Which character meals get you into the parks before opening?

[elbenn]

Which character meals get you into the park before opening? Also, if reservations are full, can you keep checking online for openings or is calling better?

[klwa]

Which character meals get you into the park before opening? Also, if reservations are full, can you keep checking online for openings or is calling better?
At MK: Crystal Palace & Cinderella's Royal Table. Be Our Guest, if you can get a breakfast reservation, but it's not a character meal. (It's also the only quick service that I know of.)

At Epcot: Akershus

At DHS: Hollywood & Vine

At AK: Tusker House

Obviously, the meal has to be scheduled for a time before the parks open, which isn't as easy during busy time periods. Sometimes MK, especially it seems, will get the park opening moved up to the same time that breakfasts start. But, if you're going in a less busy time, that's less likely to happen. You'd also want to try for a day that doesn't have early morning extra magic hours, so all WDW hotel guests can't get into the park before/at the same time as you.

[wendibird22]

At MK: Crystal Palace & Cinderella's Royal Table. Be Our Guest, if you can get a breakfast reservation, but it's not a character meal. (It's also the only quick service that I know of.)

At Epcot: Akershus

At DHS: Hollywood & Vine

At AK: Tusker House

Obviously, the meal has to be scheduled for a time before the parks open, which isn't as easy during busy time periods. Sometimes MK, especially it seems, will get the park opening moved up to the same time that breakfasts start. But, if you're going in a less busy time, that's less likely to happen. You'd also want to try for a day that doesn't have early morning extra magic hours, so all WDW hotel guests can't get into the park before/at the same time as you.

Agreed. We were there at Xmas/New Year's of 2014 and so having a breakfast res at CRT was clutch to getting into MK before the massive crowds. We chose a day w/out EMH's and took the very first res of the day. We were done eating about the time the park opened for regular hours.

[Dayzy]

We got 8 AM reservations at Crystal Palace last week and DH and DD left at 8:45 to go see Anna and Elsa. We got in to the characters in 25 minutes. When we left the sign read wait time of 70 minutes.
Tusker House before opening got us right onto the Safari ride. And the H&V got my DS 2nd on line for Jedi Training. All well worth it.

[Dayzy]

We got 8 AM reservations at Crystal Palace last week and DH and DD left at 8:45 to go see Anna and Elsa. We got in to the characters in 25 minutes. When we left the sign read wait time of 70 minutes.
Tusker House before opening got us right onto the Safari ride. And the H&V got my DS 2nd on line for Jedi Training. All well worth it.

[elbenn]

If early reservations are full, is it worth it to keep trying? How common are cancellations?

[Dayzy]

If early reservations are full, is it worth it to keep trying? How common are cancellations?

Keep checking, things get changed for people all the time. I was having trouble getting reservations at 1900 Park Fare and then about 3 weeks out I was able to snag one.