Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine

If you or members of your family and Playhouse Disney fans, one place you can find the Playhouse Disney characters is at Play and Dine at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios. Hollywood and Vine serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily via buffet. Only breakfast and lunch are character meals. Dinner at Hollywood and Vine can be reserved for the Fantasmic Dinner and Reserved Seating option--click here for more info.

We have eaten at Hollywood and Vine three times--breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Twice with characters, and once for dinner. Know that when the characters are in residence the restaurant is noisy and bustling. When the Playhouse Disney theme music swells, kids are encouraged to get up and have a dance party with the characters. That's Leo in the photo above from Little Einstein's. Goliath is is in the photo below--from JoJo and Goliath. I understand Goliath has been replaced by Handy Manny.

The buffet offers a variety of excellent choices. The buffet starts at both ends of the restaurant and ends with a carving station in the middle. Both sides offer a children's buffet section--anyone can select items from the children's buffet section (it usually has some sort of Mickey shaped food and I just can't resist), and kids can select items from the entire buffet. Desserts are honored with their own station.

JoJo is in the photo above along with June from Little Einstein's in the photo below. The characters may vary from day to day, meal to meal, but expect to meet at least four characters as they move from table to table for autographs and photos.

Advanced dining reservations are recommended. We have been outside checking in and hear others being told they need a reservation and then go inside to find a relatively empty restaurant. Maybe that's a fluke, but we sure were glad we had an ADR.

Hollywood and Vine shares restroom facilities with 50's Prime Time Cafe which is next door. If you use the restroom, take a wrong turn on purpose to sneak a peek at 50's Prime Time Cafe if you haven't been there before.

The theming at Hollywood and Vine is nothing to write home about---it's decorated as a diner. Service is fast and friendly, and buffet selections are varied and excellent.

Sometimes the characters spend time with the adults! After all, it is Play and Dine!