It was August 2025, and we were headed to Disneyland — but for the first time in my life, this wasn't a penny-pinching trip. We'd had two hard years as a family. I'd finally landed a good-paying job, we'd dug ourselves out of debt, and we were more than ready for some carefree time together.
So, for the first time ever, I booked a character breakfast.
I wasn't sure either of my kids would even be into it. I remembered hating character breakfasts myself as a kid. But I had a hunch my then-2-year-old would love it.
We chose the Mickey's Adventures breakfast at Storyteller's Cafe — $59 per adult, $36 per child (free under age 3). That's a steep price for breakfast, but we went in prepared to have a good time no matter what.
My Disneyland philosophy is simple: happiness here is what you make of it. The lines might be long, plans might fall apart, but there's joy to be found everywhere — even stuck waiting in line. With the right attitude and the people you love most, almost anything can be fun.
The Breakfast
We arrived, got seated quickly, and had just enough time to order drinks — coffee for my husband and me, apple juice for the kids — before the characters started making their rounds. First came Chip and Dale, then Pluto. And then, turning the corner, Mickey and Minnie.
I assumed the breakfast would be the highlight of the trip for my almost-3-year-old. I had no idea my 9-year-old would be the one who had the time of his life. He lit up with every character, asked for a photo with each one, and actually cried when breakfast was over and it was time to pay the bill and go. My daughter had a great time too, of course — but watching my son experience something so purely magical made the whole thing worth it, for me.
Let's Talk About the Food
There's a lot of it. Honestly, though, I'm not sure we got our money's worth on food alone — my daughter was too distracted to eat much, and my son was too busy scanning the room for the next character. The spread included a bagel bar, fresh fruit, Mickey waffles, sausage, bacon, eggs, cereal, oatmeal, pastries — basically anything you could want. Everything we tried was delicious, and the Mickey waffles were a standout. A cast member kept our drinks flowing the whole time — coffee, juice, water, soda, tea, whatever we asked for.
So, Was It Worth It?
All told, we spent a little over $200, tip and all.
Was the food worth $200? No, not even close.
But the character time? That's another story. We booked an early slot — 7:45 a.m., which works great when your kids are early risers anyway — and for the first 40 minutes, we practically had the characters to ourselves. Chip & Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey all came back to our table multiple times. I walked away with hundreds of photos from that one breakfast, most of them with my kids just beaming.
So was the character experience worth it? Absolutely, yes.