Young Chef's Program

Walt Disney World Junior Chefs

Youngsters get a taste of what it’s like behind the scenes in the Walt Disney World Junior Chef Program. In both quick-service and full-service eateries, young guests are randomly selected every day to don a toque and white jacket and help decorate a cake or cookies, or toss a salad for their own family’s meal. Though the children are not permitted in the kitchens, the chefs give them a quick and fun culinary lesson, with guests often gathered round to watch.

For instance, at Boma-Flavors of Africa restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, cultural representatives from Africa select children to participate. A Boma chef comes to the table and escorts the child to the restaurant’s on-stage bakery to make a dessert to share with their family. Each participant gets a photo and a certificate signed by the chef.

Fun With Food at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

When mom and dad are ready for a break, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa offers guests two culinary programs for kids: The Wonderland Tea Party and Grand Adventures in Cooking.

The Wonderland Tea Party is an hour-long, kids-only celebration with Alice and the Mad Hatter from the animated film classic. Up to 24 children ages 3 to 10 gather at one long, linen-covered table to decorate cupcakes (with their fingers) and dine on heart-shaped peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and apple juice “tea.” Alice and the Mad Hatter join the fun and play games like “Hatter Says” with the children. The party ends with the children gathering fresh flowers that decorate the table to tie into bouquets to give their parents. Cost is $24.95 per child.

Grand Adventures in Cooking lets children make a dessert, then share it with Grand Floridian guests. The cooking program for ages 3 to 10 is limited to 12 young chefs, who start the two-hour session by painting their chef aprons with colorful handprints. As the aprons dry, children hear a story themed to the dessert they will prepare, with nearly a dozen dessert-and-story choices in the repertoire. For strawberry shortcake, for instance, the children assemble already-made cake with fresh berries and whipped cream, then head to the lobby in toques and aprons to offer the treats to guests. On an average day, the kids will make 100 strawberry shortcakes, 10 dozen cookies or nine pounds of fudge. Cost is $19.95 per child.