Hi Edwina,
Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel! Hooray! You are dining at one of our favorite restaurants.
We have dined at The Crystal Palace on several occasions and love the characters every time. We have never been forced to leave or been told that we had a set amount of time in which to dine but we do remain courteous by not completely lounging in the restaurant! Depending on how crowded the restaurant is at the time of your reservation, it may take the characters over an hour to make their way around to you.
We have also occasionally arrived a few minutes late to a dining reservation and have been seated. Most of the time, even when we have a reservation, we have to wait a few minutes for a table. So, if you arrive at 6:35, you may get seated a little later, which could be to your benefit. My concern is the possible view you might have from inside of the restaurant. It is not the best view.
If this will be your first time seeing
Happily Ever After, I suggest that you actually find a spot near Cinderella Castle. On our last visit, we watched the fireworks show from The California Grill, 'Ohana and right in front of Cinderella Castle. Although the dining experiences were great and the show's narration was piped into the restaurants, the experience in front of the castle was phenomenal. We were just inside a taped line with a cast member standing in front of us to prevent people from crossing the bridge to get to Cinderella Castle. There was nobody, other than the cast member, standing in front of us!
Edwina, no matter what happens, enjoy your time at The Crystal Palace. If you will have little ones with you, be sure they practice their dancing and marching skills. They will definitely want to join the Pooh-rade in honor of Friendship Day!
Magic, memories and Minnie Mouse hugs,
Donyell