A Character Dining Comparison: The Crystal Palace, O'hana & 1900 Park Fare

If you're new to Disney travel, one of the most coveted experiences in the parks are the character dining experiences. These meals include characters roaming the dining rooms to sign autographs, take photos and spend time at the tables of guests while they eat their meals. This post will delve into three popular character dining experiences and compare each of them based on character experiences, food quality, noise level, price and popularity.

The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace is located in the Magic Kingdom to the left of Main Street, U.S.A. and adjacent to Casey's Corner restaurant. From the Crystal Palace's entrance, you have a grand view of Cinderella's Castle, which can sometimes make the entryway quite crowded if you are dining at a popular time (read: during the parade or fireworks show). Timing is of the essence in this popular character dining experience. 

The characters showcased here are those of the Hundred Acre Wood: Winne the Pooh and Tigger, too! Piglet and Eeyore will most likely also make appearances. As such, this restaurant is very popular for families with little kids- there are several kiddie activities that occur during the course of a meal here, including a dance line that forms with the characters and takes the kids around the restaurant to traditional Disney music. Being a Disney traditionalist myself, having a meal at the Crystal Palace was definitely on my list, and being such a huge fan of Tigger, the character interactions did not disappoint. I would say that's the best thing about this particular meal. 

Food wise, it was a bit overpriced for the food we got. I've eaten both brunch and dinner here and both had slightly bland food. I wasn't very impressed with the quality. They have the standard fare of bacon, eggs, sausage, pancakes, etc. for breakfast and dinner sees popular entries such as chicken, fish, veggies and pizza. While I would say I ate a lot, the food quality is comparable to a restaurant such as Applebee's in my opinion, and I could definitely spend less than $50 a person at Applebees. Speaking of money, that's about what it will run you to dine here. $50 is the standard cost for this character buffet, although, depending on the time you dine for breakfast or brunch it could be slightly less expensive (in the range of $40). You do get your annual pass discount at this restaurant, which helps slightly with the cost if you are a passholder. 

Reservations here are hit or miss- depending on the time of year, you may easily find a time to eat here, or it could be more difficult. When I booked with my mom for summer of 2018, it was fairly easy to get a table with several times available. It was a Sunday (father's day, actually) so that may have had an impact, as many people start their travels home on Sunday's following a week at the park, and typically those coming in for the new week haven't quite settled in yet. We may have gotten lucky and hit between the typical crowds. The reservation I had in March of 2018 was a bit harder to secure, and we had a very early 'dinner' beginning at 4:15pm. 

If you have little kids or just really enjoy these traditional characters, I would definitely plan to do this experience at least once, but I would probably pick somewhere else to eat in the future. 

Rating: 

Character Experiences: A

Entertainment: A

Food Quality: B-

Price: B

Noise Level: B (depends on what time you are there)

O'hana

O'hana is a pacific island inspired restaurant at the Polynesian resort just outside the Magic Kingdom. A ticket is not required for this particular restaurant, making it a popular choice if the Magic Kingdom is not on your itinerary for the day or for that particular trip. The wait times can be spectacularly long here, even with a reservation, so I would definitely advise getting here very early for your specific reservation. For example, our reservation for 3 was at 11:25 for brunch here but we didn't end up getting sat until 12:15. I wasn't kidding when I said wait times were long! For hangry post half marathon runners, that wasn't a good thing and definitely took away from my experience here. (Our reservation was the Sunday after we ran the Wine n Dine half marathon). 

Mickey signing our medals

O'hana is actually a table service restaurant, where servers bring you a giant cast iron pan full of goodies for brunch. As food quality and service goes, I'd say this is one of the better character dining experiences. The food had some standard fare, such as eggs, bacon, sausages and Mickey waffles, but also caters to those with allergies (they have plenty of gluten free offerings and are willing to cook specifically for guests with these sensitivities) and some unique to the culture offerings that I really enjoyed, such as the spiced pineapple ham slices. 

Character experiences here include Lilo & Stitch, the main characters, and Mickey with an occasional Pluto sighting, sometimes outside the restaurant itself. If you are a fan of Lilo and Stitch, I'd say this is definitely a worthwhile experience. Stitch was entertaining and had some fun with us, coming up to us from behind, covering our eyes and engaging in general Stitch mischief. I myself am not a huge fan of that movie, but I still enjoyed myself. As I said above, the food was good and the service was also pretty good, so despite the long wait time, it was a worthwhile experience. I would dine here again. The server felt bad because we had to wait for such a long time and she could clearly see we were agitated and hungry (rungry as we described to her, having been awake since 3am and just run a half marathon) so she took pity on us and gave us some free mimosas. 

I'd recommend this experience to anyone who's a Lilo & Stitch fan and also people who would like to experience the Polynesian but don't have it quite in their budgets to spend the night there. We did some exploring post brunch around the hotel and it was quite interesting and very well decorated and themed. I even bought a nice little coffee cup in their gift shop that I'd had yet to see in other places around the parks/resorts. Another thing to point out is this restaurant has a later breakfast time than most other restaurants (breakfast hours are until noon here) so if your family is prone to sleeping in, you can still experience a good character breakfast in the later morning hours. Price wise, it was decent, with the breakfast being about $35 a person. 

Ratings: 

Character Experiences: A

Entertainment: B+

Food Quality: A

Price: A-

Noise Level: A

1900 Park Fare

When I saw the characters that I would be encountering upon booking a breakfast reservation at 1900 Park Fare, I was super excited. I'm not that much of a Disney traditionalist in the sense that I've seen all the 'old' animated films, but I am a fan of Alice in Wonderland in all its many versions. Characters here vary for all meals, but for breakfast/brunch include the Mad Hatter, Alice, Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh and Piglet. A great variety for one meal. 

Character interactions here are very solid and entertaining. The characters spend more time at the tables than other restaurants I've been to. Upon getting to my table, the Mad Hatter sat down and pretended to have tea with me, rearranging all the empty cups on the table to make pyramids. 

He then proceeded to walk around the room, loudly calling my mom's name (who happened to still be at the buffet getting her meal) to come take a picture with us. Throughout the rest of the meal, he remembered her name and would shout, "Hi Dianne!" or "Goodbye Dianne!" to her as she walked through the restaurant. Alice and Mary Poppins were very interactive as well, engaging in conversation with restaurant guests and each other. Out of all the character dining experiences I've had so far, I would have to say this one has been my favorite. 

The Mad Hatter and his new 'friend' Dianne

Food quality here is also quite good. The strawberry soup, a 1900 Park Fare specialty, was really delicious. It's the first time I'd had cold soup, and I enjoyed it immensely. They also had some unique buffet offerings, such as breakfast pizza, cheese blintzes with blueberry sauce and a make your own omelet station. I hadn't seen these at other character breakfasts I'd attended, so these were a plus for me. Furthermore, the food was of better quality than I'd had at other restaurants I've eaten at on Disney property. 

1900 Park Fare is located in the Grand Floridian hotel, which is one of the monorail stops from Magic Kingdom, so it's easy to get to and transportation is a breeze if you are going to the park after or before your meal. It's also accessible if you don't plan to attend the park that day, or if you are local and just want to have a fun breakfast to start your day. 

Price wise, it's consistent with other Disney brunches, coming in at $40 per person. Obviously not something I'd do every day, but it was worth the visit for me. 

I'd definitely recommend this character dining experience, as I had the most fun interacting with the characters, the service was good, and the food was very good as well, which hits all three of my most important rankings for a good character experience! 

Alice telling me how to get to Wonderland

Rankings:

Character Experience: A+

Entertainment: A+

Food Quality: A

Price: A

Noise Level: B 

Coronado Springs Resort Review

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is a Moderate Resort with a Southwest theme. I stayed there recently for the Disney Princess half marathon weekend. This review features room and resort photos and my thoughts on staying at Coronado. Please note that the Coronado is still under construction at this time, with the Gran Destino Tower being built towards the front of the resort.

Coronado Springs is very spread out with Lago Dorado, a 22 acre lake, in the middle of the resort. Disney describes the resort as “evoking the spirit and romance of Spanish colonial Mexico” during the time that Don Francisco de Coronado searched for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.

Coronado Springs is often named Disney’s convention hotel, but the feel of the resort is very relaxing and laid back in my opinion. It’s not close to any of the theme parks in terms of walking distance, so guests must rely on bus transportation or their own vehicles, however, I did not have an issue with bus transportation when I stayed on property. The bus schedule ran on time and frequently the buses even showed up earlier than their original scheduled times. There are four main bus stops at the resort which didn’t seem to slow us down that much, as I’ve heard complaints about other resorts transportation being an issue. There is no boat or monorail system from Coronado Springs Resort to any of the theme parks or Disney Springs.

Lago Dorado at sunset

The new 15 story Gran Destino Tower will add 500 rooms, including suites and concierge level rooms and is still under construction. My recent visit to Coronado Springs was not affected by this construction, other than the fact that the gates to access the rooms at the back of the property seemed to not be functioning correctly and let visitors enter with no need to scan their room keys.

Room refurbishments are also underway and are occurring in phases by building and should be finished soon. I stayed in one of the refurbished rooms and it was very nice, with comfortable beds, nice flooring and updated bathrooms. The Coronado construction is not intrusive for guests; from the building I stayed in towards the back of the property you could not hear any construction during the day (I was able to take a nap after the half marathon with no disturbances). The only way you would know is by driving or traveling past the parts that are under construction. Otherwise the property is very quiet and comfortable.

Bathrooms in the standard guest rooms. Lots of storage space and clean, modern decor. 

Theme wise I was less than impressed with the décor at Coronado Springs. Yes, it has the Southwest theme and the grounds are beautiful, but it doesn’t encompass that ‘Disney’ feel for me. The architectural styles at the resort vary under the general theme of Southwestern, with the buildings being called Ranchos, Cabanas and Casitas. We stayed in one of the Ranchos buildings, with the décor being modest with neutral colors. The rooms were comfortable and on par with other Disney moderate resorts I’ve stayed at as far as sizing and furniture. However, if you are looking for more “Disney” thematic elements in terms of character decorations in the rooms or small things like the letters or faucet handles to remind you of Disney movies, you will be disappointed. These rooms are much more ‘regular’ hotel like. The beds were very comfortable and the bathroom is clean and modern. Besides the lack of specific Disney decorations in the room, the only complaint I had is that, upon crossing the threshold of the bathroom, the fan in the bathroom automatically comes on, which can be quite annoying if you are staying on property during a race weekend with people who aren’t waking up to do the race.

The guest rooms at Coronado look much like a regular modern hotel

RECREATION

The main recreation area of Coronado Springs is called ‘The Dig Site’ or alternatively ‘The Lost City of Cibola’ named after the mythical cities of gold sought after by Coronado. The Dig Site is about a five minute walk from El Centro, close to the Cabanas and Ranchos buildings. The main pool, the Lost City of Cibola pool, has an impressive Mexican pyramid structure as its main decorative point. I was actually quite impressed with the pool. The pool and pyramid house a water slide and there is a kids play area here as well. Siestas Cantina, a bar in the pool area, offers refreshments. The arcade, spa and playground are also at the Dig Site. There’s a significant amount here to entertain families and it’s also a great spot to relax if you are on an ‘adult only’ vacation. I thoroughly enjoyed the pool and the water slide…being a young kid at heart, I love when pools have unique elements and fun slides. The hot tub was also nice to have, particularly on a race weekend when my feet were achy from running all the miles. Although I didn’t get to spend much time at the Dig Site, I would definitely enjoy spending more time here on a future visit.

The Mayan pyramid structure at the main pool

Like the other Moderate resorts, Coronado Springs maintains an active recreation schedule, including a nightly campfire and Movies Under the Stars. I did not have a chance to partake in these activities as I was going to bed super early due to being up so early on race morning. However, I highly recommend checking these activities out if you are staying here and are not on a schedule for sleep!

Coronado Springs is described as being in the ‘Animal Kingdom resort area’ but really sits between Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. It’s possible to get to all parks via the bus system, which runs frequently and on time (at least it did when we stayed there). I had no complaints about the frequency and timeliness of the bus system at this resort. It did not take long to get to the different stops or to the parks. Race morning transportation was efficient and easy to follow.

One cool extra...you can see fireworks at the property from Epcot.

DINING

Coronado Springs has two table service restaurants, two quick service restaurants, one snack shop, three bars (with two of the bars being inside the restaurants) and also offers in room dining. The table service restaurants are the Maya Grill and Rick’s Sports Bar and Grill. I did not dine at either of these during my stay, so I won’t review them here because I haven’t experienced them personally. The quick service restaurants, El Mercado de Coronado and Siestas Cantina, however, have very good food in my opinion. I dined at both during my recent stay and, of all the quick service resort restaurants I have dined at, I enjoyed these the most. El Mercado de Coronado is a food court style option which serves things like bowls, sandwiches, burgers and pizza. I had one of the Chipotle style bowls and was actually impressed with the quality of the food. In my previous experience at quick service restaurants, the food quality has only been so-so. This option was very tasty. Siestas Cantina has a more limited menu but I still enjoyed the sandwich I ate here compared to some other quick service places I’ve eaten.

El Mercado de Coronado, one of the better quick service restaurants. 

SHOPPING

Shopping is available at Panchito’s in Coronado Springs, which has the typical Disney merchandise and some small necessities guests may have forgotten to bring along with some Mexican and Southwestern style offerings. As is typical of Disney shops, some of the prices can be on the more expensive side for comparable items elsewhere, but if you’re looking for something along the theme of the resort there are some cute options.

Having stayed at a few different value and moderate resorts on Disney property, I can say that I would stay at Coronado again, but only if other options I enjoy were not available or out of my budget. If I am going to stay on Disney property and pay money for a Disney hotel, I really prefer more of a Disney theme to the property and rooms. While Coronado Springs is a very nice hotel, it just doesn’t “do it” for me in terms of giving me that “Disney feel.” Since the Coronado rooms don’t distinguish themselves over other basic room décor, if I’m going to spend money to stay at a moderate resort, I think I’d rather stay at a resort with dedicated theming or save a little money by staying at a value resort.