The Characters - Not going to lie. I'm pretty sure I was more excited about the characters here than anyone else in our party. While the standard Disney line is that characters are always subject to change, the regulars here are Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder, Prince Eric, and Ariel. Yeah - you read that right. . .two Disney GUYS!!! Grown women will swoon once being hit by "the smolder" - trust me, I know. As in most of the other dining experiences, a parade happens during breakfast to get little ones up and moving around. The characters were great with everyone and the restaurant is relatively small so characters make their way around quickly without feeling rushed.
The Food - Again, this restaurant hits it out of the park. Each table begins with a pastry assortment inspired by Tangled and The Little Mermaid which is served in a frying pan - of course! Diners then get to choose from a menu which entree they would like and food is freshly prepared and delivered to the table. I really enjoy this option compared to the up and down craziness of buffets. The food was also different then what you find in most Disney restaurants. I had the Swimmer's Delight - an egg white omelet with smoked salmon, goat cheese, spinach, mushroom and tomato with a side of roasted potatoes. It was imaginative, themed perfectly with the entire meal experience, and delicious!
The Location - Trattoria al Forno is located on Disney's Boardwalk adjacent to Epcot. We took a car service from our hotel to Disney's Boardwalk Resort to access the boardwalk area and then had a quick walk to the restaurant. The location is perfect for spending a day in Epcot which is exactly what we did! When you finish breakfast, you are very close to the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. Bonus - you get to skip the crowds entering the park as this is a far less popular entrance. You could also do this for breakfast when visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios as it's only a 20-30 minute walk or a brief ferry boat ride away.
I was absolutely thrilled with this character meal! I wish my hubby would have been feeling better that morning to enjoy all that the meal had to offer. The kids enjoyed the kids menu and had fun meeting some favorite characters and mom got to eat egg whites with goat cheese while swooning over Disney princes - does life get much better?!?
Have you checked out breakfast at Trattoria al Forno yet?