Play ‘n’ Dine at Hollywood and Vine

Went here with visiting friends and relatives. Buffet style. Minimal options. No characters for the evening meal. Mediocre meal. Meh! That’s all I have to say.

Roast beef, Turkey and lobster mac n cheese were legit! Although Hollywood and Vine was suppose to be a character dining experience, we did not encounter and characters at all which turned out to be a good thing. Children were not going bonkers and it was not a jungle at the buffet line.
We made a reservation a few weeks in advance. Upon arriving, we were seated very fast and our server was so kind and friendly. I think that’s one of the best things about Disney, the service is outstanding. I was a little skeptical about dining at a Disney buffet but Hollywood and Vine turned out to be one of my favorite places to eat in all of Disney World. The food was shockingly delicious!
I skipped all of the salads, the first thing I saw next to the salads was the lobster mac n cheese. It looked pretty good and I really wanted to see if it contained pieces of lobster which it did. The lobster mac n cheese was rich and creamy, topped with some bread crumbs and they did not cheap out on the lobster either. You could bite into nice little chunks of lobster meat. It was so good, I went back for seconds and thirds. It’s a pretty filling dish, so I would recommend choosing this last. I filled up quickly and could barely eat any desserts after this.
The roast beef and turkey was superb! Neither of them were dry. Very juicy thin slices topped with gravy. I generally dislike turkey. The only turkeys I ever enjoyed eating was Lorimer’s meat market turkey in Williamsburg Brooklyn and my wife’s Thanksgiving turkey. The turkey at Hollywood and Vine was exceptionally good.
The dessert bar was a dream. So much to choose from but I was so full from the mac n cheese. I forced down a few pieces of cake and had the urgency to loosen up my belt. There’s also a chocolate fountain.
Verdict — We went in November, so it wasn’t too crowded. I could imagine this place being a mad house during the summer months. I had a really good experience dining here and would not mind dining here again during my next visit. We used our disney dining plan for this and even if we didn’t, I believe this place is well worth the price. You’ll certainly leave with a full stomach.

What a BLAST! We had the buffet breakfast and it was awesome. Plenty of healthy choices such as a build your own yogurt or oatmeal station, as well as some tasty indulgences such as the corn beef hash-​a must have and the cheesy potatoes! The kids (2&5) loved the Mickey waffles and tatter tots. Every 15 minutes the characters would do an interactive dance and invite the kids to join in! We are going back in May and I have already booked my reservation!

We had lunch reservations at Hollywood n Vine play n dine on 11÷8÷14 at 11:10 am. Checked in and we were seated probably 10 minutes later. Ordered drinks and the characters started coming around. We had a wonderful table right in front of the area they did the little shows throughout the meal, which was great! Since our reservations was at 11, we were able to eat both lunch and breakfast. I enjoyed both and DH said it was the best meal he had at Disney. The kids had breakfast plates but barely ate a bite because of the character meetings and dancing. I really enjoyed it and if my kids are still interested in the Disney Jr. characters the next time we go, I’ll definitely book this character lunch/​breakfast again. The characters were Handy Manny, Jake from the Neverland Pirates, Sofia the First, and Doc McStuffins. I did not give it the 5^th star only because I would have preferred to have a disney photographer available during the meal. That way parents could eat and relax while kids met the characters. Instead I had to make sure that I had my camera on and at the ready to when a character showed up. Still — very enjoyable character lunch!

Not much to complain about here! We were sat pretty close to our reservation time… always a plus. Service was friendly throughout. Decent spread in regards to their breakfast buffet. The usual suspects were in full force… scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, French toast, cereal, muffins, bagels, etc. A few quiche/​casserole dishes, a make your own burrito, and a made to order omelette station pretty much rounded it out. It’s a character dining experience, so be prepared for a ton of kids; which I’m sure you would be as the main reason you came was for YOUR kid, right??? Characters included Sofia the First, Jake, Handy Manny, and Doc McStuffins. Every character was great… when they actually made it to the table. We sat for close to an hour and managed only Jake. Thankfully, our hosts rerouted the characters and we were able to get some great pics and autos for our daughter. All-​in-​all, our experience went over pretty well. The place can get crowded, so be prepared to wait… both for service and in the buffet line. For the price, the food, and the characters, it’s near the top of the list for character dining in Disney.

The food here was decent compared to other Disney dining experiences. I had a very large party which included 6 kids of various ages.
It is very loud in the restaurant and I could barely hear our sever. The staff were very friendly and accommodating.
The food was just OK. My character breakfast in Disneyland was much better. There were a total of 4 characters (Sofia, Handy Manny, Doc McStuffins & Pinocchio). While we were there for an hour, only 2 characters came by our table. I had to speak to someone about it because my daughter wanted to see Sofia & Doc McStuffins before we left. They did send them over, which of course made my daughter happy.

Breakfast was really good here. It’s buffet style and they have characters. My kids enjoy the show with the characters. My favorite is the omelette station and the cheese grits very good. We will return here.

Sorry, if you are going to charge $ 40 per person for a character buffet, the food has to at least be decent. We went for lunch and were seated immediately. Our server was great with the drink refills and the character interaction was great. Those were the only positives.
Not only was the food bad, but the selection was WAY too small. Upon first glance, the buffet looks decent sized. That is, until you realize that the buffet is literally divided in half, and both sides have the EXACT SAME food. Even the children’s buffet selection was lacking. I’m not a food snob, and there are plenty of Disney Character buffets that have left me happy and satisfied (Tusker House @ Animal Kingdom, Goofy’s Kitchen @ Disneyland).
It felt like the food was an afterthought. My wife said the Lobster Mac n Cheese tasted fishy, the baked salmon was flavorless and the «Create Your Own Pasta» bar was a joke, with 2 different noodle selections and 2 different sauces.
The next day, we ate at Golden Corral, which is literally ¼ the price of this place, and all 4 of us agreed that it was way better than Play n Dine!
If you must go here, just succumb to the fact that you are paying $ 40 per person to meet the Disney Junior Characters, skip the food altogether, and get a decent meal elsewhere.

Hollywood and Vine? Should be Hollywood and Crime! Ok, in fairness it is a buffet, which is not my favorite kind of place to begin with. With that said… I did eat at Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom, yes… another buffet. The quality of the food gave me hope so I confidently opted to partake in another buffet experience only to find out I have just paid $ 40 for a bowl of Florentine Tomato Soup, which was very tasty. We went for dinner and it is not a character experience for dinner, it may be worth it you go for lunch to see your child’s eyes light up at The Disney Junior pals, but if you are just looking for a meal, you are better off getting a burger at the Commissary. Stay clear of Hollywood and Crime.

Ok if you are going to be looking for a place at Hollywood studios that is adult oriented or has nice quiet time for you and a loved one, this is definitely not the place for you.
The wife and I took our son to this one and the kids were loud, crazy and having the time of their lives singing and dancing, all the while eating from a hearty and delicious buffet.
Characters came to the tables and signed authgraphs and gave big hugs to the kids as they were eating with their families and even though my son is a bit older to watch the programs that these characters are from, he knew them all and had a really fun time taking photos with them.
The food was delicious and there was plenty of it … including mickey mouse shaped waffles and a southern delicacy that I just cannot get enough of, cheesy grits.
If you want a place to cool off bring the family here but also expect to pay some really good money for the buffet … recommend breakfast (served until 10:30) because the lunch will gouge it right out of you.
Oh and remember to book way in advance, this place is jammed pack all of the time!
Have fun!

We were super hungry as we were about to leave Hollywood Studios, so as we were leaving the park we checked on a whim for any availability here and we waited less than 5 minutes for a table. Now this is one of my favorite buffets in Disney World, even better then Chef Mickey’s I’d say. They have a great selection of foods to choose from and even a create your own pasta bar that the chef will cook right there for you. I do wish the dessert section had more to choose from, but by the time your done eating you can’t fit that much dessert anyways. Will go again for sure !

My husband and I came here with our 4 year old daughter last month. They had Manny, Sofia the first and Doc McStuffins when we came. The food isn’t that great and for 3 people, costed us almost $ 100. Really you come for the characters and not the food.

We came to the Vine and Dine for the Disney Jr lunch for my sons birthday. We had reservations for 1:30pm but weren’t sat until almost 2:30pm. That was my only complaint. I didn’t understand why they were so anal about making sure your whole party was there when they would still make you wait. You can’t check in at all without your whole party being present.
Once we were inside all you heard was kids laughing and screaming. They were obviously excited for all the characters. My son had an amazing time and that moment he had with Jake from Disney Jr was what made my trip worth it.
The food was amazing for being such a huge buffet. They have everything. From chicken, meat, pasta, fish and salads. The service was amazing and our waitress made sure that my sons favorite characters would be coming by.
We would definitely go back and do it again. Even for the wait time, I would wait longer just knowing my kids would go berserk with happiness just seeing their favorite characters.

We were here for breakfast and this was a great way to meet some of your kids favorite Disney Jr. characters. Not sure if the characters that appear changes out, but during our breakfast, we met Handy Manny, Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Julie from Little Einsteins, and Special Agent Oso. There is lots of singing and dancing throughout and kids are welcome to join in on the fun. Once seated, the characters will make their way around to your table where you can get autographs and pictures. We had no problem with getting the four characters to our table during our breakfast. As for breakfast buffet, you’ll find a lot of the usual fare like breads, pastries, eggs, bacon, sausage, cereals, fruit, oatmeal, waffles, bagels, etc. All in all, breakfast was good and I walked out stuffed. If you have a food allergy, let the person you check-​in with know and the chef will come by and personally address your food allergy with you. For us, he ended up making a special gluten-​free waffle for my wife. All in all, a good meal and a great experience for our boys. Would definitely consider doing again.

W side of Hollywood Studios before the ‘50s Prime Time Diner
We came here for a lunch (with reservations thank goodness) and sat on the left side of the building if you are facing the entry way.
The food (buffet style) and service were both great with a great variety on the food. We had awesome character interaction from Special Agent Oso, Jake, June, and Handy Manny. The two youngest gals loved these lesser known characters.
Besides the character interaction there were also hosts that got the kids involved in various activities.
There is a picture spot as soon as you enter the building.
The whole staff was so incredibly nice and helpful.
The restroom was spotless and both of them were located in a hallway that led to a Merchandise Shop.
The kids all had a great time so I’d say that this is a great option (at least for lunch)… I can’t really speak for breakfast as I have not had breakfast here.
Reservations highly recommended by calling (407) WDW-​DINE

The food was ok. The characters were great! It took them a long time to get around to us though. It almost seemed like when we were seated, we had just missed them and had to wait almost 20 minutes to see the first character. We had to catch Special Agent Oso before we left because in the hour, he never made it to us. It was a good experience, but there are much better Character Dining Experiences at Disney. I’d recommend O’Hana at the Polynesian over this one by a mile.

We ate breakfast here because my wife thought my daughter would like to see the Disney Jr characters. They had Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, and June from Little Einsteins there while were ate.
The breakfast buffet was really good, one of the best I’ve ever had. There was plenty of options: yogurt, fruit, cereal, muffins, pastries, eggs, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, hash browns, etc.
The buffet is $ 30 a head so come hungry. If you have people in your party who are not breakfast people I would suggest they not join you. My in-​laws were with me and not breakfast people so I paid $ 60 for them to have coffee and push food around on their plates essentially.
I should note if your children are shy about the characters you can tell a cast member and they’ll be sure to skip your table.

As vegetarians, we decided to go for buffets during our DisneyWorld vacation, assuming they would at least have a few non-​meat options. Hollywood and Vine is a good choice for vegetarians– especially since they have a live pasta counter. The buffet also included sandwiches (not veggie friendly), fruit, salads, mac & cheese, etc. etc. Dessert was also good here– an ice cream machine, 3 different types of mousse, and assorted cookies and cakes.

I would just give two stars if this one did come with Fantasmic preferred seating.
The service was fine and served the purpose but the waitress was too busy to deal with too many tables. So we didn’t really talk about anything other than she passed the pass to Fantasmic to me.
The food was fine as an average buffet. The steak was not as good as Boma in Animal Kingdom lodge, nor the roasted chicken. Only one soup was provided. only one bowl of fruit was served to scoop from. The dessert section had limited options.
I guess in the end, the kids are fed and we avoid getting to the show one hour earlier than the starting time. I will think twice before I book here again.

This was actually my favorite character meal on my most recent trip. They had just added Oso so I was excited to get a picture with a new character! :)
We were seated pretty quickly with our morning reservation and we had a fantastic server. She was very attentive and very into her job. If I had kids that were Playhouse Disney fans, I would imagine this being just awesome for them! They sing and dance with the children and it is just a very fun time for them. This will defintiely be one of the places I go with my children when I have them.
This was actually the best breakfast I had during my trip. They had the standard Disney breakfast buffet items like eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy — all of which were just fantastic! They also had the best little chocolate muffins! I just gobbled them up. They also had sliced hot ham and some cheesy morning potatoes which were my personal favorite of the meal. I got hot cocoa with my meal which came topped with whipped cream.
I really liked dining here in the morning and will definitely return for a breakfast meal!