REVIEW: Makahiki Character Breakfast at Disney's Aulani Resort

Are you heading to Disney’s Aulani Resort?

If so, and if you’re looking for a breakfast that combines delicious food with a bit of Disney magic, then you might want to get Makahiki’s Character Breakfast on your radar pronto. We checked it out, and here’s everything you need to know before you book!

In case you didn’t know, Aulani is a Disney Vacation Club Resort located in Ko Olina, Hawaii, on the island of Oahu. This resort is just incredible and blends Disney charm with Hawaiian culture. Just like at Disney World, you’ll find that Aulani offers a character meal during breakfast at Makahiki—The Bounty of the Islands.

So let’s dive right into what it’s like when you have breakfast with Mickey and the rest of the crew in Hawaii at Makahiki! Let’s go!

Background

Makahiki is Aulani’s signature restaurant, named after the traditional Hawaiian harvest festival season. While dinner here is more of an upscale dining experience, the character breakfast is all about fun, family, and of course, meeting some of your favorite Disney pals. This breakfast experience includes a mix of classic American and Hawaiian-inspired dishes, and, unlike some character meals at Disney resorts, offers a more relaxed, structured approach to character interactions.

Lanai

Upon arrival, guests check in and are sent straight into a line to meet Mickey Mouse in a dedicated photo spot.

A Disney PhotoPass photographer captures the moment, and later during your meal, you’ll be offered a photo package for purchase.

After Mickey, we also got a chance to meet Chef Goofy before being seated. Once at our table, Max Goof and Pluto made their way around to interact with guests. We saw them multiple times throughout our meal, and the interactions never felt rushed or disruptive (just pure Disney fun).

One thing to note: character appearances can vary. On another visit, Minnie, Chip, and Dale were the ones making their rounds, so keep in mind that who you see might depend on the day!

Atmosphere

Makahiki is located on the first floor of Aulani’s main building, offering both indoor and outdoor seating. The lanai, which overlooks a koi pond, is a stunning place to enjoy breakfast, especially on a beautiful Hawaiian morning.

The vibe here is tropical, relaxed, and family-friendly. The decor blends traditional Hawaiian art with modern Disney charm, and the service is warm and welcoming.

Unlike some Disney character meals that can feel a bit chaotic, Makahiki’s breakfast has a structured flow that allows for plenty of character time without it feeling overwhelming.

Food & Drinks

At Makahiki, it’s a three-course prix-fixe menu for $55, meaning we get two starters and a choice of entrees.

Here’s what we got:

Of course, we had to start things off with POG Juice (Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava Juice).

This is always a must-try. This version is slightly different from the one at Disney World, with a stronger guava presence. It’s light, refreshing, and perfectly tropical.

After that, we dove right into the Seasonal Fresh Fruit. As the name implies, the fruit you’ll get depends on the season and we got blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and pineapple.

While undeniably fresh and sweet, we actually felt there was too much fruit. Since fruit is also served with the waffles, it felt like overkill to have it as a separate starter.

Having finished with the fruit, we then had the Malasada. They’re Hawaii’s favorite Portuguese sugar donuts and were definitely a standout.

Soft, warm, and coated in sugar, they were reminiscent of the best doughnuts we’ve had. They weren’t glazed or filled – just simple, classic malasadas that were absolutely delicious.

Next up, we had the Belgian-style Waffles and they came with fresh berries, country cream, and warm Vermont maple syrup, as well as the choice of bacon, pork link sausage, Portuguese sausage, chicken apple sausage, or ham.

We swapped the standard Belgian waffle for Mickey and Minnie waffles because, well, why wouldn’t we? The Mickey waffles were the classic we all know and love – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.

The Minnie waffles had a subtle red velvet flavor, adding a bit more depth. They were served with whipped butter, syrup, and, of course, more fruit. Overall it was a good choice, but nothing groundbreaking.

We then wrapped it all up with the Hawaiian-style Loco Moco with fresh ground hamburger steak, two eggs sunny side up, Portuguese sausage fried rice, and Maui onion gravy.

Loco Moco is a staple Hawaiian comfort dish, and Makahiki’s version was solid. The hamburger steak was well-cooked, the mushroom gravy was rich and peppery, and the fried egg on top was perfectly runny.

It wasn’t the best loco moco we had on our trip, but it was still satisfying.

Magic Or Tragic?

This restaurant is a total MAGIC for anyone who:

Wants Excellent Character Interactions – The structured approach to meeting Mickey and Goofy before being seated, combined with multiple table visits from Max and Pluto, made for a fantastic experience
Needs A Relaxed Atmosphere – Unlike some character meals that can feel frantic, this one had a nice balance of energy and calmness
Appreciates Tasty Local Options – The loco moco and malasadas were great touches of Hawaiian flavor that set this apart from a standard Disney breakfast.

This might be more of a Tragic for anyone who:

Isn’t into eating a lot of fruit – It felt excessive to have fruit both as a starter and as a side with the waffles
Would prefer consistent Character Rotation – If you have your heart set on a specific character, there’s no guarantee who will be there when you visit.
Price is a big factor for you – At around $55 per adult, it’s not outrageous for a Disney character meal, but the food portions and quality may not justify the price for some guests