What Makes Chef Mickey's So Special?

Everyone always talks about how Chef Mickey’s is THE BEST character dining experience… but why? We have Tusker House, Cape May breakfast, Princess Dinner at Akershus, Cinderella’s Royal Table all already booked… I found an open reservation for Chef Mickey’s… is it worth it? What makes it so special???

Thanks in advance!!

Who are these people? Where are they saying this?!?

My impression (from reading, not from visiting) is that it’s super loud, but the food at breakfast is decent. And you meet the Fab 5, which I don’t think you can do at another single location.

It’s popular, but I don’t know if it’s the “best”.

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Ah, ok. I’ve just read places that people think Chef Mickey’s is just so amazing, etc. I may get rid of a different ADR then. Thanks for the help!

We are going for the first time on our next trip, mainly I think my kids will like seeing the monorail go through the building :slight_smile:

Susan

I agree. I went to Chef Mickey’s one time and it is now literally the only restaurant at any of the resorts or parks that I refuse to go back to. I was there for breakfast and the food was so-so, and I’ve heard the dinner buffet is not good at all. I too found it to be way too loud. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why it’s so popular.

The only reason to go is to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy all in one location. It’s the only place that this is available. TH will give you all but Donald.

Hmm, we saw Donald at TH last year. But of course they are all in safari gear rather than traditional. Also I think they have the disclaimer at all character meals that attendees may vary. Unless you are trying to see all the character meals to write a book, I’d say you’d be fine with or without it Chef Mickey’s (CM). We did it last year with TH, CP, and CRT. Enjoyed it as our first character meal but it was loud and crowded; there was a lot of food with great variety. I am glad we went but don’t feel it is a must-return. TH we will return to, enjoyed the ethnic food. CRT will return to and added a few more for this year. So many meals, so little time :0)

We’ve eaten breakfast and brunch there and I think it’s just okay. The food is your basic breakfast buffet and we had no complaints. On the other hand, the service wasn’t great and it took over two hours to see all five characters and they seemed rushed more than when you wait in line for a meet and greet. DH said it was a must do on our trip last week even though I preferred to try something new. Now he agrees with me that we don’t need to do it again.

More than two hours to meet all five characters? Seriously?

I say that because we’re scheduled for a 12:55 lunch, and I never fathomed we were committing to 2 hours.

You get the classic characters close to Magic Kingdom. I assume that accounts for it’s popularity. The food is ordinary, at best, but it would’ve appealed to me as a kid.

It’s always difficult to answer the “worth it” question, since that means different things to different people. I’d recommend Chef Mickey’s to a group that isn’t all that cost-conscious, doesn’t car about fine (or even “good”) dining + is satisfied with a limited selection of ordinary foods, wants to meet Mickey and friends, and has a relatively short trip, so saving time meeting characters during a meal will give them more time for attractions in the parks. If all those things are true for you, then it may be worth a visit.

It’s also pretty cool to eat somewhere you can watch monorails pass by, at least if you like monorails!

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You have described us to a T: 2.5 days in the MK, a 2yo crazy about Mickey, and money to burn (just kidding, but it will be our only “dining”). But will we really need to plan on 2 hours?

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[quote=“GwynneAsh, post:12, topic:27394”]
But will we really need to plan on 2 hours?[/quote]

Not for the meal itself. If you’re counting time getting back and forth to the Magic Kingdom, then maybe. The characters should also visit your table in less than an hour (if they don’t and you’re ready to go, then see a Cast Member at the restaurant and they’ll usually help you out). Of course, you’ll also probably want to get something to eat. It’s hard to predict ahead of time how much time you’ll have to go get your food in between character visits and I don’t know how much your family eats at buffets (some folks like to “get their money’s worth”). I usually suggest planning for an hour a half, but you could probably be done in 70-75 minutes, if you include the time you’ll wait to be seated after you check in (which usually isn’t bad a Chef Mickey’s, but can be 10-15 minutes at other restaurants).

That’s the long answer. The short answer is no. Plan for an hour and a half, and if you usually finish meals quickly at buffets, then it might be less time.

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So we’re two adults and the 2 yo. We’re staying at the Contemporary. So we’re just going to come down for the meal. We arrive the night before and with the little one, racing over and back in the morning just didn’t make a lot of sense (of course I’m stalking earlier times on here :slight_smile: ).

I’m the auntie, and I figure that I’ll go sherpa all of the food, so that my sister and the little one can be at the table all of the time for character interactions, so no one will be potentially missed.

I’m asking because our reservation is at 12:55pm and our first FP+ at MK is from 3:05-4:05 (Haunted Mansion), and I’m hoping that I didn’t royally mess up! (second is Peter Pan 4:05-5:05)

We went to Disneyland in January, but other than that, we’re two 40-something women, who are new to this game as adults :wink:

We have done Chef Mickey’s on our last 4 trips…always on our first night. It has obviously become a tradition for our family because DD…now 11 cant seem to get enough! She loves everything about this place! She is also not a very adventurous eater…so this buffet has plenty of choices that are right up her alley. Our last visit was Aug 16 around 5:30. It was actually pretty low key that night…we were very surprised…usually everyone is so hyped up with the swinging napkins bit. There were only three of us so we got out of there in 1.5 hours…and that was without rushing. DD was trying to linger to get a second go round with some of the characters! There are very few character meals we haven’t done at this point, but Chef Mickey’s remains a favorite for DD.

We were about 20 minutes early and they seated us right away…maybe that is a possibility if an earlier time doesnt open up? The 3:05 FPP might be tough, but I think you should be fine with the 4 if you are leaving right after lunch.

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Yes. Our reservation was at 11:55 and we checked in late at 12:00 but were seated by 12:05. Didn’t see Donald until 2:15 (and had to request that he come back as he skipped us because Minnie was at our table). I told myself that CM would only take 90 mins so we had to rush back to room to get ready for MNSSHP.

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Okay, I have moved our 3:05 FP+ back to 7:15, just to make sure! Now to redo my TP! Thanks for all the advice. I would have had NO idea!

It may not take that long. The table that was set right next to us left at least 20 minutes before we did, but I guess it’s best to plan for longer so you won’t be flustered like we were.

We still have a 4:05, so it’s just giving ourselves that cushion. And it’s possible the 2 yo might want to nap after, so it’s probably for the best :sunny:

I didn’t care much for Chef Mickey’s when we went. Tusker House has been our favorite character meal.