Here are some of my favorites:
Cinderella's Royal Table (MK)-Yes, I said it!
Ohana (Polynesian Resort)
1900 Park Faire (Grand Floridian, dinner)
Crystal Palace (MK)
Chef Mickey's (Contempary Resort)
Garden Grill (EPCOT)
Tusker House (AK)
Cape May, Ohana, Crystal Palace, and Tusker House is buffet while the others are table service I believe.
I am not in a huge rush to get to Epcot so this might work well for us. Anyone know if you can park at the hotel if you are not staying there but have reservations?
Either way, it sounds like Cape May Cafe is a good option because the food is great, it has characters, and is within walking distance of EPCOT.
You can make your reservation now online!
Princess Lunch at Ashkerus
Ohanna breakfast
Chef Mickey's dinner
Crystal Palace dinner
Hollywood and Vine breakfast
Tusker House breakfast
Hands down favorite for both boys was Hollywood and Vine with Handy Manny, Einsteins (June and Leo), and Oso. They had a blast, even the 9 yo who was moody most of the trip. Every 15 minutes the kids got to dance and sing with the characters.
It was alot of fun to go for breakfast! Food was delicious, and the atmosphere was classic Disney. ;) it's also good for a family with boys and girls, which is great as well.
Hope this helps!
My suggestion, if you are going to DHS or Epcot, is to check out the breakfast at Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort which is located on the lake between DHS and Epcot. The characters usually in attendance are Goofy, Minnie, Chip and Dale. The buffet is definitely one of the best, the atmosphere and service are top notch and the character interaction is fabulous. Cape May Cafe, not being near the Magic Kingdom, is usually easier to get into on less notice.
At Chef Mickeys and at The Cape May Cafe, you may go up to the buffet table right after you are seated...usually wait staff will greet you and get your drink order before hand, but you don't have to wait to be called up. The breakfast at 'Ohana is served family style to your table.
They do have parking for the restaurants in the parking lots of the resorts, but they usually have time limits, so you would need to move your car to whichever park you are going to after your breakfast. There is water transportation to and from the Yacht and Beach Club from DHS and Epcot, so if you parked at DHS, you could take the boat from there--- make sure to allow yourself at least 30 minutes to do this. It is a bit trickier from Epcot, as the park won't be open if you had an early breakfast, so you wouldn't be able to access the boat transporation which leaves from the International Gateway exit of the park, which is in the World Showcase, which doesn't open until 11 am... . SO-ooo for Epcot, I would plan on driving to The Beach Club, and then moving the car if you are planning on visiting Epcot afterwards.
Hope this helps!