Crystal Palace Returns to Buffet, but Still is Lacking

Buffets are back at Walt Disney World, and that includes the Magic Kingdom classic: Main Street, U.S.A.’s Crystal Palace!

Crystal Palace has been open for several months, but only as a family-style meal where the food is brought to your table; and even though the Winnie the Pooh characters have yet to return, the restaurant’s buffet now has.

True to its name, Crystal Palace was inspired by the Victorian greenhouses of the 1800s – particularly the Crystal Palace from London’s 1851 Great Exhibition.

The restaurant boasts gorgeous glass ceilings, white, delicate archways, and sweet topiaries representing your friends and mine from the Hundred Acre Wood.

What You Need to Know

The Crystal Palace is located at the end of Main Street, U.S.A. between Casey’s Corner and the main entrance into Adventureland. At the time of writing, it’s only open for lunch and dinner with the former beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the latter at 3:00 p.m. to park closing.

Both meals are priced at $39 per adult and $23 per child, not including tax and gratuity. Fortunately, Annual Passholder discounts are available.

The Food

Crystal Palace offers American fare and allergen-friendly guides available upon request. Disney’s website does list some of the buffet’s offerings online which I will include below, along with photos of what our park reporter Chrissy found when she visited the restaurant upon its reopening.

Since there are so many options with Crystal Palace being a buffet, I’m only sharing Chrissy’s thoughts on the dishes that truly made an impression.

• Seasonal Salads
• Meats, Cheeses, Fruits

• Country Fried Chicken with Black Pepper Gravy
• Braised Beef Short Rib
• Mashed Potatoes

• Carved Prime Rib
  • Chrissy says this was one of the restaurant’s better items.

• Seasonal Ravioli
• Fresh Seasonal Vegetables
• Walt’s Favorite Dishes
  • Several items on the buffet were labeled as being “Walt Disney’s Favorites”

• Shrimp
  • According to Chrissy, the shrimp was pretty good too.

• Kid’s Buffet
  • Chicken Strips, Mini Quesadillas & Pizzas, and Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

• Desserts
  • The soft-serve machines were both out at one time; however, they did come back up during Chrissy’s visit. But of all the desserts, Chrissy recommended the cobbler.

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, Chrissy found Crystal Palace’s reopened buffet to be, well, messy.

She said the same chicken tender on the side of the buffet when she arrived was still there when she left. It appeared that the restaurant either didn’t have the staff to keep it clean, or they just weren’t taking initiative to do so. She noted several Cast Members walk past the mess seen shown in the photos and just kept going; they also all looked exhausted.

Many of the dishes were scarce giving the look of arriving at the end of a party.

The restaurant was also crowded, loud, and chaotic. If Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a 10 (and it is) for cleanliness, service, and taste, Crystal Palace was a 4 for her. She thought it could be because she dined at 2:00 p.m. and not at opening; but still, shouldn’t the experience be the same if the price is the same?

Overall, Crystal Palace was an enormous disappointment. Unless you’re planning to eat $39 worth of shrimp and prime rib, skip. Go to Liberty Tree or the Plaza over this one for the time being.

What are your thoughts on this Magic Kingdom restaurant? Let us know in the comments!