traveling with my bwuhs

We kicked off our day bright and early with an 8:10 a.m. reservation at 1900 Park Fare, our very first character dining experience at this charming restaurant inside Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.

I’ve been to the Grand Floridian before, but I’ve always entered through the second-floor monorail entrance. It’s beautiful, of course, but walking through the front doors? That’s a whole different level of magic. The grand lobby — mostly white with elegant touches everywhere — absolutely takes your breath away. “Grand” really is the perfect name.

image credit: traveling with my bwuhs

At breakfast, the lineup was supposed to include Mirabel, Princess Tiana, Aladdin, and Cinderella. To our surprise (and delight), Snow White joined the rotation! Princess Tiana and Cinderella also made their rounds, though Aladdin and Mirabel were missing that morning. We were a little bummed not to see them, but the characters we did meet were so sweet and engaging that it more than made up for it. We’ll just have to catch the others next time!

Now, let’s talk about the food — easily my favorite breakfast buffet yet (and we’ve done Boma, Chef Mickey’s, and Cape May Café). You’ll find all the classics: Mickey-shaped waffles, pancakes, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. But the real star? The strawberry soup. Who knew fruit soup could be so good? It was sweet, creamy, and absolutely addictive.

And then there’s the bread pudding — a staple at nearly every Disney buffet. I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first. “Soggy bread pudding” didn’t sound appealing in theory. But after trying it for the first time at Boma a few years ago, I was converted. It’s more like a warm, cinnamon-roll casserole than anything resembling pudding. Topped with vanilla anglaise sauce, it’s pure Disney buffet bliss. Now it’s one of my must-have items every single trip.

image credit: traveling with my bwuhs

The restaurant also features a charming wishing ceremony during the meal. Each guest receives a postcard with the characters’ autographs, and on the back, you’re invited to write down a wish. When the ceremony begins, everyone lifts their cards high into the air to share in the magic together. It was such a sweet and memorable moment. I also loved noticing the “wish” artwork—beautiful paintings and movie scenes displayed high on the walls, perfectly tying the whole experience together.

After breakfast, we took a relaxing loop on the Monorail just to soak in a little more Disney magic before heading back to Orange Lake to rest. Later that afternoon, we made our way to Disney Springs, where we spent a little too much at World of Disney and Pin Traders (the boys used some of their birthday money, so it was a good lesson in spending and saving!).

We had a late lunch at The Polite Pig, which was delicious. The watermelon and tomato salad was a refreshing compliment to the savory smoked turkey BLT.

We wrapped up our Orange Lake vacation with a low-key day of basketball, ice cream, pool time, and a little Skyline Chili for good measure. It was the perfect blend of something and nothing — just the way a family vacation should be.

Have you ever done a character meal at Disney? Which one was your favorite — or which is still on your must-try list?

❤ Jen