Attraction Tickets Direct VIP Character Breakfast at Walt Disney World Review
So I’m eventually getting around to blogging about our last trip to Walt Disney World. I can’t believe we’ve been back over a month already (and I’ve been sick for 90% of it). I’d love to say we’re already planning our next trip but sadly we’re not (yet anyway). So instead I’m sorting through the memories we made in October and hopefully I can spend the next year telling you all about them.
I’m starting today with our VIP Character breakfast that was booked through Attraction Tickets Direct. Having used ATD in the past to book our park passes (I really like that you can pay deposit to secure your tickets before paying the rest off) I knew I was in for good service and communication throughout my transaction.
ATD have a page dedicated to the VIP Disney dining services they offer, we were gifted a breakfast experience to try which included luxury transfers from our hotel to the Contemporary Resort with breakfast at Chef Mickey’s. Chef Mickey’s is one of the most prestigious and difficult Disney character dining spots, also the one my dad most coveted when I was a child. It was a bit of a dream come true to finally be eating here, and not just eating here but arriving in style!
You make your booking through the ATD website, the current prices for the one we were lucky enough to experience is £81 per adult and £66 which includes everything, even the tip when when you compare it to the restaurant meal alone is great value for money. You will receive your documents either via post or email which you take out with you to Florida. On arrival in Florida you can use your room phone to call the local operator who will be providing your luxury transport. As it’s a local call it won’t cost you anything to phone them. They will arrange a time for collection from your hotel or resort on the day you have booked for.
On the day of your dining experience, you’ll be picked up at your hotel lobby in some form of luxury vehicle. We got lucky and it was a beautiful stretch limo, talk about VIP experience! Unfortunately we were sharing with another family (this is something you are told at time of booking) and although they were quiet and respectful, I didn’t feel like I could take flash photos while in the car. The drive was so helpful and loaded the car with our pushchair and bags as we’d be continuing onto Magic Kingdom after breakfast. There was a LCD screen with songs to chose from and a selection of drinks that you could help yourself to. From Old Key West to Contemporary it is less than a 10 minute drive so we sat back enjoyed the music saving room for the fantastic breakfast we knew we were in for.
On arrival our driver took us right into the Contemporary and up to Chef Mickey’s which is just below the monorail concourse. Kids love it as your can see the monorail come and go. It’s a very Disney themed restaurant, everywhere you look there are hidden Mickeys and it reminds me a lot of Cafe Mickey in Disneyland Paris. This appeals to both Little Miss and I as we love to be surrounded by Disney. There is a fantastic selection of food that is served buffet style so you can eat as much as you want from cooked (and about 5 different kinds of potatoes!) pancakes, Mickey waffles, fruit, cereals, breads, cakes and I particularly love the plates the kids get I wish they had them at all the buffet restaurants!
Of course for us the biggest draw to character dining isn’t the food (although it does have to be said that Chef Mickey’s is a cut above the rest) it’s the chance to meet Little Miss’ favourite characters and this restaurant didn’t disappoint. Here you are visited by the fab five, this being Mickey and Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto all decked out in the chef gear. What I like about this restaurant in comparison to other character dining spots such as Park Fare, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Hollywood and Vine is the space factor! Chef Mickey’s had so much space which made for great character greeting and interaction. No bumped elbows or ending up in other people’s photos which is often a risk at these kinds of places.
And Little Miss’ favourite bit of the whole dining experience? Every now and then the Mickey Mouse Club House March comes on and you get to swing your napkins around in the air. The characters really get into it and it was great seeing Mickey dancing around! This used to be a staple at Crystal Palace when I was a child but it appears to have moved to Chef Mickey’s!
We enjoyed the food and service so much we ended up back again for breakfast on our last day.
Overall the experience with Attraction Tickets Direct from start to finish was smooth and good value for money. The extra care and attention is sometimes exactly what you need to make your Walt Disney World trip truly magical. If you’re looking for an extra special way to celebrate a birthday, wedding or even just the fact you’re on a holiday of a lifetime, this could be it!
I’ll be using Attraction Tickets Direct to book our Disneyland Paris tickets for January as there service is second to none. They really go the extra mile for your money, you can see it simply from their Twitter.