Review: Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast

Last week's blog post was the first in a series of reviews of the most recent character meals I've done at Disney World. As I've said before, I love character meals and feel that they are definitely worth the splurge. And I hope that my reviews will help you determine if character dining is something your family would enjoy.

Ariel was the star (in my eyes at least) of the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast: this weeks character meal review!

As I mentioned last week in my review of Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner, I am a Disney princess enthusiast. I love Cinderella, but Ariel is my favorite princess, so I was very excited to get a reservation for the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast at Disney's Boardwalk! Like Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner, the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast is held outside the theme parks, so it can be enjoyed on a day that you aren't planning on going to the parks. I'm super excited to share with you all the great things about this breakfast, so let's get started! Just like last week's review, I'll be analyzing 5 aspects of the dining experience and rating them on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best): atmosphere, characters, food quality, service, and overall value.

Atmosphere
If you've never been to Disney's Boardwalk, you've got to go. Just as the name implies, the Boardwalk is exactly that: it's a wooden walkway along the water lined with a collection of shops and restaurants. Located in the Epcot resort area, the Boardwalk is directly across from the Yacht and Beach Club resorts and also within walking distance to the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios. The actual Boardwalk itself is connected to Disney's Boardwalk Inn, which is a beautiful (albeit slightly quirky) resort in the deluxe category. The atmosphere of Disney's Boardwalk is reminiscent of the boardwalks of yesteryear: think nostalgic Coney Island and you're on the right track. The Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast is located at Trattoria Al Forno. The interior of Trattoria Al Forno is a mixture of beautiful woodwork, brick elements, nice windows, and an open kitchen. Although beautiful, it lacks that "storybook princess" feel that you'll get at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot or Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom. However, it is still a nice, relaxing place to have a meal. I give the atmosphere of the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast an 8 out of 10.

Characters
10. I'm going to go right ahead and tell you that the characters here are a 10. You get Princess Ariel, which automatically gives it a 10 in my book, but you also get Prince Eric, Rapunzel, and Flynn Rider! Although you can get a fastpass to meet Ariel (in her mermaid form) and Rapunzel in Magic Kingdom, it is rare to meet the princes in the parks so that is one major plus for this character meal. As with all character meals, each character came around to every table and took plenty of time carrying on conversations and taking pictures with the guests. The first character to be introduced was Flynn Rider, and he was absolutely hysterical! He was as cool and confident as he is on screen and he was a lot of fun to talk to. Rapunzel was introduced next and she was just like you expect Rapunzel to be: effervescent, witty, kind. Her mannerisms were just like they are on screen, making her one of my favorite characters to interact with. The next character to be introduced was Prince Eric. I had never met Prince Eric before, so I felt like a little girl again when he came by! Just like the other characters, he was a lot of fun to talk to and took plenty of time with us. The last character to be introduced was Ariel and I was practically giddy when I saw her. I know that sounds a little weird, but there is something almost magical about meeting Disney characters even if you're an adult. That's one of the things that make Disney parks such wonderful vacation spots for all ages. Ariel was just like she is on screen: she was funny, outgoing, and still figuring out certain elements of the human world. She took plenty of time with us and we really enjoyed talking to her. As I said before, the characters here were a solid 10 out of 10: probably the best character interactions I've ever had at a character meal!

Flynn Rider

Rapunzel

Prince Eric

Ariel

Food Quality
If you read last week's review, then you know that I wasn't a huge fan of the food at Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner. However, I really enjoyed the food at the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. When we were seated, we were given fresh fruit as well as a skillet (reference to Rapunzel) filled with themed pastries including a vanilla muffin in the jewel tones of The Little Mermaid, a chocolate braid resembling Rapunzel's hair, a jam-filled "clam shell" pastry, and a pastry in the shape of Rapunzel's golden flower. The pastries and fruit as well as a selection of juices, milk, sodas, and coffee were included with our entrees in the price of our meal. Whereas Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner was a buffet, you get to order off a menu at the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. The price is the same no matter what you order, but you get to select the entree that best fits your tastes. Since your food is cooked to order, it comes out to you hot and fresh. I ordered the Golden Frittata which was a mixture of eggs, cheese, scallions, and peppers baked and served in a skillet with a side of fried breakfast potatoes. It was absolutely delicious: one of the best breakfast entrees I've ever eaten! My husband ordered the Tower of Pancakes, which came with a side of bacon or sausage (he chose bacon). The pancakes were big and fluffy and came with syrup, a seasonal fruit compote, and a powdered sugar design on the top resembling Rapunzel's golden flower. My husband enjoyed his entree, but he wasn't as wild about his as I was about mine. Altogether, the food was very good and we enjoyed our meal a lot. I'll give a 9 out of 10 for food quality.

Pastries

Golden Frittata

Service
The service at the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast was excellent. We were promptly seated, practically as soon as we walked in the door. Our waitress came out immediately to get our drink orders and bring us our pastries. She answered our questions, joked around with us, and made us feel very welcome. 10 out of 10 for service.

Overall Value
I think the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast was worth the splurge for us, mostly because I love Ariel and I got to meet Ariel while enjoying a delicious meal. However, if we're looking at it strictly in terms of dollars and cents, then the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast is pricey for what you're getting. Because it's not a buffet you are getting better food, but you are getting less of it. What you're really paying for are the character interactions, which is fine if that's what you're most wanting to get out of the experience. If you're on the Disney Dining Plan, you would be best off value-wise to skip the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast and use your table service credits on a character lunch or dinner to get the best bang for your dining plan buck. Breakfast is the least expensive meal of the day at Disney World, so it doesn't make sense to use up your table service credits for a less expensive option. However, if you have a princess enthusiast who wants to meet princesses even on days when you may not have park tickets, that may be reason enough for you to use a table service credit for this breakfast. If you're paying out of pocket, then the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast is a better value for you than it is for those on the Disney Dining Plan because you're getting a character meal at a lower price than a lunch or dinner option. We paid about 30% less for this character breakfast than we paid for Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner and, in my opinion, the food was better. All things considered, I'll say that the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast is a 9 in value for those paying out of pocket, and a 7 in value for those on the Disney Dining Plan.

I hope you've enjoyed this review of the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast! I really enjoyed it and would love to go back again some time. Check back next week for another character meal review. And if you'd like to learn more about how travel agents like me can help you get the most out of your Disney vacation, check out this video explaining our FREE services!