Buffet right before breakfast ends?

[ILoveMK2008]

Just made ressies for Crystal Palace at 1010 AM, but I've never been to a buffet at WDW right before they close to prepare for the next meal (CP closes at 1030 and reopens at 1130). How will this work? Will we only be able to get food for 20 minutes? Or will the food stay out until all the customers in the restaurant have left? Is 1010 probably the last breakfast ressie, or do they let people make reservations right up until 1030? Thanks for your help

 

[clanmcculloch]

The restaurant does not close. They just don't take ADRs during the posted end of breakfast time (if 10:30 is listed then the last ADR is either 10:25 or 10:30, I'm not sure which). It makes it much easier for them to cut down on the breakfast offerings and start putting out lunch offerings. I believe that there are 2 sides to the buffet with identical offerings. They will stop stocking one side with breakfast foods and consolidate to one side but you'll still have the full assortment of breakfast foods. This just means less waste for the restaurant since there are less people. They will then start to prepare the emptied side for lunch. You are free to take any food you'd like off any part of the buffet until you decide that you've had enough to eat. There will be fresh food for you the entire time.

 

[2Tiggies]

I have especially booked 'last seating' meals in the past and have another one booked for this year. Aside from the practicalities of timing when perhaps you want one big meal to serve as 2 (late breakfast means you don't need to bother with lunch for example) but also, particularly with character meals I have found that it often allows you far more time with the characters. Only once did we experience an exception to this, but we have done a few at CP and always really enjoyed it.

 

[mmay60046]

We have 10:20 ADR's at CP a week from this Saturday. Originally we had 9:10 ADR's but then someone pointed out to me that it would be better to make later ADR's and enjoy the earlier time with shorter wait times in Fantasyland so I changed it to the later time.

I'm just hoping the omlette guy doesn't pack up before I have a chance to score one.

 

[JJNikaPiot]

The restaurant does not close. They just don't take ADRs during the posted end of breakfast time (if 10:30 is listed then the last ADR is either 10:25 or 10:30, I'm not sure which). It makes it much easier for them to cut down on the breakfast offerings and start putting out lunch offerings. I believe that there are 2 sides to the buffet with identical offerings. They will stop stocking one side with breakfast foods and consolidate to one side but you'll still have the full assortment of breakfast foods. This just means less waste for the restaurant since there are less people. They will then start to prepare the emptied side for lunch. You are free to take any food you'd like off any part of the buffet until you decide that you've had enough to eat. There will be fresh food for you the entire time.

That's a benefit I didn't know about when scheduling ours for 1005a. Now I'll need to go add that menu to the binder as well.

 

[2binak]

I can't speak to CP, but we had a 10:25am ADR at Tusker House with a "closing" time 10:30am. All of our food was fresh and the hot food was hot & the cold food was cold. Character interaction was great, they even came by our table twice before we left. Lunch started at 11:30 but we were done eating by then so I didn't see how they transitioned over to lunch.

 

[LisaTC]

I did this at Akershus for this Oct. At first I had an earlier one, then I thought after reading a good tip that I'd change it to the last seating. Gives you an opportunity to get there at rope drop if you wish, catch a ride, grab a Fast Passes, etc before you time...having brunch instead of just breakfast. We usually only eat 2 meals on vacation, so this works for us great!

 

[crazycatlady]

I can't speak to CP, but we had a 10:25am ADR at Tusker House with a "closing" time 10:30am. All of our food was fresh and the hot food was hot & the cold food was cold. Character interaction was great, they even came by our table twice before we left. Lunch started at 11:30 but we were done eating by then so I didn't see how they transitioned over to lunch.

Thanks for the info. I had a 9:30 breakfast reservation even thought I wanted it later because I was afraid that we would miss out on breakfast if they were running behind. I didn't know that there was a closing time where the late adrs got to finish up. I changed my reservation to 10:15.

 

[ILoveMK2008]

Thanks so much everyone. Prepping myself for breakfast pizza now...

 

[2binak]

Thanks for the info. I had a 9:30 breakfast reservation even thought I wanted it later because I was afraid that we would miss out on breakfast if they were running behind. I didn't know that there was a closing time where the late adrs got to finish up. I changed my reservation to 10:15.

You're welcome! If you go to disneyworld.com and look into the details of a particular restaurant, they will list the "closing" & "opening" times for the different meals.