As we got nearer to The Crystal Palace we could see the Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! Street Party going on around the hub in front of Cinderella Castle – I’m not a fan of this updated parade – it used to be called Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! which I think had better music, and more characters on the floats. As it happens, the parade – or street party as it is officially called, is getting another update for Mickey’s 90th Birthday in November 2018 – hopefully that will continue throughout his birthday year, as I’d love to see it on on 2019 Spring trip!
We then checked-in for our Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) for breakfast with Pooh and Pals at The Crystal Palace. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our table, but ADRs are not a guaranteed time, just that you’ll have a table waiting for you around that time. More often than not you’ll have to wait a few minutes at least, we rarely get seated straight away.
And I noticed that it’s not always to do with the volume of tables free in the restaurant itself, it’s to do with the servers and how many tables they can handle. So when you go in and see empty tables and wonder why you had to wait 20 minutes, it’ll be because of the server’s current volume of guests. I realised this a few years back when we were having breakfast at Whispering Canyon Cafe, and there were loads of empty tables around us. The Cast Member who greets guests, asked a server if they were ready for more tables, and she said not yet. So, there you go! It might not be the case everywhere, but as I grew up in the restaurant industry, I seem to notice every little thing when we dine out anywhere!
Right, back to this Disney breakfast! This has become somewhat a tradition for us on one of our days at Magic Kingdom. We’ve had breakfast (and lunch) here several times now (including for my 40th birthday trip back in 2016)
The Crystal Palace is a Buffet with Character. It’s an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet, and while you dine, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger visit each table for photos, autographs and a bit of fun!
Character Dining Tips
My tips for Character Dining with kids is to place them on the outside edge of the table so that they can easily get up to greet/hug the character. It’s also wise to have your camera on and ready to go, as well as having your autograph book open on the page you want to sign, and the pen ready to use.
All these things help the experience of meeting the Disney Characters smooth and speedy. You aren’t rushed by any means, and if a kid is still hugging a character, they’re not just going to run off – but there are lots of tables for them to get through so I figure just make everything nice and easy for everyone involved.
Oh, and another thing, explain to your children that they will be meeting the characters, so they don’t need to hijack them on another table – I’ve seen that happen a few times, and have even seen characters gently guide the wandering child away!
In my experience you should meet all the characters at least once as they work the various dining areas. In The Crystal Palace there are two big dining areas, and two characters go around all the tables, then switch over. You will find that your server will leave the bill for you as you are still eating. Do not feel you have to rush if you’ve not met everyone yet, you’ve paid for that experience, don’t waste it!
And Character Dining isn’t just for kids! We are all adults now and still have fun with meeting the characters – it’s a great way to meet them without having to line up for ages, or worry about grabbing a FastPass+ time. You just have to make sure you grab an ADR instead!
As I said earlier, The Crystal Palace is a buffet – for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – and it’s all-you-care-to-enjoy which means you can go up to the buffet as many times as you like.
You’ll find your usual American breakfast food staples like bacon, eggs, sausages, sausage patties, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy. You’ll also find other dishes like corned beef hash and potato casserole. There is also an omelette station which in all these years we’ve never had from, so have to rectify that on a future visit!
In addition, there are cereals, fruit, pastries, pancakes, Mickey Waffles (they’re on the kiddie’s station, but anyone can have them!) and a sweet treat called Pooh’s Breakfast Lasagne, which is layers of waffles, pancakes, berries, pound cake and custard – so save room for that!
Drinks like coffee, tea, milk, juice, and fountain beverages are included in the price which varies based on the time of the year which will include the seasons, as well as if it is a weekday or weekend.
Ooh, nearly forgot the flower topiaries of Pooh and Pals! They were dressed for the Holidays – a cute touch!
The Crystal Palace » Magic Kingdom
Bill: $102 + Tax: $5.31 + Tip: $18.36 = $125.67
TiW Discount: $20.40
Total Paid: $105.27
I forgot to mention that we bought a Tables In Wonderland (TiW) card again this year as it gave us good savings on our 2016 trip.
This is a paid for discount card for Florida residents ($175), Annual Passholders, and DVC Members ($150). This gives you a 20% discount on food and beverages (including alcohol) at over 100 participating restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort. 18% tip/gratuity is added automatically – no matter how big the size of the party. It is valid for up to 10 people on one check, and you also receive free Resort Valet or Theme Park parking for dining purposes. The TiW card is valid for one year, there are blackout dates, and certain events you cannot use it on. You can read more about Tables In Wonderland on Walt Disney World’s website, along with a list of all the participating restaurants.
You can purchase the card at Guest Relations at Disney Springs, or at any of the 4 Walt Disney Disney Theme Parks. We bought ours in Magic Kingdom on the way to The Crystal Palace that morning.