Ride the rides and meet some characters…ride more rides and meet more characters! Lather, rinse and repeat for every hour spent inside of the Disney theme parks and you’ve got my kids’ ultimate touring plan. Visiting all of the attractions and reuniting with as many characters as possible has always been the name of their game – before being overcome by exhaustion, of course! Then there happens to be the “small” task of finding time to fit in everything else a Disney vacation has to offer. Swimming at our resort’s pool? Yes, please! Parades, shows, and fireworks? Of course! Browsing around all of the unique gift shops for the perfect souvenir? Definitely! Enough time for everything? Well, nothing makes us happier than trying to do it all so we plan accordingly and do our best to make it all happen!
Over time, my husband and I have developed some strategies that help us maximize our time while on vacation. Scheduling character dining experiences, for example, is one such strategy. There are certain characters that are only available at the traditional meet and greet locations in the theme parks, so we incorporate time into our itinerary to wait in line and meet those particular characters. But whenever possible, we also like to take advantage of the fun character meals offered at various resorts and parks. Planning for some of these special meals allows us to use more of our precious park time for tackling the attractions, knowing that we’ll still get to spend quality time with favorite Disney friends. It’s a win-win all around!
One of the kids’ favorite character dining experiences is Chef Mickey’s at the Walt Disney World Resort. Open for both breakfast and dinner, Chef Mickey’s is located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area. The Contemporary and Magic Kingdom are, in fact, within walking distance of each other. If walking is not an option, though, both the hotel and the park are two of the five stops on the Resort Monorail line. After spending time at the Magic Kingdom, guests can hop on the monorail and ride to the Contemporary in style! The Contemporary Resort’s most recognizable feature is its unique A-frame tower. The hotel sets itself apart from the other two Deluxe properties on the Resort Monorail line, Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, as Walt Disney World’s ever-impressive monorails glide through the center of this main tower all throughout the day. Guests dining at Chef Mickey’s can frequently catch a glimpse of the monorails since the restaurant sits just one floor below the monorail station. This is so neat to watch and, for my kids who are all quite fascinated by this futuristic transportation, this is definitely a tremendous perk!
But, of course, the biggest perk of all is the opportunity to visit with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. If meeting the Disney “Fab Five” is at the top of your Walt Disney World vacation to-do list, then Chef Mickey’s is the place to be!
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is always bustling with an abundance of lively energy, and that same upbeat spirit carries through to the dining experience at Chef Mickey’s as well. Chef Mickey’s also boasts a prime location and close proximity to the Magic Kingdom, convenient and easily accessible monorail transportation, a bright and cheerful atmosphere, and great one-on-one time with some of Disney’s most beloved characters. It all adds up to a dining experience we’ll continue booking for years to come!
