Restaurant Review: Hollywood & Vine
Location: Hollywood Studios
Standard Meals Offered: Disney Junior Character Breakfast, Minnie’s Seasonal Dine for Lunch & Dinner
Current Meals Offered: Minnie’s Seasonal Dine for Lunch & Dinner
Rating:
Hollywood & Vine is a staple dining experience at Hollywood Studios. Pre-COVID, this location offered a Disney Junior character buffet breakfast, and then a Minnie’s Seasonal Dine buffet for lunch and dinner. Since reopening, the offerings and experiences have changed to only offer Minnie’s Seasonal Dine for lunch and dinner, with a set menu instead of the buffet (as of September 2020). The character interaction is modified as well for social distancing, but don’t let that stop you from seeing Minnie and the gang!
Our Experience
The Food
We dined here for lunch and were pleasantly surprised by our meals. Hollywood Studios is our least favorite park to dine in, so we had set the bar pretty low for Hollywood & Vine. That being said, currently the set menu is the same for lunch and dinner, and the food is very heavy. I imagine the set menu will be here to stay for a long time, if not permanently, and Disney will do away with buffets completely moving forward.
The meal starts with a family style salad and yummy sweet rolls, and then each person orders their own entree and their own dessert. For our entrees, my husband ordered the pork dish, and I had macaroni and cheese with shrimp.We usually split meals for lunch, so this was much more than we are used to getting! The food was actually delicious, though!
The Characters
Minnie is the host of this special event. All of the characters were in their Halloween costumes which was so fun to see! Minnie, Mickey, Goofy and Pluto come around the restaurant several times while festive Halloween music plays. They “stop by” each table (staying socially distanced) and interact with guests – they’ll even pose for pictures behind you! Similar to our experience at Topolino’s Terrace, the characters do an AMAZING job with guest interactions.
Each “season” is a different theme for the characters, but the overall experience is the same. Here are the different seasons provided by Disney World’s website – they’re all so fun!
- Halloween Dine
- September – November
- Visit Minnie’s favorite happy haunt for a spooktacular Halloween feast that’s frightfully delightful.
- Minnie’s Holiday Dine
- November – January
- Deck the halls at a dazzling dinner party filled with holiday cheer and the joy of the season!
- Silver Screen Dine
- January – March
- Join Minnie Mouse for a fabulous dinner party celebrating the glitz and glamour of Hollywood!
- Springtime Dine
- March – June
- Shake off winter’s chill with a divine dinner party that marks the bright and beautiful delights of spring!
- Summertime Dine
- June – September
- Head to Hollywood & Vine for a beach-inspired bash celebrating the sizzle of summer!
The Price
You are definitely paying for the character experience at this location. Right now because there are such limited character meals available across the parks and resorts, this spot might be worth the money if you’re looking to enjoy a character meal!
The price is a flat charge for the family style appetizers, one entree and dessert (alcohol and gratuity is excluded). We paid $59.99 each, which is WAY more than we ever spend on lunch. Kids are $35 each (they get the appetizers, one entree, two sides and dessert), so for a family of five that adds up quickly.
WDW Park Planners Tips:
This is a popular spot right now since character dining options are so limited around the parks and resorts. We were able to snag a lunch reservation the night before, so keep checking the app to try and get in! Check the “lunch” & “dinner” categories as well as the individual time slots – sometimes different options pop up. You might get lucky like we did!
This spot is also great for bigger groups since the restaurant can accommodate them 🙂