The Crystal Palace has always been a character meal staple at the Magic Kingdom, however, it often flies under the radar. While you may have visited years ago and thought, “been there, done that”, I’m happy to report it’s as good as ever and worth a revisit.
Crystal Palace is located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. near Adventureland and feels like a Victorian solarium. This table service buffet restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with characters from Winnie the Pooh. The restaurant is huge and is split into two sides with two buffet lines. I will say the seating can feel tight at times but the flip side is you can almost always grab a reservation. The Winnie the Pooh meet and greet in Fantasyland can be a pretty long line so this is a great alternative to meet those classic characters not always found in the other Disney World parks.
Here’s where Crystal Palace really shines, the food is great and has a wide-variety not necessarily found at other Disney restaurants. The menu is a mix of American classics with plenty of seafood, carved meats, unique sides, and desserts that are actually good! It would be almost impossible not to find something you like on this buffet. While the breakfast menu is also great (you can get churro Mickey waffles), I most recently visited for a late lunch and loved everything I tried. Here’s a look at what’s currently available for lunch and dinner at the Crystal Palace.
Kids Section
- Chicken nuggets
- Mac ‘n’ cheese
- Beef quesadillas
- Cheese pizza
Salads
- Spring mix and romaine lettuce
- Tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrots, cheddar cheese, red onion, croutons, and boiled egg crumbles
- Ceasar, ranch and vinaigrette dressings
- Mixed fruit – pineapple, cantaloupe, and honey dew
- Peel and eat shrimp with cocktail sauce
Entrees and Sides
- Country fried chicken tenders topped with peppered gravy and hot honey sauce
- Mashed potatoes
- Braised collard greens with smoked ham hocks
- Steamed broccoli
- Roasted marbled potatoes
- Creamy grits
- Roasted tri-color carrots
- Herb-scented rice
- Sautéed garlic shrimp
- Honey-glazed salmon with mango chutney
- Sausage and pene pasta with tomato sauce
Carving Station
- Roasted carved beef
- Smoked pork loin
- Horseradish cream
- Oven-roasted chicken with fresh herbs
- Beef and vegetable stew
- Chicken and sausage gumbo
Desserts
- Piglet’s strawberry cupcakes
- Rabbit’s mini carrot cakes
- Banana pudding
- Pooh Bear’s honey panna cotta
- Mint chocolate pie
- Eeyore’s mini cakes
- Vanilla and chocolate soft serve ice cream
- Loaded chocolate brownie
- Chocolate chip and red velvet cookies
Some of my favorite menu items included the country fried steak, shrimp and grits, roasted carrots, and collard greens. Can you tell I grew up with Southern food?? I usually think of desserts on the buffet as an after thought but everyone at my table couldn’t stop talking about how good they were. My favorites were the mint chocolate pie and loaded brownie topped with soft serve ice cream.
Characters
The Winnie the Pooh characters at Crystal Palace include Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, and of course that cuddly ol’ bear, Winnie the Pooh. You’ll notice I don’t have a picture of Winnie the Pooh because he meets separately at the center of the restaurant. The restaurant was full and the line to meet him was pretty long. I do wish he would go back to being part of the line-up of characters who come to the table. Just keep this in mind for your visit!
Crystal Palace has seen menu changes over the years including family-style meals after the 2020 closure. However, the new menu is fantastic and the setting is quintessential Disney. If you find yourself looking for a fantastic meal and a great use of a table service dining credit, Crystal Palace is your place! Even if you’ve been before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the entire experience as it’s one of the best restaurants at the Magic Kingdom.
