Pick a character meal for us

[NLD]

Long story short, I just added someone to our upcoming January trip. This necessitated redoing all our ADRs. We originally had CRT booked but had to let it go.

So, since we let CRT go, I'm looking for a different character meal.

I've narrowed the options down to:

1. Tusker House breakfast on our AK day
2. Crystal Palace breakfast on our departure day (we don't catch Magical Express till late afternoon, so we have plenty of time that morning)


However, I'd also be open to a different MK-area (park or resort) character breakfast on our last day.


So what do you all think? Which is the better breakfast--Tusker House or Crystal Palace?

Neither would be pre-park opening, if that matters. We just won't get up that early.

I'm concerned about doing Tusker House because AK is already a short day (9-5 park hours). The last two times I've been to WDW, we did a sit-down lunch in AK, and it really cut into our park time. And I LOVE AK and really wished we had more time there.

On the other hand, the characters at TH appeal more to us than the characters at CP.

Our group is three adults, 1 child (age 8, girl). Two adults are first-timers (my MIL and her sister).

What would you do?

 

[PyxiiDustt]

Did you consider 1900 Park Fare? It has Cinderella, the Prince, and the Step-mother/-sisters, so it's kind of similar to CRT.

 

[DisneyForThe6ofUs]

Our family has a tradition of doing 1900 Park Fare on our last day. We wake up, check out of resort, and then take the bus over to MK, then monorail to GF. It is just a great way to end our trip. We love taking the monorail all the way around and kind of say goodbye to WDW. We try to get one of the last seatings at Park Fare for bfast. This year we will be there on Jan23rd at 10:15. The food is awesome, great service, not crowded, and characters are wonderful. There is always a ton of character interaction; Pooh, Tigger, Alice in Wonderland, Mad Hatter, and Mary Poppins. They are all crowd pleasers and are a nice mix of silly and sweet

After breakfast we usually browse the shops at GF and then head back to our resort to catch the bus to the airport.

 

[NLD]

Hmmm, you know I'd forgotten that 1900 PF isn't princesses for breakfast.

CRT was all about eating in the castle for us, not so much the characters. My dd is past the princess stage.

CP would at least potentially give us a nice view of the castle / MK.

I like the idea of a meal with Mickey and/or other Fab 5 characters. It just seems so classic Disney and like they'd be the right characters for our group (with my dd--who's only ever had princess meals in the past--and a couple first-timers).

Maybe Chef Mickey breakfast? I've just been scared off from that based on reviews.

 

[TheWrightTrip]

If I was choosing between TH and CP it would mainly depend on characters that I wanted to see. The breakfast food at those places is pretty much the same. We did them both and enjoyed both.

If you want Mickey and friends, Chef Mickey's would be good, and you'd be close to MK, but I've never eaten there, so I have no input as far as that goes.
My favorite was 1900, but we did dinner there, so it was Cindy and crew.
Really any of the character breakfasts are gonna be the same food wise, it'll just be about what characters appeal more to your group.

 

[Shelly888]

Does your group really want a character meal? You said you wanted to dine in the castle, and not see the princesses...is it that there were no times available in the castle? We're going roughly the same time, and while I didn't check breakfast, I was shocked to see dinner availability. Actually the 3 days we are there, really the only place booked solid for dinner was Ohana.

 

[NLD]

Well, Chef Mickey's is out, no breakfast times available for the day we'd need it.

Too bad, that would have been a nice and easy trip from WL, and would have left it open as to whether to spend our last few hours in EP or MK.

Maybe I'll just stick with TH for the AK day and leave our departure day unscheduled.

Decisions, decisions...

 

[pixiedust2012]

Our family really enjoyed TH at AK. That is the one TS we will for sure be doing again on our next trip

 

[Sunnywho]

You are right about AK being such a short day. I wouldn't go to the one at AK.

Ohana's at the Polynesian has a character breakfast, what about that for the last day? It has Mickey and I think Pluto, and Lilo and Stitch.

 

[cburnett27]

Could you just enjoy your day at AK as you have planned but then go back there on departure day for breakfast?

 

[Quin]

Is park entry on your departure day going to be an issue? If it means having to skip going to a park on one of the other days I wouldn't do it; I'd have a nice big resort breakfast someplace, whether with characters or not, and then just resort tour or play around.

Possible compromise: a late breakfast on your departure day at Cape May Cafe (classic Disney characters in beach wear), then walk across to Fantasia Gardens for a round of mini-golf?

 

[Ginny Favers]

Why not Akershus? Is Epcot not a possibility? The reason I am asking is that it seems like everyone's immediate alternative to CRT... and also because it is really, really good and well worth the short bus ride from WL.

Can you tell I am not a fan of Tusker House or The Crystal Palace?

 

[Brian Noble]

For departure day, I often prefer to have a more mellow breakfast to ease my transition and start the hassle of a travel day off right. Also, even 9-5 is a little longer than I like to be in a park in one stretch without a break. So, I'd plan a late breakfast (or, better, lunch---much better food and fits better in a touring day) at Tusker, and do something low-key on departure day. Unfortunately, Whispering Canyon isn't that thing, and the Wave seems like more of an evening destination than a breakfast one, and those are the two easiest places to get to from WL. For MK-area departures, I often lean to Kona, but have a car...you could take a cab over there, but you'd want to tip the driver nicely, because it's such a short trip.

 

[memakwed]

For breakfast around MK I would pick Ohana. Lilo stitch miceky and pluto.
Family style service. Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potato, mickey waffles juice, and sweet bread and on the monorail.

 

[NLD]

Is park entry on your departure day going to be an issue? If it means having to skip going to a park on one of the other days I wouldn't do it; I'd have a nice big resort breakfast someplace, whether with characters or not, and then just resort tour or play around.

No, park entry isn't an issue. We have a six night / seven day package, with seven-day base tickets. So we have entries for arrival and departure days. It's only like $8 per day per ticket to get enough days to cover arrival and departure days, so I always do.

Thanks for all your thoughts. I stuck with TH on AK day. Who knows, could change that in the next couple weeks, but for now that's the plan.

 

[NLD]

Why not Akershus? Is Epcot not a possibility? The reason I am asking is that it seems like everyone's immediate alternative to CRT... and also because it is really, really good and well worth the short bus ride from WL.

We've done Akershus in the past, I wasn't super impressed. The real draw to CRT was the castle, not the princesses--so really no point to going to Akershus. But you're right, if the draw was the princesses, Akershus would be a good choice--might help someone else!