Trail's End and Crystal Palace ?s

[ToyStoryBo]

I don't see this restaurant mentioned much...

Anyway, I am searching for an all you can eat buffet that serves an EARLY dinner. This and Crystal Palace are the only 2 I've found. Are there others?

The day we'll be going to the MVMCP will be our kids' choice, so I am not sure where we'll be. We'll definitely want to get to MK as close to 4 as we can to make the most of our ticket. However, beings we'll already have had 2 full days in the park, we don't mind rolling in an hour or so late (esp w/ the 5 kids, because the later we start, the later we'll probably be able to stay!).

I was planning on just getting a Crystal Palace ressie for 4:30ish, but also would like to try CP for breakfast without doing both in the same trip.

How's the food at Trail's End, and is it hard to get to? If we got there at 4:30, would we make it to MK at a decent time? Is there boat trans to get over to MK?

Please help me decide if we should....
1)eat breakfast (another day) at CP and eat at Trail's End for dinner prior to MVMCP
OR
2)eat dinner at CP prior to MVMCP and save breakfast at CP for a future trip.

Any other suggestions as to where we could get a satisfying late lunch or early dinner, so we get to the Mk with full bellies?(that's important with a brood of kids!). This will be our only TS meal for the day! TIA

 

[bcarson]

I would do Cp or Chef Mickey's, Trails end Buffet was good. But it was like going to the end of the world. lol! I think we had to do like two busses and a boat from All Stars. It's been a couple of years, but I just remember thinking "was this really worth all that."

 

[babyrich]

We ate at Trails end for dinner last year, we really enjoyed the food, its a hike; but I dont think it was a bad one. We took the resort bus from our resort to MK than the boat to Ft. Wilderness. After dinner, we went back by boat to MK. Now granted we didnt do it on our party night. It can be done you just have to plan the travel time.

For Chef Mickey's you can take the resort bus to MK and the monorail to the Contemporary (sp?) than monorail back to Chef Mickey's.

You can make a the decision by deciding if you want a character dinner. Mickey and friends are at Chef Mickey's and no characters at Trails end. A character dinner may take longer (waiting to see all characters).

You have the same issue at CP with characters; but you will be in the park already. CP breakfast is my favorite. Do Trails End, I think you will have plenty of time if you get the earliest reservation.

 

[Disneymad]

You don't need to get the monorail from MK to Contemporary, it's a 5 min walk tops from the MK bus stop so definitely quicker to walk.

Last year we did exactly as you, ate at Trails End before going to MVMCP. We were staying at SSR so just walked to DTD and picked up a resort bus straight there but you do also have to transfer to the resort internal bus once there. This was fine for us as we wanted to have a snoop through the windows to see what the Campground looked like but unless you want to do the same I suggest getting the MK bus and taking the resort launch from either the front of Magic Kingdom or there is a smaller boat that goes from the Contemporary dock - more of a dilemma going out as they leave from 2 different places but handy on the return journey from FW as you have the choice of taking whichever boat comes first.

The Fort Wilderness dock is just a minutes walk away from Trails End, the building is right there so very convenient!

Food is tasty if basic. Same kitchen as the Backyard BBQ and Hoop de Doo Review so even though small there is a constant turn over of fresh food and the atmosphere in the restaurant is cosy and relaxed. I liked it!