With everything changing at Walt Disney World (and the rest of society) since March, it’s hard to find familiarity in our favorite places. Join me on my visit to Chef Mickey’s during a pandemic and see if we can find some old favorites.
*We dined at Chef Mickey’s on July 26, 2020. Offerings and experiences are rapidly changing to accommodate this unprecedented situation. Your experience may vary.*
Arrival at Chef Mickey’s
We’re local, so we drove to the resort and parked in the daytime parking lot after showing security our dining reservation on our My Disney Experience App. The Security Cast Member verified our reservation on her computer before allowing us to enter. This is slightly different than before as Security was not able to scan our magic band because that placed us within 6 feet of each other. If you are staying on Disney property, I recommend taking an Uber or Lyft to the Contemporary Resort, especially if you have a reservation before Magic Kingdom opens. You can also take a bus from your resort to the Magic Kingdom and walk to the Contemporary if the buses are running.
We’re local, so we drove to the resort and parked in the daytime parking lot after showing security our dining reservation on our My Disney Experience App. The Security Cast Member verified our reservation on her computer before allowing us to enter. This is slightly different than before as Security was not able to scan our magic band because that placed us within 6 feet of each other. If you are staying on Disney property, I recommend taking an Uber or Lyft to the Contemporary Resort, especially if you have a reservation before Magic Kingdom opens. You can also take a bus from your resort to the Magic Kingdom and walk to the Contemporary if the buses are running.
Seating
When the seater greeted us, she asked if we had eaten at Chef Mickey’s since the reopening. After telling her it was our first visit back, she explained the buffet line was no longer available and all the food would be served directly at our table, family-style. She also let us know that the food was still “all you care to enjoy,” and we could ask for refills of anything at any time. As we followed her through the restaurant to our table, I noticed that the restaurant still looked like Chef Mickey’s – but it no longer sounded like Chef Mickey’s. Gone was the cheering and excitement from seeing Mickey emerge from the kitchen to start greeting families. There were no dance parties or twirling our napkins around our head while Goofy led a conga line of kids throughout the restaurant. Instead it was a quiet, slightly Disney themed breakfast.
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When we got to our table it was very easy to see which tables were blocked off for social distancing as they had placards on top deeming them unusable for guests. We were seated in a side room towards the back of the restaurant near the backstage kitchen. Normally there is not a bad seat in the restaurant as the characters make sure to visit every table. However, our table was near the pathway to and from the kitchen so we constantly had servers walking past our table. We also were seated on a floor slightly above another table and were definitely within six feet of another family. This concerned me slightly, so I made sure to wear my mask unless I was actively eating or drinking.
New Dining Experience
Our server was very kind and thoroughly explained the “new” menu to us before taking drink orders and asking about any allergies or food preferences. Within 5 minutes of her first visit to our table we had a cornucopia of food that filled every inch of available space. The first wave of food was the cold items; including bread and pastries, deli meat and cheeses, smoked salmon, fresh fruit, and individual yogurt parfaits. There was plenty of food in the serving dishes and we could have easily asked for refills of anything.
After the first wave of cold food, we received an amazing selection of hot options. The first pan had Mickey waffles, buttermilk pancakes, and French toast sticks- all of which were delicious. The Mickey waffles really helped make us feel like we were at Disney again. The second pan was full of scrambled eggs, tater tots, and potato-cheese casserole. They all tasted very fresh, and there was no residual sogginess from the heat lamps. Last but not least came the meats; sausage links, bacon, roasted kielbasa, and honey-glazed ham were all but spilling out of the pan when the server brought it to us. Everything looked so good that we might’ve snuck a bite or two before taking a picture so don’t let that fool you.
If you’re concerned about missing out on the “all you care to enjoy” feature of a buffet, be assured that there is no shortage of food at Chef Mickey’s – even during a pandemic. We quickly ploughed through the Mickey waffles and pancakes so quickly that our server immediately asked if we wanted another serving. We were able to pick and choose food refills from the available items, and the server brought us a fresh pan each time. The kielbasa and tater tots were popular at our table, so the server brought us tiny pans of just those items instead of a full skillet of everything.
Overall the food was seemingly endless, which was a familiar nod to what Chef Mickey’s used to offer. While the buffet and characters were notably absent, the overall experience of breakfast remained the same. We did notice some smaller changes throughout our visit but overall they were decisions made for both ours and the server’s safety. For example, one person at our table ordered coffee and was given her own personal carafe so she could refill her own cup without the server having to reach over us each time. We also dropped a spoon on the floor during the meal and a new one was brought to us on its own plate to keep it from being touched by anyone but ourselves. Lastly, when the check was brought to our table our server placed it into a disposable paper check sleeve that we could have taken home if we had wanted.
At the time of this article, Chef Mickey’s is currently only offering breakfast at a price point of $25 for adults and $14 for children ages 3-9. We felt this price was fair even without the characters simply for the amount of food we were able to eat. Breakfast is served from 7:00am until 12:30pm and while reservations are recommended, there is a walk-up list depending on availability. Both reservations and the walk-up list can be found on the My Disney Experience app.
When will character dining return?
Starting December 16th, Chef Mickey and his friends return to the restaurant for a socially distanced character breakfast. While the characters may stop near each table, they will only pose for quick selfies at a safe distance. Each table will also receive an autographed card from the characters to take home with them. In addition to the characters, three “signature” breakfast offerings will be added to the menu. Banana bread French toast, loaded potato-cheese casserole, and “Celebration” Mickey pancakes will grace the tables in addition to the original family style offerings. Pricing increases to $42 for adults and $27 for children ages 3-9 and reservations can be made starting October 17th.
