There’s no denying that there is a lot of tempting food at Disneyland Paris, from snack carts to counter service meals. But those looking for a larger meal may be tempted to visit some of Disneyland Paris’ table service restaurants. In this blog we’re looking at the three main types of table service restaurant and their pros and cons – buffet, a la carte and character dining. Hope you’re hungry!

Buffets

The first types of restaurant we’re looking at are buffets. Buffets are restaurants where you sit down, and then help yourself to food from buffet tables. Buffets are all you can eat, and are typically themed to their location. So Agrabah Café has Mediterranean and North African fayre to suit it’s Aladdin inspiration, whereas La Cantina at Hotel Santa Fe is Tex-Mex, to fit in with the resort’s Route 66 and Cars theming.

Typically at buffets in Disneyland Paris you pay when you enter the restaurant. You may have a server who clears plates and brings drinks, or you may be able to pick up drinks yourself from a bar. Otherwise you’re on your own when it comes to picking what to eat, and going to get it! So what are the pros and cons of buffets?

Pros

• If you want more bang for your buck – as they are all you can eat, buffets are a great place to fill up if you’re hungry.
• If you want to try a variety of foods – want to stick with one thing on the buffet, or sample fifty different items? The choice is yours! Just try not to suffer from eyes bigger than stomach syndrome and pick up more food than you can eat, to help prevent food wastage.
• You have picky eaters in your party – because they offer a selection of items, most people can typically find something they’ll eat at a buffet. But it’s worth paying attention to the restaurant’s location and theme too – if no one in your group likes seafood then booking the Cape Cod buffet at Newport Bay Club will probably be a waste as your options will be more limited, and you do want to get your money’s worth.

Cons

• They can be stressful – Buffets at Disneyland Paris can be a bit frenetic. There’s a lot of people going for the food at the same time, and queuing is, umm, let’s call it spotty. If you want to just sit and relax at your meal time then buffets aren’t the way to go.
• You only want to eat lightly or aren’t hungry – To get the full value of a buffet you really need to go hungry and plan to eat your fill. If you’re a very light eater you might not get your money’s worth.
• If you’re a solo parent or have a lot of little ones in tow – If this is the case you might be juggling getting food for yourself and your family while trying to supervise your children as you’ll need to take them to the buffet line with you!

A la Carte dining

A la Carte dining in Disneyland Paris is more as you’d expect in a typical restaurant. You sit down, place an order with a server, and they bring you food and drinks. This is a great option if you want to rest your feet in the middle of the day after running around the theme parks, or enjoy a somewhat more luxurious experience than a buffet.

Bear in mind though that the A la Carte restaurants won’t necessarily allow you to just order the courses you want. Some offer exclusively Prix Fixe dining – that’s when you pay one price to choose a selection of starter, main course and dessert from a limited selection of items. Others restaurants offer both Prix Fixe Menus and the ability to order items individually off a menu too. It’s worth checking menus before you arrive to see what your chosen restaurant is offering.

The restaurants vary a lot of in their theming and level of luxury, depending on the location and price point! So check that you’re going to enjoy the theming, experience and menu in advance by looking at menus and photos online. Pros and cons of this style of dining are:

Pros:

• It offers a more relaxed experience – For these meals your drink and food orders will come to you, so no wrestling with crowded buffets!
• You can get really immersed in theming – Some of the theming in these restaurants is second to none. Captain Jack’s goes all in with the Caribbean theming to suit its Adventureland setting , with at Bistrot Chez Remy the idea is that you’re visiting Remy’s restaurant from the end of Ratatouille while shrunk down to the size of a rat – and it has suitably cute theming as a result.
• There are a range of difference cuisines and menus on offer – From elevated American food in Walt’s, to hearty steak in the Silver Spur steakhouse and refined French flavours at Rosalie, if you like trying different types of cuisine these restaurants have a lot to offer.

Cons

• These restaurants aren’t great if you’re in a hurry – The service at these restaurants is designed to be slower to allow you to take your time to eat your food. Expect at least an hour. As such they may not be best if you are in a rush to get back to the rides, or have impatient littles in tow!
• Picky eaters need to choose carefully – The menus at these restaurants can be a bit limited and they’re themed to the restaurant’s location and story. As such picky eaters might find they can’t find anything they want to eat on some menus!
• Prix Fixe Menus can lead to you eating more, or spending more, than you planned – If your restaurant is Prix Fixe only, such as Walt’s or Bistrot Chez Remy, you’re committed to paying for, and hopefully eating, 2 or 3 courses. This could take a chunk out your budget or stomach space if you weren’t prepared!

Character Meals

Character meals can be either buffets or Prix Fixe table service restaurants, but at these restaurants Disney characters visit your table while you dine! Character dining is a great Disney experience and something everyone should try at least once. It’s also a way to meet a lot of characters in one go without queuing in the sometimes very long lines in the park.

The range of characters will vary by restaurants. It’s worth remembering that booking a particular character meal means a particular type of character will attend, but there’s no guarantee on the specific characters that will show. So while Auberge de Cendrillon will offer princesses, Disney won’t specify exactly which ones will be there each meal. Essentially this is so they don’t disappoint anyone if a particular character isn’t available for whatever reason. The most eclectic character meal is probably Plaza Gardens where characters can vary anything from the Fab 5, Winnie the Pooh, or characters from classic Disney animations!

So what are the pros and cons for character meals?

Pros

• They’re a great way to meet a lot of characters in one go – Character lines at Disneyland Paris can be looooooong. Character meals are a great way to meet a lot of characters in one sitting. Princess meals are particularly good for this because you never know who you’ll meet at the Princess Pavilion, and will only meet one princess when you wait there. A Princess meal means you’ll get to meet multiples ones at one time.
• They’re a great way to keep kids entertained – Most children love the character meals and meeting the characters (might be worth testing out your little in advance though because some kiddos are scared stiff of the characters, and a meal probably isn’t the place to find this out!)
• They can offer great theming – All the character meals are themed to their location and the characters that attend. So the Royal Banquet in the Disneyland Hotel has, as the name suggests, a regal banquet theme!

Cons

• They are EXPENSIVE – Character meals are the priciest food option you’ll find at Disneyland Paris, so you’ll find yourself paying a lot more than you would normally do for the type of food you’ll be served. What you’re paying a premium for, of course, is the experience.
• The food may still not appeal to everyone – The menus being served at the restaurants are still themed to their location and characters. As such they may not serve food that appeals to everyone, including children!
• They can be stressful – Excited kids, roaming characters, potentially people making their way to and from the buffet… the character meals can be a lot. If you want a peaceful dining experience, this probably isn’t it – you’ll be paying a lot for not a lot of relaxation! I also get a lot of anxiety at character buffets that I’ll miss a character when I go to get food, so folks with anxiety or who are prone to stress might want to bear that it mind!

So what’s your favourite type of dining at Disneyland Paris, or what are you most excited to try? Let us know!