Hi there, Jennifer!
Your ticket to
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party entitles you to enter
Magic Kingdom at 7:00 PM on your designated party night. And the festivities continue until midnight.
The choice you're facing is one that boils down to time commitment. A meal at the Crystal Palace can run anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or more, depending upon the pace of the characters and how dedicated your travel party is to meeting all of the Hundred Acre friends. Quick service, of course, lasts only as long as your travel party wants to be seated and eating.
What about an earlier table service meal at a restaurant that does not require Park entrance? 'Ohana in
Disney's Polynesian Resort has a marvelous dinner that's served family-style and would take the same number of Table Service credits as a meal in the Crystal Palace. From 'Ohana, the Magic Kingdom is a quick monorail ride away.
1900 Park Fare in
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa features characters at dinner - Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, Anastasia and Drizella - and is also comparable Table Service credits and a monorail ride away.
If you can get an earlier reservation - maybe 5:00 PM or so - that would allow for a hearty meal at a leisurely pace.
Have a wonderful time!
See you later, celebrator,
-Deborah B.