Restaurant Review: The Crystal Palace

Rating:

Location: Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace is a buffet style restaurant on the end of Main Street facing Cinderella Castle. This spot serves breakfast, lunch and dinner and features the cute characters from Winnie the Pooh.

Our family still goes here occasionally for sentimental reasons and we always have a nice time. When my sisters were young, this was a must-do for our family with the Winnie the Pooh characters!

What we like:

This is a great spot for big groups and families with small children. The buffet style makes it very easy if you have picky eaters. Winnie the Pooh and friends come around to the tables to sign autographs and take pictures with your group. It usually takes about an hour for them to all come around to the table, so take your time eating! Don’t worry, dessert is included in the buffet (there’s even an ice cream machine!).

Things to note:

I would not recommend this spot unless you have younger kids. While it’s a great location on Main Street, the food and atmosphere are just okay. It can be very noisy and busy with the characters coming around, so if you’re a group with older kids or adults, I would choose somewhere else.

WDW Park Planners Tip:

Even with a reservation, you will end up waiting for your table once you check in. Make your reservation for 15-30 minutes earlier than you normally would book. While you wait, sit outside on the benches and take in the sites and sounds of Main Street and the Castle area.

Restaurant Review: Be Our Guest Restaurant

WDW Park Planners Rating:

Location: Magic Kingdom

Who wouldn’t want to dine in Belle and the Beast’s castle? Because at Be Our Guest, that’s exactly what you get – an exquisite French meal alongside the Beast himself.

Dining is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Be Our Guest – and reservations are highly recommended for all three meals. We’ve had the opportunity to dine here for lunch and dinner, and enjoyed both tremendously.

Breakfast and lunch are considered quick-service meals, so you order at a kiosk and then your food is brought out to you on a cart by your waiter. For dinner, the menu has recently changed to a pre-fixe, 3-course dining experience. Dinner is much pricier than the other meals, and for us, lunch was just as enjoyable as the much fancier dinner.

The food is good for a Disney park, but you’re really coming to this spot for the full experience. Upon entering, you walk into the Grand Ballroom – which looks exactly like the original movie! It’s absolutely breathtaking and magical. There are two other rooms as well: the West Wing (where the forbidden rose is kept) and the Castle Gallery, which is Belle’s library. You’re able to dine in any of the three rooms, all of which are great.

Beast comes around and greets guests in each of the three rooms. After your meal, you will have the opportunity to get a picture with the Beast. This is always one of my favorite Disney pictures and one of the best characters to see, so definitely don’t pass this up!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

As with anything in Disney, ask and you shall receive (most of the time!). If you want to sit in a specific room in Beast’s castle, make that known upon arrival. You may have to wait a bit longer, but this one is worth the wait. Personally, I love the Grand Ballroom – watching the snow fall outside of the (fake) windows is so beautiful.

Reservations are so difficult to get for this spot, so make sure you book extra far in advance!