Author: Canadian DivaWe booked our Walt Disney World vacation 3 – 4 months in advance for the Free Dining Promotion. We had a family meeting to decipher our itinerary and meals for our upcoming trip. Upon asking my daughter which restaurant was her # 1 choice, she immediately said Chef Mickey’s. My heart sank. I kept my feelings of despair to myself, knowing that after the 180 day mark, there may be zero chance of getting an Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) at Chef Mickey’s. After all, it’s one of the most difficult restaurants to book. For the next couple of weeks, I worked diligently on the computer, sometimes at 7:00 a.m, to fight with others trying to book this reservation online. Credit card in hand, it was a no win situation for us, unless we wanted to eat dinner at 9:30 p.m.
With a heavy heart, I sat down with my little girl and explained the situation to her. I also gave her some alternatives we could try and she said sweetly, “It’s okay Mommy. Thanks for trying.” I then proceeded to book other ADR’s for our trip. Chef Mickey’s, however, was always in the back of my mind.
About a month before our vacation, I was on the Disney World website again, making a few last minute changes to our ADR selections. Just for fun, I decided to check Chef Mickey’s for reservations. I keyed in the dates we would want to dine there, only to be SHOCKED. Whether it was providence-as some may say-or just plain pixie dust, Chef Mickey’s had a few lunch times available!
“But wait a minute,” I said to myself, “Chef Mickey’s is only available for breakfast and dinner!”
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| Proudly wearing my “Tips From the Disney Diva” shirt! |
I didn’t let logic or reasoning take over me, I booked it right away. After booking our coveted ADR, I checked on the internet. It was there that I found out, sure enough, Chef Mickey’s is available for lunch when there is a high demand for ADR’s. This is true especially during the Free Dining Promotion. I was elated and I couldn’t contain myself! I quickly wrote a note to my daughter and put it in her lunch bag. It read “Guess What?” And when she opened it, it read, “We’re going to Chef Mickey’s!” That would surely put a smile on her face for the rest of the day!
And it put a smile on all of our faces for the rest of our trip! Chef Mickey’s was the first Table Service Reservation of our vacation. You can read
Disney Diva’s article here, on why making a reservation at a Character Meal is essential for a vacation with young ones. By dining at a character meal like Chef Mickey’s, we got to eat and meet the Fab Five in one shot. For the rest of our trip, we SAVED time by not having to line up for any of the Fab Five while reasoning with our daughter, “We have their picture and autograph already!”
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| Donald gives the best hugs! |
So how was the food for Lunch? It was delicious and similar to the dinner menu. The main focus at Chef Mickey’s is meeting the characters. I liked the selection of the salads and other dishes better at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, for their Lunch Buffet.
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| Being goofy with Goofy! |
My husband loves all the carved meat stations at every Walt Disney World Buffet we go to. I really enjoyed the Baked Salmon Fillet and the sauteed green beans were tasty. My daughter, who is very particular, had the most delicious, gourmet Chicken Breast Tenders. They were lightly breaded and seasoned so well. Not ALL chicken “tenders” at Disney World are the same. The only time we found similar Chicken Tenders was at the Lotus Blossom Cafe at the China Pavilion in Epcot. I kept stealing the Chicken Tenders off her plate! We also enjoyed the Mickey Cheese Ravioli in Marinara Sauce, which you can find at many Disney World restaurants. The Make-Your-Own-Sundae bar will get any kid, giddy with excitement, especially when they dispense the variety of colorful toppings to create their dessert! My daughter loved it!
The famous MICKEY DOMES, were divine! These chocolate coated, chocolate mousse on top of an Oreo cookies, were incredible. All of the food mentioned is available at the Dinner Buffet as well.
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| Love Pluto! |
With the popularity of Chef Mickey’s and from checking the Walt Disney World website recently, it looks like they may add Lunch permanently. Until then, if you cannot get an ADR, keep trying! Better yet, talk to a Travel Specialist like our Military Diva who can help you with all these details and keep a constant look out for you.
The BEST part of Chef Mickey’s was meeting the characters and getting a chance to act like a kid again. At Chef Mickey’s, the Fab Five do the famous “Napkin Twirl” as you can see the Disney Diva’s family doing here. The most tender moment for me, was seeing my own husband doing the napkin twirl along with Mickey and the gang. These small moments are what makes a Walt Disney World vacation truly magical.
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| All Characters will sign autographs too! |
Disney Diva Notes:
Author: Canadian Diva
The famous MICKEY DOMES, were divine! These chocolate coated, chocolate mousse on top of an Oreo cookies, were incredible. All of the food mentioned is available at the Dinner Buffet as well.
