Chef Mickey is Still Cooking Up Fun
July 8, 2021
By Maggie Ballantyne
Since the reopening of Walt Disney World, slowly but surely, character meals are making their ways back into our Disney-loving lives (and stomachs). Post-Covid, I have experienced Topolino’s at the Rivera Resort, Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studio. During my February 2021 trip to Disney, I added Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort to this list.
I love Chef Mickey’s location: right in the heart of the Contemporary Resort. From the Magic Kingdom, I chose to take the monorail straight over to my reservation. Upon arrival, my friend and I were able to check in via the My Disney Experience app.
When being seated, the first thing I noticed was that all the decor is still there. It is bright, colorful, and cheerful. I love the giant puzzle pieces on the wall. The second thing I noticed was that the restaurant was not nearly as crowded as it used to be. I don’t know about you, but I really don’t mind that restaurants have to social distance tables and you have space to enjoy your meal without being overcrowded.
Buffets are a thing of the past at Disney right now, so the buffet lines were closed; however, the chefs (including Mickey) were hard at work. You could smell the food from the lobby and the scents only got better as we were led to our table. We were seated right by the door to the kitchen. At first, I didn’t think anything of this. Soon, I realized I had the best seat in the house.
When the characters made their entrance, it was through the kitchen door. It is also where they exited. So even before and after our visits and time with characters we would see them coming and going. They always waved “hi” or did something funny. I really felt like we got quadruple the interactions!
Speaking of interactions, they were top notch. If you are one of my original followers from the beginning (2018), you know that interaction with characters is where I find the most Disney magic. It touches my heart and makes me feel like a kid again. Goofy, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto were all present for this fun meal. Each one came over to our table at least twice. They posed for individual photos, took selfies with us from a safe distance, interacted, danced, and actually spent a lot of time with each and every table! They have more time now that the restaurant is not at full capacity. In addition to making their way to all of the tables, the characters also came out and performed a small dance and parade. The kids (and the adults!) loved it.
This is a blog about a breakfast so I guess I should talk about the food too! YUM! This meal used to be a buffet, now it is an all-you-care-for family style meal. You don’t just have to choose one entree, you get them all! And if you want more of something, ask for as much as you would like!
My personal favorites included the potatoes, the banana bread French toast, and the obvious Mickey waffles. As for the sides, the fritter with the icing was great. I was lucky enough to enjoy this breakfast on my birthday, so my waitress also surprised me with a Mickey Birthday Cupcake as well.. so sweet!
Here is a list of all of the food available to you and your party:
-Fruits Of The Season
-Mini Yogurt Parfaits
-Harvest Sweet Rolls with Honey Butter, Sea Salt and Cream Cheese Icing-Poured Tableside
-Fresh Fried Sweet Fritter
-Scrambled Eggs
-Chicken Sausage
-Slow-roasted Beef Brisket
-Mickey Waffles
-Pork Sausage Links
-Smoked Bacon
-"Loaded" Potato-Cheese Casserole (AMAZING BTW)
-Banana Bread French Toast with Espresso-Mascarpone Cream, Toasted Bananas and Chocolate Crumbles
-"Celebration" Mickey Pancake
Before leaving the restaurant, our server had one more surprise for us! Since characters were not signing autographs at the tables, she had a postcard printed and signed by the characters. This souvenir was free and such a sweet surprise. It is not available anywhere else in the parks or resorts, just at this dining experience… I love the exclusivity of it!
I rate this experience a 10/10. It was socially distanced safe, the restaurant was spotless, the food was delicious, the characters went above and beyond to make us feel special, and our waitress was phenomenal. I will definitely be going back and hope you do too!
If you are interested in more dining recommendations or want me to help you add a fun meal like this to your itinerary, reach out to me at maggie@wishesfamilytravel.com or www.facebook.com/wishesfamilytravelmaggie