A Disney Vacation Hack: Character Breakfast
I don’t know if we can call this an official Disney hack, but this is definitely a Clark family hack that we have used for years.
A little bit of a background so this makes more sense.
1) Our kids are picky eaters, and what they all agree on eating is pizza. That’s about the only food they all like besides most breakfast foods.
2) Our family loves meeting and interacting with characters. It doesn’t even matter who it is. We all enjoy it.
3) Eating at Disney is expensive.
Now that we have that out of the way, let me tell you why a character meal breakfast is one of the best decisions (and values…yes, I said it) you can get at Disney.
Picky Kids
If your kids are picky like our kids are picky, many meals can be a big fight. Add in an early morning, a hot day of walking around a theme park, and the last thing you want is another fight about another meal.
Why not fill up on breakfast even more? Many of the character meals are either buffets or all-you-care-to-eat. This is a great way to really fill your tank for the day. Maybe you can just have some light snacks here and there, and make it to dinner. Maybe this will help you avoid snacking, and you can power through the day, then grab a late lunch after the lunch crowd dies down. Maybe you just really love breakfast, and this is a way for you to get as much of it as you can.
For us, the character breakfast generally provide something all our kids will eat, and they will fill up on that. No fight, no arguments. Just a relaxing way to start the day, and a full belly to make sure the day starts out right.
Characters
Have you stood in line for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or even longer just to meet one or two characters? I will be the first to raise my hand, and say I am guilty as charged.
Do you know how much time that waste in the parks? How many attractions you could possibly ride? How many shows you could see? How many snacks you could eat?
Wouldn’t it be better if 3-6 characters came to visit you, as you ate a delicious meal as a family? A meal that wouldn’t be interrupted by fighting, but interrupted by a fun character coming over to say hello, take some pictures, give some hugs, and create memories that will last forever?
Do you get it now?
Food is Expensive
You hear it all the time how expensive Disney is these days. How expensive the tickets are, the resorts are, and the food is. You know what people forget to tell you? EVERYTHING IS EXPENSIVE THESE DAYS!
Have you need to a grocery store lately? Do you know how much a box of cereal cost? A loaf of bread? Have you tried to feed four children fruit?
Oh you wish Disney had prices like McDonald’s, Wendy’s or Taco Bell? Have you been to a fast food restaurant lately? Do you know how expensive their low quality food is? The dollar menu has been hit by inflation too. You can’t get out of a fast food restaurant without spending $10+ these days.
I digress though. Is a breakfast at Disney pricier than a fast food breakfast, yes. Is a character meal more pricey than your breakfast at the resort is going to be? Yes it is. Usually it will be three times the cost. So why do we say this is a value?
First off, you are already getting more food than you would at the resort, and it is a higher quality food. You are also being waited on, no serving yourself. Then, add in that Disney characters come to you. This not only makes the entire experience more magical, it saves you literally hours in the park, which is a valuable commodity. You know how much park tickets cost. Don’t you want to make the most of your time in the park?
For these reasons, we always suggest character breakfast to our clients. We also suggest doing this on your rest day, on your last morning before you leave, or, if necessary, as early as possibly on the day you are going to the park closest to that character breakfast location.
If you have any Disney vacation hacks, let us know in the comments below. And when you are ready to book your next family vacation, reach out to us at ddwktravel@gmail.com.
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