As a parent to a two-year-old, I have become well-versed in the need to get food fast when I sit down for a meal. It doesn’t matter if my daughter had shown no interest in food at any point prior, the moment we sit down for a meal at a restaurant, my kid suddenly needs food pronto. There’s perhaps no better example of this than when we are in Disney World, where she is already overstimulated, tired, and running on sugar and toddler energy.

With that in mind, I swear by two kinds of dining in Disney World: buffets and family-style. Now, there are a few reasons behind this. First is the speed at which we can get food. For a buffet, you can simply head up and grab whatever you need, while family-style is constantly being prepared and thus will come out quickly. The second is from a pricing standpoint. For buffets and family-style meals, kids under the age of three are not charged a separate expense like they are for a la carte or prix-fixe dining. So, while both family-style and buffet are expensive for the adults, we don’t have to worry about a wasted meal if she decides to only eat bread (which is what happened to us at ‘Ohana).

And third is that many of the buffet meals, at least, include character dining. So, yes, you’re paying a premium price, but it’s coming with the addition of getting to meet some of your favorite characters. While not all toddlers will love the characters, at least in our case, I’ve found my daughter is a huge fan of them. Instead of spending time waiting in line for characters around the parks, character meals are a great way to knock out both meet-and-greets and meal time.

Best Toddler Restaurants for Disney World

Here’s a full list of the buffet and family-style options at all of the parks and resorts, including who they’re best suited for.

Buffet Meals

1900 Park Fare

• Location: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• Meals Offered: Breakfast and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $54/adult and $34/child, Dinner is $66/adult and $41/child
• Character Opportunities: Mirabel, Princess Tiana, Aladdin, Cinderella
• Best For: Those who want the chance to meet unique characters like Mirabel, Tiana, and Aladdin

Newly reimagined, 1900 Park Fare has brought back fan-favorite menu items like Strawberry Soup, but now with a new theme! The dishes and theming are inspired by Disney wish-makers, which are the exact characters you can meet. Friends at the meals will include Princess Tiana, Mirabel, Cinderella, and Aladdin.

Cape May Cafe

• Location: Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Meals Offered: Breakfast and Dinner (characters ONLY offered during breakfast)
• Pricing: Breakfast is $47/adult and $30/child, Dinner is $47/adult and $27/child
• Character Opportunities: At breakfast meet characters like Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, and Goofy
• Best For: Seafood lovers and families seeking a casual, beachy dining experience.

Cape May Cafe presents a unique opportunity, with a buffet that features characters at breakfast or a non-character experience at dinner. While you can find traditional Disney buffet fare in the morning (think Mickey waffles, eggs, etc.), for dinner you can enjoy New England-inspired seafood options like peel-n-eat shrimp, Cape May clams, and strip loin.

Chef Mickey’s

• Location: Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Meals Offered: Breakfast and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $54/adult and $34/child, Dinner is $66/adult and $41/child
• Character Opportunities: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald
• Best For: Fans of the Fab Five

Photo by Marisa Alvarado

A meal at Chef Mickey’s is a quintessential Disney experience, offering you the chance to eat all that you can while meeting characters like Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Donald, and Goofy. This restaurant is a hit for younger kids, especially, who will love seeing the familiar faces along with food that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

The Crystal Palace

• Location: Magic Kingdom
• Meals Offered: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $48/adult and $30/child, Lunch/Dinner is $61/adult and $40/child
• Character Opportunities: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore
• Best For: Families with young children who want to meet Winnie the Pooh characters while enjoying a buffet of American dishes.

Located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., you’ll find the Victorian greenhouse-type building that houses The Crystal Palace. The buffet meal allows you to meet friends from the Hundred Acre Woods such as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore. The breakfast is an especially great way to start your day in Magic Kingdom, with a buffet menu that includes delicious Churro Mickey waffles!

Hollywood & Vine

• Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Meals Offered: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $47/adult and $30/child, Lunch/Dinner is $63/adult and $40/child
• Character Opportunities: Disney Junior characters (breakfast), Minnie Mouse and friends (lunch dinner)
• Best For: Families with young children who want to meet Disney Junior characters or enjoy a character dining experience with classic Disney characters.

Hollywood & Vine offers a unique character experience, with the theming changing based on the season! At breakfast you can enjoy a meal with Disney Junior characters, but lunch and dinner offer time with Minnie Mouse and friends.

Ravello

• Location: Four Seasons Orlando
• Meals Offered: Character Breakfast available Thursdays and Saturdays only (Dinner also offered, but not as a buffet)
• Pricing: Character Breakfast is $48/person (Dinner is a la carte dining.)
• Character Opportunities: At breakfast meet characters like Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald
• Best For: Guests of the Four Seasons Orlando

A character meal many don’t know about is located at the Four Seasons Orlando on Disney World property. Ravello has a character breakfast on Thursdays and Saturdays where you can meet Goofy, Donald, Mickey, and Minnie with a fun breakfast buffet!

Tusker House Restaurant

• Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Meals Offered: Breakfast Lunch, and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $47/adult and $30/child, Lunch/Dinner is $62/adult and $40/child
• Character Opportunities: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy in their safari gear
• Best For: Those interested in character dining with a diverse menu featuring African-inspired dishes

The only character meal at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House is a unique opportunity to meet your favorite Disney characters dressed in their safari gear. The menu is filled with unique picks, including Moroccan-Spiced Beef, Berbere-Marinated Pork, Spit-Roasted Herb Chicken and Cape Malay Green Curry Shrimp.

Biergarten Restaurant

• Location: Germany Pavilion in EPCOT
• Meals Offered: Lunch and Dinner
• Pricing: $49/adult and $27/child
• Best For: Those looking for a taste of authentic German cuisine in a lively atmosphere.

If you want a buffet in a Oktoberfest-inspired setting (complete with string lights and live music!) than Biergarten is for you. The restaurant offers traditional German fare such as Schnitzel, Nudel Gratin, Spätzle, and more.

Boma – Flavors of Africa

• Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Meals Offered: Breakfast and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $37/adult, $22/child and Dinner is $56/adults, $33/child
• Best For: Diners looking to experience African flavors in a fun setting.

A fan-favorite buffet is located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, where Boma offers African-inspired cuisine for both breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, enjoy picks like Turkey Bobotie, Omelets, and Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon, while dinner includes a carving station, along with food like Lamb Bobotie, Durban Chicken, and Berbere-Chickpea Salad. Additionally, there are kid picks for pickier eaters who may prefer mac and cheese or chicken nuggets!

Family-Style Restaurants

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

• Location: Norway Pavilion in EPCOT
• Meals Offered: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $55/adult, $35/child, and Lunch/Dinner are $67/adults, $43/child
• Character Opportunities: Disney Princesses
• Best For: Princess fans and those that want a family-style meal with Norwegian influence

Photo by Judd Helms

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the chance to meet the Disney Princesses. Princess fans and those seeking a family-style meal with Norwegian influence will find this spot enchanting. It’s a particularly unique spot to see Princesses such as Jasmine, Ariel, Aurora, and Belle, among others.

‘Ohana

• Location: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Meals Offered: Breakfast and Dinner (characters ONLY available for breakfast)
• Pricing: Breakfast is $49/adult, $30/child, and Dinner are $62/adults, $40/child
• Character Opportunities: Stitch and Mickey Mouse (for breakfast only)
• Best For: Those looking for fantastic food in a tropical atmosphere.

Located in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, ‘Ohana offers a tropical dining experience with fantastic food. At breakfast, you can enjoy meeting characters like Stitch or Mickey. At dinner, enjoy fan-favorite dishes like the ‘Ohana Noodles, Honey-Coriander Chicken Wings, and Pork Dumplings along with live music.

Garden Grill Restaurant

• Location: World Nature in EPCOT
• Meals Offered: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
• Pricing: Breakfast is $47adult, $30/child, and Lunch/Dinner are $62/adults, $40/child
• Character Opportunities: Mickey, Chip, and Dale
• Best For: Those who want a unique rotating dining experience with characters and sustainably sourced food from EPCOT’s Living with the Land attraction.

Located in EPCOT, Garden Grill Restaurant offers a unique dining experience in a rotating restaurant where you can see scenes from Living with the Land. You’ll also have the chance to meet characters like Mickey, Chip, and Dale, all while enjoying a family-style meal.

Liberty Tree Tavern

• Location: Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom
• Meals Offered: Lunch and Dinner
• Pricing: Both Lunch and Dinner are $42/adults, $23/child
• Best For: Those looking for a family-style meal of traditional American fare in Magic Kingdom.

A family-style meal in Liberty Square that provides a fun dining experience. There are six historically themed rooms here, inspired by pivotal figures in U.S. history: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, and George Washington. The restaurant is perfect for fans of history or simply those who love an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal of American fare.