Chef Mickey's — Restaurant in Bay Lake

Heartbreaking Experience with Minnie Mouse – Chef Mickey’s Needs to Do Better

We recently dined at Chef Mickey’s, full of excitement and hope for what we thought would be a magical and memorable experience for our family—especially for our daughter, who had been eagerly looking forward to this day for months. Unfortunately, what was supposed to be one of the highlights of our Disney vacation turned into a profoundly disappointing and upsetting experience due to the disrespectful behavior of Minnie Mouse during our visit.

From the moment we were seated, my daughter was practically glowing with joy at the idea of meeting Minnie—her absolute favorite character. She had her Minnie Mouse ears on, a special outfit just for the occasion, and kept asking every few minutes, “When is Minnie coming to our table?”

We watched other tables interact with Minnie: she posed for photos, gave hugs, waved to kids, and made every effort to be warm and engaging. But when it came to our table, she blatantly ignored us—not once, but multiple times. At first, we thought maybe it was just a matter of timing or a simple oversight. But as the characters rotated and returned to the dining area again, Minnie continued to skip our table entirely.

We made polite attempts to get her attention, and even waved to her as she walked by, but were met with nothing but complete disregard. No eye contact, no wave, no acknowledgement of my daughter sitting there practically in tears. It was heartbreaking.

We eventually had to speak to one of the organizers/staff members to express our concerns. While they were kind and tried to be helpful, nothing changed. Minnie never came to our table—not once during the entire meal. Meanwhile, every other character, including Mickey, Goofy, Pluto, and Donald, stopped by with smiles, hugs, and photos. Their kindness only emphasized the striking absence and indifference shown by Minnie.

To witness your child be overlooked and mistreated—especially in a place that prides itself on making dreams come true—is more than disappointing. It’s infuriating and incredibly sad. My daughter was devastated, and I, as a parent, felt completely helpless watching her excitement fade into confusion and then tears. She kept asking me why Minnie didn’t like her. Try answering that question to a small child.

This experience was not just a momentary lapse. It was a complete failure in guest experience and a lack of consistency in character engagement. Whether the performer was tired, inattentive, or overwhelmed is no excuse for treating a child with such disregard—especially at a venue where families pay a premium for the “magic” of character interactions.

We left Chef Mickey’s with a heavy heart and a deeply disappointed little girl. We will not be returning, and I hope this review reaches someone who can take real action to ensure no other child experiences the same hurtful treatment.

Chef Mickey’s—and Disney in general—needs to do better. Children remember these moments for a lifetime, and unfortunately, our memory is now one we wish we...

I will try to make this review as fair as possible, but be warned that I absolutely hated it, so some of my disgust might slip out as I type.

The good:

The characters were fun, and my kids had a nice time meeting each one and getting autographs.

Our server was friendly and refilled our drinks. Nothing special, but she wasn't bad, so I feel it would be wrong to put her service under the next section.

The bad:

We left the park to arrive 30 minutes early to our reservation time. Then we sat around for 30 minutes past our reservation time and didn't even receive an apology. Shame on me for thinking we could eat close to the park and stay on schedule. They charge you if you're late, yet they do nothing if they overbook and are the ones who are late? Forget that fluff.

It's loud and no one watches their kids. That includes while in line. I watched a kid wipe his nose on his hand then reach for a piece of foccacia in front of his dad. Disgusting, but that's what I get for agreeing to eat at a buffet.

This is the worst part of all. And let me begin by saying I didn't expect much from this place. I knew what I was getting into and didn't imagine the food would be higher quality than a Cracker Barrel. I'm here to tell you it's so much worse. Dollar store frozen meals at best. I couldn't eat more than a bite of anything (and I spit most of the bites out into a tissue). I'd recommend they up the quality, but I know that's not going to happen, so at least add paper napkins so people can dispose of the nasty food into something.

Words cannot describe how bad the food quality is at this place. Of course, to be fully transparent, I wasn't impressed with many restaurants during our trip. I don't know how people eat that low of quality, but to each their own. I just want to give my take. It's nasty. Dirty. And let's me know what Disney thinks of their guests. I didn't even mind the 69.00 pp price (or whatever it was), but at that price I expect real meat and potatoes.

Eat there if you want, but please don't stretch your budget beyond your means for a place like this. The character interactions are nice, but you can wait in line at the park. You'll be waiting in line here anyways.

I have nothing else to say. The quality wasn't even fit for a dog. Check out Toppolino's for a character meal. It was the only one that got...

This is, of course, a "special purpose" restaurant for Disney Adults or families with kids looking for a Disney character dining experience accompanied by very good food. Not fancy food, but fresh, high quality, delicioisness with a variety sure to satisfy most any palate.

We had the odd occurrence of dining there two successive Friday nights, one with another adult couple who, like us, enjoy most of the Disneyverse, and then to celebrate our daughter's new job. The menu varied a little between visits. The cast members (staff) were beyond attentive, and a lot of fun. The 'Fab Five' were on hand and stopped by each table multiple times to interact with every diner, and spent time just walking around, dancing with the kids, and cutting up.

The food was as varied as you'll find on a very well-kept buffet and included cold shrimp and scampi, carved prime rib and turkey breast, kids' favorites, an Asian section that included fried dumplings and ribs, various fish and chicken dishes, and a desert section with special creations plus peach cobbler and ice cream.

One of our guests is an unbelievably picky eater (by choice), and I heard one of the multiple cast members who stopped by tell him that none of their dishes contain peanuts, which seems to be a bigger and bigger real or imagined deal these days. She showed him a list of allergans in each dish, indicating the restaurant accommodates a huge variety of medical and self-imposed eating restrictions.

Do not eat here if you want high cuisine or a quiet business atmosphere: spend your $66 a head at a high-end Disney Springs eatery. Come here to laugh, visit Mickey and the gang, eat a very satisfying meal, and watch little ones' eyes light up and jaws drop when they look up at six-foot-tall Goofey.

Chef Mickey's is in the Contemporary Resort (hotel) on Disney property but outside of Magic Kingdom, so doesn't require park admission. Dining reservations are a must, and plan early because 5-8pm spots fill fast. Parking is free in the Contemporary's lot when you have a dining reservation. Valet is available for an ultra-special occasion.

Enjoy a great Character Dining experience for your next special occasion! Ask for "I'm Celebrating" buttons if the host or seater doesn't...