Hands down, one of the best ways to meet characters during a Disney vacation is character dining!
Rather than spending time waiting in line, these characters visit your table and meet you throughout your meal. You get to focus on enjoying time with family and friends while characters rotate throughout the restaurant and stop by to see you.
One of the most popular and best character dining experiences at Walt Disney World is breakfast at Topolino's Terrace.
Located on the 10th floor of Disney's Riviera Resort, it offers stunning views of Walt Disney World.
Cast Members encourage guests to venture onto the restaurant's balcony after their meal and see the pools, Skyliner, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and nearby resorts from an elevated viewpoint.
The restaurant's walls of windows fill the room with sunshine, and the simple yet refined table setting showcases a touch of elegance without being stuffy.
Once seated, guests are given a postcard with a drawing of the characters in their artists' outfits on one side and their signatures on the other.
Naturally, I took this opportunity to bound as one of the characters and built my bound inspired by Poet Minnie.
Poet Minnie Bound:
- White newspaper print long-sleeved shirt
- Red belt
- Black blouse
- Black skort
- Black wristband
- White socks
- Red shoes
& - Minnie Ears
One of the fun things about bounding is that it's not just the character who inspired the bound who reacts to your bound, it's all of the characters! From Daisy wanting to know why I wasn't dressed as her, to Donald pointing back and forth between Minnie and me, bounding adds a layer of interaction with the characters that makes for great magical memories!
Unlike other character breakfasts served buffet-style, Topolino's Breakfast à la Art with Mickey & Friends includes a paint bucket of pastries for the table (see image below) and an entrée for each guest to select from the menu. I prefer this set-up as it ensures each plate is cooked to order and avoids the fear of being away from the table when a character comes by.
I ordered the Avocado and Smoked Salmon Toast, which came with a side of fruit. The meal was scrumptious!
Juices and coffee are included in the prix fixe price, yet if you're looking for something more, there are plenty of choices; cocktails and specialty drinks are available for purchase. Currently, eligible Annual Passholders and DVC Members can receive a 10% discount by showing their membership cards to Cast Members.
I've mentioned how each character will stop by and visit during your meal, yet another cute element is the character dance that happens throughout your dining time, where the characters dance around the room. Diners are asked to remain seated during the song, and each character will rotate around the room, clapping and dancing. It's a catchy tune, and you'll likely end up singing "Bello, bello, cheer for one and all" for the rest of the day.
With every bite and every bound, breakfast at Topolino’s turns dining into a canvas of character-filled charm and should be on your list of things to do during your next Disney trip!
~Kelly