Hey guys!
If you know me well, or are a regular visitor to this blog, you'll know I'm a huge character fan! I mean I love everything about Disneyland Paris, but for me the characters, and more recently the entertainment, is what really sets Disney apart from other theme parks.
So for me when I'm in the parks I am constantly looking for ways to maximise how many characters I can meet, and one of these ways has become an integral part of my trips that I'd like to share with you all, and that is character dining.
This is something I have written about before, previously I gave my thoughts on the character breakfast currently available at Plaza Gardens. That was just after my trip in April 2017, and yet this is still one of my most read posts, and hopefully something that is proving useful to people trying to decide what experiences to spend their money on! So today I have decided to cover another character dining option, Inventions.
Inventions is a buffet restaurant located on the second floor of the iconic Disneyland Hotel. At the time of writing this review it is open for both Lunch and Dinner and does not require you to be a hotel guest or have a current park ticket. Lunch is served from 12:30 - 3 and the Dinner service is from 6 - 10:30 pm, it is priced at €35.00 for children aged 3-11, €65.00 for adults age 12 and up, and finally children under 3 eat for free!
The buffet on offer is, in my opinion, really good. There is plenty there, the range is good and in my experience dishes are replenished quickly throughout the service hours. In the times I have visited Inventions I can honestly say I've never gone hungry, and personally I think of myself as not having the most adventurous pallet, Nuggets and Pizza are just fine for me thank you. There is a good selection of cold meats, cheeses, a large selection of sea food which is always popular, and plenty of vegetarian choices, my personal favourites include the pasta and meatballs and the cod and chicken nuggets.
I have been lucky enough to have had dinner in inventions a few times now since 2016 and it's always been a really enjoyable experience. Part of what keeps me coming back again is that you never know exactly which characters you are going to see on any given night, this really helps to keep the experience fresh as there are so many that could make an appearance. So far I think I have seen; Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Pinocchio, Tigger, Eeyore and Rafiki over the various times I've been. Also I've known other people to have met Captain Hook, Smee, Marie and the Genie to name just a few.
Now if all this isn't sounding like an amazing experience already, if you have a trip that includes a Sunday, you're in for an extra special treat! Instead of the normal Lunch service, Sundays have a special Sunday Brunch which is an even more character filled opportunity. Brunches run each Sunday from 1 - 3pm and are €35 for children 3-11 and €79 for adults, so slightly more than a standard Lunch or Dinner sitting, a free fruit juice or champagne is also provided when you are seated.
What makes the Sunday brunch stand out from a normal meal at inventions is the range of characters that might show up. Character brunches are themed, each week has a different theme and different characters show up to represent it, where the "fab 5" characters, Mickey & Minnie etc, are present they will often have a special themed outfit. This is a great way of meeting rare and unusual characters, and if you're an avid character fan like myself, it's a great way of seeing some really unusual outfits!
Again I've been lucky enough to visit a few brunches, the themes are not announced in advance as they are subject to change at short notice so they try to avoid disappointment, but some themes are fairly easy to predict if they fall in line with public holidays such as Christmas, New year, Halloween, Easter etc. So far I have experienced 4 different brunch themes, Neverland, Champagne, Halloween and Orient Express, each has been a unique experience and I've had some really special meets.
For the Neverland brunch we saw Peter Pan, Wendy, Smee and Captain hook, as well as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip and Dale who all had special Pirate outfits! Peter and Wendy were my favourite and it was my first time meeting them together, but Donald's pirate outfit was really special, and I probably wouldn't have been able to meet him in this any other way!
[gallery ids="2807,2801" type="rectangular"]
The Champagne brunch had a lot of the fab 5 type characters but also Clarice, Duffy bear and Shellie May! So for me this was an incredibly special brunch, and possibly one of my all time favourites. I loved the characters gold outfits and got to spend some quality time with them and got some amazing photographs that I'll hold on to for some time to come.
Finally the Orient express brunch was again the fab 5 characters with some additional friends from the 100 Acre woods, again the costumes were absolutely fantastic and so special to be able to meet Mickey and his pals in costumes you never see around the park, my fondest memory of this brunch was Minnie, she was feeling extremely playful and really made the experience memorable.
Other themes I've seen but haven't been to include a Snow White brunch with all 7 Dwarves, Under the sea with Ariel and Eric, a Parisian style brunch with the Aristocats, a London Brunch with Mary and Bert, far too many to list all in one place. As you can see this is a fantastic way to meet some really unsual characters or get to see yur favourites in some incredible alternative outfits.
The most important thing to note at character meals is that the characters will come to you, so please don't interrupt them when they are with someone else, on the whole I think Inventions is the best restaurant for this, as well as table staff there are a number of cast members purely to support the characters throughout the restaurant, they ensure that the characters get around all the tables, and are more than happy to help if someone has missed you, they also help to ensure your character meets aren't interrupted by other guests!
Characters will generally sign autographs during meals, however it's worth noting that at peak times, and special brunches (Christmas and Halloween in particular) there isn't always time for autographs, please be prepared for this and as a cast member if you're unsure, either way you can still have a great experience.
My only issue with the buffet style character meals is knowing when to get up to get food, usually the characters will rotate in 2 groups with a small change over between groups, this is the best time to go! The buffet is in the long room in the middle of the restaurant and is easily accessible, there are plenty of plates so you can start pretty much anywhere, especially if you're only after one or two of the available dishes. My preference is usually to sit in one of the end rooms as it doesn't feel as busy, however if you're in a rush and want to see the characters quickly I would advise asking to sit in the buffet room.
Inventions is bookable 60 days prior to your stay and can be done via the restaurant reservation line +33 1 60 30 40 50 no deposit is required upfront but larger groups may need to book by E-mail. The brunches can fill up quickly so it is always worth phoning as early as possible to have the best choice of dates and sitting times.
So that's my experience with Inventions, have you been before? Who have you met? Who would you like to see? Drop me a comment below!
Hoodsie xx
If you know me well, or are a regular visitor to this blog, you'll know I'm a huge character fan! I mean I love everything about Disneyland Paris, but for me the characters, and more recently the entertainment, is what really sets Disney apart from other theme parks.
So for me when I'm in the parks I am constantly looking for ways to maximise how many characters I can meet, and one of these ways has become an integral part of my trips that I'd like to share with you all, and that is character dining.
This is something I have written about before, previously I gave my thoughts on the character breakfast currently available at Plaza Gardens. That was just after my trip in April 2017, and yet this is still one of my most read posts, and hopefully something that is proving useful to people trying to decide what experiences to spend their money on! So today I have decided to cover another character dining option, Inventions.
Inventions is a buffet restaurant located on the second floor of the iconic Disneyland Hotel. At the time of writing this review it is open for both Lunch and Dinner and does not require you to be a hotel guest or have a current park ticket. Lunch is served from 12:30 - 3 and the Dinner service is from 6 - 10:30 pm, it is priced at €35.00 for children aged 3-11, €65.00 for adults age 12 and up, and finally children under 3 eat for free!
The buffet on offer is, in my opinion, really good. There is plenty there, the range is good and in my experience dishes are replenished quickly throughout the service hours. In the times I have visited Inventions I can honestly say I've never gone hungry, and personally I think of myself as not having the most adventurous pallet, Nuggets and Pizza are just fine for me thank you. There is a good selection of cold meats, cheeses, a large selection of sea food which is always popular, and plenty of vegetarian choices, my personal favourites include the pasta and meatballs and the cod and chicken nuggets.
I have been lucky enough to have had dinner in inventions a few times now since 2016 and it's always been a really enjoyable experience. Part of what keeps me coming back again is that you never know exactly which characters you are going to see on any given night, this really helps to keep the experience fresh as there are so many that could make an appearance. So far I think I have seen; Mickey, Minnie, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Goofy, Donald, Pinocchio, Tigger, Eeyore and Rafiki over the various times I've been. Also I've known other people to have met Captain Hook, Smee, Marie and the Genie to name just a few.
Now if all this isn't sounding like an amazing experience already, if you have a trip that includes a Sunday, you're in for an extra special treat! Instead of the normal Lunch service, Sundays have a special Sunday Brunch which is an even more character filled opportunity. Brunches run each Sunday from 1 - 3pm and are €35 for children 3-11 and €79 for adults, so slightly more than a standard Lunch or Dinner sitting, a free fruit juice or champagne is also provided when you are seated.
What makes the Sunday brunch stand out from a normal meal at inventions is the range of characters that might show up. Character brunches are themed, each week has a different theme and different characters show up to represent it, where the "fab 5" characters, Mickey & Minnie etc, are present they will often have a special themed outfit. This is a great way of meeting rare and unusual characters, and if you're an avid character fan like myself, it's a great way of seeing some really unusual outfits!
Again I've been lucky enough to visit a few brunches, the themes are not announced in advance as they are subject to change at short notice so they try to avoid disappointment, but some themes are fairly easy to predict if they fall in line with public holidays such as Christmas, New year, Halloween, Easter etc. So far I have experienced 4 different brunch themes, Neverland, Champagne, Halloween and Orient Express, each has been a unique experience and I've had some really special meets.
For the Neverland brunch we saw Peter Pan, Wendy, Smee and Captain hook, as well as Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Chip and Dale who all had special Pirate outfits! Peter and Wendy were my favourite and it was my first time meeting them together, but Donald's pirate outfit was really special, and I probably wouldn't have been able to meet him in this any other way!
[gallery ids="2807,2801" type="rectangular"]
The Champagne brunch had a lot of the fab 5 type characters but also Clarice, Duffy bear and Shellie May! So for me this was an incredibly special brunch, and possibly one of my all time favourites. I loved the characters gold outfits and got to spend some quality time with them and got some amazing photographs that I'll hold on to for some time to come.
Finally the Orient express brunch was again the fab 5 characters with some additional friends from the 100 Acre woods, again the costumes were absolutely fantastic and so special to be able to meet Mickey and his pals in costumes you never see around the park, my fondest memory of this brunch was Minnie, she was feeling extremely playful and really made the experience memorable.
Other themes I've seen but haven't been to include a Snow White brunch with all 7 Dwarves, Under the sea with Ariel and Eric, a Parisian style brunch with the Aristocats, a London Brunch with Mary and Bert, far too many to list all in one place. As you can see this is a fantastic way to meet some really unsual characters or get to see yur favourites in some incredible alternative outfits.
The most important thing to note at character meals is that the characters will come to you, so please don't interrupt them when they are with someone else, on the whole I think Inventions is the best restaurant for this, as well as table staff there are a number of cast members purely to support the characters throughout the restaurant, they ensure that the characters get around all the tables, and are more than happy to help if someone has missed you, they also help to ensure your character meets aren't interrupted by other guests!
Characters will generally sign autographs during meals, however it's worth noting that at peak times, and special brunches (Christmas and Halloween in particular) there isn't always time for autographs, please be prepared for this and as a cast member if you're unsure, either way you can still have a great experience.
My only issue with the buffet style character meals is knowing when to get up to get food, usually the characters will rotate in 2 groups with a small change over between groups, this is the best time to go! The buffet is in the long room in the middle of the restaurant and is easily accessible, there are plenty of plates so you can start pretty much anywhere, especially if you're only after one or two of the available dishes. My preference is usually to sit in one of the end rooms as it doesn't feel as busy, however if you're in a rush and want to see the characters quickly I would advise asking to sit in the buffet room.
Inventions is bookable 60 days prior to your stay and can be done via the restaurant reservation line +33 1 60 30 40 50 no deposit is required upfront but larger groups may need to book by E-mail. The brunches can fill up quickly so it is always worth phoning as early as possible to have the best choice of dates and sitting times.
So that's my experience with Inventions, have you been before? Who have you met? Who would you like to see? Drop me a comment below!
Hoodsie xx
