I do not get why people are negative about the food here. My family and I have been here 5 times and always have been satisfied. The food is awesome, the characters are always a great touch, and it’s my family’s favorite Disney restaurant. All in all, I can never have a Disney World trip without The Crystal Palace, the best restaurant in the kingdom of magic.
Mark C.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Elyria, OH
Arrived for dinner with a reservation. Still had to stand in line outside in the heat with those who did not have a reservation. I tried to check for the reservations desk inside first, but was stopped by a Cast Member named Jan, or as my family affectionately called her; The Door Nazi. She abruptly stopped me and asked«Doyou know where you’re going?». She also, a little too aggressively, held the door shut when a child inside was heading towards it. She seemed to take an odd pleasure at keeping the little devil secure. Then once we checked in and we’re being shown to our table a host motioned for my family to enter in front of him. My wife led the way and Jan sarcastically commented; «Oh, she must know where she is going.» Thank goodness my wife didn’t hear her or Olé Jan would’ve gotten an ear full. But anyway… although the food selection was rather limited everything was good and fresh. Basically alot of meat and potatoe stables. Dessert was good too, with a small but tasty variety. The characters came around with appropriate frequency and were friendly and patient with all the kids. Another issue here is the dining room is really tight. Not much room between tables, so if anyone is standing you can’t get through. So: good food, good character experience. Just watch out for Jan. She kept my rating at 3 stars instead of 4.
Ee Vonn Y.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Birmingham, AL
Like all of Disneyworld, it’s a trap! The character buffet is a hefty nearly $ 40 per person for a small selection of mediocre buffet food, and the quality being slightly better than Hometown Buffet. There are a few gems in the selections. The kids’ area has the best macaroni and cheese ever. This simple macaroni and cheese at Crystal Palace beats all of the novelty mac and cheese dishes I’ve had so far. I’m not sure how they did that. The salmon was delicious. The sauerkraut and sausage were also good. The other meats were not good, tough, and dry. They give you some sort of creamy sauce. You’re going to need that. The broccoli was nice, warm, and soggy. The collard greens were exceptionally tasty… and I don’t even like collard greens. The ice cream and the caramel flan were delicious. Winnie, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglett were all wonderful, excited, and joyful to be around. They come around to all of the tables. Even if takes forever, when they arrive to your table, their attention is fully on yours. You can take a hundred pictures with them if you want and they won’t go until you’re done. Sometimes, they’ll get(bored?) and start getting all the kids at every table to dance around the restaurant in a train. It kind of startles the parents at first but everyone finds it fun in the end. The service is incredible and I really enjoyed my overall experience here. It added to the magical experience of Disney, and if this is your only time here, I’d splurge carelessly this once to have that experience for you and your kids. I just wouldn’t come back a second time ever again for the price or the food.
Laura V.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Miami, FL
The Crystal Palace is best known for its convenient location right inside Magic Kingdom. If it weren’t for its prime location, the restaurant would not be worth the hassle. Many choose the Crystal Palace for the characters, however, i’d suggest saving your money for Chef Mickey’s instead. Crystal Palace had 3 different characters, Pooh, Eeyore & Piglet. While the children seemed excited to see the characters, the costumes seemed worn and a little outdated. It’s definitely on the pricier side for typical buffet food.(around $ 160 for 3 adults). There was chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, pasta, salad, etc. The actual restaurant is beautiful with windows looking out into the park. If you’re looking for the meet & greet experience with the Winnie the Pooh characters then its worth it. If not, i’d pass and eat elsewhere.
Brooke S.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Freeport, ME
The Crystal Palace is a Disney Restaurant where you’re definitely gonna get the«only at Disney» experience. It’s a buffet where Pooh and his friends come visit each table. The buffet has a few different sections. There is the kids station that has macaroni and cheese, corn dog nuggets, corn, and other kid friendly items. The kids buffet is even low enough for kids to make their own plates! There is a salad and bread station. There are three types of bread. Corn bread, multi grain rolls, and some sort of white bread roll. There is many different types of salads. Caesar, a mixed greens salad. Then there are some other assorted cold salads, examples being a cous cous salad, pasta salad, roasted potato salad, coleslaws etc. Then the warm foods station. As soon as you walk up to this station your mouth will start watering(I promise.) There are green beans, some sort of corn bread casserole, pulled pork with a nice seasoning, chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, a rice jambalaya and then finally a meat carving station! They carve ham, and beef. Finally there is the dessert island. This consists of an ice cream machine, turtle cheese cake, key lime pie, raspberry squares, and lastly an apple cranberry crisp. The food is great, and so is the experience. My only complaint is that it’s a by too expensive for what it is. Would definitely choose a different buffet over this one just because of the price.
Sophia K.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Mableton, GA
This was an amazing experience! Loved every bit of it. We made reservations for 10:20 am and were seated within 10 minutes after checking in. Our waitress was very helpful and informed us it can take up to 90 minutes to see all of the characters. It must have been our lucky day because Pooh was right at the table next to us when we sat down and the rest were close behind! It wasn’t very busy either, so they came by a second time as we were finishing up eating. The breakfast buffet was actually really good. The pancakes and french toast were delicious. As was the fresh fruit, egg dishes and potatoes they had. There was also bacon, sausage, bagels, toast, grits, pasteries, etc. Typical breakfast food. I loved the little Mickey waffles as well! My 2 year old was a little iffy of the characters at first, but quickly warmed up and had so much fun. We were there during what they call«Friendship Week» so she participated in the parade with the characters around the restaurant. Such great memories, and so glad we decided to do this. When we come back to visit Disney World, we will be going to the Crystal Palace! It’s pricey, but what isn’t at Disney? It’s well worth the experience and memories!
Michael M.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Oklahoma City, OK
Okay so I love me some Crystal Palace there I said it. From the food to the character interactions all have been good to great. I only go for breakfast though. I haven’t tried any food in the afternoon or dinner. Breakfast is really really good. My favorite dish which you can only get here is the Breakfast Lasagna. YUMMMM!!! As well love meeting Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and ooooohhhhhh yeah Eeyore. This place is great and I highly recommend it.
Amy T.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Houston, TX
ADVICEALERT: Anyone who is planning a vacation to Disney world, make sure you look into the dining plan! Especially if you’re staying for more than 4 days! Nothing made me happier knowing my meals were paid for far in advance and I didn’t have to worry about swiping my card for every food transaction. With that being said, here is my review of The Crystal Palace: We came for character breakfast. Breakfast for two adults and one child at The Crystal Palace is over $ 100 dollars. I saw the bill before I told my waiter I was on the dining plan. You’re paying for experience really. As if you didn’t already pay a ton just to get into the park. Do I think it was worth it? Personally? No. For my son? Yes. They have Winnie the Pooh characters come around to every table to sign autographs and take photos. It was darling! We saw pooh, eeyore, tigger and piglet. My son loved them all. My husband and I however loved all except pooh. Pooh wasn’t very enthusiastic and seemed annoyed when my son’s pen didn’t work for autographs. His autograph ended up looking like crap. Secondly the cast member who walked alongside tiger at the time that we were there, was RUDE. He rushed us through meeting tigger but didn’t rush anyone else. Thankfully my son doesn’t notice any of this but for me he was a jerk! The breakfast was good. It was a good variety and everything was pretty fresh. Overall I’d come back only if I’m on the dining plan and only if my reservation was during extra magic hours! It was definitely crowded when I went.
Beth H.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Puyallup, WA
Crystal Palace is our favorite restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. The Victorian-style conservatory is spacious and airy and filled with silk plants and flowers. The food quality is a cut above most buffets. During the past few years, the salad bar has been dumbed down a bit; many exotic dishes were removed to make room for more conventional fare. But they still serve a variety of hot foods, including the delicious corn spoon bread and the tasty salmon. For dessert, don’t miss the creamy caramel flan. Eating at Crystal Palace is a great way to meet the Winnie-the-Pooh characters in air-conditioned comfort. But be warned: toddlers can be weirded out by these people who look like giant stuffed animals. My 18-month old grandson cried and hid his face. On the other hand, my one-year old granddaughter was so thrilled, she screamed like a groupie. The older family members love the characters, and even the most photo-shy will pose for a picture with Eeyore, Piglet, Pooh or Tigger. Reservations fill up fast, but it is possible for a group to get into Crystal Palace on a busy day. Show up by 11:15 a.m. and get in line for the walk-in sign ups at 11:45. While the designated line-stander holds your place, the others in the party can visit the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse. Just be sure to return before your name is called.
Kelly A.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Deerfield, IL
Don’t go for the food. It’s a buffet lots of options, but this is not a «vegas» buffet. If your kids are really into Pooh and friends than GO. They will stop by every single table for pictures. It’s very pricey for what it’s.
Erin H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Englewood, CO
Disclaimer: Tigger is one of my favorites and I adore all the characters in Winnie the Pooh. This was one of the highlights of my last trip. We met Piglet, Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore. Each character spent a good chunk of time at our table despite not bringing children. Tigger was the best! He was so excited to hear he was my favorite and his reaction to seeing my phone case with him on it(friend used my phone for pics) was priceless. The characters come through on a regular basis. And, for my friend’s birthday they all signed a card. I was super jealous. The food was pretty good too. It’s buffet breakfast stuff. Nothing too exciting, but solid options. The breakfast lasagna looked a little frightening but was super tasty — if you like sweet stuff. Service was excellent — Disney brand of friendly and our drinks were never empty. To top it all off, the Pooh character topiary in the middle of the restaurant is fabulous.
Jessica L.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Farmington, CT
Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore greet you while you’re eating. We visited durning the breakfast buffet. Now, if you and/or your children aren’t 100% obsessed and in love with these characters, I would highly suggest eating some other place. The price is high. The many food options are good. The nice thing is that there is no rush to get you out. They allow you to take your time. If you’re on any type of budget, put your dollars somewhere else. Hell, I’d rather buy one of those expensive balloons we can’t fit in our luggage and have to give away to some kid at the resort before we leave than do this breakfast again.
Kris E.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Ballston Spa, NY
We came here for the breakfast buffet. The staff were friendly and the food was delicious. It was much more crowded, however, then other breakfast buffets we’ve been to at disney(I.e. Hollywood and vine) and much less space. standing up to meet characters and to use the restroom was uncomfortably crowded.
An H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Nesconset, NY
We were there for their breakfast buffet and the food was delicious and decent number of selections. They have winnie the pooh characters going around every 90 minutes according to the waitress… but the characters came around twice in our 60 mins stay in the restaurants. Will definitely go back for pictures with pooh~~
Gary M.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Trumansburg, NY
30 minutes late on a dinner reservation. If we were that late they would have cancelled our table.
Samuel P.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Killeen, TX
Be peprared to waste 2 hours of your day on this place. Buffet of very not kid friendly food. Very costly. Only plus is the Winnie the pooh characters that are walking around, which is strange for a crystal palace.
Brilynn C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Apex, NC
I would highly recommend booking reservations at this restaurant. It is in a beautiful setting w characters from the 100 acre wood. The food is buffet style and very yummy. Fresh options and kid section. The fire works show and castle is visible from the dining room. The service is friendly.
Shannon R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Brownsville, TX
This place is crazy to say the least !! We had a long wait and the food was fair ! The characters are cool and the staff is friendly ! U should probably put this on ur list of things to do at Disney — even thou u will feel rushed to eat and get on ur wAy ! Don’t forget to breathe! And enjoy ur kids interacting with the characters! The view is amazing so get a table near the window! Location location ! Keep in mind fireworks and parade schedules while booking ur dining experience ! U don’t want to be inside when the fun is going on right outside !!! Enjoy
Leslie D.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Arlington, TX
We loved the Pooh characters, but the food not so much. I’ve always wanted to eat here since it is right by the castle and looks so elegant with all the glass. It should feel like you are a so fancy eating here. First, they are starting a new text system instead of the buzzer, and it worked well. You go check in and then they text your phone when your table is ready. The hostess calls your name and then takes you to sit down. Pooh was actually right by our table so we got to him and Tigger right away which was great! We got our food since Piglet and Eyore were making the rounds. The buffet station has two sides with the same thing on each side. It starts with the kids food then follows in a curve around to salads, hot food, and then hand carved meats. The dessert is on an island in the middle. It could use an update or remodel as it is very dated. The food could also use a remodel. We tired Chef Mickey for dinner last time we visited and we were disappointed in the food, so we thought we would try this one. Wrong idea. I know I shouldn’t expect much from a buffet, but this one didn’t even offer salad options. They had lettuce, bacon bits, and dressing, then prepared salads and cold pasta and rice dishes. The peel and eat shrimp were actually the best food items I had and I tend to shy away from them at buffets. The prime rib was not edible and tasted awful. The kid’s chicken nuggets were surprisingly good and I ate those for my main meal. Since we were on the dining plan I wasn’t as upset, even though I was paying for it in the long run not having to take out my wallet and actually pay for the mediocre meal was ok. I did love the turtle cheesecake though, and getting to see Winnie the Pooh was worth it as Tigger is a favorite.
Kayla Ann J.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Ontario, CA
I personally loved this restaurant. All the cast members were polite and kind, but not overbearing. Same with the characters. They approached your table, interacted a little bit, and posed for photos. For a buffet, the food tasted fresh. They offered a wide variety of salad and meat. Their meat section featured chefs cutting the meat you would like. Buffet displays were kept very clean. The seating areas were bright and comfortable. Would DEFINITELY recommend if you want a character dining experience on vacation!
Ray D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Corpus Christi, TX
Now what better way to start your day at Magic Kingdom then a visit to the Crystal Palace. I always thought this place was cool looking and I’ve never been before and apparently you need reservations 6 months in advance. This restaurant is buffet style with many gluten-free options to chose from. For Gluten-Free patrons as usual Disney style the chef comes out and tells you what you can grub on the buffet and then the lady sits you down at your table. We sat towards the back and had no idea this was a character buffet but all the characters of Disney come around and take photos with your table and say hi in a circle. Then the kids can join in a conga line with Poo or Tigger. The food quality is epic, a lot better than I expected and this food is tasty. From the proteins to the vegetables to the desserts this place is GOOD. I love the food here and would eat it everyday if given the option, the restrooms are close and the service is great. If your thinking about doing this DOIT even if you don’t have kids the food quality is excellent.
Jilian B.
Rating des Ortes: 2 San Marcos, CA
It hurts me to rate anything Disney related with two stars, but I just wasn’t impressed with the Crystal Palace. The prices of the buffet vary(apparently depending on how many people are in the park. More people = more expensive meal). We reserved a table for nine for lunch, when we got there we saw the price was about $ 38. This went up to $ 45 after gratuity since there were nine of us, but they didn’t even put a table together for us, they just had us sit next to each other. Five at one table, four at the other. That was a bummer. I know that the point of the restaurant is that you get to take pictures with Pooh and his friends, but if I’m paying ~$ 40 for a buffet, I’m expecting some crazy good food or at least a lot of options. The food was mediocre, most I could find at a regular olé Hometown Buffet, and it was definitely lacking in options. It looks like there’s a lot, but both sides of the food area are the same. They literally mirror each other. Maybe Vegas buffets made me expect too much, but man, I was really let down. ESPECIALLY by the desserts!!! Our server wasn’t the nicest either. She made it seem like were giving her such a hard time by paying with multiple cards. And Tigger did have a stain on his costume for the longest time… but the characters in general were cute.
Jody M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Elkridge, MD
Great place to see al the Pooh characters. The food has improved over other years and now included things like pirogies and bratwurst. The desserts are also very good. I love that hey have a character parade where kids can walk around with the characters around the restaurant. The characters are very sweet and you get to see them all several times.
Baochau T.
Rating des Ortes: 2 Garland, TX
Look if you ever been to Vegas for buffet then it makes this buffet look like a joke. Food was ok I guess. Simple and reminds me of golden corrals buffet. So if you don’t have kids or not super in love with Winnie pooh then skip it not worth your money and time. Let’s say better then Chinese buffet and leave it at that.
Matt H.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Ashburn, VA
Not a ton of choices on the buffet, but they did fairly well with what they had. The sides were all pretty good, the flank steak was very good, and they ran out of a lot of desserts, so there weren’t many choices there. I ended up sticking with the chocolate chip cookies. Not the cleanest of restaurants in Disney World. There was a lot of staff standing around, but there were also a lot of open tables.
Kelly T.
Rating des Ortes: 4 McKinney, TX
Location rocked. It is right smack in Magic Kingdom so you are not wasting time on the monorail/driving. If you are lucky, there might be a show on in front of the castle which you can see in the waiting area of Crystal Palace. Décor was nice and food was OK. It wasn’t very exciting but was decent buffet food that was not very adventurous so picky eaters will do just fine. We had reservations and still had a bit of a wait. I would rate the food 3.5 compared to the other character dining places. As everything in Disney, the waitstaff and characters were awesome and my kiddo had a blast meeting Pooh and his friends. He loved the song/parade they did as well. It’s expensive but I would rather bring my lunch for a few weeks back home than miss an opportunity like this when you are at the Happiest Place on Earth! Enjoyed every moment!
Traci D.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Greenwood, IN
The Crystal Palace was everything I imagined and more. My sister, mom and I had breakfast here yesterday. We were greeted by a friendly smile and a quick table. Our waitress informed us about the character route so we would be ready when they got close. She then took our drink order promptly. The french toast was great and made to order omelet’s did the trick. Fruit was chilled and fresh. Characters were a little while to get to us, but we didn’t mind.
Christopher C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Conshohocken, PA
We completed the circle on Disney and in particular MK dining with one last trip to CP. During our first trip six years ago this was the first place we ever ate at on our first day in a Disney park and this was the last place on our most recent trip as well. The service this time was top notch. I can’t remember the guy’s name other than he was from New Jersey but overall he was fab. Multiple drink refills no problem, told us right away how the characters would rotate through the dining room and made sure that any empty plates were removed promptly so as not to jam up the table. Even though this was a dead week by Disney standards, CP was still doing rocking business and while some of that is because of the characters plus the buffet format honestly some of that also had to do with Liberty Tree Tavern being closed for a renovation. The standout items here for me were the ham carving station, the new pulled pork and the watermelon where as the one downside from prior visits was that the soft serve machine was either broken or is now gone. If you book far enough in advance this one is not that tough to get as the restaurant is quite large but like most things Disney, if you procrastinate you will be SOL.
Andrea R.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Glencoe, IL
If planning a trip to Disney the first thing I recommend is booking your dining reservations. I booked mine 4 months in advance of our recent trip and even then it was difficult to get a res at some of the more popular spots. The one thing Disney hasn’t seemed to figure out is how to cook/serve good food. If you’re going to eat crap may as well have a fun meal so all of our lunches involved characters/entertainment. At this particular restaurant you can dine with Winnie the Pooh and friends(eyore, piglet, tigger, etc). My kids aren’t the biggest Winnie the Pooh fans(in fact I may even be more fond of pooh bear from my childhood) but they loved this. And we got thru the meal as peacefully as possible with a 2 and 4 yr old in tow because they sat nicely waiting for the characters to come up with hugs and autographs. Typical buffet food that you’ll see at most restaurants in disney. Personally buffets kind of gross me out, but I found a few things to eat here. On the day we dined here it happened to be my BDAY. They brought me a cupcake and a card… signed by pooh and friends. So cool(at least my kids thought so). That and the soft serve ice cream put an extra big smile on my kids faces. As for my daughters first request when leaving the restaurant… the Winnie the Pooh ride. A new pooh fan!
James F.
Rating des Ortes: 3 Rutherford, NJ
Truly a quintessential dining experience for those visiting the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Honestly… is it the greatest food… No. Is it worth $ 49.00 per person… No. But is it worth seeing the smiling faces on all the kids(young and old) when Winnie the Pooh and friends come out to visit… yes. Dully noted: getting out of the heat, having a place to sit and eat without being rushed, and finding time to relax with family and friends is truly worth the extra $$$. The prime rib was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were a breath of fresh air in a land where fried food is a staple. UNLIMITEDBEVERAGES! Yums! PS: convenient outlets are available to charge your cell phones.
Brooks B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Orlando, FL
If your looking to dine with the characters(Winnie the pooh and friends) then this is the place to go. The characters come around one at a time and interact with the kids and great photo ops. However I had no idea that this was the case when I came. I should have asked or at least looked at pricing before dining. I enjoyed my meal with family till the bill came. Yes we are in Disney and yes it was a lunch buffet but for a buffet the food was to be what you would expect at a buffet, wasn’t omg amazing but wasn’t bad either. When I ate there it was 3 adults and a 2 yr old toddler and our bill was over 200.00 broken up was 45.00 a person. But I guess your paying for the experience. All in all for the price and the buffet and the selection of the buffet it’s a good bargain. I just wished someone would have told us it was going to be 45.00 a person. We live local and have an annual pass and this was our last place before leaving the park, to be honest if knew it was that costly we would have skipped it that day.
Jeanene C.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Waikiki, Honolulu, Estados Unidos
OJO. Este restaurante esta dentro del parque y debes pagar la entrada al parque para comer aqui.