1900 Park Fare - Dining Review
After a long closure and refurbishment, 1900 Park Fare reopened their doors to guests for a new dining experience. On my recent trip to Walt Disney World with Lyra, we were able to snag a dinner reservation! I never tried this restaurant before the closure so it was brand new to me with these changes.
This dining experience is open for Breakfast and Dinner and is a character meal. Characters are always subject to change, but on our visit we were able to see Cinderella, Aladdin - dressed as Prince Ali, Mirabelle, and Tiana - rocking her new Bayou outfit! The theme here is all about wishes! The characters are all someone who has made an important wish and had it come true.
First of all the dining room is stunning. Very bright and open. You’ll see the wishmaker theme extend into the beautiful portraits around the room of other famous wishmakers like Asha, Aurora, Snow White, and Geppetto to name a few. You also won’t be able to miss Big Bertha the 19th century carousel organ on display.
The meals are both served buffet style and there never seemed to be a line or real order to doing it in, just head up and get what you like. For dinner the offerings were great. A carving station with turkey and prime rib, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, gumbo, salads, etc. Kids offerings were what every picky eater would want, chicken tenders, potato barrels, pizza, mac and a cheese and more. Tons of breads and sauces and honestly I’d need to eat here a few more times to try it all. You’ll definitely get your money’s worth if you do it right.
Desserts were gorgeous and I did everyone the service of trying them all! My favorite was the blueberry lemon cheesecake! Standard cookie, cupcake and brownie with some frosting on top. The only thing I didn’t really like was the tiny molten cake. I honestly think since these were on a warming tray it had just dried out, so if you can try one fresh I bet they’re a lot better.
Of course I had to try their FAMOUS Strawberry Soup! I had no idea what to expect here but this was all anyone could talk about so I had to try it! It’s cold and kind of a thicker smoothie texture. Very good, sweet but not overly so. I topped mine with whipped cream and fresh strawberries which was the way to go! Definitely give this one a try!
Soft drinks are included with the meal but there are also some specialty cocktails you can add on for additional charge. I decided to give the So Many Wishes mocktail a try. It’s a pomegranite tea and was similar to a fruit punch kind of taste. I feel like kiddos that like punch would love this as a special drink for this meal.
Our character interactions were overall great. Mirabelle seemed a little rushed but that happens sometimes. The other three took plenty of time to chat with us, take pictures, and sign Lyra’s autograph book. We actually had a Cast Member chat with us at the end of our meal to make sure we had time to chat with each character so that was nice. They are definitely on top of that.
The highlight of the meal and the experience is the Wishmaker Ceremony. When you are seated you will get a postcard with the character’s autographs on it, and on the other side you are supposed to write down your wish. At some point Jimminy Cricket will come over the loudspeaker to announce it so there’s no chance you’ll miss it. He will walk you through making your wish and it’s honestly such a touching moment it really made me emotional. It’s a really special touch that is unique to this experience and I just love little magical moments like that.
So, is this dining experience for you? Here are some pros, cons, and things to consider!
PROS
Food is great (at least at dinner) and lots of options to choose from.
Space is beautiful!
Character interactions and the Wishing Ceremony are really special and unique to this experience.
CONS
Can be expensive for a family or large group.
Can be busy in the waiting area and was a little disorganized getting in and seated (but that may have been just some newly opened kinks to work out)
SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER
This restaurant is located at the Grand Floridian resort, so definitely take your park schedule into account before booking. Great for a rest day or Magic Kingdom day as it’s so close to the park. Take the monorail back and forth (Keep in mind you’ll need to go through security at the hotel before heading back to the park). Definitely leave plenty of travel time for your reservation!
Are these characters you and your travel party are excited to meet? They can mostly be met in the parks without paying for a meal, so this might not be the top choice for character meal if budget is a concern.
If this sounds like a great experience for you but you’re looking to cut some cost, go for breakfast instead of dinner to save a little on the total price.
Since it’s so new this is a very popular choice and can fill up fast. Make sure you’re ready at 60 days out to make this reservation or set up alerts for any openings! Better yet, work with me and I’ll handle all of that for you.
Overall we really enjoyed our meal and experience at 1900 Park Fare for dinner. I’d love to try the breakfast option sometime too.
Want help deciding if this is the right fit for your travel party? Let’s work together to make your next adventure magical! xo, Molly
