What is Disney Character Dining?

Character dining is iconic, especially since different variations of it are available at Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Aulani! So how does it work?

Character dining reservations need to be made as early as possible for the parks and Aulani. On Disney Cruise Line they will be part of your rotational dining experience with no extra booking needed or cost. Experiences vary for DCL based on ship and itinerary. During a character dining experience, characters will come straight to your table and spend 1-on-1 time with you. For certain characters, like the Evil Queen at Storybook Dining at Artists Point, you'll instead be directed by a waiter when to go to them, but that is much less common. You can get autographs, take pictures/selfies, and have conversations. It's a super fun time, and makes meeting characters so easy with no lines!

Character dining runs around $60 per person for the parks and Aulani, but that is an average. It will vary by location with Cinderella’s Royal Table, located inside the iconic Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom, being one of the most expensive (but gorgeous) options. Most of them are either buffet, family style, or prix fixe, so definitely check the menu before choosing!

Pro tip: Character dining experiences will be long! Set aside about 2 hours for them. I like to book them for non-park days whether that be a rest day, a dinner after flying in, or a breakfast before flying home. That way I'm not using up my park time! There are plenty of character dining locations inside the resorts that do not require park tickets for entry.

I really hope you enjoy your Disney trip! If you want more tips like this, join our Facebook group to see the true insider stuff on your feed daily! If you’re interested in personal, 1-on-1, FREE Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or Aulani planning, Contact byHannah Vacations today and get a Disney-specialized Travel Agent to assist you with your trip!