Yes, I'm a grown-up, but that doesn't mean I can't act like a kid when visiting Walt Disney World.  In this spirit, mr_chelledun and I obtained reservations for one of the resort's oldest character meals - the Crystal Palace.  This glass-walled eatery serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with characters from the Hundred Acre Woods.

The Crystal Palace is located directly off of Main Street at Disney's Magic Kingdom.  Don't expect to walk right in for this particular dining experience, as reservations are required and tough to get less than a couple of weeks in advance.  Call 1-407-WDW-DINE to check availability during your visit.  All meals come with a set price.  Breakfast is $19.00 for adults and $11.00 for children, with lunch and dinner costing a couple of dollars more.

Atmosphere and Service
The Crystal Palace is a very pretty building both inside and out.  Use of glass throughout allows natural light to come in, and the domed ceiling and plans throughout result in an relaxing, airy feel.  That's a good thing, because the place is actually a bit of a zoo thanks to kids screaming and giggling about the characters and folks running to and from the buffet line in an effort not to miss a photo opportunity with Tigger.
 
Service is somewhat of a non-issue, since this is a buffet.  However, it did take us a surprisingly long time to get our drink refills and check.  As a result, we were at the restaurant for a total of an hour and fifteen minutes, which is a pretty long time for a buffet brunch.

Food
On the whole, the food at Crystal Palace was better than expected.  Serving containers were small and refreshed regularly, which helped food stay hot and fresh.  Particular highlights included the delicious cinnamon sugar french toast, potato casserole, and made-to-order omelets from the buffet's central chef station.  Lowlights included slightly stale biscuits and undercooked bacon.  Healthier patrons will be glad to see a selection of fresh fruit, oatmeal, cereals, and bagel.

Each meal includes a choice of beverage.  Options include orange juice, soda, and several types of milk. 

Buffet lines ebbed and flowed based on what the characters were doing at any given time.  I was pleased to see that although we had one of the latest breakfast times (10:20 a.m.), the food selection was continually refreshed throughout our meal.
 
Character Interaction
During our visit, Pooh, Eeyore, and Tigger were circulating the room, while Piglet remained stationed near the buffet for photos.  Every half hour or so, the characters paused in their greetings to lead a brief napkin-twirling "parade" that children could join.

I would rate the character interaction at this dining experience as slightly below average.  The room is divided into two separate sections with a planter in between.  This makes it tricky to estimate when the characters will visit a particular table, and I missed seeing Tigger due to a trip for seconds of french toast.  I also think the space is just a little too large for a character meal.  It took the full hour and fifteen minutes we were there for all of the circulating characters to make their way to our table.  That was after the room began clearing out, so I can't imagine the wait during a peak meal time.  We saw several frustrated parents trot their tot over to see Eeyore on the way out, thereby interrupting another table's character interaction.

The characters didn't seem to have a staff member assigned to help them move through the room, which may have added to the pacing problems.  The characters themselves seemed a little frazzled and didn't appear to have an awareness of whether they had visited particular tables.  In the end, we did get decent pictures with all four of the characters present.  We just had to wait a bit, which may not great if you are traveling with children or are on a tight touring schedule.

Overall . . .
If you're looking for decent food and character action during your Walt Disney World vacation, Crystal Palace is a safe bet at a reasonable price.  I don't have a burning desire to return, but I'm glad I went and indulged in a little napkin-twirling fun. 

*Be sure to come on over and join carstairs38's Mickey's Birthday Write-Off!

*Planning a trip to disney?  The following reviews may be helpful:
Contemporary Resort - October 2008 (4 Stars)
Port Orleans French Quarter - February 2008 (4 Stars)
Polynesian - October 2006 (5 Stars)
Caribbean Beach - October 2005 (5 Stars)
Grand Floridian - February 2005 (4 Stars)
Beach Club Resort - July 2004 (5 Stars)
Coronado Springs - May 2003 (2 Stars)

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Recommended: No

Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Kids and Families