I voted for CP. I think it's such a pretty restaurant and not bad food either.
In past years you could get into MK at 4:00 with your MNSSHP tickets. You could make ressies for 4:30 or 5:00 be done in about an hour and enjoy the rest of your night in the park. In 2006 we had ADR's for 5:00 before MNSSHP and it was great! I love getting the most for our money!
Incidentally, we're having Chef Mickey's our first night at Disney followed by the MVMCP. Unfortunately, CM's doesn't open until 5:00 but I like to get pictures and autograph's out of the way early so we don't have to worry about them the rest of our trip. I hope we should still be able to be in MK by a little after 6:00 though.
I voted for the Crystal Palace. It is one of our favorite restaurants. However, we have also done Liberty Tree Tavern during MNSSHP and it was awesome. The characters were great and the whole atmosphere was something to experience.
I voted for Crystal Palace because the buffet is great and it has such an interactive experience. I love the character parade and, often, join in with the characters.
We loved LTT for the MNSSHP! We had a 5:35pm ADR because we didn't want to miss any of the festivities!!!! We got out of the restaurant literally at 6:58 and saw the transformation... it was great! Got right out and began trick-or-treating! I prefer LTT over CP for the same reason another poster above mentioned... so much nicer to sit back and relax rather than having to go up for each dish....
LTT fan here! We do it for dinner before hard ticket events. Last October we did it before MNSSHP with an ADR at 4:30 and got out in plenty of time to stroll around the park before the party actually started, which was nice. Did the same thing for a P&PP in February.
Love the food and character interaction!
I wouldn't eat a TS meal that late. You're paying a premium to attend the party, and it only lasts 5 hours. Especially with a 6 year old, who may not make it to midnight anyway. Instead, I'd either eat a little earlier (say, 6 at a restaurant in the park) or, if you really want to eat later, plan to grab a quick CS meal during the party. Cosmic Ray's would be a good choice, as you could catch the dance party during dinner.
I believe the parades were at 8:15 and 10:30 last year, with the fireworks in between at 9:30.
Thanks everyone for your votes and suggestions, I have email our agent at Dreams Unlimited and hope to get a 5:00 pm reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern just prior to MNSSHP. Now I just hope the projected dates that came out last week are correct
Crystal Palace is one of my faves. The food is excellent, and there is a good variety. Service is outstanding, but character interaction has been a bit spotty.