Dinner better at Chef Mickey's or Crystal Palace?

[pinkxray]

I know some will say avoid both but it's just not possible next trip. We will do one of these as breakfast and one as dinner. I would love to do both as breakfast but we don't have enough open mornings. DD really wants to do both so which is a better pick for dinner. We tried dinner at CM last trip and it was okay, nothing great. I the Crystal Palace breakfast buffet. It was my favorite all trip. We have not done CM breakfast or CP dinner.

Thanks!

 

[danielle.st]

I loved Crystal Palace for any meal. Breakfast gets an edge if you are doing and pre-park opening time.
I've done both dinner and breakfast at Chef Mickey's and was most disappointed in breakfast. If I were to return, it would be for dinner.

 

[Mamu]

Crystal Palace is always one of our favorites, it's a must do. We've done all 3 meals and have never had a problem.

It been many years since I've done Chef Mickey. I only done breakfast there and it OK.

We just returned a week ago and had our usually visit to Crystal Palace. We had lunch here on the day we were going to MNSSHP then returned to our resort for the afternoon. As always lunch was very good, service very good too.

The last night our children and grandchildren had dinner at Chef Mickey, DH and I did not attend. They returned later in the evening and said it was total chaos, service was poor, food was aweful and the place was a total mess.

I don't know if this is the norm or just a bad visit but can honestly say no one in out family will be returning to Chef Mickey any time soon. When you pay a premium price for dinner with characters you expect eatable food. They claim the food was uneatable. I find this very sad. On your last evening to a wonderful vacation, a visit to Chef Mickey put a damper on the trip.

 

[Rora]

I would choose Chef Mickey's. We love it.

 

[PatsMom]

My husband thinks that Crystal Palace is the best dinner buffet at Disney. We did both CP and CM on our trip two weeks ago and CP was definitely the best. Although we did like the characters at CM better, the food was much better at CP.

I do continue to be appalled by the number of unsupervised children at the buffets. Saw three kids picking at desserts at CM, including dropping on the floor and putting it back on the tray. Saw one child who couldn't reach the mashed potato pan trying to serve himself with no parent in site. My husband gave him a spoonful.

Just a warning to people - I noticed it more this trip because I have just begun cancer treatment and will have a compromised immune system on our January trip. We cancelled our CP and Cape May ADRs and are substituting table service instead.

 

[glk2009]

We've done both CM and CP for dinner and I would vote for CM for dinner.

I agree with PPs about CP being great for breakfast!

Have fun!!!

 

[Luv2Camp]

We like CP for the food and CM for the characters!

 

[princssdisnygina]

We LOVE CM for dinner!! Its one of our must-dos every year!

 

[Don Disney]

Just a warning to people - I noticed it more this trip because I have just begun cancer treatment and will have a compromised immune system on our January trip. We cancelled our CP and Cape May ADRs and are substituting table service instead.[/QUOTE] Sorry to hear that;I hope everything goes well with your treatment. Chef Mickey's was a disaster for us last year-the food,service,and even the characters were not good;2 times prior to that,it was very good-who knows what you'll get when you go there? On the other hand,we always go to Crystal Palace twice for dinner per trip,and it has always been pretty good in all respects.In about 36 days(and counting)we'll be in the "World" again! I keep wanting to drop Chef Mickey's like "the plague"but my wife won't let me-I want to enjoy the trip,so I don't. As for the "munchkins" at the buffets-I have no problem playing the role of "Buffet Monitor"-I won't hesitate to help them out,or call a CM to take care of any issues that might arise-I'm not one to be shy about speaking up. PatsMom,I wish you the very best on your recovery-HANG IN THERE!!

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

Crystal Palace... we've have some bad service and character interactions our last 2 trips at Chef Mickey's. The food at both places is usually pretty good though.

 

[SmallWorld71]

I've done each several times and IMO Crystal Palace is better at both. We love dinner there. I think I would only return to CM's for breakfast (although it is not as good at CP breakfast.)

 

[nifferearly]

We really like the CM breakfast (although not as good as CP). We recently did dinner for the first time and didn't really care for it. Their breakfast was much better!

 

[crostorfer]

I know some will say avoid both but it's just not possible next trip. We will do one of these as breakfast and one as dinner. I would love to do both as breakfast but we don't have enough open mornings. DD really wants to do both so which is a better pick for dinner. We tried dinner at CM last trip and it was okay, nothing great. I the Crystal Palace breakfast buffet. It was my favorite all trip. We have not done CM breakfast or CP dinner.

Thanks!

Hey girl! I haven't quite gotten there on my Dining Review yet, but trust me 1000 times over when I say Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace all the way.

 

[jenjersnap]

CP is a million percent better than CM for both breakfast and dinner. Possibly a billion percent better.

 

[stitchaholic]

i prefer chef mickeys, my last dinner experience with CP was awful, and i was not impressed with the food at all, nor the character interaction

 

[GovieMom]

CP is a million percent better than CM for both breakfast and dinner. Possibly a billion percent better.

LOL ... I have to agree. LOVE the food at Crystal Palace!

 

[danielle.st]

Let me also add, for a much better Mickey breakfast than CM, try Cape May Cafe breakfast! It was excellent

 

[Pooh&OurHunny]

We went to Chef Mickey dinner and food was not good. We went to Crystal Palace for lunch and they have many assorment of food and much better selection. I would pick CP

 

[rkrushing4]

Another vote for Crystal Palace. Every year we go we have to eat there it is one of our favorites. We have had breakfast, lunch and dinner. We have also had Chef Mickeys last year and will not return. The food selection we felt was very limited, the place was loud and chaotic, the food areas were not so clean and there weren't even bowls for ice cream. Of course I am glad that we tried it once.

 

[2Tiggers]

If your talking food, CP.

If your talking characters, CM. But, I think the pooh characters are great too.