The exterior sign at Goofy's Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel.

Goofy’s Kitchen Review: A Disneyland Character Dining Experience – 2023

After a recent visit to Disneyland Resort, I’m excited to bring you a 2023 Goofy’s Kitchen Review!

First a little background on myself, I’m a huge Disney lover who has had my fair share of Disney character meals throughout my lifetime.

Even as an adult, I absolutely love going to character meals at Disney. There’s just something about eating with the characters that put a huge smile on my face.

In this post, I’m going to give you an in-depth review of Goofy’s Kitchen at Disneyland Resort.

✨Gawrsh!!!! Did I forget to mention that I’m also a travel agent who specializes in Disney Destinations? If you need help planning your Disneyland vacation, please contact me, and let’s get started!

Goofy’s Kitchen Review

As I previously said, I have been to a lot of character meals before, mainly at Walt Disney World. So I have a lot of character dining experiences to compare it to.

But does Goofy’s Kitchen at Disneyland Resort live up to the greatness of all the other character meals I’ve been to?

Keep reading to find out!

We’re going to talk about it all!! The atmosphere, the characters, the menu, the cost, the location, and more!

Let’s do it!!

Setting & Atmosphere

We’re going to start off this Goofy’s Kitchen review by talking about the setting and atmosphere of Goofy’s Kitchen.

Let me just say, the setting and atmosphere of Goofy’s Kitchen are incredible!! It’s everything that you want in a character dining meal at Disneyland Resort.

Goofy’s Kitchen is upbeat, lively, colorful, and just plain fun!

Disney Expert Note: If you’ve ever been to Chef Mickey’s at Walt Disney World, Goofy’s Kitchen is the character dining meal at Disneyland most similar to it. Even though Mickey Mouse is not at Goofy’s Kitchen, it’s similar as far as the type of food and fun, upbeat atmosphere.

From the moment we walked into the lobby at Goofy’s Kitchen, I got a feeling for what lively, fun dining experience was awaiting us.

Goofy's Kitchen Review:  The fun artwork in the lobby gives you a peak into the fun, lively atmosphere inside Goofy's Kitchen.
Art display in the lobby of Goofy’s Kitchen.

After we checked in, we were directed to the line to get our picture taken in “Goofy’s Kitchen” with no other than Goofy himself.

Of course, when we went to get our picture taken at the photo-op set-up, Goofy was not there. He must have been taking a break because Minnie Mouse was there instead.

That’s ok though we still had a chance to see Goofy inside during the character parade and dance.

Once we got into the restaurant, I was excited to see the bright colors and designs and the upbeat fun atmosphere.

Characters at Goofy’s Kitchen

When arriving at Goofy’s Kitchen I wasn’t really aware exactly of all the characters that were going to be there.

I know Goofy would be there of course! But I was pleasantly surprised to see the rest of the gang including Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale.

Goofy's Kitchen Review:  The character interaction at Goofy's Kitchen is incredible.  My boys and I with Pluto.
My boys and I posing with Pluto.

I would have loved to see Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, or Daisy Duck there, but unfortunately, none of these characters are at Goofy’s Kitchen.

Character Interaction

If you’re looking for great character interaction at Disneyland, Goofy’s Kitchen has it! The characters came by our table frequently, interacted with us, gave us hugs, and took pictures with us. If you have an autograph book they will sign that too.

Every so often during the character meal, the characters would parade and dance all throughout the restaurant. As the music played and the characters paraded, we waved our napkins in the air!

The characters parading around the restaurant.
The characters during the parade and dance.

As you can see Goofy’s Kitchen is full of energy and fun!

Goofy’s Kitchen Breakfast Menu

Breakfast is my favorite time to have a character dining meal!

And if you’re looking for breakfast with the characters at Disneyland, Goofy’s Kitchen is one of the best character breakfasts at Disneyland.

Goofy’s Kitchen breakfast menu includes an all-you-can-eat buffet-style breakfast.

The variety of breakfast foods here is amazing! They even have “lunch” type foods because it’s considered a brunch too.

Delicious food we saw on the breakfast buffet included Mickey Waffles, Mickey Pancakes, french toast, a create-you-own omelet station, sausage, bacon, eggs benedict, muffins, pastries, fresh fruit, oatmeal, build-you-own granola yogurt parfait, Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter Pizza and S’more Pizza. Some of the lunch-type foods included chicken, broccoli, and egg rolls.

Goofy's Kitchen Review:  The delicious breakfast plate with Mickey waffles, scrambled eggs potatoes and bacon.

What I also love about Goofy’s Kitchen, which is very similar to a lot of other Disney character meals, is the lower counters for kid-friendly foods. This makes it so easy for younger kids to help themselves.

Kids can easily help themselves to Mickey Waffles, Mickey Pancakes, chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, pepperoni pizza, Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter Pizza, and S’more Pizza.

The low counter height at Goofy's Kitchen is perfect for the youngest ones to help themselves.
Kid-friendly counter height

There’s even a huge dessert station for breakfast which also includes soft-serve yogurt with toppings! How fun is this? This might be the only time you allow your kids ice cream for breakfast!

Goofy's Kitchen Review:  The dessert station at Goofy's Kitchen is huge.
The dessert station at Goofy’s Kitchen is huge. The other side of the glass wall is also filled with desserts.
You can even help yourself to a soft-serve yogurt station with toppings for breakfast.
The soft-serve yogurt station with toppings.

There’s no way you’re leaving this breakfast/brunch hungry.

Goofy’s Kitchen Dinner Menu

Now that you’ve heard all about Goofy’s Kitchen’s amazing breakfast menu, it’s time to talk about Goofy’s Kitchen’s dinner menu.

Just like breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen, dinner at Goofy’s Kitchen is an all-you-can-eat buffet-style dinner.

Delicious foods you can choose from here include a carving station (sirloin, turkey breast), fresh catch of the day, seasonal vegetables, salads, fresh fruit, fried shrimp, and kid-friendly favorites pizza and macaroni and cheese.

And just like breakfast, they have that amazing and huge dessert station with soft-serve yogurt and toppings.

How much does it cost to eat at Goofy’s Kitchen in Disneyland?

Goofy’s Kitchen is definitely not cheap, but do remember you get a character interaction experience plus an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The following are the current prices as of January 2023. But note, prices are subject to change. Also, note that all your beverages such as coffee, juices, and sodas are included in the price, but “adult beverages” are an additional amount.

Goofy’s Kitchen Breakfast and Brunch Pricing:

Children 3-9: $36
Ages 10 and up: $62

Goofy’s Kitchen Dinner Pricing:

Children 3-9: $40
Ages 10 and up: $69

Disney Expert Tip: If you have a Disney Visa Card, you get 10 percent off your meal at Goofy’s Kitchen. This is a huge savings because it’s so pricy to eat here. If you’re a big Disney fan like me, I highly recommend getting a Disney Visa Card because there are so many benefits.

Is Goofy’s Kitchen Worth It?

So, Goofy’s Kitchen is pricy, but it’s totally worth it!

Character dining experiences are so much fun and it’s part of that wonderful Disney magic you get when visiting Disneyland.

And if you are visiting Disneyland with kids, Goofy’s Kitchen is a definite must. The food is plentiful and kid-friendly, and the atmosphere is fun, colorful, and upbeat. Plus, no waiting in lines for characters, they come right to your table here!

And if you’re still on the edge about the cost, plan on this being your one meal for the day and eat light snacks the rest of the day. After all, there is so much food here to eat you could easily not eat for the rest of the day!

Location of Goofy’s Kitchen

Goofy’s Kitchen is located at the beautiful Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Resort near the amazing monorail-themed pool area.

Goofy's Kitchen is located at the beautiful Disneyland Hotel.

If you don’t have your Disneyland hotel booked yet, be sure to check out my Disneyland Hotel Review. Disneyland Hotel is my number one hotel of choice for visiting the Disneyland Parks.

Disneyland Hotel is conveniently located near the entrance to Downtown Disney. It’s a fairly short walk from the main gates of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

So… if you plan on going to Goofy’s Kitchen on one of your park days, you could walk to or from the park and Goofy’s Kitchen very easily.

Goofy’s Kitchen Hours

Goofy’s Kitchen is open for breakfast, brunch, and dinner.

Its usual operating hours are the following:

Breakfast – 7:00 AM to 1:30 PM

Dinner – 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

Goofy’s Kitchen Reservations

Eating at Goofy’s Kitchen is very popular and one of the best Disneyland character dining meals, if not the best!

You will need Advanced Dining Reservations to eat at Goofy’s Kitchen. Advanced Dining Reservations are available to book 60 days in advance. And I do recommend booking this restaurant as soon as it opens 60 days in advance because it will book up quickly.

However, you might be able to join a Mobile Dine Walk-Up List at the restaurant if there is availability. However, this might be risky because you don’t want to upset your kids if you can’t get it.

Tips for Eating at Goofy’s Kitchen

  • Make an Advanced Dining Reservation. Book it 60 days in advance if you can.
  • Plan for the perfect Goofy’s Kitchen dining time. If you can, a Goofy’s Kitchen breakfast or Goofy’s Kitchen dinner on your arrival day is the perfect start to your magical Disneyland vacation. Another option would be eating at Goofy’s Kitchen on your last day. This would be a great celebratory way to end your trip at the happiest place on Earth.
  • Let them know at the time of booking or check-in of special occasions like a birthday or anniversary. Disney really knows how to make you feel special on your special day.
  • Go hungry and plan on eating light the rest of the day.
  • Have a camera or phone ready for lots of pictures and videos.
  • Dress in Disney attire. I made the mistake of not wearing cute Disney clothes when recently dining here. This was on arrival, nonpark day, so I wasn’t thinking. Don’t be like me.
    TIP: I love to stock up on Disney attire, from shopDisney.com before our Disney trips.
My son and I posing in with the characters.
Me in my non-Disney attire.

FAQs

Do you need a Disneyland ticket for Goofy’s Kitchen?

No, you do not need a Disneyland ticket for Goofy’s Kitchen! Goofy’s Kitchen is not located in the theme parks, so no Disneyland ticket is needed.

Dining at Goofy’s Kitchen would make an excellent activity to do on a non-park day. Better yet, make this your arrival day meal! It’s the perfect way to start your Disneyland vacation!

This would also be a great dining experience for those not going to any of the Disneyland Resort Parks, but are looking to experience a little bit of that Disney magic! You could combine Goofy’s Kitchen with a trip to Downtown Disney and still get got that Disney feels!

Can you eat at Goofy’s Kitchen if you’re not staying at the hotel?

You do not need to stay at Disneyland Hotel to eat at Goofy’s Kitchen. Goofy’s Kitchen is available to all who want to go. Just remember to make an Advanced Dining Reservation.

What characters do you see at Goofy’s Kitchen?

Characters seen at Goofy’s Kitchen include Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and Chip ‘n’ Dale.

Do you tip at Goofy’s Kitchen?

When you dine at Goofy’s Kitchen, a gratuity of 18 percent is automatically added to your bill. So need to worry about leaving an extra tip at the end of the meal.

Final Thoughts: Goofy’s Kitchen Review

Goofy’s Kitchen is a fun, lively, upbeat character dining breakfast and dinner experience at Disneyland Resort.

They serve all-you-can-eat buffet-style food with a variety of options for kids and adults.

Goofy’s Kitchen is pricy but well worth it for the magical experience you can only get at Disney.

I’m giving Goofy’s Kitchen 5 out of 5 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I hope you enjoyed my Goofy’s Kitchen Review! Definitely go to Goofy’s Kitchen and have yourself a magical, fun time!

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