I don’t know about you, but I love the character meals in Disney. It is a perfect way to meet the characters and to have a relatively good meal all at once. Plus, if your teenagers are like mine, neither are big fans of waiting in line for these meet and greets. They much rather go on the rides. With the character meal, they are there to eat, so they might as well have their pictures taken. It is a win, win for this Mom!
Last December, Disney opened a new character meal over at the Wilderness Lodge. It took the restaurant, Artist Point, and transformed it into the Enchanted Forest from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The new character meal features none other than Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen. While down in Disney for the Star Wars races, we had dinner here to celebrate my race weekend.
Upon entering the Wilderness Lodge, head over to the desk to check-in. Once your name is called, you are escorted into the Enchanted Forest.
The attention to detail was incredible. We walked over to our table, and each plate was set with a red napkin with an adorable napkin ring and a leather-bound menu.
This is a Prix-fixed dinner. The price is $55.00 per adult (10 and over) and $33.00 for children (3-9). Guests are offered their choice of entree, along with shared appetizers and desserts for the table. Children are offered a slightly different menu that includes appetizers, entrees consisting of prime rib, pasta, a vegetarian meal, or grilled chicken. The desserts remain the same. First, let’s look at the drinks. We started with the Wickedly Refreshing Cocktails. These signature drinks are offered, along with a nice beer and wine list. Non-alcoholic beverages are also available for purchase. I tried the Enchanted Apple, and my friend Tricia tried the Evil to the Core.
As you can see, on the menu are three different appetizers. The table receives a plate of all three to share. There is a mushroom bisque, a shrimp cocktail, and a chicken, black truffle, stone fruit preserve, house-made pickles. While I enjoyed the bisque and the shrimp, I was not fond of the chicken and black truffle.
Next, we each chose our entree. You may choose from six entrees. I ordered the Royal Prime Rib Roast, and Tricia ordered the Brother’s Grimm Roasted Chicken. The prime rib was served mashed potatoes, smoked carrots and a popover. Who doesn’t like a popover? The chicken came with potatoes, golden raisins and snap peas. Both meals were delicious.
Of course, no meal at Disney is complete until dessert! I have to admit, I was looking to this the most! I have such a sweet tooth, I had run a 10k the day before and a half marathon that morning. I was ready for my treats!
All three were good, but the Miner’s Treasure was my favorite. I had never tried gooseberry before and while it was tasty, it is not something I would order again. To be fair, I am a chocolate girl. The Poison Apple is a white chocolate apple mousse with a sour center. I did not find it sour. It was quite tasty. The Miner’s Treasures was sponge cake, with pieces of chocolate gems and berry pannacotta. It was amazing!
Now, what about those characters? Snow White is present at other character meals. However, the dwarfs rarely make an appearance. Typically, they come out at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or one may see Dopey during the RunDisney races. The Evil Queen is also one of those characters seen only during special events or along the course during one of the races. This is what made this character meal so special. Snow White and the dwarfs come to each table for photos. They also danced around the room and put on a little show.
Now, where is the Evil Queen? She does not roam about but stays put and you need to approach her. She is very tall and a bit intimidating to the little ones. Even I was a bit awkward around her! When we met, she said, “Oh you are a short one”. I said, “Yes, small but mighty.” Her response, “We shall see about that.” Too funny!
Just as we think we all are set and have paid the bill, we are presented with The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen. This is crackled maple popcorn, with two ganache hearts. Both were delicious!
Overall it was a pleasant experience. The food was excellent, and the interaction with the characters was great. It is a bit pricey, and if you have picky eaters, this may not be a great choice. I can’t see taking my boys here, as they are incredibly picky and I would not want to spend $55.00 a person on them. However, I would go back with my husband or a group of friends.
