Spring has sprung in Walt Disney World! Spring Break crowds are here, Flower & Garden is in full swing, and Spring treats have arrived! Spring also means a big CHANGE for one restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
We are making our way down Hollywood Boulevard to get another taste of spring at the parks. The characters are getting their best outfits ready, and we are bringing some hungry bellies.
We recently visited Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to check out their seasonal dining event, Minnie’s Springtime Dine. The Springtime Dine seasonal event will be happening from March 16th, 2024 until June 19th, 2024. There are a couple of options for dining at Hollywood & Vine. During breakfast, you can feast with popular Disney Junior stars during Disney Junior Play n’ Dine. During lunch and dinner, you will be able to experience Minnie’s Seasonal Dine. These seasonal events include Springtime Dine, Summertime Dine, Halloween Dine, Holiday Dine, and Silver Screen Dine.
Come with us to Minnie’s Springtime Dine!
Hollywood & Vine, Disney’s Hollywood Studios pic.twitter.com/vCR6oT3mfX
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 17, 2024
Atmosphere
First off, let’s talk about the atmosphere of Hollywood & Vine. The restaurant is located by Echo Lake, right next door to 50’s Prime Time Cafe. You are looking for this stylish sign for the entrance of the restaurant.
The host stand is located out front, and you can either check-in with a cast member or use the My Disney Experience app to check-in on your phone. Either way, you will provide a phone number to receive a text when your table is ready. There are a couple of benches out front that you can relax on while you wait for the text.
Once you receive your text, head back up to the host stand to be led to your table. Upon entering the restaurant, you are met with a fun seasonal backdrop, and you are more than welcome to stop for pictures. The host allows you time to stop on the way in, or you can grab pictures at any point throughout your meal.
The dining area is fairly open, and you can see across the whole restaurant. There are a variety of tables sizes, as well as some tables that are a chair and booth combo.
This side of the restaurant is to the left when you walk in and features lots of seating and a Hollywood Landmarks mural.
There are also some larger tables located near the windows. You get a nice view of the Echo Lake area and can watch people enjoying the park.
The open atmosphere is fun because you can see the characters interacting with various groups around the restaurant (and you can also see when they are almost to you). However, we think it could get pretty loud if the restaurant was actually filled up. We came aroud 2PM and there were not many tables seated. We found the noise level to be perfect, but could see it getting crazy with a busy restaurant.
The right side of the restaurant looks very similar. It also has plenty of tables and a “Greetings from Hollywood” mural. You can also find the bathrooms on the far side of this area. The bathrooms are shared with 50’s Prime Time Cafe, but there was no line when we went to use the bathroom.
We loved checking out the murals in the restaurant! They add a nice touch to the vibe and a bit of a themed element. Overall, we did not see a lot of theming in the restaurant, but we did get a retro Hollywood vibe. It felt a bit like a cafeteria, but we loved how relaxed and casual the environment was.
Characters
Hollywood & Vine is a character dining meal, so be prepared to meet Minnie and friends! During the seasonal events, all of the characters have seasonal outfits on! We can’t wait to see Minnie and friends in their springtime outfits. First up, we spotted Minnie! Look at how beautiful she is in that floral dress.
This is a brand new look for Minnie this year — we hear she makes these outfits herself! Next up is the boss himself, Mickey. He is looking sharp in his springtime outfit. We love the light pink jacket he is rocking!
And then we got the opportunity to meet with Goofy! He was definitely embracing the spring colors with a bright red jacket, light blue vest, and orange striped pants. He gave us his best pose for the photo!
Last but not least, Pluto made his way around to us. He is sporting a lovely purple tie for the occasion and was jumping with joy to see us.
The characters were a blast to interact with! They were doing a wonderful job engaging with kids and adults alike. When we were at the restaurant, it was not super crowded, so we saw lots and lots of the characters. They were always up for some pictures or to just goof around with you.
Buffet
While the character interactions were fabulous, let’s move on to another important factor: the food! Hollywood & Vine is buffet-style, so you can return as many times as you want to fill up. There are two buffet lines, but both sides have the same offerings. There is a large selection of dishes including a kid’s section and dessert.
We were really impressed by the size of the buffet, and the chefs were doing a great job keeping it stocked. We never ran across a dish that was completely out the whole time we were there.
![](https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-minnies-springtime-dine-hollywood-and-vine-buffet-line-atmo-700x525.jpg)
Lots and lots of options!
We definitely recommend perusing the options before making your selections, as there are A LOT of choices. You can find the plates at the start of the buffet, so let’s grab one and get started on all the offerings.
To start off we have two choices for bread: Herbed Focaccia and Spitzweck Rolls.
After that, you will find the soup station which offers two different soups. We had the option of Chicken Noodle Soup…
…or Vegetarian Chili.
![](https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024-minnies-springtime-dine-hollywood-and-vine-vegetarian-chili-700x525.jpg)
Vegetarian Chili
We are covering it all in this review! You can take your desired number of butter pats from the bowl on the buffet as well.
Next up, is the salad area of the buffet. Here you can make your own salad with mixed greens or grab some pre-made Caesar salad.
There are lots of options for your salad! You can grab some red onion, radish, crumbled feta, ranch dressing, balsamic dressing, and Green Goddess dressing.
Or you can continue on forward for even MORE salad toppings. Over here you can get edamame, chickpeas, mixed olives, cubed chicken, shredded carrots, cherry tomatoes, shredded cheese, hard boiled eggs, and cucumber. The options for a custom salad are really endless and all of the ingredients looked fresh!
Continuing our journey, we have some fresh fruit options. You can grab some honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon.
As well as some more pre-made salad options! We loved how many different options they had in this section.
First up, we have a pasta salad.
There is also a panzanella salad, with crusty bread, tomatoes, red onions, and cucumbers.
There is also a beet salad in this section.
Or if you prefer a bit more carbs in your salad, there is also a potato salad available.
Or, you can also grab some cucumber salad, which has cucumbers and red onions.
And some Peel n’ Eat shrimp!
And of course, you have cocktail sauce and lemons to enjoy alongside your shrimp.
Rounding out this section, you can grab olive oil, vinegar, and some croutons as well.
Now, we are moving onto the hot portion of the buffet! To start out, we have the Sour Cream and Chive Whipped Potato.
As well as a beautiful salmon dish with miso glaze, wasabi cream, and wasabi peas.
Then, there was the Poulet Marine Au Four. This is a baked marinated chicken and is part of the “Celebrate Soulfully” dishes. It is marinated in assorted spices and served with red peppers, green peppers, and onions.
Moving along, we have the Caramelized Brussel Sprouts.
As well as some Cilantro-Lemon Rice to pair with any of your dishes.
Next to that, we have Olive Oil Crushed Potatoes.
And one of this restaurant’s more popular dishes, Roasted Mushroom Farro Risotto, is a plant-based option.
The Crispy Tofu with Asian Glaze is another of the plant-based options.
Farther down the buffet line, you can find this Cheesy Cauliflower.
As well as some Mexican Street Corn.
We are continuing on with a few more protein options, including this Pot Roast with Root Vegetables.
And there is some Spice-rubbed Pork Loin.
We are nearing the end, I promise! You can also grab some Yuca and Mojo…
or some Shrimp Squid Ink Pasta! How fun does this one sound?
Next to the pasta, you can get some Barbecue Meatballs.
Or you can grab Roasted Butternut Squash.
Our final dish on the buffet is at the carving station, and it is Roasted Beef Strip Loin with Horseradish Cream.
That is all for the main buffet line, but there is also a special section for the kiddos! This area is perfect for picky eaters and has lots of kid-favorites. We are starting off with Chicken Nuggets.
And, of course, the beloved Potato Barrels!
You can also get some Mac & Cheese or Mini Corn Dogs. We may have to grab some of both of these for ourselves.
There is also some plain white rice available in the kid’s buffet.
As well as some baked chicken. We saw all legs when we walked through the buffet.
There are even some kid-friendly vegetables in the form of Broccoli and Carrots.
And finally, some basic Penne Pasta and Marinara.
That does it for all the main dishes, but make sure you leave room for dessert! There are some great options at Hollywood & Vine to choose from! The first option is a Bread Pudding. The bread pudding had raisins, white chocolate and a vanilla sauce.
You can also grab some Apple Crisp.
Or go for the classic sugar cookie.
The centerpiece of the dessert section was this Bavarian Chocolate Cake.
In addition to sugar cookies, you can also find chocolate chip cookies.
There were also a few options that looked especially pretty, like this Blueberry-Lemon Tart.
Or these delicious-looking Red Velvet Cupcakes!
And these adorable, little Coconut Cakes.
We are finally rounding out all the eats, and our final stop is at the Soft-serve Ice Cream machine. You can get chocolate, vanilla, or swirl soft-serve.
Whew, that was a lot! Your next challenge is to strategically decide what sounds best and fill your plate up. Remember you can always go back to the buffet, so maybe start with a little bit of a few of the dishes to see what you like best. We think that pretty much anyone could find something they like at this buffet.
Eats
Now let’s take a look at some of the dishes we tried! We grabbed a plate and filled it up with lots of goodness.
First up is the Caramelized Brussel Sprouts. These were calling our name when we saw them on the buffet line, so we had to give them a try. These had a lot of charred flavor to them and a few pieces tasted a bit burnt. They were a bit oily, but it is possible they had been sitting a bit before we got to them. The Brussel sprouts had a lot of good seasoning to them though! They were not spicy, but we could taste a lot of what seemed like garlic, pepper, salt and maybe paprika. Our biggest recommendation on these would be trying to get them when a fresh batch is put out.
Next, we had to give the “Celebrate Soulfully” dish a try. This is the Poulet Marine Au Four and is baked marinated chicken. We had really high hopes for this chicken but were disappointed. The wings were really small and did not have much meat on them. The meat we could get was nice and tender, though. We also tried a larger piece, and while it had more meat, the meat was dry. We did not taste a lot of flavor, it mostly just tasted like baked chicken.
Moving on to one of our favorites, the Mexican Street Corn. The Mexican Street Corn was the perfect combination of sweetness, creaminess, spiciness, and a bit of herbs. We went back for seconds of this corn, it was so good! If anything it could have had slightly more spice to it, but we think it is very mild and even kids would likely enjoy this dish. However, if you are looking for that traditional Mexican Street Corn kick, you won’t find it here.
We also tried the Roasted Butternut Squash. We were surprised by this one as the seasoning had a bit of a kick to it. The squash was slightly overcooked and was a really mushy texture, but we loved that it was soft and easy to eat. This dish was seasoned really well and had lots of flavor!
Another star of the show was the Herbed Focaccia. The bread was fluffy and soft and had a wonderful herb flavor. The herb flavor was on the softer side, and while we would have loved for it to be a bit stronger, it was definitely there and so yummy! We also got some Caesar Salad. The Caesar Salad was fine. It wasn’t anything special and tastes like basic Caesar salad you could get from pretty much anywhere. The dressing wasn’t overloaded, and the lettuce was crunchy.
In the center of our plate, we have some Pasta Salad. The Pasta Salad was also pretty basic. The pasta itself was pretty mushy, so we suspect it may have been sitting out for a bit. The dressing tasted similar to Italian Dressing and had a very strong olive flavor. There were also red onion, cucumbers, olive, and bell peppers mixed into the salad. We weren’t too impressed by this Pasta Salad and likely would not get it again.
We also tried some of the Panzanella Salad. This was our favorite pre-made salad we tried! The bread pieces were still crunchy, and the tomatoes, cucumbers, and red onions all tasted very fresh. The herbs really shined in this dish and were balanced well by the olive oil.
Lastly, we also tried some Chicken Noodle Soup. This was probably our least favorite thing we tried. The broth was bland and there was very little chicken or noodles. We definitely recommend stirring up the pot before scooping your soup, but there was just not a lot of chicken or noodles in the pot. The carrots, onions, and celery were very tender, but this soup really lacked flavor. It could be great if you are looking for some comfort food, but it is not a unique soup that we think needs to be tasted.
And no buffet meal is complete without a round of desserts, so let’s dig into our dessert plate!
We had to try the Bavarian Chocolate Cake as it looked like it was on display in the dessert section. We are happy to report that this cake is really good! It has a lot of great chocolate flavor that goes super well with the fluffy, vanilla cream. The cake is not overly sweet which was a great surprise. While it did not look as pretty on our plate, we definitely ate it all!
We also grabbed some samples of the Apple Crisp and Bread Pudding. The Apple Crisp is exactly what you would expect. It had soft, tender apples with a sweet, syrupy glaze and was topped with a crunchy, sweet oat topping. We think the Apple Crisp would be fabulous alongside some vanilla ice cream. The Bread Pudding was a bit disappointing. The combination of raisins and white chocolate actually worked really well, but the bread pudding was really dense and kind of hard to eat. The vanilla sauce on top helped a bit with the denseness, but we think there are a lot better places to get bread pudding at Disney World. (We’re looking at you, Banana Cabana!)
Up next, we tried the Coconut Cake. This little guy was packed with coconut flavor! It had a light frosting that paired great with the moist cake. It was such a perfect size and great for coconut fans. If anything, we wish it had a bit more flavor depth to it, but if coconut is your jam, this dessert is for you.
Our last dessert we tried was probably our favorite. The Blueberry-Lemon Tart felt so perfect for spring, and it delivered. The blueberry and lemon flavors were light, but played off of each other well. The filling was light and fluffy. The crust was soft and buttery. We do wish the crust was a bit thicker, but all of the flavors in this dessert were great together, and we are willing to overlook the crust thickness.
That was everything we tried at Hollywood & Vine, so let’s wrap up and share our final thoughts on our experience!
Nosh or Not
Dine with Minnie and friends in Hollywood if…
- You love Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, or Goofy, or want to meet these characters in seasonal outfits. This restaurant gives you the opportunity to meet a lot of favorites. We also love that they change their attire depending on the season. The character interactions were fantastic for both kids and adults!
- You have picky eaters or don’t want a meal with lots of adventurous flavors. This buffet offered a lot of variety, and while there were a few more unique options, most of the dishes tend to be pretty common buffet fare. We did not see a lot of spicy dishes or dishes with adventurous ingredients. You will be able to nosh on some great food, while not worrying if members of your party will be able to find something they like.
- You want to escape crowds while still being entertained. The restaurant wasn’t super crowded when we went around 2PM. Therefore, it could be a great option for someone trying to get out of the crowds while still being entertained. We got lots of attention from both the cast members, as well as the characters. We never felt overwhelmed by people at the buffet, and it was easy to walk around or snap pictures with the characters.
Try somewhere else if…
- You want a buffet with lots of unique options. We thought the buffet had a lot of variety, but if you are hoping to try some really unique or memorable dishes, this may not be the restaurant for you. We think Tusker House has a great selection for a variety of palettes, and also had a lot of adventurous options to try.
- You love a really themed dining experience. The restaurant has a fun vibe, but there is not much theming. It has a cafeteria feel, and beyond the photo opportunity, Springtime Dine sign on the post, and the characters wearing spring outfits, you wouldn’t know you were celebrating spring. There are a couple of murals, but overall, this won’t be the best theming you can find at a restaurant. If you are wanting to stay in Hollywood Studios, we would recommend checking out the food options in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for some great, themed experiences.
- You have a tight budget. The meal here is not cheap — breakfast costs $47 per adult and $30 per child, while lunch & dinner cost $63 per adult and $40 per child. While you do get a buffet as well as the opportunity to meet four characters, the meal will end up being pretty expensive.
Overall
All in all, we really enjoyed our experience at Hollywood & Vine. We think the character interactions really shined at the restaurant, and since the restaurant was not super crowded, we had lots of interaction with the characters. The cast members were all fantastic and made sure we were having a wonderful experience. Our waitress was very attentive and cleared plates and glasses right away. She checked up on us throughout the meal, and both her and a character attendant checked with us to make sure we had seen all the characters.
Overall, the food was good, but we didn’t really eat anything that really knocked our socks off. We think there is a great variety and pretty much anyone would be able to find something they wanted. We were disappointed in a few of the dishes (Chicken Noodle Soup, Pasta Salad, Poulet Marine Au Four and the Bread Pudding), but most dishes we really enjoyed. Our favorites included the Mexican Street Corn, Herbed Focaccia, and Blueberry-Lemon Tart.
However, we think the price is definitely on the expensive side. At $63 per adult for lunch & dinner, we felt that it may be a bit on the high side for what you get. If you are really hungry, or really excited to meet Minnie and Friends in their springtime outfits, this could be a great option for you. Although, after factoring in tax and tip for your whole party, you will find that this is definitely a more expensive meal option.
Stay tuned to DFB for more restaurant reviews! We have eaten EVERYWHERE, and we’ve got lots of thoughts to share!
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Have you eaten at Hollywood & Vine? Let us know about your experience in the comments!
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