Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White Review

Storybook Dining at Artist Point is one of the most popular character meals at Walt Disney World. This sought-after dining experience is offered each evening at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Below, we’ll review our experience dining with Snow White at Artist Point. We’ll preview the menu, meet a few characters, and discuss whether or not a meal here is worth the price.

It’s important to know upfront that this character meal offers a prix fixe menu. You’ll select an item from each course and pay one price for the meal. Characters at this meal include Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to meet the Evil Queen. So, steer away from any apples if she offers you one!

Storybook Dining was formerly a signature restaurant called Artist Point. Hence, the name Storybook Dining At Artist Point. The restaurant’s entrance is off the lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, next to Territory Lounge.

You’ll likely want to spend some time touring the resort during your visit. For example, you could come over early enough to walk the grounds and see the geyser erupt.

Most will find the Wilderness Lodge a pleasant escape from the busy hustle and bustle of the theme parks. It is the perfect setting for a restaurant like Storybook Dining with Snow White. Below we have a look inside the restaurant during the day. You can expect the atmosphere to be considerably darker in the evening.

The seating is mainly standard tables with chairs, with a few banquettes around the interior walls.

Since we initially provided this review, the menu hasn’t changed much. New entrée items are occasionally added, but appetizers, desserts, and some entrees remain. You can view the current pricing for Artist Point and the menu here on Disney’s site.

For starters, the table receives a shared appetizer consisting of three dishes:

• Smoky Mushroom Bisque
• Hunter’s Harvest
• Wicked Shrimp Cocktail

*Selections change occasionally, so make sure to check out the menu link above for exact items. Here is an example of how the initial appetizers were presented.

One of our diners has food allergies, so the chef brought a separately prepared butternut squash bisque along with freshly prepared vegetable spring rolls. We enjoyed both. Additionally, we felt the spring roll would have been an excellent item for the regular menu.

When Story Book Dining first debuted, we were served a winter squash bisque. At the time, I said it was possibly the best bite of the entire meal.

However, the mushroom bisque has returned to Storybook Dining at Artist Point due to popular demand. We have no complaints about it either. It’s delicious.

Our next appetizer was Hunter’s Pie or Hunter’s Terrine, a meat pot pie with a sauce. Per the menu, it is turkey and chicken, cranberry preserve, and crispy sauerkraut. I didn’t care for this item. My portion was dry and didn’t have much flavor.

The third appetizer was the Wicked Shrimp Cocktail. According to the menu, this dish consists of a Bloody Mary vinaigrette, seaweed salad, and spiced house-made seasoning. It was not at all what I was expecting. On the plate, the dish resembled a shrimp Caesar salad. However, the tiny shrimp tasted as though they were smothered in a displeasing sauce.

The entrée menu had seven selections. As with any meal, the entree portion should be the main event and something to look forward to before dessert. Here are the available items (again, they might change):

• Cottage Beef Stroganoff
• A Stroll Through Nature (gnocchi)
• Magic Mirror’s Slow-Braised Pork Shank
• Sorceress Spell of Tricken Chicken
• Royal Prime Rib Roast
• Brother’s Grimm Herb Chicken
• Bashful’s Butter-poached Sustainable Fish

Having dined at Artist Point before, I knew the location had a reputation for expertly prepared seafood. I had this Alaskan King salmon dish there only months before they closed to make way for Storybook Dining. You can probably tell from the picture that it was a truly divine culinary experience.

Because of this, I decided to go with Bashful’s butter-poached Kingklip. Per the menu, this dish is described as farro, Fava Beans, English Peas, and gremolata. This dish is now called Bashful’s Sustainable Fish.

In hindsight, I should have known that any dish associated with one of the Seven Dwarfs’ names would have been terrible. I mean, Snow White was the one who did all the cooking. You can tell it was unpleasant. Not only did it look like Bashful had thrown it together, but he might have even bathed in it beforehand. It sounds like the kind of thing he might do. Overall, the dish was soggy. No part of it wasn’t drowned in the heavy sauce.

After consulting the chef, our food allergy diner chose the Royal Prime Rib Roast. This was a much better option than my fish entree.

Unfortunately, it was dark where we were seated, so it was difficult to get any decent photos. But I believe anyone can see the ratio of fat versus edible meat.

However, he did enjoy the meal, and I would have probably been able to give higher remarks food-wise if this had been my selection. The prime rib comes with a side of horseradish mashed potatoes, smoked carrots, popovers, and au jus. Since he has food allergies, his portion came with smoked carrots and regular roasted potatoes.

Our final course was dessert. I wish I could say that dessert was the saving grace for Storybook Dining at Artist Point. Unfortunately, the desserts were mediocre.

Dessert consists of three small bites and a special presentation tableside. You’ll receive the following:

• Miner’s Treasures
• Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart
• Poison Apple
• The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen

The Miner’s Treasure is a cookies’ n cream panna cotta and chocolate gems. It was a darling presentation, and it was okay but nothing special. Taste-wise, this next dessert is probably my favorite of the three dessert options: the gooseberry tart. It features a bite of gooseberry with a meringue topping.

I don’t know if I’ve had the opportunity to try gooseberries before this. It reminded me of a pecan pie filling with a bit of whipped cream on top, minus the actual pecans. By far, the quaintest dessert you will find is the poisoned apple. It is a “white chocolate apple mousse with a sour center.”

I’m not a huge white chocolate fan, and the center was sour, so I felt that this fit the description accurately. But when I bit into it, it didn’t give that authentic sweet and sour taste I was hoping for. However, I find it hard to argue with this item’s charm and photo-worthy look, especially considering it’s one of three desserts.

Lastly, we’ll examine one final bite at the end of the meal: The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen. As embarrassed as I am to share this photo with you, it does give an idea of the presentation. This moment is over relatively quickly.

Toward the end of Storybook Dining at Artist Point, a box containing “crackled maple popcorn and a ganache heart” is brought to your table. When the box lid is lifted to reveal your treat, a little smoke is released, creating a fun moment for your party to enjoy. Again, I recommend doing a video instead of pictures to capture the moment.

The server will then remove the cracked maple popcorn and chocolate heart from the box and leave them with you for enjoyment. There isn’t much substance to the few bites, but it is a fun moment during the meal.

Characters at Artist Point Storybook Dining

Thankfully, I saved the best for last. However, all is not lost on the experience, and we had a wonderful time. That wonderful time can be attributed to quality service and good character interaction.

During the meal, you will be visited by three different characters. There will be a designated character attendee in the restaurant. At some point, they will check with you and make sure you have had the opportunity to meet all of the characters. The characters at Storybook Dining were:

• Snow White
• Dopey
• Grumpy
• The Evil Queen

Snow White is the first character we met at Storybook Dining at Artist Point. She was fun and very friendly. Make sure to have autograph books and anything used for pictures out and ready.

Additionally, Snow White meets for lunch and dinner at the Akershus princess character breakfast at Epcot. In the afternoons, you can find her in the Germany Pavilion at Epcot. Or you might run into her at Town Square in Magic Kingdom. Find out more in the Magic Kingdom Characters guide. You might also like to read our guide: Where to Meet Snow White Near Her Wishing Well at Epcot.

Snow White was soon followed by Dopey, another rare character in the parks. The Seven Dwarfs are all very difficult to meet. They are in the Festival of Fantasy Parade daily at the Magic Kingdom.

Next, we have Grumpy. During the meal, the characters participate in a dance. You’ll know when it’s time because the lights in the Enchanted Forest begin to flicker, and the characters gather in the center of the room.

And let’s not forget the villain! The Evil Queen is kind of the star of dinner at Storybook Dining.

In the evening, the room darkens, and the lights on the trees begin to flash, signaling the entrance of the Evil Queen. Naturally, there’s also music enhanced during this time. It’s a completely different feel from when Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy enter the space. All attention turns to her as she makes her grand entrance and heads to her special meet and greet area for a photo opportunity. Here is a look at ours:

If you are at a good stopping point in your meal, try to get in line when she first arrives. An extensive line will form for her throughout the evening. She is a lot of fun to meet and very true to her character.

Usually, a PhotoPass photographer is with the Evil Queen to capture the moment. However, all pictures with Snow White, Grumpy, and Dopey will be tableside and must be taken with your camera or mobile phone. So don’t forget to bring them with you, or you might miss capturing a few memorable moments!

Overall, the characters are a lot of fun, especially for kids or fans of Snow White. And that is the saving grace when it comes to Storybook Dining at Artist Point. The thing I loved most about this meal was being able to meet these original Walt Disney characters. Snow White was Walt’s first big production and was a huge success. I hope they will always have a special home at Walt Disney World.

Our Storybook Dining experience ended up having a happy ending. Granted, the food was mediocre at best. I hate to admit it, but I would have gladly paid more for higher-quality food. With that said, I recommend the meal for the experience and the chance to meet characters in a lovely setting.

It’s also fun to take a break from the parks and visit Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. If your party is interested in exploring, you can do a lot of that here. Hopefully, the menu selections will improve over time. I feel confident they will, and I’ll consider returning. For more on dining at the resort, see our resort restaurant guide:

In the Comments

If you have tried Storybook Dining, let me know your opinion in the comments. What did you think about the meal? Did you enjoy the character interaction? I think most people agree that Storybook Dining at Artist Point is worth a visit at least once!