Crystal Palace Breakfast Time Debate

[ImagineerWannabe]

I'm going to be at Disney in February with my parents and have decided that it's about time we dined with some characters again. We've only done it once many, many years ago when it was some freebe thrown in. That time was Chef Mickey's, which was really fun, but this time I'm looking for something that typically gets better food ratings since we're all adults. I've picked the Crystal Palace, and from pictures I've seen of things like puffed French toast and made to order omelettes I'm looking forward to it.

My dilemma is the time. I've made several reservations on different days and will need to eventually pick one and cancel the others. "Eventually" is actually in the next week since breakfast will dictate which park I'll be at when and I need to plan out Fastpasses.

The options are: 8:10am on a day when the park opens at 9am OR 10:15am when the park opens at 8am (we're staying at All Star Sports, so extra hours).

I like the idea of being in the park before opening and taking some photos on a deserted Main St. which leans me towards the 8:10am. However, chances are we won't be done breakfast in an hour, and I'm not sure I want to give up the first hour after opening to ride Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Thunder Mountain etc. with minimal waits. Which is the argument for getting there for the extra hours, hitting what's open in Fantasyland, heading to Frontierland when it opens at 9am for Big Thunder and maybe Splash Mountain, then going back for a more relaxed meal.

Has anyone ever had breakfast at the Crystal Palace before? How long did it take? What are your preferences for timing? Are there usually larger crowds at the extra morning hours that would negate the advantage and be about the same level as 9:30am on a non-early open day?

Comments and suggestions welcome

[yodiwan1]

We ONLY eat at CP if its a 8-8:10 seating. It doesn't take longer than an hour at that time, and the pics you will get walking down main street are priceless.

[ImagineerWannabe]

Thanks for the reply! That's good to know. I was pretty much decided on the 8:10am. Do all the characters make it to your table in about an hour?

[ImagineerWannabe]

Super late I know, but I stumbled across this again and thought I'd wrap up my experience. We used the 8:10am reservation and it worked quite well. It took about an hour and 15 mins to finish eating and see all the characters. We were seated very quickly and had a tasty meal. I hope to do it again something and would add my recommendation to early mornings at the Crystal Palace.