Create your own culinary tale with your family and friends at the new Storybook Dining Character Dinner at Artist Point in Walt Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. Once upon a time, Wilderness Lodge’s famed restaurant, Artist Point, decided to give guests a new fairytale dining experience. With a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, Artist Point turned into a beautiful Storybook forest filled with some of Walt Disney’s most famous characters – Snow White, Evil Queen, Grumpy and Dopey. I had the pleasure of dining among the magical trees in the reimagined Artist Point, and it is spectacular!
Merchandise
Just outside of the restaurant check-in is a new pop up cart filled with everything your little princess will need to dine with Snow White. It is a great place to find last minute dress-up items and autograph books.
Check-in
A new check-in stand is decorated in beautiful poinsettias to welcome in guests. It is located just outside the entrance to the Territory Lounge. Once checked in, you will be given a text notification when your table is ready. If you are dining in December, be sure to check out the Christmas carolers in the lobby while you are waiting for your table.
Menu and Table Setting
Your dinner begins just like you are reading a fairytale. The menu transforms into your storybook. An adult dinner is $55.00 or one table service credit. For a children’s meal, it is $33.00 or one table service credit. The table setting brings the magical forest right to your table. The serving tree in the center spins, to invite sharing among the table. On the napkin, the apple has all the character signatures on the back side.
Drinks
To kick off the evening, I chose the Enchanted Apple specialty cocktail. The floating apple slice was a fun surprise. Let’s just say, I made this drink magically disappear!
Shared Appetizers
Three adorably cute mini appetizers wondrously appeared on my tree. The winter squash bisque was particularly satisfying because that night was very chilly outside (for Central Florida standards). Wicked shrimp cocktail is right…it was wicked in all the right ways and those shrimp were huge. The Hunter’s Pie was delicious with the house made fruit preserves!.
Entree
With a recommendation from my server Keith, I chose the “Cottage” Seafood Stew. Seriously when he brought out my bowl, my jaw hit the floor. This stew is a thing of seafood beauty. It is hearty, flavorful and FULL of shrimp, bay scallops, and mussels.
Shareable Desserts
To finish the story, the desserts lived happily ever after. The “poison” apple was the cutest little apple with beautiful detail. The white chocolate – apple mousse was so light, and made for a perfectly poppable bite. An unexpected surprise from a traditional apple pie or cobbler was the fairy tale gooseberry pie. It was delightful! I scraped that little bowl clean. I saved the miner’s treasure for last. Layers of yum on yum on yum.
The real showstopper is the Huntsman’s gift to the Queen arriving at the table in a gorgeous box full of eery mist. A single chocolate ganache heart with cracked maple popcorn was the literal icing on the cake. That is the way you end a meal!
Characters
Okay, okay now on to what makes this dinner oh so enchanting…the characters. To signal Snow White and the Dwarfs arrivals, the magical trees around the restaurant will light up, and you will hear some familiar tunes. I love that Snow White had holly in her bow for Christmas. She was the sweetest and so welcoming. Meeting Dopey and Grumpy was a hoot! I told Dopey I was doing his race, and he just shook his head in disbelief. Grumpy was being funny hiding behind the pillar by my table. It was really nice being able to have time for fun interactions, unlike some other character dining where you feel rushed. Standing ominously “inside” of the storybook, the Evil Queen is perfectly evil in every way. You know the Queen is on point when the little boy in front of you in line runs and hides at his table because she gave him an evil stare. I love seeing moments of magic like that. You will find Disney Photopass ready to snap your photos with the Evil Queen after you are finished with your dinner.
Overall Thoughts
Having loved the original Artist Point, I did not really know what to expect with this new character dining. Well, I was pleasantly surprised. This is not your regular buffet Disney character meal. The menu is still refined with thoughtfully crafted dishes, but with an extra dash of Disney magic. I can NOT wait to come back with my dad after we run Dopey next month. Literally, thinking of this meal while running the marathon will probably be the only thing getting me through! When will your family be dining with Snow White and the gang? Post in the comments below. Stay hungry Disney friends.
