July 9, 2025 • 23 mins
Step into the heart of Disney dining magic as we take you behind the scenes at Chef Mickey's breakfast buffet in Disney's Contemporary Resort. Imagine savoring warm cinnamon rolls (possibly the best we've ever tasted!) while Mickey Mouse himself stops by for a selfie – all with the iconic Disney monorail gliding overhead through the soaring Grand Canyon Concourse.
What makes Chef Mickey's special isn't just the food – though the bountiful breakfast buffet delivers with everything from Mickey waffles to apple-filled beignets and a delicious hash brown casserole. The real magic happens when the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto) make their rounds, creating personal moments with guests of all ages. We were particularly impressed with how attentive the characters were, even circling back to interact with our table when a family member was briefly at the buffet.
Unlike some character dining experiences that can overwhelm with noise and commotion, Chef Mickey's strikes the perfect balance – festive enough to feel special but calm enough to actually enjoy conversations with your travel companions. Characters move efficiently through the restaurant, typically meeting each table within a 15-20 minute window, which means you can focus on both the interactions and your meal without constant interruptions.
At $58 per adult and $37 per child (plus tax and gratuity), this character breakfast represents a significant investment, but the combination of abundant food options, character moments, and the convenience of monorail access to Magic Kingdom makes it a worthwhile consideration for your Disney vacation. Whether you're revisiting a Disney dining tradition or creating new family memories, Chef Mickey's remains one of those quintessential Disney experiences that continues to delight guests decades after it first opened.
Ready to make Chef Mickey's part of your next Disney adventure? Contact Travel Planner Erica to secure your reservation and receive personalized guidance for your entire vacation.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Hello and welcome to Circle of Hearts podcast,
episode number 213.
Today I am with Nolan, ouryoungest, and we are going to
talk about our recent breakfastat Chef Mickey's.
There is far too much to seeand do.
We are here to help guide youthrough, but before we do that
(00:43):
we must talk Disney merch.
So this week on DisneyStorecomthere is a new Stitch pin from
Lilo and Stitch and it is the25th anniversary pin.
I didn't realize it's been thatlong for that movie as well and
(01:04):
it is priced at $14.99.
And it is Alien Visitor.
Stitch salutes our officialDisney pin trading 25th
anniversary celebration wearinga glittering blue shirt and a
pin laden lanyard.
He's ready to collect some morealong with you.
So Stitch is what only one inthe series.
(01:26):
So again, 25 years ago is whenthe movie came out, and this is
to commemorate that anniversary,priced at $14 and 99 cents.
And that is this week's Disneymerch.
So, as we stated, or as I stated, I am here with Nolan, hello,
(01:47):
and so we are going to talk toyou about our recent breakfast.
We had on our trip that we justwrapped up a few weeks ago at
Chef Mickey's, and it is locatedin Disney's Contemporary Resort
and it is a character diningexperience and usually one of
those main go-to characterdinings that a lot of people
(02:10):
like to try.
So before we dive into that,though, I just want to welcome
everyone to the show.
You're probably wondering, well, where is Zach?
He's still in the room, but heis not going to be joining
vocally on this podcast becausehe said I wasn't there, so he's
letting us two do the talking.
But just wanted to welcomeeveryone.
(02:30):
You know, normally this iswhere we say I'm Zach, I'm
Brittany, but today you've gotme and Nolan and we just come to
you every week to kind of breakup your week, bring a little
Disney to your day and your week.
If you're maybe returning from arecent vacation at Disney and
you're experiencing the Disneyblues, maybe kind of lighten
(02:52):
that mood a bit.
Or if you have one coming upand you're not sure what you
want to do while you're there,we hope that some of our
episodes kind of help you indeciding.
You know, if you're kind of onthe cusp of, okay, do I want to
eat here or there?
You know, I mean, everybody'staste buds and stuff are
different, but maybe, with whatwe share with you, can help you
(03:13):
make that choice of.
Well, that might not be what'sbest for my family, or hey, that
might work.
I didn't know that they offeredthat as well at those dining
locations, so let's dive rightin.
So first I'm going to tell youwhat Disney says about Chef
Mickey's on the website.
Prepare for a character filledall you care to enjoy breakfast
(03:34):
or dinner buffet at Disney'sContemporary Resort.
Chef Mickey's Buffet CharacterDining Experience character
dining in a delicious buffetmeal in a bright, happy space as
the monorail whizzes by, soakup the expansive views of Bay
Lake and behold the stunning90-foot high mural by Disney
(03:54):
legend Mary Blair that overlooksthe festive eatery.
Each table will receive aspecial autographed card
keepsake for Mickey Mouse andhis friends.
Throughout the diningexperience, mickey Mouse and
some of his favorite pals makesurprise appearances in each of
the dining rooms.
(04:15):
See them move throughout therestaurant, waving hello as
rollicking music fills the air.
Now, before I say anything else, was it really loud in there
this time?
Not?
really no, and I don't thinkeven when we went before, we'd
gone once before during theCOVID times, and so it wasn't
buffet, then it was family style, and both times, like, the
music wasn't super loud.
(04:35):
And there was one time while wewere sitting there, where
typically they play music andthey dance around and wave
napkins, and it wasn't all crazy.
It was kind of you, you know,just very calmly done, don't you
think?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, but you still got to see them, like, go around
in the circle right Quickly.
Yeah, they did it fairlyquickly, You're right.
So delight in a bountifulbreakfast and savor delectable
dinner fare.
Start the day off right with aselection of some of your
favorite breakfast dishes.
Highlights include what do youthink?
One of the highlights is umbeignets well, they did, have
(05:12):
beignets what else mickeywaffles mickey waffles name,
some more sausage.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
What else do you breakfast?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
but they need to know .
So they have sweet and savorybread, scrambled eggs, smoked
bacon, sliced honey, ham andcorned beef, hash, mickey
waffles and more.
And, as Nolan hinted just now,there were some beignets.
What did you think about those?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
They were all right.
The beignets they had, likethis, apple filling in it.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Oh, some of them did yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah, I don't know if that's how all of them are, but
I got one of those and I justlicked the powder off.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, the powdered like sugar and stuff.
Yeah.
So besides the filling, though,was it good Like was it like
your other beignets you've had,yeah, yeah, so there's plenty of
more.
Enjoy a rotating collection ofChef Mickey's signature
offerings, such as buttermilkbiscuits and gravy, which I did
have while we were there andthey were good, warm cinnamon
rolls and oh, my goodness, Iknow you're probably thinking
(06:19):
they are just cinnamon rolls.
What's so good about them,brittany?
But I think these are some ofthe best cinnamon rolls I've
ever had.
That was like my dessert.
I waited to go to like thefruit and pastries area at the
very end and they had justbrought these cinnamon rolls out
.
They were nice and warm, justsuper, super delicious.
Um, it mentions here a ham andcheese omelet and vegetable
(06:42):
omelet, but while we were there,they just consistently had
different types of omelets outon the buffet for you to get,
and I did notice some ham andcheese vegetable and it looked
like a few others.
Egg, just the plain eggs, yeah,yeah, um, and then some other
things to mention too.
If you know, you have thepickier eaters and stuff.
I mean they have like your.
(07:03):
You know again, mickey waffles.
They have some regular pancakes.
They have fruit.
They have, uh, you know, likecheese and cold meat set out and
stuff as well, of course, theMickey waffles, you know, and
the pastries have muffins andthere's some cereal and stuff.
So I think there's a little bitsomething for everyone.
(07:24):
They did have some onions andbell peppers with, like, some
sausages as well, a littlefurther down on the buffet.
So again, something foreveryone.
Now, if you go for dinner, thisis dinner features a world of
flavor with chef mickey'ssignature dishes.
Begin with assorted salads, orpeel and eat shrimp, then move
on to delicious entrees and sidedishes, like new york strip
(07:46):
loin, barbecue, pork ribs,teriyaki, salmon, macaroni and
cheese, vegetable stir-frynoodles, asian chicken salad,
and save room to end your feastwith pastry chef sensational
desserts.
So, um, just a little bit onsome history before we really
share our experience.
All right, so the original chefmickey's opened in the early
(08:08):
1990s in the disney villagemarketplace, which is now known
as Disney Springs.
I did not know that.
I wish Zach had a mic to talkto him more about this, but I
didn't know that.
I thought it was always in thecontemporary.
So that's interesting to know.
Chef Mickey's officially openedin the contemporary resort as we
know it now in 1996.
(08:30):
Has had several refurbishmentsover the years, most notably in
2020, when it was converted tofamily style during the COVID
pandemic, situated in the GrandCanyon concourse of the
contemporary resort.
And see, they even use the termconcourse.
I have always said thatcontemporary reminds me of an
airport, and so they're evencalling this the concourse.
And so they're even callingthis the concourse.
(08:52):
The restaurant has a bright,open air layout with views of
the monorail and features funkinetic sculptures and plenty of
Mickey themed decor.
The theme of Chef Mickey's isthat you're dining in Mickey's
kitchen and the Fab Five isdoing all the cooking.
You'll meet the Fab Five here,including Mickey, minnie, goofy,
pluto and Donald Betweencooking all the wonderful food.
(09:14):
The Fab Five will take breaksand lead a napkin twirling dance
party and meet with guests,often a first stop for guests
before heading into the MagicKingdom.
And I know several people thatdo make this part of their day
when they are at Magic Kingdom,whether it's before the park,
going for breakfast, or going alittle bit later, after they've
done a couple of things at MagicKingdom, taking the monorail
over to Contemporary and eatingbreakfast, then going back to
(09:37):
Magic Kingdom, or breaking uptheir day later for dinner.
It has become a rite of passagefor most first-timers to Walt
Disney World and Erica TravelPlanner.
Erica, she made thesereservations for us.
Thank you so much.
You know, instead of all fourof us going, zach and Ryan went
(10:00):
to a certain other park inOrlando and this was me and
Nolan day and she was able tomake those dining reservations
for us.
So let's hear from Erica.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming,
but that's where our new sponsorcomes in.
You've heard us talk about herfor a long time and now she's
the official sponsor of thispodcast Travel planner Erica
with Wishes Co Travel Planning.
As a travel plannerspecializing in Disney
destinations, she takes care ofevery detail, from finding the
best resort options for yourfamily booking, dining
(10:31):
reservations to park strategiesand now offers a special,
lightning-laying booking serviceto your park days.
She truly offers top-tierservice from start to finish and
the best part is her planningservices are free when you book
your room and ticket packagewith her.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We're thrilled to have Travel Planner Erica as the
official sponsor of thispodcast, and exclusively for
Circle of Parks listeners.
When you plan your next WaltDisney World or Disneyland
vacation or your next run Disneyracecation with Erica, you'll
receive a Disney gift card basedon the value of your trip on
(11:06):
your arrival day to put towardsyour Disney snacks.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
So if you're dreaming of a magical Disney trip, she's
the expert you want on yourside, ready to plan.
Reach out to Erica atTravelPlannerEricacom or follow
her on Facebook and Instagram atTravel Planner Erica.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
All right, I said let's hear from Erica, but I
meant about Erica.
So thank you again so much,erica, for everything you do and
helping make these reservationspossible, because it definitely
was a busy morning there.
When you first arrive, you needto check in with the first
person, or, if they have thesign with the QR code, then you
(11:46):
scan the QR code and you'rebasically letting them know
you're there and then you willget a text message saying when
your table's ready and you don'thave to go to that first person
, you go on to the desk that's alittle bit down the little
entrance hallway and they willget you seated.
So keep that in mind.
If you don't see a QR code,check in with the first person
(12:07):
there at the entrance, but ifthe QR code is on a sign right
there, that's going to be thequickest way to get you checked
in.
So the pricing for thebreakfast buffet is $58 per
adult, plus tax and gratuity,and the children's price ages
three to nine, is $37 per child.
(12:27):
So, nolan, tell us about yourexperience here.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Amazing, the food was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Now the eggs.
I don't know if it was just thebatch, but it was like a little
wet.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Oh yeah, you don't like runny eggs.
No.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
But I like scrambled eggs, it's just that not so
runny.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Yeah, and that's one thing.
You know this is a buffet, soyou know sometimes it is going
to be, you know, a little moreovercooked when it comes to eggs
or a little more runny, but youknow they're going to be the
eggs you get at Disney.
Did you enjoy the bacon?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah, you didn't get a Mickey waffle this time.
No, no, but you did go back afew times.
Yeah, well, he saw the beignetsand that kind of took over the
the Mickey waffle.
But I was surprised, um, aboutthat too.
So sorry, zach was making aface like wow, he didn't get a
Mickey waffle.
Um, now tell us a little bitabout the characters, because
(13:31):
one came to the table when I wasup at the buffet again, right,
oh yeah Mickey and yeah Mickey.
So I got a selfie with him yeah,I left my phone at the table,
so if that happens, he gave me aface.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He was like where what he was pointing to your
chair.
He's like where's mom?
Speaker 1 (13:47):
at I said going to get more food, yeah and then
didn't you say, when I came backhe was like, oh, like, rubbing
his belly, like getting morefood.
Yeah, and let me tell you guys,like I love that they still
interacted with him, even thoughhe was the only one at the
table.
I mean, I was just right therenext to where we were sitting at
the buffet, but I love that hestill like interacted with Nolan
(14:09):
.
The selfie was probably likeone of the best pictures we got
that day.
Honestly, it was really cute.
I'm old enough.
He probably, he probably, if itwas like a little kid maybe
circle back around, and he stillcircled back around, which I
really appreciated that like afew minutes later he came by
when I was there and tookpictures again with Nolan and
with me and interacted, and so Iwas glad that he still circled
(14:32):
back around.
So one thing I want to say toois when we first sat down did we
see characters for the firstlittle bit?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
No, they're like towards the side of the
contemporary, like where thatseating is, and we were like at
the back of the contemporary.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Yeah, well, inside the restaurant, yeah, so they
circle around like section bysection.
You know, in differentrestaurants do this differently.
Sometimes all characters arespread out and you're waiting
several minutes, even 15 minutesin between seeing some
characters.
I like how this was done.
I don't know if it's all thetime, but the day that we went,
so they, most of them, were inthe area he just explained off
(15:11):
to the side.
Um, but then once Mickey camearound when I was at the buffet
and when I sat back down, likethe rest of them were coming
through like every probablythree to five minutes and so you
get it.
You know, you get the picturesand everything out of the way
fairly quickly and I like thatyou do that that way because
it's not like, oh, let me have acouple bites of food or let me
(15:34):
take a chance on going to thebuffet or not, because you don't
know how long it's going to bebetween characters.
It they.
I think we got pictures withinwhat?
15 minutes of all of themprobably 20, okay, maybe 20, um,
and, but I like that and youknow, definitely.
You know interactive again, notsuper loud, like when we went
to Disneyland and Goofy'sKitchen, nothing like that
(15:57):
whatsoever.
I think Zach was wondering ifit would be that way.
Um, now that it's back tobuffet here at Chef Mickey's,
but Zach and Ryan were like itis too much.
Um, so it was to me for ChefMickey's like I think they did a
very good job, like it was verycalm.
You could hear what you weresaying to people around you.
Uh, I did have pog juice.
(16:18):
They have pog juice to drinkthere and that's the.
What is it?
Pomegranate, orange and guava,yes, and it is so good I
probably drank three of thoseglasses that day.
The food I really enjoyed.
They also had a hash browncasserole.
I don't know if it's a regularthing on the buffet or not.
That was really good.
(16:39):
I went back for seconds on itand I'm kind of picky when it
comes to biscuits and gravy andI really enjoyed their biscuits
and gravy here.
So, um, what?
Who was your favorite characterthat you met?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Pluto.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Pluto, pluto or Mickey, pluto or Mickey.
Yeah, and then Donald, he wasfun to interact with, and
Goofy's so super tall, isn't he?
Yeah yeah, so do you.
You were all ramped up to talk,so do you want to say any more
about Chef Mickey's no?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
That's all.
If we did this right after thetrip, I would know more.
Okay, but I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Do you like that you get to take the monorail to get
here?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I like that too, you canalso take a boat from Pauly,
that is true, and wildernessWell, to Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, yes, and then catch the monorail over yeah.
Yeah, so would you eat hereagain for breakfast?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, yes, if we had one here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, if we took a longer trip to disney again and
had time would you three days atleast.
At least three days, okay so youwould eat here for breakfast
again, okay.
Would you want to try dinnerone day?
Yeah, okay.
Well, while I'm talking aboutdinner, let me look at the
(18:08):
pricing for it as well.
Again, just a reminderbreakfast is $58 per adult, $37
per child ages 3 to 9, plus taxand gratuity.
And so dinner?
Okay, dinner pricing is $69 peradult and $44 per child.
And we mentioned earlier, youknow, they're going to have a
(18:29):
salad bar, they're going to havecarving stations, they're going
to have different pastas,they're going to also offer
plant based, seasonal inspireddishes, macaroni, stir fry, okay
.
And then they offer some nonalcoholic beverages, some
cocktails, hard ciders, beer,all of that stuff.
The beer and hard ciders andeverything is a little on the
(18:54):
pricey side, I would say.
But you know, if that's yourcup of tea, then go right ahead.
Some of the cocktails are goingto be like a blood orange
margarita, a mojito, a cold brew, martini and more.
So we have not gone duringdinner.
I feel like I haven't heard alot about dinner here.
I feel like you hear more aboutbreakfast.
(19:16):
I think that's just how peoplechoose to do it when they're
incorporating it more in theirMagic Kingdom day.
But it can easily be done fordinner as well by taking the
monorail from Magic Kingdom.
So my favorite character wasMinnie Mouse.
Yes, and I tried to get decentselfie.
I should have had just Nolantake the picture because she was
(19:38):
posing.
She knew what I was looking forin the selfie.
It was super cute.
Loved her outfit.
She made I believe she said shemade the desserts.
So, she did a really good job onthe cinnamon rolls especially
so would I choose to eat hereagain.
Um yes yes, I think I would too.
(19:58):
Yeah, it was a good experience.
It might just be me and youeach time, but it was a good
experience.
So, and would I try it fordinner if it fit into our day?
Yes, I just I don't know.
I think it's easier to try itfor dinner If it fit into our
day.
Yes, I just I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I think it's easier to do it for breakfast.
Chef Mickey's for dinner for medoesn't come to mind for dinner
.
Yeah, like dinner is like atresorts, like maybe at the
Polynesian.
I forgot what that's called,the restaurant where they have
the chocolate mousse oh uh,geyser point at wilderness lodge
(20:33):
.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Yeah and yeah, yeah yeah, those come to mind first
at resorts before here.
I get that and you know thoseare going to be a little cheaper
.
For pricing too.
I think the dinner pricing hereis pretty expensive and you
would probably eat from the kidsbuffet which would be like
chicken nuggets, mac and cheese,stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Also.
Now that comes to mind is atCoronado Springs what's that
place called?
We ate there when they were at.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
The other park.
That we don't say on thepodcast.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
No, no, no, no, they were at Geyser Point.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, so Rick's Sports Bar.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, that was really good.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
It was all right.
I think we could find someother restaurants to eat at
better.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
The wings were good.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Okay, all right.
Well, good, all right.
Anything else you would like tosay before we go Nope, nope, so
you would eat here again.
Mm-hmm, we go, nope, nope, soyou would eat here again.
You enjoy the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And would you recommend other people eating
here?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah, yeah, okay.
On a scale of five stars, fivebeing the highest, what would
you rate it?
Six, all right, all right, sothank you for listening.
All right.
So thank you for listening, andyou can support our team by
booking your next trip withTravel Planner Erica.
You can visit her atwwwtravelplannerericacom.
(21:59):
She's on Facebook and Instagram.
At Travel Planner Erica.
You can email us atcircleofparks at gmailcom.
Our website is circleofparkscom.
We are on socials Facebook,instagram, x.
At Circle of Parks.
Leave us a rating and review onApple Podcasts and please share
us.
So we will talk to you in aweek and I believe we will be
(22:22):
rating the Disney resorts wehave stayed at.
So talk to you soon.
Bye.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Bye.
Hello and welcome to Circle of Hearts podcast,
episode number 213.
Today I am with Nolan, ouryoungest, and we are going to
talk about our recent breakfastat Chef Mickey's.
There is far too much to seeand do.
We are here to help guide youthrough, but before we do that
(00:43):
we must talk Disney merch.
So this week on DisneyStorecomthere is a new Stitch pin from
Lilo and Stitch and it is the25th anniversary pin.
I didn't realize it's been thatlong for that movie as well and
(01:04):
it is priced at $14.99.
And it is Alien Visitor.
Stitch salutes our officialDisney pin trading 25th
anniversary celebration wearinga glittering blue shirt and a
pin laden lanyard.
He's ready to collect some morealong with you.
So Stitch is what only one inthe series.
(01:26):
So again, 25 years ago is whenthe movie came out, and this is
to commemorate that anniversary,priced at $14 and 99 cents.
And that is this week's Disneymerch.
So, as we stated, or as I stated, I am here with Nolan, hello,
(01:47):
and so we are going to talk toyou about our recent breakfast.
We had on our trip that we justwrapped up a few weeks ago at
Chef Mickey's, and it is locatedin Disney's Contemporary Resort
and it is a character diningexperience and usually one of
those main go-to characterdinings that a lot of people
(02:10):
like to try.
So before we dive into that,though, I just want to welcome
everyone to the show.
You're probably wondering, well, where is Zach?
He's still in the room, but heis not going to be joining
vocally on this podcast becausehe said I wasn't there, so he's
letting us two do the talking.
But just wanted to welcomeeveryone.
(02:30):
You know, normally this iswhere we say I'm Zach, I'm
Brittany, but today you've gotme and Nolan and we just come to
you every week to kind of breakup your week, bring a little
Disney to your day and your week.
If you're maybe returning from arecent vacation at Disney and
you're experiencing the Disneyblues, maybe kind of lighten
(02:52):
that mood a bit.
Or if you have one coming upand you're not sure what you
want to do while you're there,we hope that some of our
episodes kind of help you indeciding.
You know, if you're kind of onthe cusp of, okay, do I want to
eat here or there?
You know, I mean, everybody'staste buds and stuff are
different, but maybe, with whatwe share with you, can help you
(03:13):
make that choice of.
Well, that might not be what'sbest for my family, or hey, that
might work.
I didn't know that they offeredthat as well at those dining
locations, so let's dive rightin.
So first I'm going to tell youwhat Disney says about Chef
Mickey's on the website.
Prepare for a character filledall you care to enjoy breakfast
(03:34):
or dinner buffet at Disney'sContemporary Resort.
Chef Mickey's Buffet CharacterDining Experience character
dining in a delicious buffetmeal in a bright, happy space as
the monorail whizzes by, soakup the expansive views of Bay
Lake and behold the stunning90-foot high mural by Disney
(03:54):
legend Mary Blair that overlooksthe festive eatery.
Each table will receive aspecial autographed card
keepsake for Mickey Mouse andhis friends.
Throughout the diningexperience, mickey Mouse and
some of his favorite pals makesurprise appearances in each of
the dining rooms.
(04:15):
See them move throughout therestaurant, waving hello as
rollicking music fills the air.
Now, before I say anything else, was it really loud in there
this time?
Not?
really no, and I don't thinkeven when we went before, we'd
gone once before during theCOVID times, and so it wasn't
buffet, then it was family style, and both times, like, the
music wasn't super loud.
(04:35):
And there was one time while wewere sitting there, where
typically they play music andthey dance around and wave
napkins, and it wasn't all crazy.
It was kind of you, you know,just very calmly done, don't you
think?
Speaker 2 (04:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Yeah, but you still got to see them, like, go around
in the circle right Quickly.
Yeah, they did it fairlyquickly, You're right.
So delight in a bountifulbreakfast and savor delectable
dinner fare.
Start the day off right with aselection of some of your
favorite breakfast dishes.
Highlights include what do youthink?
One of the highlights is umbeignets well, they did, have
(05:12):
beignets what else mickeywaffles mickey waffles name,
some more sausage.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
What else do you breakfast?
Speaker 1 (05:22):
but they need to know .
So they have sweet and savorybread, scrambled eggs, smoked
bacon, sliced honey, ham andcorned beef, hash, mickey
waffles and more.
And, as Nolan hinted just now,there were some beignets.
What did you think about those?
Speaker 2 (05:39):
They were all right.
The beignets they had, likethis, apple filling in it.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Oh, some of them did yeah.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
Yeah, I don't know if that's how all of them are, but
I got one of those and I justlicked the powder off.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Yeah, the powdered like sugar and stuff.
Yeah.
So besides the filling, though,was it good Like was it like
your other beignets you've had,yeah, yeah, so there's plenty of
more.
Enjoy a rotating collection ofChef Mickey's signature
offerings, such as buttermilkbiscuits and gravy, which I did
have while we were there andthey were good, warm cinnamon
rolls and oh, my goodness, Iknow you're probably thinking
(06:19):
they are just cinnamon rolls.
What's so good about them,brittany?
But I think these are some ofthe best cinnamon rolls I've
ever had.
That was like my dessert.
I waited to go to like thefruit and pastries area at the
very end and they had justbrought these cinnamon rolls out
.
They were nice and warm, justsuper, super delicious.
Um, it mentions here a ham andcheese omelet and vegetable
(06:42):
omelet, but while we were there,they just consistently had
different types of omelets outon the buffet for you to get,
and I did notice some ham andcheese vegetable and it looked
like a few others.
Egg, just the plain eggs, yeah,yeah, um, and then some other
things to mention too.
If you know, you have thepickier eaters and stuff.
I mean they have like your.
(07:03):
You know again, mickey waffles.
They have some regular pancakes.
They have fruit.
They have, uh, you know, likecheese and cold meat set out and
stuff as well, of course, theMickey waffles, you know, and
the pastries have muffins andthere's some cereal and stuff.
So I think there's a little bitsomething for everyone.
(07:24):
They did have some onions andbell peppers with, like, some
sausages as well, a littlefurther down on the buffet.
So again, something foreveryone.
Now, if you go for dinner, thisis dinner features a world of
flavor with chef mickey'ssignature dishes.
Begin with assorted salads, orpeel and eat shrimp, then move
on to delicious entrees and sidedishes, like new york strip
(07:46):
loin, barbecue, pork ribs,teriyaki, salmon, macaroni and
cheese, vegetable stir-frynoodles, asian chicken salad,
and save room to end your feastwith pastry chef sensational
desserts.
So, um, just a little bit onsome history before we really
share our experience.
All right, so the original chefmickey's opened in the early
(08:08):
1990s in the disney villagemarketplace, which is now known
as Disney Springs.
I did not know that.
I wish Zach had a mic to talkto him more about this, but I
didn't know that.
I thought it was always in thecontemporary.
So that's interesting to know.
Chef Mickey's officially openedin the contemporary resort as we
know it now in 1996.
(08:30):
Has had several refurbishmentsover the years, most notably in
2020, when it was converted tofamily style during the COVID
pandemic, situated in the GrandCanyon concourse of the
contemporary resort.
And see, they even use the termconcourse.
I have always said thatcontemporary reminds me of an
airport, and so they're evencalling this the concourse.
And so they're even callingthis the concourse.
(08:52):
The restaurant has a bright,open air layout with views of
the monorail and features funkinetic sculptures and plenty of
Mickey themed decor.
The theme of Chef Mickey's isthat you're dining in Mickey's
kitchen and the Fab Five isdoing all the cooking.
You'll meet the Fab Five here,including Mickey, minnie, goofy,
pluto and Donald Betweencooking all the wonderful food.
(09:14):
The Fab Five will take breaksand lead a napkin twirling dance
party and meet with guests,often a first stop for guests
before heading into the MagicKingdom.
And I know several people thatdo make this part of their day
when they are at Magic Kingdom,whether it's before the park,
going for breakfast, or going alittle bit later, after they've
done a couple of things at MagicKingdom, taking the monorail
over to Contemporary and eatingbreakfast, then going back to
(09:37):
Magic Kingdom, or breaking uptheir day later for dinner.
It has become a rite of passagefor most first-timers to Walt
Disney World and Erica TravelPlanner.
Erica, she made thesereservations for us.
Thank you so much.
You know, instead of all fourof us going, zach and Ryan went
(10:00):
to a certain other park inOrlando and this was me and
Nolan day and she was able tomake those dining reservations
for us.
So let's hear from Erica.
Speaker 3 (10:10):
Planning a Disney vacation can be overwhelming,
but that's where our new sponsorcomes in.
You've heard us talk about herfor a long time and now she's
the official sponsor of thispodcast Travel planner Erica
with Wishes Co Travel Planning.
As a travel plannerspecializing in Disney
destinations, she takes care ofevery detail, from finding the
best resort options for yourfamily booking, dining
(10:31):
reservations to park strategiesand now offers a special,
lightning-laying booking serviceto your park days.
She truly offers top-tierservice from start to finish and
the best part is her planningservices are free when you book
your room and ticket packagewith her.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
We're thrilled to have Travel Planner Erica as the
official sponsor of thispodcast, and exclusively for
Circle of Parks listeners.
When you plan your next WaltDisney World or Disneyland
vacation or your next run Disneyracecation with Erica, you'll
receive a Disney gift card basedon the value of your trip on
(11:06):
your arrival day to put towardsyour Disney snacks.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
So if you're dreaming of a magical Disney trip, she's
the expert you want on yourside, ready to plan.
Reach out to Erica atTravelPlannerEricacom or follow
her on Facebook and Instagram atTravel Planner Erica.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
All right, I said let's hear from Erica, but I
meant about Erica.
So thank you again so much,erica, for everything you do and
helping make these reservationspossible, because it definitely
was a busy morning there.
When you first arrive, you needto check in with the first
person, or, if they have thesign with the QR code, then you
(11:46):
scan the QR code and you'rebasically letting them know
you're there and then you willget a text message saying when
your table's ready and you don'thave to go to that first person
, you go on to the desk that's alittle bit down the little
entrance hallway and they willget you seated.
So keep that in mind.
If you don't see a QR code,check in with the first person
(12:07):
there at the entrance, but ifthe QR code is on a sign right
there, that's going to be thequickest way to get you checked
in.
So the pricing for thebreakfast buffet is $58 per
adult, plus tax and gratuity,and the children's price ages
three to nine, is $37 per child.
(12:27):
So, nolan, tell us about yourexperience here.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
Amazing, the food was pretty good.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
Now the eggs.
I don't know if it was just thebatch, but it was like a little
wet.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Oh yeah, you don't like runny eggs.
No.
Speaker 2 (12:46):
But I like scrambled eggs, it's just that not so
runny.
Speaker 1 (12:51):
Yeah, and that's one thing.
You know this is a buffet, soyou know sometimes it is going
to be, you know, a little moreovercooked when it comes to eggs
or a little more runny, but youknow they're going to be the
eggs you get at Disney.
Did you enjoy the bacon?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
Yeah, you didn't get a Mickey waffle this time.
No, no, but you did go back afew times.
Yeah, well, he saw the beignetsand that kind of took over the
the Mickey waffle.
But I was surprised, um, aboutthat too.
So sorry, zach was making aface like wow, he didn't get a
Mickey waffle.
Um, now tell us a little bitabout the characters, because
(13:31):
one came to the table when I wasup at the buffet again, right,
oh yeah Mickey and yeah Mickey.
So I got a selfie with him yeah,I left my phone at the table,
so if that happens, he gave me aface.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
He was like where what he was pointing to your
chair.
He's like where's mom?
Speaker 1 (13:47):
at I said going to get more food, yeah and then
didn't you say, when I came backhe was like, oh, like, rubbing
his belly, like getting morefood.
Yeah, and let me tell you guys,like I love that they still
interacted with him, even thoughhe was the only one at the
table.
I mean, I was just right therenext to where we were sitting at
the buffet, but I love that hestill like interacted with Nolan
(14:09):
.
The selfie was probably likeone of the best pictures we got
that day.
Honestly, it was really cute.
I'm old enough.
He probably, he probably, if itwas like a little kid maybe
circle back around, and he stillcircled back around, which I
really appreciated that like afew minutes later he came by
when I was there and tookpictures again with Nolan and
with me and interacted, and so Iwas glad that he still circled
(14:32):
back around.
So one thing I want to say toois when we first sat down did we
see characters for the firstlittle bit?
Speaker 2 (14:39):
No, they're like towards the side of the
contemporary, like where thatseating is, and we were like at
the back of the contemporary.
Speaker 1 (14:49):
Yeah, well, inside the restaurant, yeah, so they
circle around like section bysection.
You know, in differentrestaurants do this differently.
Sometimes all characters arespread out and you're waiting
several minutes, even 15 minutesin between seeing some
characters.
I like how this was done.
I don't know if it's all thetime, but the day that we went,
so they, most of them, were inthe area he just explained off
(15:11):
to the side.
Um, but then once Mickey camearound when I was at the buffet
and when I sat back down, likethe rest of them were coming
through like every probablythree to five minutes and so you
get it.
You know, you get the picturesand everything out of the way
fairly quickly and I like thatyou do that that way because
it's not like, oh, let me have acouple bites of food or let me
(15:34):
take a chance on going to thebuffet or not, because you don't
know how long it's going to bebetween characters.
It they.
I think we got pictures withinwhat?
15 minutes of all of themprobably 20, okay, maybe 20, um,
and, but I like that and youknow, definitely.
You know interactive again, notsuper loud, like when we went
to Disneyland and Goofy'sKitchen, nothing like that
(15:57):
whatsoever.
I think Zach was wondering ifit would be that way.
Um, now that it's back tobuffet here at Chef Mickey's,
but Zach and Ryan were like itis too much.
Um, so it was to me for ChefMickey's like I think they did a
very good job, like it was verycalm.
You could hear what you weresaying to people around you.
Uh, I did have pog juice.
(16:18):
They have pog juice to drinkthere and that's the.
What is it?
Pomegranate, orange and guava,yes, and it is so good I
probably drank three of thoseglasses that day.
The food I really enjoyed.
They also had a hash browncasserole.
I don't know if it's a regularthing on the buffet or not.
That was really good.
(16:39):
I went back for seconds on itand I'm kind of picky when it
comes to biscuits and gravy andI really enjoyed their biscuits
and gravy here.
So, um, what?
Who was your favorite characterthat you met?
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Pluto.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Pluto, pluto or Mickey, pluto or Mickey.
Yeah, and then Donald, he wasfun to interact with, and
Goofy's so super tall, isn't he?
Yeah yeah, so do you.
You were all ramped up to talk,so do you want to say any more
about Chef Mickey's no?
Speaker 2 (17:11):
That's all.
If we did this right after thetrip, I would know more.
Okay, but I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:19):
Do you like that you get to take the monorail to get
here?
Speaker 2 (17:22):
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah, I like that too, you canalso take a boat from Pauly,
that is true, and wildernessWell, to Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, yes, and then catch the monorail over yeah.
Yeah, so would you eat hereagain for breakfast?
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Yeah, yes, if we had one here, yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, if we took a longer trip to disney again and
had time would you three days atleast.
At least three days, okay so youwould eat here for breakfast
again, okay.
Would you want to try dinnerone day?
Yeah, okay.
Well, while I'm talking aboutdinner, let me look at the
(18:08):
pricing for it as well.
Again, just a reminderbreakfast is $58 per adult, $37
per child ages 3 to 9, plus taxand gratuity.
And so dinner?
Okay, dinner pricing is $69 peradult and $44 per child.
And we mentioned earlier, youknow, they're going to have a
(18:29):
salad bar, they're going to havecarving stations, they're going
to have different pastas,they're going to also offer
plant based, seasonal inspireddishes, macaroni, stir fry, okay
.
And then they offer some nonalcoholic beverages, some
cocktails, hard ciders, beer,all of that stuff.
The beer and hard ciders andeverything is a little on the
(18:54):
pricey side, I would say.
But you know, if that's yourcup of tea, then go right ahead.
Some of the cocktails are goingto be like a blood orange
margarita, a mojito, a cold brew, martini and more.
So we have not gone duringdinner.
I feel like I haven't heard alot about dinner here.
I feel like you hear more aboutbreakfast.
(19:16):
I think that's just how peoplechoose to do it when they're
incorporating it more in theirMagic Kingdom day.
But it can easily be done fordinner as well by taking the
monorail from Magic Kingdom.
So my favorite character wasMinnie Mouse.
Yes, and I tried to get decentselfie.
I should have had just Nolantake the picture because she was
(19:38):
posing.
She knew what I was looking forin the selfie.
It was super cute.
Loved her outfit.
She made I believe she said shemade the desserts.
So, she did a really good job onthe cinnamon rolls especially
so would I choose to eat hereagain.
Um yes yes, I think I would too.
(19:58):
Yeah, it was a good experience.
It might just be me and youeach time, but it was a good
experience.
So, and would I try it fordinner if it fit into our day?
Yes, I just I don't know.
I think it's easier to try itfor dinner If it fit into our
day.
Yes, I just I don't know.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
I think it's easier to do it for breakfast.
Chef Mickey's for dinner for medoesn't come to mind for dinner
.
Yeah, like dinner is like atresorts, like maybe at the
Polynesian.
I forgot what that's called,the restaurant where they have
the chocolate mousse oh uh,geyser point at wilderness lodge
(20:33):
.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Yeah and yeah, yeah yeah, those come to mind first
at resorts before here.
I get that and you know thoseare going to be a little cheaper
.
For pricing too.
I think the dinner pricing hereis pretty expensive and you
would probably eat from the kidsbuffet which would be like
chicken nuggets, mac and cheese,stuff like that.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Also.
Now that comes to mind is atCoronado Springs what's that
place called?
We ate there when they were at.
Speaker 1 (21:02):
The other park.
That we don't say on thepodcast.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
No, no, no, no, they were at Geyser Point.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
Yeah, so Rick's Sports Bar.
Speaker 2 (21:10):
Yeah, that was really good.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
It was all right.
I think we could find someother restaurants to eat at
better.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
The wings were good.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Okay, all right.
Well, good, all right.
Anything else you would like tosay before we go Nope, nope, so
you would eat here again.
Mm-hmm, we go, nope, nope, soyou would eat here again.
You enjoy the restaurant.
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
And would you recommend other people eating
here?
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Yeah, yeah, okay.
On a scale of five stars, fivebeing the highest, what would
you rate it?
Six, all right, all right, sothank you for listening.
All right.
So thank you for listening, andyou can support our team by
booking your next trip withTravel Planner Erica.
You can visit her atwwwtravelplannerericacom.
(21:59):
She's on Facebook and Instagram.
At Travel Planner Erica.
You can email us atcircleofparks at gmailcom.
Our website is circleofparkscom.
We are on socials Facebook,instagram, x.
At Circle of Parks.
Leave us a rating and review onApple Podcasts and please share
us.
So we will talk to you in aweek and I believe we will be
(22:22):
rating the Disney resorts wehave stayed at.
So talk to you soon.
Bye.
Speaker 2 (22:29):
Bye.
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