I want a "MAGICAL" DINNER for me, hubby and kids in the MK-where do you suggest?

[FairyDust2008]

It will be me, hubby and 2 kids, ages 9 and 11. Where do you suggest in the Magic Kingdom to make ADR's for? We have thought of Sci-Fi, Cinderella's Royal Table, although this would be MAINLY for my dd. My ds wouldn't get much enjoyment out of a bunch of Princesses, LOL He would do it for his sister though but not sure if it is worth it or not. It would be cool to have the pics taken, etc but how is the food for dinner? What is the typical menu like? Where else in the MK would you suggest? How is the Crystal Palace for dinner? Would that be a good choice? I would love to hear about your experiences, what types of food is available and if you have any pictures to share would be great! We currently have ressies for Chef Mickey's on our arrival night for dinner and Ohana's Character Breakfast for the 1st morning we head to MK. We are staying at the Poly. Any suggestions would be awesome-THANKS!

 

[FairyDust2008]

We could do Ohana's for dinner that night and take the monorail back since we are staying at the POLY but....................I wanted to maximize our time in the MK so eating someplace there would work out a bit better I think. We are going to have a couple days of downtime at the POLY to schedule Ohana's, Kona and the Luau. Thanks!

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

I dont know if I can give you a fair judgement since I have only eaten at Crystal Palace. We liked it but it is another buffet. We usually eat there before the Christmas Party each year. It is cute with Tigger and Pooh the food is OK but not great. I dont know if you will find "Magical" at MK eateries. Maybe in Epcot or one of the hotels. Check out some dining reviews on this section and that might be a huge help in your decesion. Some people love the Castle dinner but it is expensive if paying OOP and 2 credits on the dining plan. I cant wait to see what you pick.

 

[PrincessNoelle'sMom]

How about California Grill? Magical way to see Wishes, close to your resort and you can make a later ADR since your kids are old enough to stay up a little later you can do MK and then leave later and have a later dinner seating. I know you'd have to leave MK, but I agree with pp - MK eateries (besides the Castle) are just OK. If you do choose the castle though, Dinner is not a princess meal. There in Cinderella in the lobby and the Fairy Godmother visits the dining room. The princesses only appear at breakfast and lunch.

Good Luck in whatever you choose.

 

[tedisney]

Crystal Palace is great - always our first meal when we get to WDW.

We consider Ohana for dinner kind of an extension of the MK. We try to get there for dinner about 45 minutes or so before Wishes starts, and then tell them you're willing to wait for a window table when you check in for your ADR.

Ohana dinner with the music from Wishes piped in, that's a magic dinner.

 

[twinspluscade]

For right in MK, I would recommend Crystal Palace. Really neat atmosphere, plus fun characters, and we thought the food was great! We've eaten at many of the character buffets and family service places, and Crystal Palace is our favorite food wise.

 

[Buzz's Buddy]

Just to clarify, are you looking for a restaurant "inside" the Magic Kingdom or anywhere in WDW?

Based on your children's ages, I would suggest the Hoop De Doo Revue. It's a bit pricey (and you can certainly find mixed reviews) but I think your kids are at the age where they will really enjoy the show. Our DS11 really loves the show and so do we!

 

[nicolemm]

CRT for dinner isn't as much of a character meal as breakfst and lunch. i think it has the fairy godmother and cinderella is still downstairs for pictures when you arrive, but i don't believe that characters are roaming around the restaurant.

It is more a dinner in the castle. So that may work for you. Perhaps California Grill to see the fireworks at the end of the night? Many on this board love it.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Out of the six buffet meals (Crystal Palace-D, Chef Mickey's-D, 1900 Park Fare-D, Tusker House-L, Akershus-B, Hollywood & Vine-L) we ate at WDW in December I would rank Crystal Palace LAST!

We definitely put both Chef Mickey's and 1900 Park Fare on the top of our lists.

Besides dh and I we have a 6yo dd and a 2yo ds.

Tusker House for lunch was outstanding...but there aren't any characters other than breakfast. I think w/ kids...characters are key for "magic."

I think I would opt for 1900 Park Fare for most magic. The Grand Floridian is beautiful, the festiveness of 1900 Park Fare is catching...and the antics of Lady Tremaine and the step sisters is VERY entertaining!

 

[Dana49]

Inside the Magic Kingdom, I suggest the character dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern.

 

[teachingmykids]

We did Cindy's breakfast last year ~ it was horrible. We stood in line forever for the pictures (& it was off season), the food was disgusting and WAY overpriced. Yeah, I know you're paying for the princesses, but I didn't think it was worth it. I would swear the scrambled eggs were powdered, I didn't even recognize the flavor.
That has been our only bad food experience of all our trips. Hopefully, it was just a bad day in the kitchen....

 

[Daisey D]

From the MK you could easily head to Hoop Dee Doo. My family loved it there. The food was really good and the show was so much fun.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Eating inside the castle is pretty "magical." Your son might really enjoy looking at the suits of armor and the banners, the decor itself is not at all girly.

We've had great experiences at CP for dinner. The character interaction was GREAT and the food always just a little better than other buffets (again, this was only our experience).

Other than that, I prefer to leave MK to dine. HDDR is AWESOME, but would take a big chunk of your time, CG is outstanding for food and view, and 1900 Park Fare would be fun and good food.

 

[pixie2416]

Another vote for Liberty Tree Tavern

 

[TDC Nala]

Sci-Fi is not in the Magic Kingdom, it's at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 

[hvivona]

The Character meal at Liberty Tree Tavern is very good. We eat there every year. Another good place is Tony's Town Square if you're wanting something nice w/o characters.

 

[browning]

We thought the food was extremely so-so at Liberty Tree Tavern -- however, by far the best characters. Most time with them, most interaction. We loved it there -- but don't go there for the food. It's all about the location and the characters!
s.

 

[SuzieN]

We love the Crystal Palace! It is a very beautiful place. The food is excellent with lots of great choices! The characters are very cute too! We have dinner there every time we go to WDW!!

 

[Northern_Julie]

Check here for food pics

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1346838

 

[DisneyFan83]

Liberty Tree Tavern