crystal palace to illuminations..what do u think?

[jetienne]

i'm trying to get an ADR at crystal palace for 5pm (mommy's bday), nd then head over to epcot in time for illuminations.

could anyone tell me how long it takes to get from magic kingdom to epcot? also, my mom is turning 50(..haha she doesn't know i know her age), and there are no young kids in our family of 4. i thought originally to eat in the epcot-resort area, but everything there was rather expensive, nd i didnt hear very good reviews about cape may cafe. do you think crystal palace is a good place for us to have dinner? or do you have any other options? i really want to figure this out. your help would be greatly appreciated

 

[CanadianGuy]

How long from point A to point B type questions will get the best answers on our transportation board.

So I'm going to move this one to there.

Thanks!

Knox

 

[helenk]

Getting to Epcot for Illuminations will not be hard at all. If your dinner is at 5:00 I will assume that you will be done by 6:00. Exit the park and get on the express monorail to the TTC. From the TTC get the monorail over to Epcot. I would suspect that you will be entering Epcot by 7:00 perhaps even earlier. This will give you plenty of time to get a spot for Illuminations.
Personally I love the buffet at the Cape May Cafe, that is where I am taking my husband for his Birthday in Sept. We really enjoy the steamed clams so we definately get our moneys worth. I have eaten breakfast at the Crystal Place and loved it! I have never eaten dinner there though. How about Ohana at the Poly or even the GF Cafe there are alot of choices at the MK resorts. The Garden Grille at the Land in Epcot is pretty good too.

 

[Colinsmom]

We love the Garden Grill - it's so calm and quiet, and we've always had excellent character interaction there. The food is served family style and we've really enjoyed it. CP has more options on the buffet, though, if you have a group with diverse tastes. But with Garden Grill, you'd be right there for Illuminations. The only challenge with GG is getting an ADR for a group larger than 4 - their large tables are pretty limited. But it's worth a call to see what they have if the menu appeals to you!

 

[pooch]

i'm trying to get an ADR at crystal palace for 5pm (mommy's bday), nd then head over to epcot in time for illuminations.

could anyone tell me how long it takes to get from magic kingdom to epcot? also, my mom is turning 50(..haha she doesn't know i know her age), and there are no young kids in our family of 4. i thought originally to eat in the epcot-resort area, but everything there was rather expensive, nd i didnt hear very good reviews about cape may cafe. do you think crystal palace is a good place for us to have dinner? or do you have any other options? i really want to figure this out. your help would be greatly appreciated

Someday YOU"LL be turning 50 too!!! As a 50 something here, I'm not sure CP would be my first choice for a b-day dinner. Now, everyone's tastes are different so this is just my opinion. Last year DD and I went to 50's Primetime in DHS and it SOO reminded me of my very, very distant childhood. If your Mom is a good sport, she might enjoy the antics here and we LOVE the Pot Roast. Also, Epcot would be a short boat ride away.

Wish your Mom a very happy birthday for me!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

Voice of experiece talking here....turned 50 2 months before my first trip to WDW. I love CP and we try to do it once on every trip, but I would try for a spot at 50's Prime Time as well..it's an absolute hoot. Then, you can either take the boat to Epcot or walk along the canal and though Boardwalk.
Garden Grill is another one that we like...decent food and characters to boot. And you'll be right in Epcot.
Or, how about 1900 Park Fare over in the GF? Or the Grand Floridian Cafe...that's a really nice spot and elegant and grownup. Then, take the monorail to the TTC and transfer to the Epcot monorail.
If you eat in DHS, it will take you about 30 mins, depending on how you get there, to get to Epcot. If you walk, it will be about 20-25 mins from DHS to International Gateway. If you decide to take the boat, you may have to wait for the boat..if one is just pulling away from the dock, it could be another 20 mins before the next one arrives. Then, the boat will stop at the S/D, then YC/BC, BW and then head to Epcot. I always advise walking...it's much shorter unless the boat is right there, loading as you walk up to the dock.

 

[Inkmahm]

I just turned 50 when we were at Disney in March and I would not have picked Crystal Palace buffet for my dinner. We eat lunch there sometimes but never dinner. Dinner is at Jikos, California Grill, Brown Derby, le Cellier, Yachtsmen Steakhouse, Flying Fish, etc.

If you want to be at Epcot I'd try for a restaurant there or in the Boardwalk area.

 

[jetienne]

thank you sooo much everyone for all your helpful advice!! ill let you know how it went. thanks again!

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

We ate at Crystal Palace in January and it was one of the worst meals of a 10 day trip. I would go to Chef Mickeys over this place if you want a buffet! It is much better there!

 

[goofy4tink]

We ate at Crystal Palace in January and it was one of the worst meals of a 10 day trip. I would go to Chef Mickeys over this place if you want a buffet! It is much better there!

And this is exactly what is so wonderful about WDW....we used to love Chef Mickey's and Crystal Palace equally. Now, however, we tend to favor CP. We've found the food to be better. But, we still fit in one meal at CM's. It always cracks me up to see people battle over which restaurants are to be avoided....You prefer CM's, I prefer CP...as far as food quality goes. Are we both wrong? I doubt it. Everyone has different opinions and expectations. No one will ever win the battle over 'which restaurant is best'...too many variables.