Originally Posted By nemopoppins Goofy's Kitchen is my favorite restaurant in the whole world. I have no complaints either with food or characters and I've been there about 100 times. Well, maybe only about 40 times top. I don't like Storytellers restaurant at all--for character breakfast or anything; it doesn't even smell good to me. Ariel's is sometimes great, food/service/character-wise, and sometimes awful, but I find princesses boring anyway. Lilo and Stitch is a lot of fun with games and music and lots of character interaction, especially around 10:00 am, but there's nowhere near the variety of food that is served at Goofy's. I've been to all of these many times, but I'm only going to Plaza Inn breakfast for the first time next month.
Originally Posted By liveforvacations I tend to think that the character interacation is really hit and miss which is really unfortunate since they are charging so much. We have done Goofy's a number of times and sometimes we have had excellent character interaction and other times we felt ignored! I think you get more attention when the restaurant is less busy but it is really hard to figure out when it will be less busy! Where you sit seems to make a difference as well. However, after one such meal where we kept seeing the characters at other tables and then they would seemingly disappear, I became much more proactive about making sure that the characters visited us. I would never bother a character when they are at another table which I think is just rude. However, I have become a lot less shy and I definitely make sure that the staff is informed that we expect all the characters to visit our table! In my opinion, we have paid a lot of money and this should be a given! My husband was ready to kill me when we did the Lilo and Stitch breakfast because we had been there for quite some time and were finished eating but I refused to leave without seeing Lilo! I paid a lot of money and I wanted my picture! It seems most people enjoy their first character meal because it is so neat to have a meal and have characters visit your table and give you personal attention! After we had done a few, I think the novelty wore off and we became more critical of the food and the character interaction! I think everyone should do a character meal at least once!
Originally Posted By liveforvacations nemopoppins, our favorite character meal is at Goofy's also! We did the Plaza Inn last May because it was the only one we had not done! I will be curious to hear of your experience so please do a "meal report" under Disney Dining and I will be sure to look for it!
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Alas the sept character meal will be the last for a while - I cannot see paying adult prices for my DD and she will turn 10 a week after our trip!! I will say I did do Goofy's in 4/07 for my son's 11th b-day (just he and I) - we went and we decided on the way there we were going to cancel(didn't want to just no-show). When they asked why we were cancelling I explained the DS had gotten braces 4 days earlier (yeah good mommy moment put the braces on 4 days before his b-day) and his mouth was still tender and he wouldn't be able to eat much of the food even after the motrin... The nice CM asked me to wait a moment and went and chatted with the manager - she came back and adjusted our price - we paid with AP discount under $30 - I think it was $28 - So I am guessing they didn't charge me for him at all...
Originally Posted By iamsally >>>A warning, if you have only adults in your party, there have been reports of being totally ignored by the characters.<<<< At Minnie and Friends we have gone just Rod and I, just us and the Clones and with various amounts of children and adults. My warning has always been, if you want character interaction; do NOT go with babies as they get all the attention. When we have gone just the two or four of us we have still gotten lots of characters and pictures and playfulness. I would never be offended by someone not being happy with the food. We have had cold stale waffles and dry pastries. But then the next time everything is hot and fresh. (I make a point of complaining if the food is not up to par.) But we have never been disappointed with the characters.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Hmmmm, hard one. Last time we did Goofy's, Storytellers and Plaza. We felt the best quality food was at Storytellers (and we went a la carte which can be cheaper). Best value was Plaza Gardens (good food and experience), and Goofy's while fun was the worst food quality. But it was wonderful dining with our LP friends, and the kids and Sarah had a blast. Personally I would rather go to Steakhouse 55, Napa Rose or Blue Bayou. But the character thing is ok. Love the kids getting up and playing (which was the best at Storytellers). We also loved the non traditional woodsy characters from Brother Bear and Pocahantas. The idea of the Princess Meals though, hmmmm seems to me like a G rated strip club.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Oh, and any of the families we joined in with, hopefully having our little ones did not ruin the experience for anyone in a party???? I have some great memories from last trip.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains < I would rather go to Steakhouse 55, Napa Rose or Blue Bayou.> Looking at those menu's and pricing - I wouldn't take time out of my disney trip to spend money on those let alone having to change into nice clothes and then back after for 2 of them... If I want a dining experience like that I would go somewhere closer to home - but then I live in the SF bay area so I have more choices of fine dining than many people do... And lately many people have said the Blue Bayou while raising the prices has dropped off in quality... I would rather spend the money on the character meals and have more fun... but then again my youngest will be 10 and be told she must order off an adult menu.. so more of a waste than not to me!
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo We had a great meal at Blue Bayou and Napa Rose is my fav restaurant on the planet (having had fine dining in SF, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Barcelona, Dubai, Hong Kong and many other places). As for changing, no biggy, we have often gone into the parks dressed up. Sarah is often in a dress, and I often have a collar and slacks on. But characters do little for me, they never have really floated my boat. To me the magic of Disneyland is theming, hence why the Tahitian Terrace, BB, and Golden Horseshoe (during the Revue days) were always the restaurants of choice.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Then again, our vacation priorities are different than most. Sadly I eat about 2 meals a week with my family, so dining in a nice restaurant is a part of the fun. And having eaten recently at the Mark Hopkins, Fairmont and other nice places in the city, Napa Rose is a better restaurant.
Originally Posted By liveforvacations I am with you gottaluv.. We were in Disneyland for my daughter's 10th birthday and we did a character meal before her birthday because I too am not prepared to pay for her as an adult! However, although they seem to be strict at the character meals about asking about the ages, they don't seem as interested at the other restaurants. My daughter was wearing her birthday button clearly displaying her age and we ordered off the children's menu at both Blue Bayou and the Carnation Cafe.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains My disney time is too important to me to spend time in a fancy restaurant rather in the parks or at a disney themed restaurant - which was my point Dave - if I want fine dining I can go at home and not take away from my disney time...
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains < they don't seem as interested at the other restaurants. My daughter was wearing her birthday button clearly displaying her age and we ordered off the children's menu at both Blue Bayou and the Carnation Cafe> Good to know thanks...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Different strokes. I find people are less offended if take the kids to a nice Disney restaurant than elsewhere (they are 3 and 5). As kids are frowned on in most of our nice local restaurants and we find the service at Disney's nicer places to be great, we don't hesitate. I was a Disney fan when the characters were secondary to the experience, and I really long for those days.
Originally Posted By liveforvacations iamsally, there wasn't anything wrong with the food at Minnie and Friends. I just wasn't impressed with the selection and I prefer to serve myself as opposed to them serving me. (Okay, I love bacon and I guess I was a little embarrassed to ask for that many pieces and to keep returning) But, I guess that is a hang up of mine and no fault of the Plaza Inn! We seemed to have an off day with the characters as well as we didn't have any of the Pooh characters and instead had Brer Fox and Rabbit and Gepetto! I would say as far as breakfast is concerned that I enjoyed the food at Minnie and Friends more than I enjoyed the food at Lilo and Stitch! I just want to finish off to say that I am not complaining and I have always had a great time at all the character meals, it's just that I have enjoyed some more than others!
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Dave I am older than you and I too remember those days - but that is only secondary to the delight in my childrens eyes when they are personally interacting with a character - that is why having all the characters around don't bother me so much - As much as I love Disney taking my children and seeing the park through their eyes is where the magic truely is for me now...
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>I just wasn't impressed with the selection and I prefer to serve myself as opposed to them serving me.<<< Again I would rather be served hot food than go up to a buffet. Too many confences and hotels over the last 13 years have made me hate buffets.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo >>>As much as I love Disney taking my children and seeing the park through their eyes is where the magic truely is for me now...<<< Me too, which is why the teacups and autopia are high on the agenda.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo But I discovered on our last trip, I am more European than I thought. A 2 hour multi course meal is a big part of our vacation experience. I hate fast food meals (unless culturally different such as Del Taco or A&W) when on vacation.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Good for your kids to be able to enjoy a 2 hour meal - that must be an european thing - because I would have never even thought to put my 2 and 4 (ages yours were during your trip right) year old kids through a 2 hour meal - first they would not want to eat for 2 hours and second they probably would have gotten bored and fallen asleep - or with the first two being boys one with ADHD started fighting... For the second two at 2 and 4 we would have had a 9 and 11 year old too - still not something I would have thought to do... especially in Disneyland. Oh and my kids don't eat fast food - other than In and Out or the occasional taco bell - they found Del Taco nasty.
