The Crystal Palace is the conservatory to the right at the end of Main Street USA in the Magic Kingdom. Known for having the only Winnie the Pooh themed character meal in Walt Disney World, it’s a popular restaurant with families and usually busy constantly. When checking in for our reservation, the hostesses were turning away everyone who didn’t already have a reservation as the restaurant was booked for the rest of the day already at 1:15 in the afternoon. Upon entering, you’re greeted with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore topiaries in the center of the main atrium. The dining rooms are off to each side with the buffet being in the middle and behind the atrium. The dining rooms are both big and light, ours was to the left and windows everywhere allow a view of Cinderella’s Castle. Mirrors covered the inside wall and gave the restaurant that turn of the century garden conservatory feeling you’d expect from Main Street.

Our waitress sent us off to the buffet after taking our drink order and what a meal! The buffet is loosely separated into four different areas. The salad and bread bar, the hot food line, the kid’s buffet and the dessert island. The salad bar was stocked with fresh tossed salad and all the trimmings, Caesar salad, some cold salads such as cole slaw and fruit salad, and the bread area had plenty of rolls and bread to choose from. The hot food line induced mouth watering immediately. Fresh roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, fresh carved citrus flavored steak was my first plate and amazing, let me tell you! The buffet items do change slightly day to day though. The soup choices as well but if they have turkey vegetable out there, grab a bowl! The kid’s buffet had the kid standards of Disney as it was stocked with chicken fingers, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and corn niblets of which, you shouldn’t be surprised, my sister and I also sampled. Now, if for no other reason you eat at Crystal Palace, go for the desserts. The dessert island had ice cream, pies, cobblers and cookies to bring this girl to dessert heaven. Try the Boston Crème Pie if it’s out there, it’s well worth feeling you ate way too much later!

Being a character meal, Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore make the rounds of the restaurant, with two characters in each dining room at any given time. Not rushing and enjoying our meal, we saw all four easily and without having to wait around for one them to get to us. All stopped for a picture and to sign autograph books if you have them. We did see tables waiting around for some character to arrive though so I wouldn’t plan on getting out of Crystal Palace quickly but instead, enjoy the break and take your time to enjoy the atmosphere and the Hundred Acre Woods gang.

Crystal Palace Advanced Dining Reservations (formerly Priority Seatings) can be made 180 days in advance of your trip and I would suggest you do make them so you don’t miss this fun and delicious dining experience!

Editor's Note: I would like to thank Krystal Thomas (tink85 on the DISBoards) for volunteering to do this PS Spotlight. This is her third review, click here to see what she thought about Mexico's San Angel Inn and Boardwalk's Spoodles restaurants.