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Tag: Crystal Palace

Read all about Crystal Palace at our Crystal Palace Restaurant and Menu Guide

The Most Popular Disney World Restaurants (and Alternatives When They’re Full)

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Many Disney guests agree that the most important Disney Dining Tips lists include one specific piece of advice:

Making Advance Dining Reservations is an absolute must when it comes to planning.

While many seasoned Disney travelers are aware of this, there are lots of folks who visit the parks and are stunned to find no tables available at their top restaurant choices. Don’t worry, it happens to all of us at one time or another…and we’ve got solutions for you!

Today, we’ve updated our list of the most popular Disney restaurants and terrific alternatives if you can’t score a table at your coveted spot!

Let’s take a look at the most elusive restaurants to book these days…

Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Scoring an Advanced Dining Reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant for their table service dinner can be a daunting task.

Be Our Guest Restaurant Ballroom Dining Room

From the time that they first announced the restaurant’s soft opening until now, we have heard from many readers who haven’t been able to secure a spot at Magic Kingdom’s other castle restaurant (the first being Cinderella’s Royal Table, of course!). Here are a couple of reasons why:

Newness: The biggest reason for this remains the relative novelty of the place. Be Our Guest and all of New Fantasyland are still a hot ticket in Walt Disney World since the expanded land’s grand opening in December 2012.

Incredible, Immersive Themeing: The impeccable themeing means that stepping into Beast’s Castle is truly like climbing through a portal into Beauty and the Beast (the original or the live-action version!). You almost expect to look down and find your plate come to life!

The Grey Stuff — It’s Delicious!

Novelty: The French-inspired cuisine that’s served at Be Our Guest is unlike anything else available in all of Magic Kingdom. In addition, Be Our Guest was the first place in formerly-dry Magic Kingdom to order beer and wine, and that added to the location’s novelty.

So, what to do if you can’t get a reservation at Be Our Guest?  [Read more…]

Guest Review: Crystal Palace Restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

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Join us in welcoming guest author Katie McFarland with a guest review of the Crystal Palace in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!

Learn About:The Crystal Palace
Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

The Crystal Palace is a restaurant that holds a special place in many Disney fans’ hearts.

For me, it was where I discovered Breakfast Lasagna, had dinner with my husband right before he proposed, and where we ate the very first night of our honeymoon.

For many people this is where they first met Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet.

Atmosphere

The décor is Victorian elegance with a 1904 World’s Fair-feel. It’s “old fashioned” without feeling stuffy, which is probably in direct relation to the enormous amount of windows in this restaurant.

Crystal Palace Signage

They offer wonderful views of Cinderella Castle, Main Street USA, and the entrance to Adventureland (and also lots of ducks if that’s your thing).

Outstanding view from our seat of Cinderella Castle

In addition to the soaring windows, there are stained glass windows all around the restaurant, most notably in the buffet area. And be sure to check out the bathroom – it’s very [Read more…]

Disney Food for Families: Great Disney World Restaurants for Boys

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Much fuss is made about the ballyhooed princess dining experiences at Disney World. So much fuss, that parents of young boys sometimes find themselves wondering, “What does Disney have that’s special for me?”

The down and dirty dino loving boy will be right at home at the T-Rex Cafe.

Well, never fear sports fans; I’m here to tell you that while, yes, the girly girls are pretty visible in the parks (it’s hard to miss the Florida sun glinting off a tiara), there are plenty of Disney dining experiences where the men in your family will feel right at home.

Let’s break it down …

Character Meals

There are 10 different character dining venues at Walt Disney World proper. Of these, only three and a half of them have princess themeing. The rest are totally gender-neutral.

Boys are certainly welcome at any of the princess meals, and many boys love them just as much as the other character meals (PLUS they’re given a neato plastic sword at the Royal Table); but honestly, they do skew more heavily toward girl interests.

All of the other character dining restaurants appeal equally to boys and girls. Your best options for boys in the character dining department are the following (characters are always subject to change): [Read more…]

Free Disney Facebook Timeline Covers — Food-Themed!

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How many of you are on facebook? And how many of you have switched to the new Facebook “timeline” feature? Well, this post is for YOU! It’s time to add some Disney Food Magic to your Facebook page courtesy of photographer extraordinaire Tom Bricker, from DisneyTouristBlog.com.

Below, you’ll find fabulous food cover photos from Disneyland and Walt Disney World. These photos are all the optimal size to fit the new Facebook timeline. NOTE: See the instructions below for how to upload the photos into your Timeline.

Unlike most free Facebook Cover providers, Tom will not be adding watermarks to these Covers; in lieu of that, be sure to give him credit by adding a comment to the entry on your Timeline indicating that you’ve added or changed your cover stating “New Cover provided free, courtesy of http://DisneyTouristBlog.com. Check it out for great Disney Facebook Covers!”

Dole Whip
It’s the classic snack found in both Disneyland and Disney World — we love the pineapple flavor!

Hollywood Brown Derby
The celebrity caricatures on the walls of the Hollywood Brown Derby are a great conversation piece while you’re enjoying your meal (or grapefruit cake!).

Main Street Bakery
This turn of the century decor in the Main Street Bakery is very welcoming. Also, inviting? The [Read more…]

2011 DFB Choice Award Winners!

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It’s time to announce the winners of the second annual DFB Choice Awards!!

The awards are 100% based on Disney Food Blog reader choices. Nominations and final winners are selected by DFB readers who participate in the process. Everyone is welcome to participate! If your favorites didn’t win this year, be sure to nominate and vote for them next year! 🙂

Thanks to those of you who took the time to nominate your favorites, and to vote for the winners!

Without further ado, here are this year’s DFB Choice Award winners!

[Read more…]

Guest Review: The Crystal Palace Restaurant

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Learn About:The Crystal Palace
Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

Welcome Guest Reviewer Katie Drake as she transports us to a by-gone era and the world of Winnie the Pooh!

Couldn’t snag a reservation with the princesses at the Castle? Why not try the Palace down the street?!

The Magic Kingdom’s Crystal Palace may not boast any Disney movie royalty, but it does have everyone’s favorite friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, available for meet and greets all day long.  Most guests take advantage of the scrumptious breakfast offerings, but the restaurant is one of the few at Walt Disney World that offers character meals three times a day, and lunch and dinner have several tasty offerings.

Atmosphere

After walking down Main Street U.S.A., visitors are in a turn-of-the-century frame of mind, and taking a bit of refreshment in the conservatory sounds perfectly delightful. With it’s airy walls of windows and greenery throughout, the Crystal Palace feels like a Victorian greenhouse, but with plenty of AC cranking to keep the heat and humidity at bay.

Guests must wait outside on the veranda until their table is ready, the air stirred by [Read more…]

Best Disney World Restaurants for Big Groups

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Please welcome Kim L. to the Disney Food Blog team! A current Disney World Moms Panelist back for yet another tour on the panel, we’re proud to have her working with us both “backstage and on stage” on the blog as well!

Last week we polled our Disney Food Blog Facebook Page for their answer to this question: “What Disney restaurant would you recommend for a large group or family reunion?” Among the many awesome answers, the three restaurants mentioned the most by our Facebook Friends were ‘Ohana, Whispering Canyon Cafe and Crystal Palace!

‘Ohana

With a resounding 20 comments, Facebook Fans raved about their group dining experiences at ‘Ohana! Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, ‘Ohana offers all-you-can-eat family-style meals. After all, ‘Ohana means family! In this tropical setting, groups savor the Polynesian-influenced flavors (Yummo Sticky Wings!!). With a morning character meal and evening entertainment, it’s easy to see why this restaurant was tops! You can check out our most recent ‘Ohana review here!

'Ohana Fire Pit

Kathy B. and Caroline V. raved about their post-wedding parties! Fiona L. agreed: “‎’Ohana, we had our fab wedding meal there last month. Staff were great, a bit of entertainment for the kids, but not loud and [Read more…]

2010 DFB Choice Award Winners

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Around here, we believe there’s no better restaurant recommendation than the one we get from another Disney fan. So, in our quest to provide the very best information about Disney restaurants, we’ve created the DFB Choice Awards!

Over 500 readers sent in their nominations, and thousands have voted for the top nominees to create this list of [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: September 12, 2010

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Only a week left before my trip to WDW. There will be lots of updates of course, but for now, let’s go over the news…

Of course, as we count down to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival, be sure to check out our helpful guide!

And now, on to the Round-Up!

What Now Kathie?! shares her updated recipe of Le Cellier’s Cheddar Cheese Soup!

Kevin Kidney and Jody Daily offer up the Frito Kid in acrylic paints!

Caribbean Beach Resort Fan Site and members from its facebook page offer a tribute to the Banana Cabana Pool Bar!

Main St. Gazette offers tips for touring the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Nightmare Before Christmas Gingerbread Artwork (c)Disney

Disneyland Resort Paris held a very special cookie decorating contest… (thanks to Stitch Kingdom for the heads up)

The Contemporary Resort Fan Page gives an overview of lunch at the Contemporary Resort.

Disney Parks Blog showcases the Haunted Mansion’s Halloween Holiday Gingerbread House!

Pee Dee Foodie remembers the day Tigger took his hat at Crystal Palace.

Touring Plans‘ blogger Caroline Baggerly anticipates her run and gives tips regarding the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon in Disney World.

Two Boos Who Eat offers a personal review of the 2010 Disneyland Food and Wine Festival.

Tom Bricker gave me permission to show this awesome time-lapse Beaches and Cream Kitchen Sink video! Enjoy:

The Most Popular Disney World Restaurants (And Alternatives When They’re Full)

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Chef Donald

You guys remember when we covered the Top Ten Disney Dining Tips, right? Overwhelmingly, the tip that was mentioned the most by Disney Food Blog readers was making Advanced Dining Reservations for high priority meals at Disney parks and resorts.

While this might be obvious to many, not everyone knows which Disney restaurants fill up the fastest when it comes to reservations. Having a little frame of reference on this might be extremely helpful as you’re planning your Disney dining and trying to determine what meals are high priority for you. So, I’ve prepared a little primer on which Disney restaurants are the toughest to book, along with great alternatives if you don’t happen to get your favorites!:

1. Le Cellier

Le Cellier Steakhouse

has been, for years, one of the toughest tickets in Disney World for both lunch and dinner. Seriously, I have heard Le Cellier cast members mention more than once that they’re continuously booked up for lunch and dinner 6 months in advance, with walk-up reservations rarely an option. In my opinion, this is due to three things: [Read more…]

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