It’s time to get back in line, as buffet dining is back at Chef Mickey’s in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. We stopped by to see how things were during breakfast.

The move, announced back in December, ends arguably the biggest change at the restaurant brought on due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its reopening in July 2020, meals had been served family style at the table.

As it has since the reopening, Chef Mickey’s continues to use the Mobile Dine Check-In process through the My Disney Experience app. Once you get a text that your table is ready, you go to the Host/Hostess stand and wait for someone to take you to your table.

Interior

Guests at Chef Mickey’s are back at the buffet lines, and they get a great view of a passing monorail every few minutes!

While the buffet is back in action, some stations are still decorated with merchandise, as they were during family-style dining.

Chef Mickey’s was busy, but not jam-packed.

Characters

Chef Mickey is stationed at the front of the restaurant, but guests don’t have their meet-and-greet with him until after they finish eating and paying. But if you’re antsy to see the mouse in all his splendor, fear not, as he does come out and dance with the other characters periodically during the meal.

Upon being seated, we were presented with an autograph card.

The card depicts Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto as they ride in the front of a monorail passing through the resort.

Minnie Mouse and Goofy, clad in their chef’s outfits, stopped by our table to pose for pictures.

For those wanting a photo op with the star of the show, Chef Mickey, you can do so after your meal is over and you have paid.

After paying, the waiter will stamp your receipt, and you take that with you to meet Mickey as you exit. You must have a stamped receipt to do the meet-and-greet.

We’d say the Chef Mickey meet and greet is worth the wait!

Once you’ve gone through the meet and greet, a Cast Member marks your receipt so you can’t get back in line again.

Cocktail Menu

For those looking to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with their meal, there are a variety of cocktails available. Guests are given a cocktail menu along with their autograph card when seated.

Buffet — $51 per Adult, $33 per Child

After nearly three years, it’s time to hit the buffet.

Charcuterie

First up is a section of cold offerings, where guests can pick up a colorful plate to start their journey. There’s also a cute display of breads, including one shaped like Mickey’s head.

For charcuterie, a variety of cheeses, meats, and smoked salmon are complemented by crackers and bagel chips.

We weren’t impressed with the charcuterie; it’s “just” charcuterie. This may be a lighter way to start the meal, but it is something you can skip if you aren’t into deli meats and cheese.

Hard-Boiled Eggs, Quinoa, and Toppings

There are also capers, diced red onion, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, quinoa, and more.

The quinoa was very good. It had fresh fruit and onion in it. It’s a nice take on quinoa. It’s very soft in texture, with the crunch coming from the onion.

Fruit and Yogurt

For dairy lovers, there’s no shortage of yogurt and fruit.

Cups for the yogurt can be found to the right, just before the kids’ station.

Kids’ Station

The station offers potato barrels, scrambled eggs, and chicken sausage. (Don’t worry, adults can help themselves too!)

The scrambled eggs are basically batch eggs. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with them, as they’re your typical Disney eggs. The potato barrels are nice and salty, with a little crunch. The chicken sausage from the kids’ station is really chewy and nicely spiced.

Bacon, Sausage, and Beef Hash

The next station is for meat lovers, with bacon, pork sausage, and corned beef hash.

The pork sausage cuts like butter using a knife. Otherwise, it’s your typical pork sausage. The bacon is crispy.

The standout on this plate was the corned beef hash. There’s a lot of salt from the diced corned beef.

Frittata & Tofu Scramble

Next up is a frittata, as well as a tofu scramble.

The plant-based eggs of the tofu scramble are inoffensive, but it’s enhanced by Impossible sausage, spinach, and fresh peppers. It’s a great plant-based offering and one of the best things about the buffet. It certainly beat the frittata, which wasn’t good at all. It tastes like a slightly melted block of cheese. The goat cheese is very sharp, bitter, and way too overpowering. You can skip this.

Pancakes, French Toast Sticks, & Mickey Waffles

There’s plenty of Celebration Pancakes on the griddle. (We don’t think we can eat that many.)

There are baskets of French toast sticks and Mickey waffles.

The pancake is perfectly fluffy, thanks to it being freshly made on the hot griddle. There’s a little sweetness to them. The French toast sticks are a little tough, but good enough to have. They’re thoroughly covered in sugar. The Mickey waffle is made well. The crispy exterior is complemented by a soft inside. They’re very enjoyable.

Carved Ham and Beef Brisket

For more meat, check out the carved pit ham and beef brisket.

There’s an au jus to accompany the meats.

The brisket is vile. It’s absolutely terrible. The inside is brittle, and the texture is scaly. Definitely pass on this. On the other hand, the ham is tender and juicy. The au jus is on the sweet side and a great accompaniment to the ham.

Fruit Compote Toppings

Next are a couple of fruit compotes and bacon, likely intended for the pancakes, waffles, and French toast. But there’s no judgment if you, say, want to top your ham with them.

Oatmeal & Cheesy Grits

There’s also a station that’s home to oatmeal and cheesy grits.

Hash Browns, Biscuits, & Country Gravy

Don’t forget those side dishes! There are hash browns, biscuits, and country gravy.

Butter, Marmalade, and Jellies

When we see butter, orange marmalade, and grape and strawberry jelly, we know we’re entered… The Pastry Zone.

Banana Bread Pudding

For a sweet finale to the meal, check out the warm banana bread pudding.

Danishes, Croissants, Cinnamon Rolls, Turnovers, and Muffins

Of course, there are also Danishes, mini croissants, cinnamon buns, turnovers, and Minnie Muffins, decorated with red, yellow, black, and white sprinkles.

Moving to pastries, the Minnie Muffin is a cranberry chocolate chip muffin. It’s soft and easy to eat. Our turnover was guava flavored. It’s soft, flaky, and very refreshing. We were impressed with the bread pudding. The caramel sauce is fantastic, but don’t overdo it. It’s salty-sweet. It’s a very well-made banana bread pudding. There are fresh chunks of banana throughout, which we enjoyed.

The croissant is good enough, but nothing special. It’s buttery and flaky, as was the apple Danish. The pastry is perfect, but the apple filling tasted artificial. The cinnamon roll is better than the ones at Gaston’s Tavern in the Magic Kingdom, but it was still the stalest of the pastries available. Skip this.

Be sure to keep an eye out for special touches on the buffet line, like this display of bread, complete with a floral piece featuring Chef Mickey’s loco.

Overall

All in all, it’s good to see Chef Mickey’s fully bounce back from the impact of COVID-19. As with all buffet meals at Walt Disney World, there are some hits and some misses. We think this one has enough hits to earn a return visit.

Are you a fan of the buffet at Chef Mickey’s, or will you miss the family-style dining? Let us know in the comments!

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