Brunch with Mickey and Friends – Storytellers Cafe
Whenever people asked me to suggest the best character dinning at Disneyland, i always told them to choose their favorite character and not the food options because, Disney never lets you down with its food. The food is amazing in Disneyland no matter where you go. But every character dinning experience is different in Disneyland and it totally depends on which character is your priority.
Character dining is one of my favorite activities at the Disney parks! My son loves Mickey and Friends so we always loved going to the Storyteller’s cafe located in the Grand Californian Hotel. So in this blog i will be sharing my experience with dinning at Storyteller’s Cafe.
Reservation :
Reservations can be made 60 days in advance and are highly recommended. I made a reservation for a Sunday brunch on the occasion of my son’s birthday. It was quick and easy as I reserved the table 2 weeks before the date of our visit. (Tip: Always reserve your table in advance as they sell out very fast) You can book yours on the official Disneyland website page.
Customer Service:
Our brunch was at noon and as soon as we entered the cafe , we were greeted and given a birthday badge and made us wait for a table to be set. We waited in the seating area for lessthan 10 minutes and were shown the way to our table.
Food :
Disney will never disappoints you when it comes to it’s food quality. While Storyteller’s Café is open for breakfast, brunch, and dinner- characters only appear at breakfast and brunch. Brunch buffet had eggs, Fresh fruits, Hash browns, Waffles ,sausage, chilaquiles, caramel french toast, bacon, a cereal bar and much more. Two omelette stations are available where you can order custom creations. A selection of pastries is also offered.
Characters :
While we were enjoying the delicious buffet, the characters Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, and Pluto showed up and interacted with us at our table in their “adventurer outfits.” I must say, of all the character interactions I’ve ever experienced in any of the Disney parks, this was my favorite as we got to meet the characters not once but multiple times.
Not just this, once in very 15-20 minutes the characters line up and march with all the kids in the restaurant with the music in the background and it’s so much fun to watch.
Birthdays :
Make sure you let the person in the reception know if anyone in your group is celebrating birthday. As we went there on occasion of our son’s birthday, after the meal, the waiters got a cupcake in the end and sung a birthday song for us and surprisingly Mickey has also joined them. This is something which makes Disney dinning special than the theme parks.
Price :
Adults 46$ ; Kids 3 and above 26$. This might look a bit pricey but trust me, for the quality of food and character meets it’s totally worth.
Other things to do :
Hotel : Because the restaurant is located inside the Grand Californian Resort , you will actually able to check out the resort , stroll around the lobby area ( There’s always something happening in the lobby area like seasonal decor, live music or Disney art display)
Downtown Disney : Downtown Disney is just steps away from the Restaurant, so after you are done with your meal, you can take a walk in the downtown Disney. There’s lots of shops there for some shopping or just pass the time sitting in the shaded areas.
Parking :
With a table reservation you will get a complimentary 3 hour parking at the Grand Californian resort which is morethan enough. We finished our brunch in an hour and rest of the time we took a walk around the hotel and did some shopping in Downtown Disney.
Overall the experience was a lot of fun.While visiting Disneyland, make sure you take advantage of one of the best ways to see some of your favorite characters while enjoying a delicious meal. We recommend that you make advance reservations if you wish to dine here. let me know your experience or what you think about Disney Dinning in the comments below.
9 Comments
Bhushavali
My gal is still very young to understand Disney but in a couple of years, I hope to take her to Disneyland. Beginning it with a birthday celebration there would be a wonderful idea. Thanks for the tip about choosing one based on the characters & not the food. I can imagine the theme of the restaurants to be so different from each other, based on character!
Hahaha… Look at your son posing with the musicians! He’s awesome!!!
Linda (LD Holland)
I have never had a meal with one of the Disney characters. But I am sure our kids too would have loved doing this at the Storytellers Cafe. I can certainly understand why reservations are recommended. And especially good to know that characters only show up at breakfast and brunch. On top of that, you got a great meal too. Definitely one to recommend.
Agnes
Storytellers Cafe seems a perfect place for giving joy to kids. I would like to take there my niece. She loves Disney characters so much. Your photos are fabulous. And the foods look great too. It’s must be a fantastic place for kids’ birthday.
Subhashish Roy
Thank you for the lovely insights into Disneyland storytellers cafe. Although our kids are all grown up I wouldn’t mind an experience myself with these lovely characters.
AMAR SINGH
I visited Orlando last year and yes dining with the characters is a great way to enjoy and the kids absolutely loved it. I would love to celebrate my sons birthday party here as this will be a great way to remember this great occasion. I must admit they can get a bit pricey in Orlando but visiting the Storyteller’s cafe located in the Grand Californian Hotel would be high on my list . Looks like the perfect location for the kids. Thanks for sharing
AMAR SINGH
I visited Orlando last year and yes dining with the characters is a great way to enjoy and the kids absolutely loved it. I would love to celebrate my sons birthday party here as this will be a great way to remember this great occasion. I must admit they can get a bit pricey in Orlando but visiting the Storyteller’s cafe located in the Grand Californian Hotel would be high on my list . Looks like the perfect location for the kids. Thanks for sharing
Adele
Well, I suddenly wish I was a kid again , with the childhood dream of meeting Goofy. I did not know it was possible to meet the characters up close and personal ! I wish I had known that before I crazy-stalked a familiar Disney character in Disneyland a gazillion years ago. The prices at the Storytellers Cafe is still manageable especially when it includes good food too.
Passport Symphony (@passport_symph)
Great post!! Your post reminds me of the time when I visited the disney land with my family but I didn’t have the chance of spending brunch with my fav characters. I have never been to Orlando’ disney land yet and neither planning to but I do know people with kids who would love this experience with their kids. It surely is a great activities for travelers with kids.
Umiko
Sounds like heaven for little children. With food being delicious at every character restaurants, I think your suggestion is the best. Mickey and friends are not just appeared once, but multiple times. And Mickey even surprised your son during the birthday cake. How awesome! I’m sure your son talked about his birthday brunch all the time after that day.