WE were tucking into mouth-watering Mickey waffles soaked in syrup when in popped the Mouse himself.
It was just after 8am and our amazing Walt Disney World adventure had kicked off with a bang — plus a load of bangers and bacon.
The delicious food at Tusker House restaurant in the Animal Kingdom was as plentiful as the special guests.
Goofy, Donald Duck and Daisy waltzed in, too, and there was just no containing the grandkids’ excitement.
Nine-year-old Albie’s impersonation of Mickey had the mouse in stitches and there were hugs from Mila, seven, and Lois, four.
The scrumptious character breakfast buffet isn’t cheap, at around £45 an adult and £25 a child.
READ MORE ON DISNEY WORLD
But, as in all the snack bars and restaurants in Orlando’s four Disney parks, the quality of food is excellent and there’s always plenty of it.
One way of saving cash is the Disney Dining Plan, just launched again for next year and even free on selected holidays.
Depending on the package, each day you get the choice of quick- service or table-service meals and snacks from 170 locations.
If staying at a Disney hotel for a week, the plan saves families hundreds of pounds.
A Disney experience is as much about the great food and drink options as it is the rides.
Themed restaurants are hugely popular, so we made bookings on the Disney app as soon as reservations opened — 60 days before arrival.
Our choices, with kids’ menus and main courses between £12 and £26, turned out winners.
Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Skipper Canteen, for a touch of African and Asian flavours, and The Plaza for club sandwiches and milkshakes.
At the Fifties-style Sci Fi Dine-In Theater, in Hollywood Studios, we sat in retro cars to eat burgers and fries while watching old movie clips.
And our favourite, at Epcot, was Teppan Edo, where the Japanese chefs juggle cooking utensils as they chop and stir-fry dishes at your table.
Our party of five adults and three kids also did a lot of snacking — extra-large iced doughnuts for less than a fiver, chocolate-chip cookies, Mickey’s ice-cream bars and multi-coloured iced drinks.
But, in our defence, we were often in the parks from dawn until dusk and even later when we saw spectacular night shows.
I reckon Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios is one of the most thrilling ever.
Its half an hour of pure magic — lights dancing on the water, fireworks flying from Mickey’s hands, lasers and all your favourite characters setting sailing on boats around the lagoon.
Magic Kingdom’s parade and the Happily Ever After fireworks spectacular at Cinderella Castle are a must-see, but then every Disney show is a treat.
You name it, we saw it — including The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, the hilarious Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, Finding Nemo and the new Villains: Unfairly Ever After.
Like we did, use them for a breather, and certainly after a meal, before going back to the thrills and spills of some of the best rides in Orlando.
We hurtled up and down on the Tower of Terror and sped around a track on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Expedition Everest.
We spun 360 degrees, too, on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — the first ever reverse launch on a Disney coaster — and were whisked through the universe on Avatar Flight of Passage and Soarin’.
The imagination, hi-tech design and special effects are simply breath-taking.
“Wow!” is the only word when you come face to face with legions of stormtroopers in Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance — or witness the sheer genius of being shrunk down to the size of a rat on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
We blasted our way around Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, just re-opened with new interactive targets, and got very wet on the Kali River Rapids.
Slow the pace by hopping on a Kilimanjaro Safari truck, to see 34 species of African wildlife in their natural habitat, and take a boat to Elsa’s ice palace in wonderful Frozen Ever After.
Disney has hotels with pools and entertainment to suit all budgets — and these include the fabulous Animal Kingdom Lodge, where animals roam free on the savannah.
Of course, we ate there — at The Mara where we had a grab-and-go breakfast before catching the free shuttle for early entry into the parks, and at Boma for a buffet dinner.
Oh, there was one more treat — Mickey biscuits filled with oozing, toasted marshmallows — around the firepit. Yum! It just had to be done.
GO: Walt Disney World
GETTING/STAYING THERE: Seven nights’ room-only at Disney’s All-Star Sport Resort, including flights from Heathrow on January 19, seven-day Disney Magic park tickets and a free dining plan for two adults and two children, costs from £5,189 in total.
Includes £200 discount with promo code DISNEY2027.
See virginatlantic.com.