Tag Archives: The Crystal Palace

Final Vacation Itinerary

Gosh! There are only five days now until we head for Walt Disney World. Our itinerary (see below) looks very busy, but actually it gives us plenty of time to chill out by the pool at Old Key West, or head to Disney Springs to wander and shop and nosh. Today I will do laundry, so I can get my clothes into the suitcase and be mostly packed to go. I have so much stuff in my huge suitcase, that Mike may need to pack some of my clothes. But that means I’ll have plenty of room once I unload everything at our villa. My suitcase will be much lighter on the way home. 🙂

Final Plans for Walt Disney World

Day 1

  • Travel to Florida
  • Eat at Good’s Food to Go

Day 2-Magic Kingdom

  • Breakfast at Crystal Palace
  • FastPasses-
  1. Peter Pan’s Flight
  2. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
  3. Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Dinner at Olivia’s Café

Day 3

  • Dinner at Artist’s Point

Day 4-Animal Kingdom

  • Lunch at Yak and Yeti’s in Animal Kingdom
  • FastPasses-
  1. Na’vi River Journey
  2. Kilimanjaro Safari
  3. Festival of the Lion King

Wednesday, October 24-EPCOT

  • EPCOT-take advantage of the Food and Wine Festival for lunch
  • FastPasses-
  1. The Seas with Nemo and Friends
  2. Turtle Talk with Crush
  3. Frozen Ever After

Thursday, October 25-Hollywood Studios

  • Dinner at Minnie’s Seasonal Dining at Hollywood & Vine
  • FastPasses-
  1. Toy Story Mania!
  2. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-along Celebration
  3. Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Friday, October 26

  • Breakfast at Olivia’s Café
  • This evening we will attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
  • Dinner at Be Our Guest

Saturday, October 27-Magic Kingdom

  • Lunch at Tony’s Town Square
  • FastPasses-
  1. Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater
  2. Jungle Cruise
  3. Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Sunday, October 28

  • Breakfast at Olivia’s
  • Travel home

Meet me at the Kingdom!

Donna

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Breakfast at The Crystal Palace

Only 51 days until our vacay. I have got to do more walking now, so I’m not so miserable then. 🙂

On our first morning at Walt Disney World, we will head to Magic Kingdom for breakfast with the characters at The Crystal Palace, It’s our tradition, and we love it!

Here’s what Disney has to say about it:

Feast with some favorite friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood at this whimsical, all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet.

Main dining floor with round tables and banquette tables along the wall

A Buffet with Character

Join Winnie the Pooh and a few of his Pals for a willy, nilly, silly good time!

Inspired by Victorian greenhouses of the late 1800s, The Crystal Palace brims with light, topiaries and tropical palms—and is an enchanting spot to meet some favorite Disney Friends!

Plus, while you dine on scrumptious fare, Disney Characters stop by for laughs, photos and autographs.

Puffed French toast, sausage links, bacon and scrambled eggs on a plate

An All-You-Care-to-Enjoy Experience

Bountiful buffets feature American favorites prepared before you in the onstage kitchen.

Start your day with delicious omelets, freshly baked pastries, fruit and more.

For dinner, choose from mouth-watering favorites like roasted carved meats, freshly prepared pastas, peel-and-eat shrimp and beyond.

Delight in such desserts as warm bread pudding, key lime pie, coconut flan, brownies, fruit cobbler and soft-serve ice cream. It’s the perfect ending to any meal!

It’s a perfect start to a day at Magic Kingdom, and I can’t recommend it enough! Honestly, who wouldn’t want a hug from Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and even Eeyore? It’s a Jarvi family tradition , and I so look forward to it again this trip.

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

Vacay Day One

In just 67 days, we leave for Walt Disney World. I’ll be so excited to get to Disney’s Old Key West for eight nights. Here’s what’s on the agenda for the first day:

  1. When we check in, our first stop will be Gurgling Suitcase for an order of Conch Fritters to share.
  2. Then we’ll pick up drinks from Good’s Food to Go.
  3. We’ll sit at one of the picnic tables on our mini-boardwalk, breathe in that vacation air, and feel all stress melt away.
  4. Next we’ll freshen up in our room, and enjoy our Three Bedroom Grand Villa for a few hours.
  5. Then maybe we’ll go for a swim.
  6. Later it’s back to the front of the resort for dinner at Olivia’s Cafe, while we wait for the rest of our party to arrive. We’ll bring some food back to the room for our English family who get in later in the evening.
  7. Once they arrive we’ll hug and kiss them, and visit with them while they have a bite to eat.
  8. Then it’s off to bed so we can get up early and make it to the Magic Kingdom for an 8:15 am breakfast at The Crystal Palace.

Wow! What a delightful day it will be!

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

The First Six Restaurants

Day 272 in eating my way around the world and meeting up with Mickey

My plan for today was to begin my research on healthy choices at the restaurants we will frequent at Walt Disney World in October.  My go-to site for this is AllEars.Net.  What a great site!  It has all the menus from all the restaurants at Walt Disney World!  Love it!

 

Here we go: (Think: the song from Peter Pan “Think of the happiest things…it’s the same as having wings…you can fly!”)

  1. Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort (our home away from home)  Healthiest thing on the menu for breakfast: Monroe Egg White Omelet  Thing I will probably order: Conch Republic Omelet with a side of fruit.  We are eating breakfast at Olivia’s more than once, so perhaps I will get to try both.  Healthiest thing on the menu for dinner: Key West Salmon Salad (this is real contender!) Thing I may order: Mallory Square Cobb Salad  Whatever I order I will definitely order Conch Fritters as an appetizer to share.  They are my favorite thing at Olivia’s! (The healthiest appetizer on their menu is the House Salad.)   Dessert: Healthiest option: Mile High Zero (a no sugar added tropical panna cotta)  It’s still very rich so this is to share.  I may order this, but we love the Key Lime Pie, so that is a possibility.
  2. Crystal Palace for breakfast: This is that most dangerous of meals–the buffet!  But, hey, we’ll get to visit with Winnie the Pooh and friends (I’m thinking Piglet and Tigger.) I will have an omelet made with vegetables and just a little cheese, a side of fruit, coffee and water.  Yum!
  3. Be Our Guest for dinner: French food–tres rich!  The healthiest appetizer on the menu is Garden Salad.  What I will probably order: Seasonal Salad Trio and I’ll split with Mike and anyone else who wants to try a taste.  Entree: The healthiest thing is probably the Layered Ratatouille, which is a real contender for me.  But I may order the Pan-seared Chicken Breast.  Mike and I will again split.  Dessert: the healthiest choice-Lemon Raspberry Cream Puff (no sugar added), But I already know I’ll try The Grey Stuff.  My friend Lumiere told me it’s delicious!
  4. Yak and Yeti for lunch: Asian food-notoriously high is sugar and/or fats (unless you’e eating raw) Appetizers: Healthiest choices: Lettuce Cups for Two OR House Salad.  I would order either. Entree: Honestly the healthiest thing and probably what I would order to share with Mike–Kobe Beef Burger (I wouldn’t eat the bun) with a side of Sauteed Baby Bok Choy.  Mike will probably order some fries too.  Dessert: Healthiest choice: Sorbet  What I will order Mango Pie and 6 forks.  It’s a speciality here.
  5. Tusker House for dinner (another dangerous buffet): I would choose salads. carved meat and/or fish of the day, vegetables, and I would check out the vegetarian choices to see if anything tickles my fancy.  Dessert: (Yikes! Also a buffet!) I probably will try the Chocolate Volcano Cake and/or the Strawberry Mousse Cup.
  6. California Grill-Appetizers: probably the 2 healthiest things to choose from are Farmer’s Strawberry Salad and Mushroom Flatbread.  I would try either.  Entree: Healthiest choices-Braised Lamb Hind Shank OR East Coast Flounder (Mike will have to choose because I have a hard time ordering Flounder ever since I saw The Little Mermaid!) Dessert: Healthiest options: Chef’s Selection Cheese Board or Plant City Strawberry Cheesecake (no sugar added)  I, however, will choose between Vanilla Creme Brulee (one of Mike’s favorites) or Warm Homemade Fritters (they’re banana for crying out loud!)

That’s plenty to chew on for today.  Meet you at the Kingdom!

BTW: Still waiting on my cup.  Isn’t it a shame when you pay for expedited delivery and post office doesn’t come through???  PTLA!

Reserved! (Reservated? Twitterpated?)

Day 251 in the reality of Disney Dining Reservations and meeting up with Mickey (5 months and 27 days to go)

OK, so I was up at 4:30 am this morning ready to get online and make our meal reservations for October.  The online reservation system opens at 6:00 am Eastern Time, which is 5:00 am Central Time.  Am I tired now?  Oh, yeah!  But I’m jacked to have made the reservations.  It’s always a better idea to make reservations and then cancel the ones that you cannot do.

My plan for today is to share  the reservations that I was actually able to make:

Tuesday, October 13–Fly to Florida.  Dinner at Olivia’s Cafe at Disney’s Old Key West Resort (Our home away from home)at 7:15 pm

Wednesday, October 14–Breakfast at The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom at 8:15 am.  I had hoped for Cinderella’s Royal Table, but it wasn’t available.  I can’t be too disappointed though, because the Crystal Palace is beautiful and elegant and…oh who am I kidding…Winnie the Pooh is there!!

Thursday, October 15–Dinner at California Grill at the Contemporary Resort at 5:25 pm.  I had hoped to eat at Be Our Guest Restaurant that afternoon, but it wasn’t available.  (Fear not though it’s a-comin’.)  We have an early dinner so we can head to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween.  Woo hoo!

Friday, October 16–a day out of the parks.  Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at 10:15 am and Dinner at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  This is Mike’s favorite restaurant in Walt Disney World.  He and I have been there three times, and each time it has been a delicious, memorable, special experience.  Every time we’ve been there he has said, “We have to bring the kids here sometime.”  Maybe this will be the time.  But they are free to completely plan their own day, as they wish.

Saturday, October 17–Lunch at San Angel Inn Restaurante at EPCOT at 12:30 pm and Dinner at Tusker House Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  I had to swap out 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, because of no availability  (But it’s coming later.)

Sunday, October 18–Lunch at Yak and Yeti at Disney’s Animal Kingdom at 2:00 pm.

Monday, October 19–a day out of the parks.  Mike and I will have Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at 10:15 am and Dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at  Downtown Disney Area at 7:15 pm. The kids plan to go to Universal Studios this day, to experience all the Harry Potter-ness of it.  😉

Tuesday, October 20–Lunch at 50’s Prime Time Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 12:40 pm and Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom at 4:55 pm.

Wednesday, October 21– Breakfast at Olivia’s Cafe at 8:00 am.  Then we fly home.

So there it is in black and white, dear readers.  It should be fun!  Meet you at the Kingdom!