Dine with Your Friends from the Hundred Acre Wood at The Crystal Palace

One of the most popular and most delicious character meals at Walt Disney World can be found at The Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom.

Not only will you find Winnie the Pooh and his best friends from the Hundred Acre Wood, but you'll also get a great meal whether you pick breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

The Crystal Palace is located on Main Street U.S.A. just behind Casey's Corner. The building is stunning and was built to resemble England's Crystal Palace which was built in Hyde Park and housed the Great Exhibition of 1851.

The Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom

When you arrive for your dining reservation you'll check in outside and you'll receive a buzzer that will notify you when your table is ready. The front porch of The Crystal Palace is a great place to sit and watch the world go by as you wait. And, you also have a lovely view of Cinderella's Castle.

Speaking of reservations, we strongly recommend making Advance Dining Reservations for The Crystal Palace. It is one of the most popular character meals on property and it is unlikely that you'll be able to get a table as a walk up. You can always try but it's not guaranteed.

We also recommend making your ADR for bright and early in the morning (before the Magic Kingdom opens) as that will give you a chance to walk right down the middle of Main Street when it's not crowded. You'll get some great photos in front of the castle!

As you enter The Crystal Palace take a few minutes to admire the topiaries and tropical palm trees. It really is a stunning restaurant.

The inside of The Crystal Palace is gorgeous

But let's talk about the dining experience. If you or your kids are Winnie the Pooh fans this is the best place to meet Pooh and his friends. (The second best place is in the United Kingdom at Epcot). Throughout your meal Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore make the rounds, stopping at every table for autographs and pictures.

As with most character meals the length of time it takes for the characters to make the rounds varies. We've had great meals where all four characters stop at our table before we even get to dessert and we've had not-so-great experiences when only one or two of the characters stopped before the meal was over. That being said, it's still a great character experience.

Everyone loves meeting Winnie the Pooh

The menu at The Crystal Palace features American fare and even the pickiest of eaters will find something they like. And, it's a buffet so you won't leave hungry!

The breakfast buffet includes the almost-world-famous Pooh's Breakfast Lasagna, Mickey waffles, made-to-order omelets, pastries, fresh fruit, and more. Our friends at the Disney Food Blog have the recipe for Pooh's Breakfast Lasagna just in case you need to make it at home!

While we love breakfast at The Crystal Palace, lunch and dinner are equally delicious and ranks as one of our favorite meals at Disney.

The lunch and dinner buffet might include carved flank steak, oven-roasted chicken, fish, peel-and-eat shrimp from the salad bar, and more. All three meals at The Crystal Palace feature Pooh's Corner Children's Buffet where the younger members of your group will find kid-friendly items such as chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, and Mickey waffles at breakfast.

Eeyore makes the rounds at The Crystal Palace

During your meal the cast members and characters also stage a parade through the restaurant and all the kids (and parents) are invited to join in. It's a bit chaotic but everyone seems to enjoy it, and really how often do you get to march in a parade with Winnie the Pooh and friends?

The Crystal Palace remains one of the best character meals at Walt Disney World thanks to the good food, incredibly friendly (and patient) cast members, and great character interaction.

Is a character meal at The Crystal Palace on your must-do list when you visit Walt Disney World? Leave us a comment and let us know.