If you have kids of a certain age, character breakfasts are a big thing. It’s a chance for kids to have a somewhat extended interaction with some of their favorite characters while parents get some great pictures. During these interactions you often overpay for the food in exchange for the atmosphere and entertainment value, but a family’s experience at Disneyland may have taken this to a new level. John Tolkien recently posted about his $937.65 tab for his family of 5 at the Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland. At $142/person for adults and kids over 3, so after tax and tip that’s nearly $1,000 (and the internet has been going nuts).
To be fair the Disney has some much more affordable options than the Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure with most being around $60/person with in park and resort hotel options. The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure is also a bit more upscale than buffet pans of scrambled eggs and bacon. However, as a point of comparison, you can eat at the Four Seasons Good Morning Breakfast With Goofy and His Pals in Orlando for $56/person with kids under 13 being on $36! I’ve actually found the character meals outside the parks to be quite enjoyable as you can do them on “non-park” days and not feel rushed because you’re missing cooler weather and shorter lines. You also tend to pay less at the partner hotels than the official resort hotels.
So what do you get for $142? The menu does include higher end items like truffle mac & cheese, braised short ribs and Mini Lobster Rolls, but the rest is fancy versions of breakfast staples like eggs, sausage and pastries. For kids the highlights are Mickey Waffles, house-made mac & cheese and bacon. If you can get your kids to eat more of the higher priced items like a lobster roll to justify the $142 you’re a better parent than me! With regard to the character interaction it’s described as, “Disney Princesses are waiting to greet you and share in your hopes and dreams prior to taking a photo on a beautiful private patio. You may take part in storytime with Belle or learn some fierce warrior poses with Mulan.” It’s not really clear if this is a more exclusive or longer character experience than your typical character experience, but they sure want it to sound like it. I mean who wouldn’t want a Disney Princess to share in their hopes and dreams? I suppose it is a bit different in that these are not non-verbal characters in costume, but humans you can have a conversation with similar to the princess meet and greet experiences at the parks. I have no doubt that for a young girl this would be a magical breakfast.
Disney Princesses are waiting to greet you and share in your hopes and dreams prior to taking a photo on a beautiful private patio. You may take part in storytime with Belle or learn some fierce warrior poses with Mulan.
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/grand-californian-hotel/disney-princess-breakfast-adventures/
The Disney Princess Breakfast Adventure exists for a reason in that enough people are willing to pay for the slightly upgraded food and a potentially more in-depth character experience. I guess that’s capitalism at work for you. Thankfully there are lower price options too where you can still have the character dining experience for significantly less. Admittedly one of our best Disney memories was at our first character breakfast when our 2 year old son reached out and grabbed Minnie’s nose and she reciprocated for some adorable pictures. I suppose it’s hard to place a value on a lifelong memory and $142 is not too much for something you might remember forever. Just make sure you check the menu prices first so you know what you’re in for and can opt for a cheaper and perhaps nearly equivalent option more in your budget.
BGT Safari 