Whenever we visit Walt Disney World, we always make it a point to make dining reservations for a character meal. It's an easy way to make sure my kids meet their favorite characters without having to wait in a long line. Plus, it gives us a chance to enjoy the great food that Disney has to offer.
A family favorite is the Disney Junior Play 'n Dine character dining experience at Hollywood & Vine in Hollywood Studios.The Play 'n Dine is currently only available for breakfast and Minnie's Seasonal Dine is currently being offered for lunch and dinner. At the Disney Junior Play 'n Dine Breakfast, you can meet Doc McStuffins, Sofia The First, Handy Manny and Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. At Minnie's Seasonal Dine, you can meet Minnie, Mickey, Goofy, Donald and Daisy.
During our trip this past August, we booked a pre-rope drop breakfast. Our reservation was for 8:30 AM and the park opened at 9. We like booking our meal before the park opens. It gives us a chance to get in the park before everyone else. Plus, if you are planning on signing your child up for Jedi Training, you have the chance to sign up before even checking in to the restaurant. This way, you don't have to waste time waiting in line to sign your child up for Jedi Training, when you could be touring the park while it isn't too crowded, yet. Plus, you get your pick of show times for Jedi Training.
We arrived at Hollywood Studios around 7:30 AM. They typically start letting in guests with pre-rope drop reservations around 7:45 AM. After tapping our Magic Bands at the gate, we made our way down Hollywood Boulevard. Sometimes, there's a Cast Member holding a Light Saber showing you where to go to sign up Jedi Training. Hollywood & Vine is located across from Echo Lake. You pass the restaurant on your way to sign up for Jedi Training.
Sign-ups for Jedi Training take place at the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost. The children participating have to be present when you sign up.
We ended up choosing the 10:10 AM show. In the past we had signed up for the 9:40 AM show, but because you have to arrive 30 minutes prior to your show time, we felt kind of rushed during breakfast. This time we wanted to make sure everyone had enough to eat and that we had ample time to meet all the characters.
They called us back to be seated about 5-10 minutes after we checked in at the front.
Meals at Hollywood & Vine are served buffet style. After being seated, our server came and took our drink orders and told us we'd have time to get our food before the first character came by the table.
I felt weird taking pictures of the buffet tables, but you can view the menu here. The buffet included traditional American breakfast items like scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and pastries. There's also a Children's Buffet that includes Mickey Waffles and Tater Tots. You can even have ice cream for dessert!
Here's a sample of some of the foods we ate:
The first character that came by the table was Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates. He signed our autograph books and took pictures with the kids.
Jake gave each of the kids a hug and then he made his way to the next table. I liked that the characters didn't come right after each other. We had a chance to eat and get more food in between characters.
Next, came Sofia The First. She signed our autograph books and then took a picture with me and youngest daughter.
Handy Manny was next. While my kids are familiar with Handy Manny, some younger kids may not be. I'm not even sure if the show is still on Disney Junior. He signed autographs and took pictures with us.
Doc McStuffins was up next. After signing our autograph books, she saw that my youngest had her arm in a cast. So, she signed her cast, too!
Since we were still eating, we got to see Jake and Sofia come by again. They stopped and took more pictures with us.
My kids love Hollywood & Vine and request it every time we visit Disney World. I think if my boys want to do Jedi Training again next year, we'll likely book another pre-rope drop breakfast. If they don't, we may consider booking a later time and use the first hour or so to ride Toy Story Mania or go meet another character we normally don't get to meet.
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