Before our Magic Key Passes expire there were a couple of dining experiences I wanted to enjoy as a family. We were lucky that on our last visit to the Happiest Place on Earth we got to cross two of them off our list. If you’ve got little kids then character dining is probably high on your Disney wish list. Today I’ll be talking about the only option that is currently in the parks–the Minnie and Friends character breakfast at Plaza Inn.
character dining at Disney parks
Whether you’re in Orlando or Anaheim character dining is a magical addition to your Disney vacation! Although Disney World has many more options than Disneyland, reservations can fill up quickly at all locations. Currently at the Disneyland Resort all character dining experiences (except for one) are all-you-care-to-eat. That means you can fill up and fuel up for a day at the parks! Another benefit is that at the Disneyland Resort most character dining doesn’t actually happen inside the parks. This means you can have some Disney magic without the cost of a ticket! Today’s blog post, however, is all about the Minnie & Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn. This is the only character dining experience that is currently happening within the parks.
| Read: All the Disney Tips you Need to Know |
Minnie & Friends Character Breakfast at Plaza Inn
We started our character breakfast by taking a picture with Minnie herself. These pictures are uploaded to your PhotoPass and are included in the cost of breakfast. You’ll get more than just one too! Then we got shown to our seats. Be aware that Plaza Inn has indoor and outdoor seating–the only character dining location that offers both. The food is served buffet-style and is fairly typical breakfast food. However, there is also a made-to-order omelet station and the Plaza Inn’s signature fried chicken available alongside biscuits and gravy!
Dining time tip: Breakfast at Minnie & Friends is typically from 8:00 am until 11:00 am (depending on park hours). So when we made reservations we booked a later time, 10:40 am. First of all, it was actually easier to get this later time slot for our large party. Secondly, we didn’t want to give up prime rope drop hours. We recommend eating a small snack and enjoying the first couple hours of the park opening, then enjoying your character breakfast. Bonus–a late breakfast can serve as an early lunch!
what characters can you expect to see?
I was really please with the character variety as well as the interactions at the Minnie & Friends character dining. This was the most characters our family had seen at a Disney character meal since pre-2020. Each one also spent a lot of time with each table, pausing for as many photos or videos as you’d like.
- Minnie
- other Minnie friends (we saw Daisy, Pluto, and Dale)
- Winnie the Pooh and/or friends (we also saw Tigger)
- other “rare” characters (we saw one of Cinderella’s mice)
other options for character breakfast and dining at the Disneyland Resort
Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel– This is the only place you can experience not just a character breakfast, but also brunch (on select days), and dinner. I feel like this buffet gives you the most variety and in my experience it’s also the easiest to get a reservation at. Read my full review here. Characters seen during our visit: Goofy, Minnie, Chip, and Dale.
Storytellers Café at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa– This dining experience only includes characters at breakfast time or brunch on select days. Food is also served buffet style and options your typical breakfast foods with a couple of unique offerings like Pineapple Agua Fresca and Mickey waffles. Read my full review here. Characters seen during our visit: Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale.
Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose– This is a premium dining experience located right next to Storytellers Café in Napa Rose. Rather than a buffet like other Disney character dining this is a 3-course meal. This is also the priciest character dining experience but includes more involved character interactions and some small gifts. Characters seen at this location: an assortment of princesses.
In conclusion–
Excluding the high-end Princess breakfast our family has now tried all of the character dining experiences currently at the Disneyland Resort. I think that they all have good highlights and the one you should go to depends entirely on you! Obviously, if you don’t have a park reservation you’ll want one of the hotel dining experiences. However, for our Disney day I appreciated the location of the Minnie & Friends Breakfast and our kids loved the characters we got to interact with!
Have you ever eaten at the Minnie & Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn?
