Chef Mickey or Crystal Palace?

[Lalita]

Which one do you prefer? Which one has more selection? This one be for dinner.

 

[Suzanne74]

I have done both and I think Chef Mickey's is by far the better choice. Lots of characters and lots of fun.

 

[Cookie Princess]

We prefer CP over CM for dinner, although we enjoy CM for breakfast. The dinner @ CM was really mediocre and the place was a mess.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

Funny - DH and I were just talking about this last night!

We had dinner at both places in January and we are getting our plans together for October. DH said he absolutely wants to go back to CP. He thought the selection was much better and he just enjoyed it more. I liked them both, but I have to say I liked CP a little bit better. And it was nice to be able to just go to the restaurant at MK, eat, and come out for Wishes. The characters at both places were fine - I am basing my opinion on food more than characters.

I have nothing BAD to say about CM, just liked CP a little better.

 

[weeyore33]

my vote is for Chef Mickeys by far, we have eaten at both more than once, and to be honest, the food is much better at CM! the mashed potatoes there are the best! we were actually talking about them last night. If it is for characters- CM- mickey, minnie, donald, goofy- CP-pooh, piglet,eeyore
will you be at the MK on that day? which ever you choose you will have a great time, we think that the "celebration" at CM is more fun than the CP also.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

From what I've gathered here and elsewhere, there's not going to be all that much difference in the food. They both end up changing menus so which one had more variety and flair the one time may not be the next time. Both have their good nights, and both have their bad nights, more good than bad. Both ran exactly 80% thumbs up, 20% thumbs down in the guide I bought. Both have a pretty loyal following when all is said and done.

I think when all is said and done, your decision really comes down to
Which of these do you want?
Mickey, Chip N Dale, Goofy, and Sometimes Minnie and Donald in the contemporary concourse with true soaring ceiling with a view of the monorail
Or
Pooh, tigger, Eeyore, and sometimes piglet in the conservatory with a beautiful garden in the middle of it

Or was it colonel mustard with the rope in the parlor. hmmm.

 

[Carolinagirl1063]

I really like both but I am a very picky eater and CM doesn't always have a lot I like to eat but we eat dinner there every time we go. We also eat at CP every time we go.
I agree with the previous poster who said its a toss up! Hint, dd asks for CM every night unless we are doing 1900 Park Fare.

 

[weeyore33]

my kids always ask for cm and never cp, i feel like the food choices are always better at cm, but it could be the days we were there

 

[TiggerPiglet]

Chef Mickey's. We always have a lot of fun there

 

[DiznEeyore]

We've never done Crystal Palace for dinner -- we think they have the best breakfast on property, so we always have that meal there at least once per trip. Chef Mickey's is good for dinner ... those mashed potatoes are awesome, and our son loves the dessert bar!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We did both in April. For the entertainment factor Chef Mickeys wins over but really that place is such a zoo. The lines are horrendous, even if you have a adr and this time dh went to check in and had to dodge like 20 people just trying to walk up. (They were ALL turned away) We skipped the picture. Our server seemed frazzled after a while and the atmosphere was like get em in and out. Not an empty table in the place. The food is good but my prime rib was more like a chuck roast. The mickey pasta is cute and the dessert selection is great plus the ice cream station for the kids is awesome. The characters are really rushed with lots of people taking long videos and multiple poses of all family members etc. Crystal Palace is a little more sedate compared to chef mickeys and the food was very good too. Its a great choice if you dont feel like leaving the park. Our next trip in dec. I am honestly dropping chef mickeys and probably doing LTT again as we have not done that in a long time. If you have never done it before then do it, but usually do it every trip and it just gets crazier each time.

 

[poohluvrs]

luvmarypoppins- what time was your ressie for dinner @ CM when t was crazy?thanks

 

[Kaycee]

I prefer Chef Mickey's because I love Mickey and friends, and I'm not a big fan of the Pooh characters. If you have really young children, you may prefer Crystal Palace. Little ones seem to to really love Pooh and friends.

 

[sportears]

On early admission days to the MK, we always reserve the latest possible priority seating time at CP. This late breakfast, or brunch allows us to enjoy the park early, skip lunch, finish the park shortly there after and head back to the hotel early to beat the afternoon crowds and heat. It also saves money by combining 2 meals, breakfast and lunch. Of course we eat a quick snack early in the morning like a granola bar to help us make it through the morning. Food wise, CM is probably a little better, but Breakfast is Breakfast. You have several opportunities to meet and greet Mickey while at WDW.

 

[Cookie Princess]

For the entertainment factor Chef Mickeys wins over but really that place is such a zoo. The lines are horrendous, even if you have a adr and this time dh went to check in and had to dodge like 20 people just trying to walk up. (They were ALL turned away) We skipped the picture. Our server seemed frazzled after a while and the atmosphere was like get em in and out. Not an empty table in the place. The food is good but my prime rib was more like a chuck roast. The mickey pasta is cute and the dessert selection is great plus the ice cream station for the kids is awesome. The characters are really rushed with lots of people taking long videos and multiple poses of all family members etc.

You are exactly right! It is a zoo and the place gets so messy that it is kind of gross around the buffet area and even on the floors. We have had the best luck going early for breakfast. I don't think we will do dinner again! We were there around 7:00 p.m.

 

[sha_lyn]

CP for certain. The food, service and character interaction is far better than at CM. At CM's the food is uneatable. Cold, bland grey gross slop I wouldn't feed to a pig. We were starving when we left. I still can't understand the rave reviews for that cold wall pater paste that is passed off as mashed potatoes. I remember a poster from the UK commenting that amercans must not know what good mashed potatoes are if thye like the ones at CM. I have to agree.

At CP the breakfast and lunch as both wonderful. All the food is good, but my favs would be the breakfast lasagna, and at lunch the Chicken ceasar pasta.

 

[Jungle Skipper]

My crew prefers Chef Mickeys, although I don't particularly care for either.

After 2 horrible experiences at the Crystal Palace, it earned the nickname "The Golden Corral of Disney" from my family....I thought it was kind of clever.

Jungle Josh