Of all of the breakfast options available for a Disney World character breakfast, this is our #1 choice in terms of food, location, and overall experience!
We loved so much about one particular Walt Disney World character breakfast.
But probably the most incredible part of all was walking through a calm, quiet, and nearly deserted (!) Magic Kingdom on our way to breakfast…
What happened is that we booked a table for “A Buffet with Character” at the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.
It’s a Walt Disney World breakfast buffet featuring all of the main characters from Winnie the Pooh.
Enjoy A Character Breakfast Before The Park Opens
As it turned out, guests can book tables for the character breakfast for up to one hour prior to the official park opening time.
So on our way to breakfast that morning, we walked down an empty Main Street, U.S.A.!
For the first time, I was able to really see and appreciate the incredible detail of all of the buildings that line Main Street.
And Tru had all the room in the world to run free through the Plaza Gardens in front of Cinderella Castle!
Definitely, this early entry into the Magic Kingdom was one of the most incredible benefits of the Winnie the Pooh character breakfast.
But there’s a lot more we loved about the Crystal Palace character breakfast as well…
See One of the Most Beautiful Restaurants in the Magic Kingdom
The Crystal Palace is probably one of my favorite buildings in the Magic Kingdom.
It’s a replica of a Victorian greenhouse from the late 1800’s, and it’s absolutely beautiful, inside and outside.
The crowds can feel oppressive in most parts of the Magic Kingdom.
But, with towering ceilings and wall-to-wall windows, the Crystal Palace has a light, open, airy feel.
I loved all of the stained glass in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to stream into the restaurant.
And green palms and vividly colorful flowers were everywhere.
One other cool thing: Crystal Palace is located just at the end of Main Street and in front of Cinderella Castle.
Although the majority of tables didn’t offer this, our table happened to be right next to a window that had an incredible view of Cinderella Castle!
Savor A Delicious Breakfast Feast
Chris, Trevor, and I were all really happy with the food at the Crystal Palace.
There were dozens of options for both hot and cold breakfast items, so even the pickiest eater of the family (I’m looking at you, Trevor Michael!) walked away happy and with a full belly.
In addition to loving the variety of options available, Chris and I both enjoyed digging into a tasty feast of Mickey waffles smothered in strawberries, cheesy hash browns, and a breakfast pizza made with eggs, veggies, and a crispy biscuit crust.
Here’s a selection of the breakfast items that were available on the buffet on the day that we visited the Crystal Palace:
- Breakfast cereals
- Toast and bagels with butter, cream cheese, jam, etc.
- Pastries and mini lemon and carrot muffins
- Fresh fruit salad
- Bacon and sausage
- Home fried potatoes
- Cheesy hash brown casserole
- Scrambled eggs
- Scrambled eggs with cheese, peppers, and sausage
- Breakfast pizza with eggs, bell peppers, onions, and sausage
- Pancakes and waffles with toppings such as maple syrup, strawberries with sugar, and whipped cream
- Made-to-order omelet station
The breakfast buffet also featured a little child-sized buffet cart, called “Pooh’s Corner.”
From the cart, Tru chose a Mickey-shaped waffle and a “puffed French toast” that was sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.
Meet The Adorable Characters from Winnie The Pooh
The wait staff at the Crystal Palace were all very careful to make sure that we met all of the Winnie the Pooh characters.
There were four characters to meet: Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, and Tigger.
We didn’t know how Tru would react to the characters, but he loved meeting them all!
Winnie the Pooh, in particular, devoted time to Tru and gave him some personal attention.
He hugged him, danced with him, and posed for lots of photos!
Piglet was one of the first characters Trevor noticed when we walked into the character breakfast.
He kept saying, “meet the pig! Meet the pig!”
Unfortunately, Piglet was at the opposite end of the restaurant, and the Crystal Palace is enormous.
It took a while for Piglet to make his rounds, but Tru was thrilled when he finally got the chance to say hello.
The character breakfast also featured a “Friendship Day Parade,” where all of the kids in the restaurant lined up behind the Winnie the Pooh characters and marched around the restaurant.
We’ve visited so many of the restaurants in Walt Disney World, and this particular character breakfast stands out for so many reasons.
We loved the huge variety of really delicious breakfast food options.
We loved the beauty and the open and airy layout of the Crystal Palace.
And Tru loved all of the one-on-one attention he received from each of the Winnie the Pooh characters.
The early entrance into the Magic Kingdom and the view of Cinderella Castle were added bonuses!
Here are all of the questions we had before booking our Disney World character breakfast, plus all of the answers we learned after enjoying the breakfast:
Where Is The Crystal Palace “A Buffet with Character” Located?
The Crystal Palace is located within the Magic Kingdom park, to your left as you are walking away from Main Street and heading toward Cinderella Castle. Admission to the Magic Kingdom is required for this particular character breakfast.
How Much Does the Winnie the Pooh Character Breakfast Cost?
Our tickets for the Crystal Palace character breakfast included an all-you-can eat breakfast buffet, plus table side visits with each of the four Winnie the Pooh characters.
At the time we visited the Crystal Palace, prices were $38 for adults and $23 for children ages 3-10. Taxes and gratuity were additional, and children 2 and under were free.
How Do We Book A Reservation for the Winnie the Pooh Character Breakfast?
Guests can book reservations online for a character breakfast at the Crystal Palace up to six months in advance (180 days in advance). And believe it or not, it’s best to book your table that far in advance!
Popular character breakfasts like the Winnie the Pooh breakfast in the Magic Kingdom book up months ahead of time.
If your ideal date and time aren’t available, it’s worth it to keep checking back, as cancellations happen every day.
One great tool we found for booking Disney World dining reservations is the Disney World Dining Reservation Finder.
How it works: you enter your email and phone number to create an account. Then you enter your ideal date and time for a specific Disney World restaurant.
The site will send you both an email and a text when cancellations occur and your target date and time become available!
We booked many of our Disney World dining reservations using this tool, since cancellations are happening all of the time.
How Long Does the Winnie the Pooh Character Breakfast Last?
Our breakfast at the Crystal Palace lasted about 45 minutes.
During that time, Trevor was able to meet each of the four Winnie the Pooh characters and participate in the “Friendship Day Parade.”
Since breakfast is served buffet style, we were able to begin eating basically as soon as we were seated at our table.
How Can We Get Into the Magic Kingdom Early for Our Character Breakfast?
The Crystal Palace offers character breakfast table reservations up to one hour before the Magic Kingdom opens for the day.
So, to enjoy a stroll down Main Street before the crowds descend, book an 8am reservation for your Crystal Palace character breakfast.
But be sure that the park opens at 9am on the day of your reservation. The Magic Kingdom opens before 9am on certain days, such as “Early Morning Magic” days and “Extra Magic Hours” days. In those cases, the Magic Kingdom will be crowded even for an 8am character breakfast.
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All About Our Experience at the Crystal Palace Character Breakfast With Pooh
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