table. True to her word, our server eventually retrieved Minnie from her rounds of salutations, and the little girl had her wish granted as she and her entire family posed with the Disney idol. Our server snapped the pictures, and Minnie ensured all photos were deemed perfect before waving farewell to the now all-smiling three girls. It made me so happy to see such care and patience from the Cast Members.
With the night hours encroaching and my stomach reaching full capacity, my friend and I threw down our napkins by our plates in surrender and then hoisted ourselves away from the table. I departed with a sense of gratitude and excitement from my overall night’s experience dining with the characters. At Goofy’s Kitchen the enthusiasm and food never wanes, and the pure joy, no matter the age, induced by the close encounters and interactions with the Disney stars, makes the dining experience that more memorable. I certainly wish to engage in more character dining at the other locations in the future to compare the food and overall experiences. Until then, I bid good night and Disney joy to all! Cheers!
Do you have a favorite Disneyland character dining location?