Disney World is known for its characters and its food — so what’s better than combining them both?
Whether you want to meet the Disney Princesses, Mickey and his pals, or friends from Disney Junior, there’s sure to be a character dining experience for you in the Disney Parks and Resorts. And, you might say that this is actually one of the BEST ways to meet the characters! Not only will you avoid having to wait in a long line to meet the characters, but you’ll also get more one-on-one time with them and an opportunity for a quick photo at your table PLUS a full meal — count that as a win, win!
And, you don’t need a park ticket to get in on the fun — several Disney hotels have their own character dining experience and today we’re headed over to Disney’s Riviera Resort to try out one that Disney fans simply can’t stop raving about.
Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera is a table service restaurant located on the top floor of Disney’s Riviera Resort. And, while the dinner service is a signature dining experience (a.k.a. super fancy, and pretty pricey), Mickey and his friends take over in the morning for Breakfast à la Art!
The restaurant fits right into the French and Moroccan Riviera theming at Disney’s Riviera Resort and is inspired by “cliffside restaurants of the Riviera.” So, the dining room has a more intimate feel and panoramic views of the Disney World property…
…and you can step outside onto the patio to enjoy some fresh air, relax, and take in the scenery!
Now, Topolino is actually Mickey Mouse in Italian, so you can bet that there’s a lot of Disney flair!
This unique character breakfast gives you the chance to meet Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Donald dressed up in outfits that reflect their artful hobbies. For example, Mickey loves to paint in his spare time…
…Minnie is a writer…
…Daisy dances…
…and Donald sculpts!
Each character circles the restaurant, stopping at every table for a short period of time. And, after they’ve seen everyone, they do a little dance around the restaurant before they leave.
They come back out again shortly after to start making the rounds again, so you might end up seeing the characters at your table more than once — not something that can be said about every character dining experience in Disney World!
No one’s got moves like Donald and Daisy Duck 💕
🍽️ Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
📍 Disney’s Riviera Resort pic.twitter.com/q3mTsD85D3— The VacationEAR (@thevacationear) February 22, 2023
If you’ve ever dined at a character restaurant in Disney World before, you’ll notice that pretty much everything is back to “normal” — the characters come to your table, can hug you, and will pose for a photo. But, one thing that did NOT return to Topolino’s Terrace character breakfast after the COVID-19 pandemic is autographs. Instead of signing an autograph book, all of the characters have signed a postcard that you will receive from your host when you’re seated.
The front has a photo of all the characters in their artful outfits…
…and the back has their signatures. It’s not the same as having the characters sign your personal book, but it is a fun souvenir from your meal!
And, if you really love the characters and their outfits at Breakfast à la Art, you can actually take them home — in plush form! La Boutique, which is the gift shop on the second floor of Disney’s Riviera Resort, actually sells Topolino’s Terrace character plushes!
Now that we’ve covered the characters, let’s get to the food!
There’s a prix fixe menu for breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera, so you’re able to choose from 10 different entree options all for one flat price ($45).
Options include Quiche Gruyere, French Toast Brulee, Wood-fired Butchers Steak, Avocado Toast, and more. Here’s the full entree menu:
Kids also have a prix fixe menu for themselves, there are just fewer options each costing $29. The Mickey Waffle Dippers are perhaps the most popular. The Mickey Waffles come served on skewers and are on a plate that looks like a painter’s pallet with three dipping sauces.
The last part of the menu is all the drinks including coffee, non-alcoholic cocktails, and alcoholic cocktails. Just note that these are an additional cost on top of your meal. Only water, juices, sodas, and milk are included in the prix fixe cost.
So, what did we get? Well, like all meals at Topolino’s Terrace, breakfast starts with pastries!
The pastries are served in a “paint bucket” and come with three dipping sauces on the side including honey butter, house-made strawberry jam, and a chocolate hazelnut mousse (which is a lot like Nutella).
The pastries can change depending on the season, but ours was filled with croissants, chocolate chip mini muffins, and cinnamon loaf (which was our favorite!). You’ll receive enough of each pastry so that each person at the table can try one.
We also decided to order up some drinks and went with the Classic Mimosa, which is made with Charles de Fère Cuvée Jean-Louis Blanc de Blancs Brut, Orange Juice…
…and the Classic Bellini, which is made with Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco Superiore, Peach Purée. Each costs an extra $14.50.
There was nothing all that special about the drinks, but they were a nice upgrade for an adults-only meal.
Now for the main course!
We got the Avocado Toast, which has Prosciutto, Poached Egg, Toy Box Tomatoes, Fennel, Harissa Vinaigrette, Ciabatta.
This was a lot more than just avocado on a piece of bread! The best bites were the ones that included a little bit of everything, but we’re pretty convinced that the Harissa Vinaigrette could make anything taste amazing — we were scooping it up by the spoonfuls at the end!
The only things that would make this dish even better are bigger tomatoes and toast that was a little less crispy (it was hard to cut).
We also ordered the Sour Cream Waffle which comes with Roasted Apple, Chantilly, Orange-Maple Syrup, and is served with choice of Smoked Bacon, Ham, Sausage, or Plant-based Sausage (we chose bacon!).
This dish is definitely on the sweeter side, but that made the smaller serving size a bit more filling.
And, that’s it for our breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera! Here are a few other things we noted:
- At no point during our meal did we feel rushed like other character dining experiences we’ve had in Disney World. In fact, at some points, the service actually felt slow.
- Annual Passholder discounts are available here. You’ll get 10% off, just note that the discount does not apply to any alcoholic beverages.
- Dining reservations are VERY hard to get, even if you’re looking 60 days out! Here are a few tips to securing a spot:
- If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, you can book dining reservations 60 days in advance PLUS the length of your stay. Plan to eat at Topolino’s Terrace later in your trip so that you can secure your reservation before everyone else gets access 60 days out.
- Check for reservations, check again, and keep checking! People are always changing their plans, so you never know when a reservation might pop up. We were able to get ours the morning of!
- If you can’t get a reservation, join the Walk Up Waitlist! This isn’t always available, and you do need to be within a certain distance to join the list through the My Disney Experience app, but it’s the only way to eat here without a dining reservation.
Based on our experience, we’ll certainly be eating here again. The character interactions were top-notch, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was more relaxing than other character dining experiences we’ve had in the parks.
But, just keep in mind that Topolino’s Terrace is located at Disney’s Riviera Resort, meaning that you’ll need to get to the hotel if you’re not already staying here. This can really cut into your park days and getting there can be a little complicated with Disney transportation (pro tip: if you’re staying at another Disney resort, take a bus from your hotel to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and hop on the Disney Skyliner to get to Disney’s Riviera Resort).
It’s also worth noting that there are more character restaurants at other Disney World hotels including Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club, Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (though, this spot is currently closed). So, you’ve got some options!
Of course, we’ll be trying them all, so stay tuned to The VacationEAR for more!