I have no shame in telling you I was wrong on every level. 

After you check in with the host, the first thing you do at Goofy’s Kitchen is meet Goofy himself. There’s a dedicated photo-op area, with Chef Goofy in his kitchen, cooking up wacky antics and thankfully not the food the restaurant serves. Photos with him, taken by a Disney photographer, are included in the experience — so my friend and I headed in for our meet-and-greet. Let me tell you, Goofy was up to some of his trademark nonsense, dancing and jumping around the kitchen when he was supposed to be paying attention to what was on the stove. 

It was silly and fun, and it set the tone for the experience we were about to have. I especially liked that we met Goofy on the way in, not on the way out like at the Plaza Inn breakfast with Minnie, so there was no stress of trying to time our exit to when he was available. 

As we made our way to our table, we were intercepted by a parade: Pluto, Minnie, Chip and Dale, all dressed in cooking finery, danced past, waving napkins in the air, with Minnie blowing kisses to revelers as she went by. This is going to be fun, I thought to myself. And I was absolutely right. 

The level of energy and excitement in the air was the first surprise. The second was the sheer amount of food. The restaurant is a buffet, but it’s not an ordinary buffet. This was the kind of offering you could spend three hours trying to taste your way through, and you’d still tap out before you tried everything. 

Along the back wall of the buffet area, an open kitchen held an omelet station and the main dishes, like biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs with or without mix-ins, sausage, bacon and potatoes. There were also options like a really delicious vegan scramble, eggs Benedict, cheese blintzes and chilaquiles. On one side, salads and canapes: deviled eggs, smoked salmon blinis, a huge antipasto selection, a salad bar and premade salads like the panzanella (Italian bread salad) I tried. 

On the other side, a parfait station: yogurts, heaping selections of perfectly fresh fruit and berries, and granola. In the center of the room sat a Mickey-shaped hot food island with not just Mickey waffles but Mickey pancakes too, as well as chicken tenders, macaroni and cheese, and several pizzas ranging from chicken and waffles to more traditional varieties. The star of that selection was the cult-favorite dessert pizzas: While online Disney fans rave over the peanut butter and jelly pizza, I have toast with peanut butter too often to be excited by that — but I did love the Nutella pizza with fresh strawberries and crispy white pearls. 

On the dessert island alone, there were 21 options, such as breakfast pastries, two kinds of beignets, bread pudding, and worms and dirt. There were several varieties of cookies and bars and really excellent chocolate cake, my favorite of the bunch. Then again, I tried only maybe eight of the offerings, and I never made it to the sundae station, which was with the parfaits. 

As we ate and sipped our mimosa flight (four small pours in orange, cranberry, raspberry and peach flavors), characters came by, and they were all in top form. What was especially nice was if someone was coming back to our table for a second or third time, they built on the previous interactions. The first time the characters came around, they mostly waved and took photos. The second, there were antics. Chip tried to steal our Mickey waffles and threatened more than once to dip his finger in the syrup. Pluto longingly rubbed his tummy and, in true puppy form, acted like the poor guy hadn’t been fed in years. Minnie curtseyed so that we could admire her cupcake-adorned apron. They all spent as much time at the tables with kids as the tables without kids. Everyone was equally invested in the experience — because if you’re not there to have fun, then really, what’s the point? 

When we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, as we were getting ready to pay, I walked back to the buffet to take a few more photos. It was about 11 a.m. at that point, and I noticed things had changed. While there were still breakfast options, there were also a lot of lunch options, like penne Alfredo and roasted vegetables. I couldn’t stop myself. I had to try a few bites. It left me totally sure I’d be back — and soon, for a later-morning reservation to have more of a brunch experience.

Breakfast at Goofy’s Kitchen costs $49 per adult and $29 per child ages 3-9. Dinner is $55 for adults and $32 for kids. Coffee and soft drinks are included in the price. Three hours of validated parking are included at the Disneyland Hotel with a meal, and you don’t need park tickets to go. In fact, it might even be better to go on a day when you don’t plan to spend much time in the park. When we left, we were so full that neither of us was up for intense rides for a few hours.

Unlike the elusive $125 princess breakfast at Napa Rose, reservations for Goofy’s Kitchen are pretty easy to come by, especially in the few days leading up to your visit when people tend to change their plans. On the way out, make sure to grab your free souvenir pin.