by Disney Magic Diva
If you’ve done any research about character breakfasts, you’ve probably heard rave reviews (and deservedly so) of the most popular experiences. You can dine with royalty at Cinderella’s Royal Table or Akershus Royal Banquet Hall Pooh and Friends at Crystal Palace, Disney Junior characters at Hollywood and Vine, or those adorable, rascally chipmunks at Garden Grill. An extremely popular choice still on our family’s bucket list is ‘Ohana where you can meet Lilo and Stitch. And of course one of the most popular ways to begin a day at Walt Disney World Resort is by saying “hello” to Mickey and his gang at Chef Mickey’s. If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World and want to enjoy one of these breakfasts, you’ll want to make your advance dining reservations as soon as you can, preferably 180 days in advance, because they fill up quickly. (If you’d like to read Diva reviews of these character meals, click here for Cinderella’s Royal Table, here for Akershus, here for Crystal Palace vs. Chef Mickey, and here for ‘Ohana.)
But if you’re looking for a character breakfast that’s a little less crowded, and easier to book at the last minute, you should consider Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast at Cape May Café located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. It is a low-key, fun-filled way to begin your day and see characters sporting their fabulous beachwear!
On a recent visit, we wanted a memorable way to end our stay at the Beach Club. Having breakfast with Minnie, Goofy and Donald at Cape May was the perfect solution. Our Magical Express return trip to the airport was scheduled for 8:35, so we were a little worried about having enough time to eat and still make our bus. But we were able to get a 7:30 reservation, the first one of the morning. We were the second party seated, and had plenty of time to enjoy our food, meet all the characters (some of them even made two visits to our table!) and still make our bus.
What really struck me about our Minnie’s Beach Bash breakfast was how relaxed and quiet it was. We’ve had delightful times at Chef Mickey’s, Akershus, Crystal Palace, Hollywood and Vine and Cinderella’s Royal Table. But I’ve always thought they were a little loud and hectic. That was definitely not the case at Cape May. And it was wonderful!
TIP: Since this atmosphere is so much calmer than any other character meal we have experienced, it would be a perfect choice for anyone who may be intimidated by the typically loud restaurants or more chaotic character meals.
The restaurant is beautifully themed, with soft turquoise, sand, and coral colors and all kinds of “beachy” accoutrements – from croquet mallets and surfboards on the wall to elaborate sandcastles to the beach umbrella carpet. We checked in a few minutes 
before our reservation time, and were seated shortly after. Breakfast is a buffet, and the serving area is huge, square island in the center of the restaurant. Cold offerings include sliced meats, cheeses, yogurts, fruit, breads, pastries, and cereals. Hot choices consist of eggs, frittata, breakfast potatoes, ham, sausage links, bacon, French toast, grits, biscuits and gravy, and of course Mickey waffles. One of our favorite stops was the crepe station, where a chef will prepare 
a crepe filled with your choice of scrumptious offerings. Nutella, please! With all these choices, it was easy to please my meat-and-potatoes husband as well as my sometimes rather picky-eater grandkids. We all found plenty to fill our plates!
TIP: It is important to note that unless you are staying at Disney’s Beach Club, Yacht Club or perhaps Boardwalk, Swan, or Dolphin (in which case you could walk to Beach Club), it will take some time to get to Cape May. If you want to use Disney transportation, remember buses don’t run from resort to resort. You’ll need to catch a bus to a park, and from there catch another bus to Beach Club resort. Allow an hour, at the very least, for travel. Car, taxi or Uber may be preferable.
Minnie’s Beach Bash Breakfast buffet is served daily 7:30am to 11:00am. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, it is 1 table service credit. You can save 20% with the Tables in Wonderland card. (Pink Diva explains more about Tables in Wonderland here.) We paid out of pocket, and while prices may vary by season, during our July visit it was $30 for adults and $18 for children, without tax or tip.
We absolutely loved our getaway day breakfast at Cape May. It helped us feel like the magic was lasting just a little longer as we prepared for our trip home.
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