Welcome to planDisney, Stephanie!
The Crystal Palace at
Magic Kingdom park has always been my family's favorite Character Dining experience. I still remember my son's reaction when he first saw Piglet approaching our table. There were no Eeyore faces in our Hundred-Acre Wood! I am so excited to be able to help you enjoy both your Winnie the Pooh filled lunch and the spectacular
Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.
I have a few tips on how to maximize your dining and parade time. First, try to adjust your dining reservation time to closer to 11:00 a.m. (when lunch begins), which may provide enough time for eating and then stepping out to enjoy the parade. The Crystal Palace dining is buffet style, so Guests are able to eat at their own pace instead of waiting for their food to arrive. In order to adjust
Dining Reservation times, I would suggest checking one to two days prior to your reservation, as other Guests' plans may have changed. Additionally, you are able to check in for your reservation 15 minutes before the official time, so it is always an option to speak with a Cast Member about potentially being seated early.
If you keep your original reservation time, I have great news about the current parade route. The Festival of Fantasy Parade actually makes its way very close to the entrance of The Crystal Palace. In addition, although the parade does begin at 12:00 p.m., it actually starts near Frontierland and ends on Main Street, USA. So I would estimate it would arrive near The Crystal Palace around 12:15-12:20 p.m., giving you a little extra time. If you want to spend as much time as possible with Winnie the Pooh and pals and those choices feel a bit too rushed, I recommend making room in your schedule to catch the 3:00 p.m. Festival of Fantasy Parade instead. Either way, the parade is a must-do. Tell Rapunzel I said hello when she floats by!
Thank you for visiting planDisney. I am here to help if you have any other questions or need recommendations for your upcoming adventure!
TTFN! Ta-ta for Now!
Tiffany