Best value character dining for OOP

[Dream bigger]

We normally have the free DDP and then do a lot of character meals... looking to book for next year and obviously no dining plan currently for next year.

Which character dining would you say is best value to pay oop.

I begrudge paying $200 for a buffet breakfast, which we used to do 2-3 of when on the ddp.

Kids will be 12, 10 and 8.

[gjdjud]

I think somewhere like Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club would probably be a cheaper one. It’s not in the the parks which helps. Chef Mickey’s is really expensive. I think Crystal Palace isn’t as much either as it’s not Mickey etc. To be honest not sure when the character meals will be coming back though

[nothingless]

We did one OOP character meal on our budget trip for Christmas 2018, and it was Crystal Palace. I booked it for 10:45, so we viewed it as a brunch - we'd gotten up early that morning and did several rides already by 10:45, so it actually felt later than it was!

About halfway through our meal, the lunch food was all coming out to the buffet, and we got to eat as much as we wanted from that also. It made the breakfast-buffet fee a lot more bearable to do it this way, as the food actually lasted us a good part of the day!

(of course, that's assuming things will be relatively back to normal by then!)

[Shooby doo]

Tusker House if I had to do one, it also helps that it's decent food but with the caveat that I don't think any of the buffets are worth it- you're looking at the best part of $300 plus tip there & on a bad exchange rate that's close to £300!
We've had a week of free DDP the last 3 trips & last year we also done a lot of OOP- it's frightening when you start to add up Disney food prices!
SD

[2point]

The best food we've had at a character meal has always been at the Grand Floridian. Based on that, even if it's more expensive I'd pay OOP for that quality of food.

[BevS97]

With a 12 and 10 year old, you will be paying adult prices, so in all honesty none of them are a great deal.

We really enjoyed the Wilderness Campfire with Chip n Dale, and that's free, or around $10 for some smores.

[Guest]

The character meals are pretty much the same price, other than Cinderella’s Royal Table and Akershus which seem a bit more expensive (esp. CRT). Other than that most are around $42-45 for breakfast and between $55-60 for dinner.

So you might as well just do the one that you want to do, as none provide good value and you are going to be spending about $200 on breakfast whichever you go to.

We decided we couldn’t justify the expense last year when we were there without a dining plan, although we are an adult only party so just do character meals (when on dining plan) for a few photos.

[Grant41]

Garden Grill breakfast at Epcot, they do lunch/dinner too I believe but we had a great breakfast there, I'm sure they will start them again when Epcot starts to open earlier. It's a circular restaurant and if it's a bit quiet you see the characters over and over again.