One Table Service LUNCH in MK - SOMEWHAT SURPRISING UPDATE post #9

[iloveeeyore]

Here's a little background: We are a party of 4, DH and I (40-somethings), DD turning Sweet16 during the trip, and DS13. We have an 11-night stay and have booked a TS dinner for each night. We usually do CS lunches, but have decided to go for just a few (3 total) sit-down lunches in our 12 full days on-property. We recently decided it will be economical for us, based on our dining choices, to upgrade 1 park pass to an AP so we can purchase a TIW card. On the day in discussion, we will be having a very late dinner (for us) at the 9:30 HDDR (going to this late show because it's the only one we can use TIW for). We will be in MK during the day, and thought we would probably need a very substantial meal to sustain us until 9:30 (don't you just LOVE the justification to spend more $$?!). So we are thinking about a late-ish lunch in MK...

We have narrowed it down to 2 choices, Crystal Palace and CRT. We are NOT on the DDP, so #of credits is not an issue. Our only other character meal of the trip is our first night dinner at Chef Mickey's. I checked, and as of this minute, both are available.

Please give me your thoughts, especially if you have done lunch at both of these restaurants.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

If I have to choose from your list it would be Crystal Palace, but may I suggest The Plaza. We enjoy our lunches there very much. The sandwiches are filing enough, but when you add the wonderful ice cream desserts, it truly is a great meal. We are also family of four, DD17 & DS14 love it there.

 

[Jess6001]

I haven't been to CRT in a long time (before it became a character meal) but I didn't love it then and I've read a lot of negative reviews about it.

We ate at CP last year for lunch and it was good for a buffet but IMHO I like a sit-down TS better...better food and easier I think.

So if you chose one of those, I'd love CP.

However, have you ever tried Liberty Tree Tavern? We LOVEEE it there!

 

[JoePa4Ever]

If I have to choose from your list it would be Crystal Palace, but may I suggest The Plaza. We enjoy our lunches there very much. The sandwiches are filing enough, but when you add the wonderful ice cream desserts, it truly is a great meal. We are also family of four, DD17 & DS14 love it there.

My thoughts exactly - The Plaza has good sandwiches & fantastic desserts!

 

[catne]

wouldn't suggest the Castle for lunch as it will cost you about double the $$ as any other table service lunch, and you won't get "substantial" on the food - unless you really, really want a picture with Cinderella & princess meal, I wouldn't go there. Crystal Palace would be my choice at the MK for late lunch -- it's a full buffet so everyone will have choices they like & can fill up. It is a character meal (Winnie the Pooh & friends) so it is busy there, but the food is good.

Other option would be to hop the monorail and go to Kona Cafe at the Polynesian, or The Wave at the Contemporary, or The Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian...is easy to do from the MK, would give you a nice break from the park & a chance to really relax in a more peaceful atmosphere - no characters, no hubbub with a buffet. Lots of good food choices at these restaurants (we've eaten at all three.) -

editted to add: If you like BBQ ribs & rotisserie chicken you can get a VERY substantial counter service meal at Cosmic Rays --the ribs & chicken platter comes with a mess'o ribs, a 1/2 chicken, mashed potatoes & green beans...for about $14 per person...cheaper than a table service, And portions are huge...neither husband nor I can ever finish this meal.

 

[Dsny4fun]

Liberty tree tavern is a great place for lunch...but I also like the Plaza. I prefer Crystal palace for breakfast.

 

[iloveeeyore]

If I have to choose from your list it would be Crystal Palace, but may I suggest The Plaza. We enjoy our lunches there very much. The sandwiches are filing enough, but when you add the wonderful ice cream desserts, it truly is a great meal. We are also family of four, DD17 & DS14 love it there.

Thanks for this suggestion, I admit I'm slightly intrigued by The Plaza, it looks inviting whenever we walk by...but we are trying to avoid too many desserts, and we are looking for something different than sandwiches.

I haven't been to CRT in a long time (before it became a character meal) but I didn't love it then and I've read a lot of negative reviews about it.

We ate at CP last year for lunch and it was good for a buffet but IMHO I like a sit-down TS better...better food and easier I think.

So if you chose one of those, I'd love CP.

However, have you ever tried Liberty Tree Tavern? We LOVEEE it there!

Hmmmm...LTT. I admit I hadn't thought of it at all because we aren't really big turkey dinner fans; but they do have an a la carte lunch menu there, don't they? I'll take a look at it. I agree about sit-down vs. buffets; in general, we much prefer to be served. Thanks for the suggestion!

My thoughts exactly - The Plaza has good sandwiches & fantastic desserts!

Thanks for offering your thoughts, much appreciated!

wouldn't suggest the Castle for lunch as it will cost you about double the $$ as any other table service lunch, and you won't get "substantial" on the food - unless you really, really want a picture with Cinderella & princess meal, I wouldn't go there. Crystal Palace would be my choice at the MK for late lunch -- it's a full buffet so everyone will have choices they like & can fill up. It is a character meal (Winnie the Pooh & friends) so it is busy there, but the food is good.

Other option would be to hop the monorail and go to Kona Cafe at the Polynesian, or The Wave at the Contemporary, or The Grand Floridian Cafe at the Grand Floridian...is easy to do from the MK, would give you a nice break from the park & a chance to really relax in a more peaceful atmosphere - no characters, no hubbub with a buffet. Lots of good food choices at these restaurants (we've eaten at all three.) -

editted to add: If you like BBQ ribs & rotisserie chicken you can get a VERY substantial counter service meal at Cosmic Rays --the ribs & chicken platter comes with a mess'o ribs, a 1/2 chicken, mashed potatoes & green beans...for about $14 per person...cheaper than a table service, And portions are huge...neither husband nor I can ever finish this meal.

Thanks for your advice and suggestions. We are staying at the Poly, and are planning a dinner at Kona, and possibly lunch on a different day. We are definitely doing Cosmic Rays on a different day (we don't want chicken and ribs this day, since we are having chicken and ribs for dinner at HDDR). I like your idea about escaping MK for some peace and quiet; we anticipate that this lunch will be the last event for the day in MK before we escape to the Poly to rest by the pool until our late dinner! I admit, I had thought about GF Cafe, and am still toying with the Garden Tea room as an option as well. So many choices, so little time!

Still open to more ideas, though I'm leaning at this point toward CP. It might be nice to dine in the castle, though, no? How's the lunch food at CRT? If we do eat there, can DS13 order seconds? He has a ridiculous appetite!

 

[iloveeeyore]

Liberty tree tavern is a great place for lunch...but I also like the Plaza. I prefer Crystal palace for breakfast.

Thanks! We generally don't do breakfast, but I am checking the LTT lunch menu.

 

[iloveeeyore]

Well, I just put the thought out to the kids, and while DS said he's sure he would enjoy either CP or CRT, DD confessed that it would mean A LOT to her to dine in the castle with the princesses! Who knew? Since this trip is partially about her Sweet 16, far be it from me to deny her something important (especially since we don't know when our next family trip will be now that college is on the horizon).

So now we are dining at CRT for lunch! Please tell me about your lunch experiences there, and any advice you could offer, like what to order, a table to request, anything else?

Thanks for reading and for all your help!

 

[stitch34]

CRT is great, especially if that's what your daughter would prefer.
But, you did mention you want something substantial, which we feel it's a very light meal compared to others... especially for the price.

Past couple trips our routine has been to do the latest lunch at CRT, and then off to 1900 Park Fare for dinner around 6:30 - and really, come dinner we are VERY hungry! No way we'd be filled up with CRT lunch till 9:30 HDDR.

FOr the price and selection of food... far better off with Crystal Palace.

Plaza... we really weren't thrilled at all. To us, was the same type of burgers and stuff we'd find at counter service, and just a small tiny restaurant, nothing impressive.

How about Tony's Town Square for some Italian? That would certainly be more substantial than CRT. We really have enjoyed Tonys.

While being in the castle and seeing the princesses is nice.... nope, for the expensive price of it and small entree portions, just not worth it really. there's some plate they bring out for everyone that is the appetizer, but not much really to it, and not even any rolls or anything. Really is just your entree and that's it.

 

[iloveeeyore]

CRT is great, especially if that's what your daughter would prefer.
But, you did mention you want something substantial, which we feel it's a very light meal compared to others... especially for the price.

Past couple trips our routine has been to do the latest lunch at CRT, and then off to 1900 Park Fare for dinner around 6:30 - and really, come dinner we are VERY hungry! No way we'd be filled up with CRT lunch till 9:30 HDDR.

FOr the price and selection of food... far better off with Crystal Palace.

Plaza... we really weren't thrilled at all. To us, was the same type of burgers and stuff we'd find at counter service, and just a small tiny restaurant, nothing impressive.

How about Tony's Town Square for some Italian? That would certainly be more substantial than CRT. We really have enjoyed Tonys.

While being in the castle and seeing the princesses is nice.... nope, for the expensive price of it and small entree portions, just not worth it really. there's some plate they bring out for everyone that is the appetizer, but not much really to it, and not even any rolls or anything. Really is just your entree and that's it.

I hear what you're saying about "not worth it for the price," but there are intangeables involved here, like what's important to DD, the memory of dining in the castle, and the knowledge that DH and I listened and took her opinion seriously (afterall, I DID ask her opinion). I feel a little like a Mastercard commercial now, you know "two tablespoons of shepherd's pie, $54, the smile on your daughter's face when she realizes she's a princess...priceless!" Anyway, thanks so much for your input! Are the portions really that small? Can you ask for more, like 'Ohana? DD and I can manage with small portions, but DH and DS...not so much! And oh, no! NO ROLLS!

 

[graceesmom]

We've done CRT for lunch for both of our last two trips.
For both times at CRT we met Cinderella downstairs for a photo, then met Princess Aurora, Belle in Blue Dress, Snow White and Jasmine upstairs during the meal.

We love Major Domo's favorite pie for lunch. DD had chicken fingers with green beans and another side that I can't recall right now. They bring a appetizer platter out for the table to share. I can't recall what was on it, but we ate every bite. If you want a second helping anything, they will bring it to you, although I don't think I've ever seen anyone ask for a second helping.

Here are pictures of Major Domo's Favorite Pie and the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle that we had for dessert.

 

[JEWLSVERN]

We had lunch there last week and it was great. We all ordered the Major Domo's pie and it was so yummy. The cream cheese buckle dessert was also wonderful. We all cleaned our plates and were very satisfied. We had a 1pm lunch ADR but it was closer to 2pm until we had food (We finished lunch at 3pm) and then we didn't have dinner until around 9:30-10 after the park closed.

We went for DD3 b-day and we all enjoyed it. The princesses were very nice, some more friendly than others, but we had a great experience.

 

[iloveeeyore]

We've done CRT for lunch for both of our last two trips.
For both times at CRT we met Cinderella downstairs for a photo, then met Princess Aurora, Belle in Blue Dress, Snow White and Jasmine upstairs during the meal.

We love Major Domo's favorite pie for lunch. DD had chicken fingers with green beans and another side that I can't recall right now. They bring a appetizer platter out for the table to share. I can't recall what was on it, but we ate every bite. If you want a second helping anything, they will bring it to you, although I don't think I've ever seen anyone ask for a second helping.

Here are pictures of Major Domo's Favorite Pie and the Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle that we had for dessert.

Those photos look wonderful! Thank you! DDs favorite princess (if we don't count Mulan as a princess) is Belle, especially in the blue dress, so she will be so thrilled with that cast of characters.

We had lunch there last week and it was great. We all ordered the Major Domo's pie and it was so yummy. The cream cheese buckle dessert was also wonderful. We all cleaned our plates and were very satisfied. We had a 1pm lunch ADR but it was closer to 2pm until we had food (We finished lunch at 3pm) and then we didn't have dinner until around 9:30-10 after the park closed.

We went for DD3 b-day and we all enjoyed it. The princesses were very nice, some more friendly than others, but we had a great experience.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I think I'm actually getting pretty psyched about this! Did they do anything special for your DDs birthday?

Has anyone tried the pork dish? The description looks great! No prime rib at lunchtime, right?

 

[DznyDreamz]

we have eaten all 3 meals in the castle. I personally enjoyed lunch the most. It was a nice escape mid-day and we had a great table overlooking Fantasyland. I thought the meal choices were good and had no problems with feeling full after we ate. I loved the little appetizer sampler tray and my DD got her own "kids" version.

I totally agree with you that the price is irrelevant (if you can swing it) if it is important to your DD. She's only going to be Sweet 16 once and let her embrace her inner princess as long as you can possibly make it last!!!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I just looked at the menu on allears, and I can't believe the price. $50 a head! Ouch!

I'm curious about what's on the appetizer plate for that money.

 

[iloveeeyore]

we have eaten all 3 meals in the castle. I personally enjoyed lunch the most. It was a nice escape mid-day and we had a great table overlooking Fantasyland. I thought the meal choices were good and had no problems with feeling full after we ate. I loved the little appetizer sampler tray and my DD got her own "kids" version.

I totally agree with you that the price is irrelevant (if you can swing it) if it is important to your DD. She's only going to be Sweet 16 once and let her embrace her inner princess as long as you can possibly make it last!!!

Thank you! And yes...as long as we can possibly make it last! We will certainly request a window table. Do you remember what was on the appetizer tray? I'm just very curious.

I just looked at the menu on allears, and I can't believe the price. $50 a head! :scared2: Ouch!

I'm curious about what's on the appetizer plate for that money.

I know! It comes to just over $213 for the 4 of us! But hey, that includes tax and tip AND a photo package...but evidently no rolls. Maybe there are oysters with pearls on the appetizer tray?

 

[pearlieq]

The appetizer tray was actually really good, as I recall. I remember bruschetta, cheese, crackers, green salad, and some kind of cold pasta or grain salad.

They actually offered us another tray when we were done with the first one and we took them up on it because everything was so tasty.

I also love the Major Domo's favorite pie. My mom had the pork and DH had the sandwich. Both were fine but nothing to write home about. We sampled one of each of the desserts--the buckle was tasty and the no sugar added sorbet was light, fresh, and delicious.

I really enjoyed eating lunch at the Castle and would quite enjoy doing it again. It's such a pretty room and it makes a great break in the middle of the day.

 

[DznyDreamz]

Thank you! And yes...as long as we can possibly make it last! We will certainly request a window table. Do you remember what was on the appetizer tray? I'm just very curious.

[/COLOR]

Looks like someone already answered, but I will try to find a picture if I took one back then. It was just a few tastes of things, it was a few years ago so the actual items may have changed since then.

I say go for it! Just being in the castle is so neat. You can't beat it.

 

[KarBear]

We love the Crystal Palace and I think the food was great. One of the best during our trip. Good luck!