50's Prime Time Cafe at Disney's Hollywood Studios

50’s Prime Time Café is the quintessential Disney dining experience. Great food, fun décor and theming, interactive cast members, and of course, milkshakes. That’s right, milkshakes (more on those later).

As soon as you walk through the doors, you’re in between Dad’s Living Room, which serves as the waiting area, and Mom’s Kitchen, which is the main dining area. After you’ve checked in and are waiting for your table, head on over to the Tune-In Lounge and grab a beverage of your choice. Dad’s liquor cabinet is stocked with just about anything you’re in the mood for. Glow Tini’s, draft beer, red, white, and sparkling wines, and of course soft drinks. If you’re traveling solo, or you don’t have an ADR for the restaurant, you can sit at the bar and order right off the full menu, although reservations for this very popular restaurant are always recommended!

            

You’ll know your table is ready when you hear your named yelled out by the host/hostess. “Johnson kids! – it’s time for dinner!” Once you make it to your table, you’ll meet your server. Your server will most likely introduce themselves as your cousin, your Aunt, or Uncle (remember, you’re eating in Mom’s kitchen). While you’re seated, make sure to look around at some of the 50’s style knick knacks, theming, even the black and white TV’s playing old sitcoms. A few things to remember when dining in Mom’s kitchen: no elbows on the table, eat all of your veggies, and don’t chew with your mouth open! Don’t let your server catch you breaking any of the rules, because you could end up sitting in a corner, or singing for the entire restaurant! If you enjoy fun interaction with the servers, you’ll really get a kick out of the experience. On our last trip, I mentioned to my cousin Emily (our server), that I needed a straw. About 3 minutes later, I had about 30 straws thrown in front of me.

You’re probably wondering about the food, right? If you enjoy good ol’ fashioned comfort food, you came to the right place. The entrees provide a generous portion of food, but if you’re in the mood for stuffing yourself silly (which is ok because you’re in Disney World), there are some nice options to get you started. Appetizers include Crab Cake, Seafood Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup (delicious), Onion Rings, and Iceberg Lettuce Wedge. The entrees consist of Dad’s Traditional Meatloaf, Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken (my personal favorite), Grandma’s Chicken Pot Pie, Mom’s Old Fashioned Pot Roast, the list goes on. Most entrees run between $13 and $17. If you’re like me, and you aren’t a fan of green beans, just stuff them in your napkin when your server isn’t looking. It help makes more room for the milkshakes and dessert!

Probably my favorite part about dining at the 50’s Prime Time Café are the milkshakes, and the desserts. I could probably live on just the Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake. That’s right…Peanut Butter & Jelly MILKSHAKE. Maybe I love ice cream way too much, or Disney puts some kind of magic elixir in the milkshake. Either way, the PB&J milkshakes are what legends are made of. 

You’ll notice that your dessert menus are old viewfinders. Some of my family’s favorites are Dad’s Brownie Sundae, Apple Cobbler, Cheesecake, and of course S’mores. 

Probably the second greatest invention after the Peanut Butter & Jelly milkshake is the one and only S’mores. They are served hot with plenty of chocolate, and no sticky fingers. The serving is definitely enough for two people to share…unless you’re like me and sharing isn’t an option.

            

The 50’s Prime Time Café is definitely a great choice if you enjoy comfort food, fun interaction with cast members and guests, and great theming. Compared to other options throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 50’s Prime Time Café is also very reasonably priced. Though it’s not 5 star quality cuisine, 50’s Prime Time Café always provides a really fun family experience that you just can’t get anywhere else.

Character Dining at Disneyland Resort in California

The Disneyland Resort in California has five options for character dining, each offering the opportunity for meet and greats with some of your favorite Disney characters. Characters vary by location, time of year, time of day, and a number of other factors, but regardless of whom the characters are they are always fun to meet. Character dining gives you the opportunity to get autographs and have your pictures with characters while you eat. There is no need to wait in line or chase after characters, as the characters will circulate between the tables coming to you to meet you. 

The first character dining experience we will look at is Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and friends at Plaza Inn. Plaza Inn is located at the end of Main Street next to the entrance to Tomorrowland at Disneyland park.  Plaza Inn is a quick service restaurant for lunch and dinner, but for breakfast, it is a buffet offering guests the opportunity to meet a number of character favorites. The menu includes breakfast staples including cereals, bacon, sausage, eggs, and Mickey waffles. Characters can include Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, Rafiki, Captain Hook, Max, Fairy Godmother, Chip and Dale.

Surfs Up with Mickey and Friends at PCH Grill in the Paradise Pier Hotel is another breakfast buffet with characters. The theme of the dining experience is a beach theme, characters are dressed up in surf/ beach attire and it is a fun relaxed dining experience. There are fun activities such as surfing with the characters for the children to participate in. Characters to meet include Lilo, Stitch, Mickey Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Daisy. The menu includes items such as Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana with Chocolate-stuffed French Toast, Mickey-shaped Waffles, Minnie Pancakes, Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions, Chicken Apple Sausage Links, Country Pork Sausage, Crispy Maple Bacon, and an Omelet Station.

The third breakfast only character dining experience is the Chip n’ Dale Critter Breakfast at the Storytellers Café at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. This is one breakfast dining experience that offers both buffet and menu dining. It is set in a country lodge that is the perfect setting to meet the Disney Critters that are hard to meet anywhere else; characters include Terk, Kenai, Koda, Meeko, Br’er Bear, Br’er Fox, Chip, and Dale. The buffet includes items such as made to order Omelets, Caramel French Toast, Eggs Benedict, Mickey Waffles, Bagels, Seasonal Fruit, and Pastries, while the Menu features a number of breakfast items such as omelets, Bacon/ Sausage and eggs, Steak and Eggs, Huevos Rancheros, and Eggs Benedict.

Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Resort Hotel is a buffet that offers the opportunity for meet and greets with your favorite characters for both breakfast and dinner. Upon paying for your meal, you get a family picture taken with chef Goofy before proceeding to your table. Once seated characters such as Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Minnie, Mickey and Fairy Godmother. The breakfast menu includes staples such as Mickey Mouse Waffles, Minnie Mouse Pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon, eggs benedict, as well as chicken nuggets and Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter Pizza and Dessert. The dinner buffet includes a carving station, fresh catch of the day, seasonal vegetables, tossed salads, fresh fruit, Pluto’s Hot Dogs, assorted pizzas, chicken nuggets, Goofyroni & Cheese, and Desserts.

The final of the five character dining experiences is Ariel’s Grotto. This a la carte fixed price dining experience is located on the waterfront at Paradise Pier in the California Adventure theme park and offers the chance to dine with the Princesses. The restaurant has characters for all meals excluding World Of Color Dining Packages. The restaurant is divided into two dining rooms, a waterfront patio with views of the boardwalk and Paradise Pier attractions, and “Under the Sea” an indoor dining room with an ocean setting. The breakfast menu has an appetizer of assorted breakfast pastries with fresh fruit, and entrees such as Belgian waffles with berries, frittatas, scrambled eggs with Tri-Tip, and an All-American breakfast including scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon or sausage, and Bircher Muesli. For lunch/dinner, the menu includes a starter of either soup or salad, with entrees such as Sautéed Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta, Red Oak-Smoked Honey-Whiskey Barbecue Tri-Tip with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, Fire-roasted Corn Cakes, Fresh Catch of the Day, Citrus-Glazed Chicken Breast, and a Grilled Lobster Tail Salad.

Each of the five character dining experiences on Disney property offers the opportunity to meet favorite characters in a unique setting, whether dining with the Princess on the Waterfront, or meeting some of Disneys hard to find Critters for breakfast in a log cabin setting, there is a character dining experience for everyone.

By Agent Melissa

Travel Time Travel

Melissa@traveltimetravel.com