Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Teal. Enjoy the ride as we share reviews of our favorite Disney restaurants!
Let’s kick off
this tasty little loop with a review of one of my family’s top Disney must-dos: the Character Breakfast Buffet at
the Crystal Palace.
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| Photo courtesy of disneyworldtickets.com |
The best
time to experience breakfast at the Crystal Palace is pre-park opening. There’s nothing like trotting up a near-empty Main
Street, USA and grabbing some family pictures in front of the Castle and the
Partners statue before the regular crowds swarm in!
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| B & T with their little cousins |
We’ve always
had good luck with seating at the Crystal Palace. Although spacious and airy,
the restaurant can get quite noisy as it fills with happy, hungry guests. When
we check in at the podium I let the Cast Member know that B. has sensory issues
request a table by the window or the wall. Usually we luck out being seated by
a window which not only shields him from the hustle of the dining room, it
gives him something to look at while waiting for his friends from the Hundred
Acre Wood to drop by!
Our server
always arrives quickly to take our beverage order and to explain how the buffet
and character circulation works. Then, it’s time to eat!
Now, you’re
probably thinking, “What’s the big deal? Scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes… we’re
talking about a typical breakfast buffet here!” Well… I have to agree. The food, although tasty, is pretty much your
basic fare -- save the Mickey-shaped waffles! Nevertheless, buffets are always a good choice when dining with
children because there is sure to be something to please even the pickiest
eater.
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| Photo courtesy of disneyfoodblog.com |
Breakfast lasagna? Not for my kids! Good thing there’s plenty of cereal and fruit for them!
Admittedly,
the food is only a small part of why our family loves breakfast at the Crystal
Palace. The real draw for us is the opportunity to meet and play with Winnie
the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger! And we can do so at our leisure, without
spending valuable attraction time waiting
in line to meet them in the parks. (Just make sure you don’t miss them on their
rounds while you are at the buffet table!)
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| Our first trip... 2003! |
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| Warming up to characters on a later trip |
As long as
you don’t linger too long at your table, you can finish your pre-park opening
breakfast here and be out in the park before rope drop! I definitely recommend
an early morning meal with Winnie the Pooh and Friends at the Crystal Palace!
Thank you
for joining us today! Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you
happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~
The Many Adventures of a Disney-Lovin' Spectrum Mom
2nd Stop ~
Capturing Magical Memories
3rd Stop ~
YourFirstVisit.Net
Final Stop ~
Heidi’s Head
I love the breakfast lasagna. Yum!!
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I've never tried it?! I usually go for the Mickey Waffles!
DeleteWe have many fond memories of meals enjoyed at the Crystal Palace! In fact, it will go down in history as our first character meal experience - and, for that reason alone, it's pretty special! I enjoyed your thoughts and your pictures. I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Heidi! It's lovely having you on the Teal Loop this month!
DeleteWe have only had dinner at Crystal Palace, but I definitely want to try the breakfast! It is such a beautiful restaurant and being able to enter the park before it opens would be such a great perk!
ReplyDelete...and certainly an easier reservation to make than Cinderella's Royal Table!
DeleteCrystal Palace is a must do for us!! I totally agree, great for meeting characters without wasting valuable park time. :)
ReplyDeleteYou really can't go wrong with breakfast here! Thanks for dropping by!
DeleteLove it, Kathy! What happens after you are done, but before rope drop? Do you get to go stand by the first ride you want to ride?
ReplyDeleteStraight to Dumbo, Baby!
DeleteI'm fairly confident my family will never get up and out early enough for a before-the-park opens reservation (although I'd LOVE to do it!), but it certainly is a favorite with my crew for the rest of the day!
ReplyDelete