When I heard that Disney was bringing Snow White her own character meal, I had to book it for my five-year-old daughter. Gianna has been devoted to Snow White since she was two. She watched the movie on repeat until she was about five. Gianna would tell anyone that would listen all about Snow White. Heigh-ho would start, and she would bellow out the words and pretend she was going to look for diamonds in the mines. Her favorite part? The interaction between Snow White and the dwarfs. As Snow White danced with the dwarfs in the cottage, she would dance by herself or grab whoever was near to dance with her. I will never forget these memories.

When Gianna discovered Frozen, I thought surely she would move on to Elsa as her favorite. A princess with magical powers? Not to mention the hit song “Let It Go.” But no, my sweet girl stayed devoted to Snow White. Elsa came in a close second but did not top her beloved Snow White.

I booked the Snow White character meal, officially titled Storybook Dining at Artist Point, several months ago. This is a tough reservation to get, and I highly recommend booking it up to 180 days in advance. I have come to learn that it is not an exaggeration to book 180 days in advance, but a necessity for these highly sought out dining experiences.

Storybook Dining is located at the Artist Point restaurant in Disney’s Fort Wilderness. The theme fits in perfectly with this rustic Disney resort because the restaurant was transformed into the enchanted forest. Disney has perfected the art of theme dining, and this experience is supreme.

We arrived early for our reservation, and we were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation time. As we were escorted to our table, we walked right past the Evil Queen! In the restaurant, the Evil Queen has her own photo spot. Her royal evilness does not walk around the tables to meet with you. If you want to meet her, you go to her!

We were seated towards the back of the restaurant where we had a perfect view of where the characters enter and leave the restaurant. Characters in this dining experience include Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy and the Evil Queen. As each character was introduced, their theme music played for all to enjoy and the trees above the tables light up. They come out dancing, clapping, jovial and interacting with guests, except of course the Evil Queen.

The menu did not disappoint and was wonderfully themed. I had the Enchanted Apple cocktail, and my husband had the Dead Man’s Ale. Both were excellent. What I loved about this dining experience was that the food came to us and we did not have to leave the table. In many Disney character experiences, the food is buffet style. You have to leave your table to get your food. This can be complicated with little ones and with characters coming to your table for the meet and greet. Having the food come to you simplifies the process and enhances the experience in my opinion.

I loved the table’s centerpiece! It was a tree that rotated (like a lazy Susan) so sharing food amongst the table was a breeze. The appetizers are tapas sized, and they are table shared. The squash soup was served in a small cauldron with a marshmallow. It was delicious! Other appetizers included Hunter’s chicken pie and wicked shrimp cocktail. All three appetizers were yummy and small enough that they left room for the main course. Children get their own appetizers. My girls are served veggie sticks with ranch and a little dinner roll with butter.

For dinner, my husband had the royal prime rib. I tried some of his prime rib, and both pieces I had were tender and flavorful. He finished his plate but did say that he found some of the prime rib too fatty. I ordered the Stroll Through Nature plate. It consisted of butternut squash, arugula, gnocchi, sage, and parmesan. It was scrumptious! This meal is a fantastic option for vegetarians. My daughters had the paste with cheese, and it was more than your run of mill macaroni and cheese. It too was delicious. The portions were huge, and we took half of my plate and the children’s plates home to enjoy the next day.

Once the main course was over, it was on to dessert! The desserts were also shareable and Instagram worthy!  The desserts included: Miner’s Treasure sponge cake, Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie, and a Poison Apple mousse. I could probably pass on the pie, but the other two were very good.

Lastly, you are presented with The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen. Your waitress or waiter will bring you this dessert in a smoking box filled with chocolate ganache hearts and maple popcorn. It is a dare I say, magical and fantastic way to end the meal!

The characters were all fun and engaging. We brought my daughter’s Snow White book and had all the characters sign it. Snow White even danced with my little girl, and Dopey and Grumpy also interacted very well with all the children. The Queen never broke character and was the icing on the cake! I was worried that my two year old would be afraid of the Queen, but she was not. Her favorites, however, were the dwarfs!

For reference, Snow White also makes appearances at Epcot or Magic Kingdom. The Dwarfs are not easy to meet. They only appear during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The Evil Queen is even more special as meeting any Disney Villain is quite rare!  This meal was overall memorable, delicious and we will return!

I want to enjoy as many of these experiences with my little ones as time and budget will allow. One day my oldest daughter won’t believe that was actually Snow White she met and danced with that night. She’ll know that was an actress playing a part and that sweet innocence will be no more. Seeing her face light up as she danced with Snow White, hugged the dwarfs and met the Queen is a memory I will treasure forever. Luckily, I have Adalind to follow and that will allow me to enjoy these experiences all over again.

Some Tips:

Book early! This experience only serves dinner between 4:00- 9pm every evening. The cost is $55.00 per adult (10 years and up) and $33.00 per child (3 and up). If your child is as into Snow White as my daughter is, bring Snow White’s book or something else special for the characters to sign. Dress the part! I dressed both my girls as Snow White and that made the experience much more memorable. The next time I go, I will dress like the Evil Queen.

Check out my Instagram: shepensblog for all the highlights and pictures of this fantastic character dining experience!

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