Wow, my last dining review. At least until October.
I was kind of sad that it was my last day when I woke up, but I was also anxious to go home due to stuff going on there. But it was my last day in Disney, and at that point I didn't think I'd be returning again until fall of 2010.
I spent the morning in the Magic Kingdom, and really just focused on meeting Ariel and Tinker Bell that morning, and doing some Fantasyland attractions "one more time" before my lunch, since I knew I'd have to leave right after lunch.
My ADR at Crystal Palace was for 11:35, five minutes after they "opened" which is really just five minutes from when they switch over the breakfast buffet to lunch.
Even arriving early I did have a bit of a wait. I wasn't too worried since I had a few hours until my DME pickup time, I figured as long as I was out of the Magic Kingdom by 1:30 I'd be fine, and I knew lunch would only take me an hour, so no worries.
When I was seated it was about 11:45, and I was starving. I hadn't eaten breakfast that morning, though I had spent the rest of my snack credits, all thriteen of them, (I had only used one snack credit the whole week prior to today,) on fudge and packaged snacks. Plus I wasn't getting dinner tonight since I'd be on a plane at dinner time, so I wanted to eat as much as possible.
As soon as my server greeted me, (can't find her name on any receipts or in my journal,) and I had ordered my diet Coke, I headed straight up to the buffet.
I had a piece of the ancho chile-rubbed salmon, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn spoonbread, and pasta primevara.
Most of this stuff I had tried on my first lunch visit to Crystal Palace, and liked it enough to get again. I sang praises about the salmon, and tried unsuccessfully to recreate it at home, but this was just as good as the first time, and I could've just eaten this and been happy. Until I tried the pasta primevara. It was so good, and may have replaced the salmon as my favorite thing to eat at Crystal Palace. It was in a very creamy alfredo-type sauce with I think feta cheese, and I swear there were vegetables in it, though there aren't any visible in the picture.
The rest of the food on the plate was good too. The macaroni and cheese was the best I've had at a buffet, and the mashed potatoes and broccoli both had a strong garlic flavor, but I love garlic, so for me, these were really good. The corn spoonbread I loved the first time, and once again found it quite enjoyable.
On my second plate I had some more pasta primevara and corn spoonbread as well as somen citrus-marinated London broil, bbq pork, and Asian curry noodles. The noodles were the only thing I had at lunch that I didn't think were that good. They weren't bad, they just weren't very flavorful. The steak was good, though it was well done, it wasn't dried out, and the pork was very good as well.
Then it was time for dessert!
I had two pieces of chocolate pecan squares, flan, lemon tart, cheesecake brownie, and a double chocolate brownie. All of the desserts were good, my favorite being the chocolate pecan squares.
I also had a small dish of ice cream.
Look at the rainbowey sprinkles! I think this may have been the only ice cream I had all week, since I know I never got around to having a Mickey bar.
Oh well, I'll have two this trip to make up for it.
My server also suprised me with this;
I also got a card signed by all the Pooh characters.
The characters that day were Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore. The character interaction was good as always, and I had my picture taken with each.
Crystal Palace is one of my favorite restaurants, and I am bummed that I wasn't able to get an ADR there for this trip.
I do think that they shouldn't have the dishes and dustpans in your face. Ugh. Chef Mickey's serves the typical food I've seen at other breakfast buffets. That could have been my last breakfast at Yacht Club Galley (pre-Captain's Grill), but I had Mickey waffles, too. 
Unless they don't have free dining next fall, then I might go in Dec next year.
I might have to eat there twice next year, depending on how many days I have, once for breakfast and once for lunch. Maybe twice for lunch. 
LOL! Good Lord I am so Blond! And for real, I am brunette but I swear God shoulda made me a blonde.... It looks like you had a blast over your 25th birthday celebration! 
