Character Lunch at Hollywood & Vine gets two thumbs up!

[MommaKim]

We just returned from a nine day trip to WDW, staying at the Wilderness Lodge. We utilized the dining plan to the maximum, making reservations 180 days in advance to book character meals and signature dining experiences. The most pleasant surprise of the trip was our character lunch at Disney-MGM Studios Hollywood & Vine restaurant. The food on the buffet was absolutely delicious. There was excellent variety with something to please everyone from simple peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and mac and cheese for the picky kids to fabulous salmon, chicken and steak dishes for the adults. This buffet was tops. Everything was fresh, hot and tasty. In addition, the service and seating was right on time despite the restaurant being packed to capacity. Finally, in addition to the characters of JoJo, Goliath, Leo and June, two Disney Cast Members continually rocked the house with lively mini "dance parties" that enabled our 3 and 5 year olds to get up and dance around the restaurant. Not only did this help eliminate their wiggles when it was time to eat, but it gave Mom and Dad a few "quiet" minutes at the table to enjoy the fabulous food. If you're looking for a peaceful restaurant to enjoy your meal, this isn't it. If you're looking for excellent food with lots of fun for your young children, THIS IS IT!

Our other dining experiences while at WDW on this trip included the character lunch at the Crystal Palace, Lunch at the Royal Table in Cinderella's Castle, dinner at Le Cellier, dinner at Citricos, and dinner at Boma. In the past, we have dined at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, the Cinderella character dining at the Grand Floridian for dinner, and breakfast at Chef Mickey's.

Overall, our favorite dinner was at Le Cellier. We are extremely carnivorous in our family so this may have something to do with our preference. The prime rib and the filet mignon were outstanding. Citricos fell short of my expectations as my shrimp appetizer was overcooked and my braised veal was bland. Boma was good with many unique and interesting dishes to try in addition to standard fare to please the less adventurous.

 

[momofdbsdc]

Thanks for the review! We will be trying Hollywood and Vine for breakfast in April!!!

 

[Maggi May]

Glad you enjoyed H&V, too. I agree that if you're looking for a peaceful restaurant, H&V is not it, but they really have done a great job with the character interaction and songs. My DS still talks about getting to meet Leo and June.

 

[Minniespal]

Enjoyed reading your review ~ Thanx for sharing.

 

[Subrbnmommy]

I totally agree with you. We all loved H & V and it was my DD3's favorite character meal (the other we went to was CP and CRT). I think the interaction and the dancing made it much more enjoyable for her and in turn for us.

 

[Lexxiefern]

We are trying H&V out for breakfast next month. Thanks for the review!

 

[MommaKim]

Thanks to all for the nice comments. I'm glad to see other folks had a great time at H&V too. You never know if your experience is a one-time deal or if the restaurant lacks consistency. For now, it looks like H&V is doing a great job for most visitors. For those dining in the next few months, check back in and let us know how your visit was, especially if you go for breakfast. I would like to know how the menu is for that meal. Yum!

 

[mtemm]

I'm so happy to hear that the restaurant was full! we went to the play and dine breakfast and the restaurant was only about a third full. which isn't a bad thing when it comes to character interaction, but it made us wonder if the meal would stick around for long if it wasn't more popular. we had a great time there!

 

[jwfla422]

We've been to this lunch twice in the last 3 months and enjoyed it both times. Although the last time we did arrive at the tail end of the lunch time and they closed one of side of the buffet (there are 2 sides with the same items on each side). They had run very low on some of the items on the only side that was opened BUT there were CMs right in the back there so I had asked if they could fill up a few things and they did right away. Character interaction is also nice here too. DD is 8 and enjoys it.

 

[lillygator]

thanks for the review, we just booked this for our upcoming May trip!

 

[shovan]

Thanks for the info!! We considered H&V but don't typically care for buffets, so this is good to know. How was CRT for lunch? We have that booked for next week. I haven't been hearing good things about it. But we've never eaten in the castle & will have a 4yo princess fanatic on this trip!