Dining Review: Tusker House and Crystal Palace

[Mr.K]

I am combining these reviews because these were nearly identical restaurants in many ways.

We ate at these restaurants on some of the busiest days of the year for Disney, but the crowds were no problem. We arrived just a bit early for our ressies at each place and had only very short waits of a few minutes for a later dinner (7ish).

Both places in their own way looked beautiful with lots of unique decor elements and the service was excellent for a buffet. Our wait staff was friendly, quick to keep glasses filled, and very helpful with the characters (keeping us informed of the character rotation patterns, taking pictures, estimating character time till our table, etc.)

The food was....meh. Nothing fabulous, certainly nothing bad. These are both buffets with a standard assortment of typical buffet fare. Some things were better than others. The salmon was particularly good at both places, and we all felt the mashed potatoes at Tusker House were excellent.

The desserts were.....lackluster but not bad. Tasty but uninspiring.

The character interaction at both places was amazing. Up close with the Mickey crew in safari attire at TH, and Winnie the Pooh and friends at CP. Lots of time with all the characters, who gave great attention to my kids. We got great pictures.

Overall: If character interaction is important to you and your kids, go to these buffets. If you're looking for an amazing meal while at the parks, save some money and go to any number of places with table service and you'll have better food and it will be cheaper too. Any meal at WDW is going to be pricey, but these character buffet meals are some of the most expensive options outside of signature dining. We had a great time, but all of us, even my kids, said no more buffets. I think if I suggested Chef Mickey's or Cape May Cafe for breakfast I might still get a yes, but otherwise we have decided to pass on these options in the future.

[JanetMegan]

I'm enjoying your reviews Mr. K Thanks!