It has become a bit of a tradition for our family to eat at Chef Mickey’s the first night we arrive in Walt Disney World. (Well, as much as something done twice in a row can be, I suppose.) We find this is the perfect transition on that first day.
The kids get a chance to warm up to the characters without being bombarded by the excitement of the parks at the same time. They experience a little of the Disney magic that we’re there for without getting overwhelmed. Also, since Chef Mickey’s is located in the Contemporary Resort, it’s a perfect experience for that first day when you’re probably not using a park entrance ticket.
This visit, we all felt a little rushed though. It seemed as though the characters were constantly coming to our table and we had to get up for autographs and pictures. I realize this isn’t a requirement, but who can turn down a 4 year old just dying to give Mickey Mouse a hug?
Now, onto the food.
Chef Mickey’s is a buffet restaurant and there are tons of options. Personally, I tend to get a little overwhelmed at big buffets like this and end up not being able to decide what I want to eat. However, I did pretty good this time around and tried a wide variety of things.
This gives you a great impression of the variety of foods being offered.As you can see, there were 3 different kinds of meat and salmon on the buffet table the night we were there. The ribs top the main dish list. They were so flavorful and tender.
We all thought the food was great! There were so many things I’d recommend that I can’t even remember all of them. Honestly, I don’t think you could go wrong with any of the choices.
Even our youngest enjoyed the food so much that getting Minnie’s autograph couldn’t keep her from eating.
Dessert at Disney World restaurants is an experience in and of itself. At Chef Mickey’s there is a large buffet table reserved just for the desserts. The table includes a make-your-own sundae bar with a huge assortment of topping choices. There are also lots of other sweets and baked goods to choose from. My favorite was this little Mickey head – a cream sandwich cookie topped with a mound of chocolate mousse. Creamy, rich and cute!
There is one dessert that did not meet our expectations though. That was the Banana Caramel Bread Pudding. Sounds delicious, right? Apparently it wasn’t. I didn’t try it myself but my mom, who is a huge fan of bread puddings in general, said it was dry and bland. That’s definitely not a glowing recommendation.
So now I’d love to hear from you. If you’ve been to Walt Disney World, what is your favorite restaurant? Have you ever been to Chef Mickey’s? If you have, what’s your view of it?
And if you’ve never been to Walt Disney World but are curious about the food there, ask away. I’ll try to answer when I can. When I can’t, I’ll turn it over to my resident Disney experts, my mom and my sister.
Please note: I am in no way associated with Disney nor was I asked to write this review. I’m simply sharing our dining experiences and thoughts from a family trip to Disney World.
