When most people think of character dining, the first thing they think of is Chef Mickey's. This is the only dining location where you can meet the Fab Five, which include Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. Not to mention the great location. It is on the fourth floor of the Contemporary Resort, so it does not require park admission. If you are making the quick walk from Magic Kingdom, go up the elevators to the fourth floor, and if you are coming in on the monorail, take the escalators down one floor.
There is no missing the bright lights of the Chef Mickey's sign, and if you do not see it, trust me, your kids will point you in the right direction. Mine always know exactly where it is!
Once you go through this archway, you will check in at the desk located just before this next sign:
When you have checked in, you then have the opportunity to take a photo with this Mickey. One of the cast members will bring you a printed copy that you can opt to purchase, or, you can do like we do, and just use your own camera to take as many photo's as you like!
As you enter the restaurant, you will notice the very modern, contemporary feel flows throughout.
I just love the buffets at Disney. The best part is if you have a child under the age of 3 with you, they are always considered free. At a buffet, that child can eat as much as they like!
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| Salad Bar |
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| Child Buffet Items |
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| Meat Carving Station |
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| Self Serve Ice Cream |
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| Ice Cream Toppings |
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| Key Lime Tarts |
So as you can see, there many items to choose from on the buffet. Here is a link to the Breakfast and Dinner menus:
Official Disney Menu: Breakfast at Chef Mickey's
Official Disney Menu: Dinner at Chef Mickey's
Now on to characters. Just like at other character dining locations, the characters will follow a pattern around the restaurant. When the first character comes to your table, if you notice the table they were at right before yours, more than likely the next character will follow that same pattern. This will give you a heads up, so you can have the kids faces wiped clean, autograph book in hand and camera ready when they show up at your table! It will typically take about an hour for all five characters to make it around to your table.
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| Posing with Donald Duck |
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| Chef Mickey! |
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| Goofy |
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| Pluto |
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| Minnie Mouse |
Chef Mickey's is a very popular restaurant, with that being said, it is a good idea to make your dining reservations 180 days in advance to secure the time that is best for your family. The awesome part about dining at dinner, if you time it right, you can watch the fireworks from Magic Kingdom from the outdoor patio which is also located on the fourth floor of the Contemporary. If you book your dining reservations about 90 minutes prior to the start of the fireworks, that will give you plenty of time to enjoy your meal, then get in place to watch the fireworks from there!
