Bail on Crystal Palace and substitute???

[Singinglizzie]

We currently have a dinner resr. at CP, but for some reason I keep thinking we might want to switch ? Our party is for 1 adult, 1 tween, 1 teen. Originally we wanted Ohana, but it was not available for our time slot so we took CP instead. Any suggestions? We will not have a park hopper ticket, so will be able to only access restaurants in MK or on the monorail. Our other adrs include Teppan Edo, Boma, Mama Melrose, and Coral Reef. Appreciate suggestions!

 

[catne]

kids are girls or boys? Do they like Winnie the Pooh & friends...my DD loved Pooh when she was little, so she thoroughly enjoyed going to the Crystal Palace on her high school graduation trip...then went again this year (as a 19 yr. old.) She likes buffets, too.

If your kids don't care for Winnie the Pooh (or any characters) or if you don't like buffets (the food is good there, but it is hectic & noisy) here's a couple of options that we had no trouble getting into:

Kona Cafe at the Polynesian...good steak, good prime rib, wonderful bread and terrific desserts. We got a same day 6:00 p.m. ressie at Kona on a Thursday in early September. It was busy, but there seemed to be a few walk-ups being taken as we were there, so you may be able to get a reservation.

The Wave at the Contemporary...new this year and apparently "undiscovered" Steak, chicken & seafood menu...organic & earthy. Wonderful food, service & lovely decor. The desserts are outstanding. Can get milkshakes as your dinner beverage on the DDP. The place was half empty...you should have no problems getting a reservation here...

Both of these restaurants are at monorail resorts, so easy to go on to Magic Kingdom. They are much more "grown up" than Crystal Palace...they are menu-restaurants if your kids are looking for a more grown-up type of place, these will meet the bill (there are plenty of families eating at them-they're not "stuffy" grown-up.) Fun to get a chance to see those resorts, too, if you've never seen them.

 

[KatMark]

We currently have a dinner resr. at CP, but for some reason I keep thinking we might want to switch ? Our party is for 1 adult, 1 tween, 1 teen. Originally we wanted Ohana, but it was not available for our time slot so we took CP instead. Any suggestions? We will not have a park hopper ticket, so will be able to only access restaurants in MK or on the monorail. Our other adrs include Teppan Edo, Boma, Mama Melrose, and Coral Reef. Appreciate suggestions!

Are you on the dining plan? If you don't want to do Crystal Palace, we LOVE Plaza Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. It is a change of pace from all the heavy meals that you will get at Teppan Edo, Boma, Mama, etc. They have salads, huge sandwiches with fries, great shakes and awesome desserts. We've had everything from the burgers to the reubens to the club sandwiches to the chicken sandwiches--all delicious.

 

[bleeps]

Just want to mention that we had dinner last month at CP even though (1) we don't usually like buffets and (2) we were also slated to do a breakfast there. It was totally worth it to us because, seriously, this has got to be one of the best, if not the best, dinner buffets on property. The other advantage to a buffet (besides the all-you-care-to-eat and ability to put together your own combinations) is that you have complete control over the timing -- especially if you aren't particularly concerned about seeing the characters. We were able to have a lovely meal without being rushed but also without being at the mercy of the timing of the waitstaff and kitchen, so it worked out beautifully for us (right before our MNSSHP night).

 

[MickeyNicki]

I would got to the Grand Floridian Cafe, the food is incredible

 

[momof1+1+2]

We just ate at CP and LOVED the food and service. Keep trying for O'Hana's though if thats really what you want. If you are flexible with your time, maybe you can get in.

 

[Singinglizzie]

Are you on the dining plan? If you don't want to do Crystal Palace, we LOVE Plaza Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. It is a change of pace from all the heavy meals that you will get at Teppan Edo, Boma, Mama, etc. They have salads, huge sandwiches with fries, great shakes and awesome desserts. We've had everything from the burgers to the reubens to the club sandwiches to the chicken sandwiches--all delicious.

HI Katmark! Yes we had planned to be on the DDP, unless PM & Teppan Edo drops out for 2009, then we will drop out too ! My kids (DS13, DD 8) like Pooh and it is the only character dinner we have scheduled. I am second guessing the Crystal Palace "buffet" part of the dinner?

Thank you all for your suggestions. I am going to check them out!!!

 

[pumba]

The food at this buffet (CP) is fantastic......We had so many options to eat...Prime rib, roast pork, the salmon (outstanding flavor), you will be amazed at all the good choices.....Hope you give the Buffet part of it a go.....I dont think you would be disappointed ......for all ages...

 

[lurkernj]

We did dinner at CP in Sept with DS13 and DS10. We all enjoyed the food (great variety and pretty tasty too). Surprisingly the boys really enjoyed the characters as well (though they didn't take part in the parade). I think the characters go out of their way to make even the older kids laugh and have fun. I don't think you would regret dining here.

 

[joyfulscrapper]

We loved this buffet, the characters, and atmosphere - the restaurant is really pretty. There was a big selection of food and it was delicious.

But if you want another option, we went to the Whispering Canyon Cafe on our second day at MK. It is at Wilderness Lodge and is accessible by complementary boat rides from MK. We really enjoyed the smaller boat ride and the lodge is very impressive. The restaurant is known for its servers engaging in tomfoolery with the diners. My kids liked it, and even the adults around us seemed to enjoy it. If someone needs ketchup, the server yells for it out loud. Then every table that has it is supposed to bring it to your table. We ended up with about 20 bottles of it! And then the next time somone needed it, it was our turn to bring it to them. My son didn't have a fork and when we asked for one, the waitress brought him a giant one that was as big as he was. She said it was to make sure he didn't lose/drop this one. The food was good, too. But as most Disney dining goes, the theme is great. If MK wasn't closing early that day, we would have returned their for the fireworks. Instead, we took the boat back to MK, then the ferry back to parking. It was very easy to do since we also didn't have the park hopper option.

 

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

I've read such great things about CP in this thread that I think we'll try it in June! I love Tigger, and 9 yr old DS has an "anything but princesses" philosophy.