The Crystal Palace seemed like a wonderful place to stop for dinner for my family. I usually do not like eating in Disney at a high dollar restaurant, because the prices are raised a great amount, but I decided to splurge. We booked the Crystal Palace for 6, and expected a nice meal, atmosphere, and break from the rush of the park.

When we first arrived we were checked in, seated, and gotten orders for drinks. The employees were friendly. Though, that is likely as good as it was going to get.

The dinner buffet is large, and looks quite appetizing. Unfortunately, the food quality was some of the worst I have seen in some time. They have a great attempt at producing very high quality, fancy food. This was very deceitful. The food remained fresh, but it was HORRIBLE. There were very few things on the buffet I could tolerate. From the fancy fish to the horrible caesar salad to he mac 'n cheese on the child's bar, the food was quite disgusting. I would have prefered a cheap shop in the park. The quality of food was lower than most fast food places.

In addition, the characters did not make the experience any more delightful. The isles to get to the buffet are somewhat slim, and the characters walking around draw a small crowd, and make it quite difficult to travel around the restaurant.

If I were to dish out a price for this place, I would have guessed $12-15 per person (including the outrageous Disney curve). The quality of this buffet was no greater than any fast food location found in or outside of the park.

This meal cost $35 dollars per person! What a let down this was!
Not to mention an 18% gratuity put in for 6 people on a buffet.

For 6 people, the bill was around 240 dollars, all in all. I would suggest eating somewhere other than Crystal Palace. The location and appreance are the only things up to trivial.

This was one of our favorite character dinners. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet, and the Winnie the Pooh characters circulate the restaurant. They will stop at your table and take pictures with you. The food was a buffet, and it was excellent. I was surprised because usually buffets are not very good. We loved the salmon, roast beef, and the pasta. Don't forget to try the delicious desserts--we loved the pineapple flan!

The pretty setting of the Crystal Palace is enough reason to eat here, add the character interaction along with a great buffet and in this WDW visitor's opinion it's a no brainer!

This "must do" eatery was on our agenda for lunchtime though the restaurant does serve breakfast and dinner as well. Located in the Magic Kingdom near the hub of mainstreet it's a great way beat the mid-day heat during lunch hours.

The buffet offers a wide variety of choices including, salads, pasta dishes, soups, carved meats (the roast beef was excellent), seafood choices, breads, desserts and an ice cream station complete with soft serve and toppings!

Pooh and friends make the rounds here ready to give hugs, take pictures and sign autographs. The bright and airy setting adds to the charm as well.

Visit The Crystal Palace

 

Insider Tips:

* This is a popular dining destination so book early. You may be able to book as far as 180 days in advance.

* Breakfast bookings can be made up to one hour before the park opens. Get the earliest booking you can and be inside the park when it opens ... getting a jump start on the crowds.

* Try to book an early lunch or early dinner, avoiding the dining crowds which will leave you to the attractions when everyone else in dining at the typical hour!

We attended the character breakfast at Crystal Palace, and what a wonderful surprise! We had advanced dining reservations, and only waited a couple minutes to go in.

What a striking place! Very bright interior, and beautiful topiaries of Pooh and Friends in the lobby when you walk in. It puts you in a festive mood right from the start.

When we were seated, our waitress came and took drink orders, then explained how the characters visited each table in special orders (I am guessing this is to keep guests from swarming over them!).

The food here was typical breakfast buffet food; eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, pancakes, waffles, fruits, cereals, breads, etc. Nothing too special as far as selection or taste, but it was hot, and the bar was always stocked.

The only problem we had was trying to get my son to eat—he only took two bites, because he was so excited for the characters—maybe a waste of money for breakfast for him.

The characters had great interaction with the kids here, and took time for plenty of photo ops. My son loved it, and I think we would return here, although maybe not until my son was a little older, so he would actually eat a little more.

This is the one Character Dining Experience which we visit very year that does not revolve around the decision of our children, but rather the preferred choice of my wife.

The Crystal Palace is located in the Magic Kingdom at the very end of Main Street USA. The restaurant was built to replicate a nineteenth century building in Regent’s Park, London. Each and every day the building comes alive with the smells of American fare and culinary delights that are prepared fresh daily in the "On Stage Kitchen", while offering each visitor an opportunity to meet Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore.

This restaurant is quite affordable considering that it is all you can eat with the cost of unlimited Non-alcoholic Beverages and Dessert included. There are three separate dining experiences offering three menu options inspired by the different seasons:

• Breakfast is just $17.99 for adults, $9.99 for kids (3-9) and is served from 8:00 am to 10:30 am.
• Lunch is $19.99 for adults, $10.99 for kids (3-9) and is served from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm.
• Dinner is $22.99 for adults and $10.99 for kids (3-9) and is served from 4:00 pm to park closing.

Other than the extremely affordable price, we return to the Crystal Palace every year to see all our friends from the Hundred Acre Woods. While we were eating our meal we were visited first by Tigger, who made a great effort to charm our children as he signed their autograph book and posed for photos. Soon after Tigger left the table we were visited by Eeyore and Piglet, who showed the same high level of concern to spread the Disney magic. Last but not least there was Pooh, my wife’s first love. I often struggle with a bit of jealousy as she springs out of her seat to be the first to greet Pooh with a big hug and to pose for yet another photo. While the four characters roam the restaurant while you eat, every half-hour there is a mini parade (more like a conga line) that is led by Tigger inside the restaurant that your children will be more than happy to join in.

Along with the wonderful fanfare provided by Pooh and his friends, the Crystal Palace offered a fantastic buffet of roast beef and barbeque chicken. There was a wonderful smorgasbord of fresh fruits and salads, as well as a complete offering of children’s favorites.

Although there are twelve different Character Dining Experiences you can chose from, I can not express in writing how much we value our experiences with our friends of the Hundred Acre Woods.