Spooky season is upon us at Disney World!
Hollywood Studios is going to be the place to be with all of the new additions like Toy Story Land and Galaxies Edge. It’s a fun park for those that love characters, shows, and thrill rides.
See the updated 2022 review of Hollywood and Vine with Food Allergies here!
Though they tend to be lacking in Character Dining- so they have a fun and seasonal offering at the Hollywood and Vine restaurant (plus Disney Jr. Characters for Breakfast!). Here you can meet Minnie and her friends in festive and spooky costumes for Halloween!
If you are headed to the MNSSHP, you’ll get to see a lot more characters, and we’ve got a guide for doing MNSSHP with babies and toddlers! But for a long thrill experience, Hollywood and Vine is my Halloween recommendation!
I went with my middle kid, my baby girl. She has been on such a Mickey kick lately and it’s so adorable. I love that she is talking so much now (my oldest with differences wasn’t talking till after 2)
The characters were amazing- We only got to see them all once, but Daisy we got to meet twice. Sometimes it’s hit or miss how many times you meet the characters (sometimes once, sometimes twice, once we saw them three times when we went between lunch and dinner at Garden Grill!)
I know the food is important at Character Buffets- but don’t forget that you are paying for some exclusive character time too. Enjoy it! Bring the autograph book and really talk to the characters. It’s a lot of fun.
Where’s it located
Hollywood Studios! It’s not hard to access either, it’s inside the entrance of the park and to the left. Less than 5 minutes from the entrance.
ADA friendly
Yes, though the buffet could be hard to navigate if you are eating regular food. Bathrooms were easy to access and there was ample space in the walkways. It was VERY loud there- so keep that in mind if noise is a concern.
What’s Special There?
The Fab Five! You get to meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy (no pluto!) It’s the only character dining experience at Hollywood Studios!
They were such a treat!
At Breakfast you can find Disney Jr. Characters too!!! 😍😍😍
Precautions and Eating with Allergies at Disney World
For one, when you reserve dining, make sure to list your allergies (they don’t have options for all, so pick what you can!) Then CLARIFY at check in that you have allergies, get an allergen menu and ask to speak to a chef or manager.
Please consider talking to a manager or chef- especially if you have more than one allergy and ESPECIALLY if you have a cashier that might seem like they don’t know what they are doing.
Our Review and what we ate 🥣
So I spoke with the chef and we didn’t eat off the buffet. The chef was very adamant that we avoided the buffet (and there was a slight language barrier I think?). He brought us out the plate himself (no allergy skewer) and honestly, the first plate was almost inedible.
The rolls were rock solid, the veggies and rice were very dry with no flavor. I was actually surprised and I sent the plate back (Which I never do!)
The second plate with just beef and rolls was much much better.
Our waiter was fantastic, he stayed on top of the drink refills and helped us communicate with the chef. I do have to say that even though the food was subpar- the overall experience was extremely pleasant. (unlike places like Be our guest, where the service sucks but the food is SO good!)
Ok, lets talk dessert- which would be my almost two years olds favorite meal of the day.
I was so happy to see that they had a top 8 allergen free brownie. I was hoping it would be more like the one we had at Crystal Palace, but it was it’s own brand of deliciousness.
Ordering Food and The Allergy Menus
It was a buffet, but we looked over the allergen menu to tell the chef what we wanted. Plus we got a yummy, Top 8 Allergen free (so also vegan) dessert! You can see the video of that up top if you haven’t watched it yet!
Here’s the menus!
FAQs
You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers!
I’ve heard this place wasn’t that good- do you agree?
Well, yeah, it wasn’t the best. In fact, I’d have to rank it in my bottom 5 for food, but the service and the characters were amazing. Since it was just my daughter and I who are both gluten free, (and soy free) we didn’t feel like we were missing much. But if I had went with regular eaters and they looked like they had much better food, I would be pretty upset!
How is this different than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
It’s about half the price for adults for starters, and you don’t get candy (but you do get food) as far as characters, you can meet them at MNSSHP, but you will wait in lines and they’re spread out all over the place. This meal was much more laid back and very casual. I highly recommend this for halloween lovers who don’t want to fuss with the crowds at Mickey’s Halloween Party. Learn more about the Mickey’s Halloween Party and the allergy offerings.
Wrap Up
Basically, your mileage will vary. I have no idea what the Christmas Party will be like, but I’m going to check that one out because #christmas. For me, the characters are worth it!
More Gluten Free and Allergy Posts
Toy Story Land Quick Serve (woody’s lunch box) at Hollywood Studios