Dilemma - BOG, CRT & Crystal Palace

[elelele08]

We are not local to FL and we are going to Magic Kingdom for one day (and Animal Kingdom for one day) with our almost 2 year old daughter (it will be her first trip to Disney!). I got a reservation to BOG for breakfast. Wonderful!

Our FL-based friends are coming to meet us that day and said we could do lunch together so they made an early lunch reservation for Crystal Palace. That sounded fantastic too! ... Until I was browsing the reservations system and managed to get a lunch reservation for 3 for CRT.

Personally, if we were not meeting our friends, the reservation times for BOG and CRT perfectly complement each other, and the BOG and Crystal Palace reservations are actually really close together, but I feel like an awful friend if I choose Cinderella over good company.

What would you do? We likely won't be going back to Disney for a few years so we are going all out by getting the Deluxe Dining Plan and reserving lots of character meals. In case timing makes a difference, our trip is in two weekends.

 

[Lovetherodent]

Personally, I don't think CRT is a once in a lifetime experience. I went once. It was fun. Loved the princesses, but I don't care if I don't go again. I would choose my friends. However, if you do the opposite, that doesn't make you wrong!

 

[DisneyWishes14]

I would keep Crystal Palace with your friends and keep looking for other times for BOG and/or CRT.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

I would keep BOG and your CRT reservation. As someone who has met up with local friends in the park and worked my plans around theirs, it wasn't worth it. I would meet up with your friends outside of the reservation times and all other plans that work best for you. BOG and CRT are great experiences that you're going to want to have memories of with your daughter.

Have a great trip!

 

[Lesley Wake]

For a 2-year old, I think she will recognize the characters at Crystal Palace more than the princesses. It is also a more casual atmosphere. You can also consider looking for a CRT dinner reservation, but all 3 of those in one day may be a bit much. I'd save the CRT for a time when she's a little bit older and can really enjoy the princesses.

You can also see if its possible to get a later time for CP. Talk to your friends and explain how you are worried you won't be able to fully enjoy CP if you are still full from BOG breakfast. Use the TouringPlans reservation finder and create an alert to find a later reservation when it pops up!

 

[JessicaW1234]

I agree with keeping BOG & CRT and meeting your friends outside of lunchtime

 

[GillianP1301]

I would keep the plans with the friends for CP for the early lunch and try to get either BOG or CRT for dinner time. Unless you're not that keen on the friends, in which case I would just keep the BOG and CRT.

 

[Hopefully]

I would definitely meet up with friends. As a PP stated, your almost 2 year old will likely like Pooh and friends way better than princess, as a bonus

 

[KenHutch]

I would keep both reservations and make other arrangements with your friends but for a reason different that some of the other posters. At 2 my daughter did like the princesses and her room was already filled with Disney dolls. She may not remember the 1st time she meets them but you will.

 

[kboo]

Oof. That's a tough one. If your 2yo is into princesses, then CRT is a good choice, since she is free now and likely won't be when you come back again, unless you decide to come back next year. Would your friends be amenable to "thanks for suggesting CP but let's hang out outside of a meal time or look for a dinner we can all go to"?

Bottom line is that as far as the meal, you won't go wrong with either CP or CRT. Can you get on Touring plans' reservation finder and see if you can do dinner at CRT, and release BOG? or does that not work with the dining plan?

 

[elelele08]

Thanks for the input so far, everyone! Surprisingly, I think my daughter would probably enjoy the princesses more, and I would probably enjoy Winnie the Pooh & friends more (ex. she's a big fan of Lilo but not Stitch so I think she likes human characters over animals). I would say we have had pretty good luck getting all of the reservations that we wanted so I've been keeping my fingers crossed that we can get a bigger reservation for our BOG breakfast, or maybe we do brunch with friends at CP and go to BOG for dinner (my lunch reservation at CRT is pretty late, at 2:30). I'm just not sure if it's realistic to hope that the reservations will pop up, since BOG is pretty sought after.

Is it worth it to pay for Touring Plans just to "fix" this one reservation? I'm pretty much set on everything else.

And yes, we do like these friends! Otherwise there would be no dilemma at all

I'd love to hear if anyone else has any thoughts!

 

[Lisa F]

Thanks for the input so far, everyone! Surprisingly, I think my daughter would probably enjoy the princesses more, and I would probably enjoy Winnie the Pooh & friends more (ex. she's a big fan of Lilo but not Stitch so I think she likes human characters over animals). I would say we have had pretty good luck getting all of the reservations that we wanted so I've been keeping my fingers crossed that we can get a bigger reservation for our BOG breakfast, or maybe we do brunch with friends at CP and go to BOG for dinner (my lunch reservation at CRT is pretty late, at 2:30). I'm just not sure if it's realistic to hope that the reservations will pop up, since BOG is pretty sought after.

Is it worth it to pay for Touring Plans just to "fix" this one reservation? I'm pretty much set on everything else.

And yes, we do like these friends! Otherwise there would be no dilemma at all

I'd love to hear if anyone else has any thoughts!

Paying for TP won't help you, the reservation finder is free.

CRT is very expensive for the food and your daughter probably won't remember it... but you will Stitch is pretty bad/mischevious so she may be picking up on that? Lilo is a "human" but not very human looking (ie she's not a face character).

I'd probably keep trying to find something that works with everyone. If you can add to your BoG breakfast and all eat there would that work? then you can keep CRT. You just have to look for a separate ADR for 2 (or however many are in your friends' party), not a whole new larger ADR because it's a QS and you can sit anywhere

 

[22Tink]

Thanks for the input so far, everyone! Surprisingly, I think my daughter would probably enjoy the princesses more, and I would probably enjoy Winnie the Pooh & friends more (ex. she's a big fan of Lilo but not Stitch so I think she likes human characters over animals). I would say we have had pretty good luck getting all of the reservations that we wanted so I've been keeping my fingers crossed that we can get a bigger reservation for our BOG breakfast, or maybe we do brunch with friends at CP and go to BOG for dinner (my lunch reservation at CRT is pretty late, at 2:30). I'm just not sure if it's realistic to hope that the reservations will pop up, since BOG is pretty sought after.

Is it worth it to pay for Touring Plans just to "fix" this one reservation? I'm pretty much set on everything else.

And yes, we do like these friends! Otherwise there would be no dilemma at all

I'd love to hear if anyone else has any thoughts!

You don't have to pay to use TP reservation finder! You just need to sign up for a free account, so definitely try that to help you find something! It helped me get my BOG dinner!

 

[elelele08]

I'd probably keep trying to find something that works with everyone. If you can add to your BoG breakfast and all eat there would that work? then you can keep CRT. You just have to look for a separate ADR for 2 (or however many are in your friends' party), not a whole new larger ADR because it's a QS and you can sit anywhere

Oh my goodness!! I wish I had started this thread a few days earlier instead of debating it with myself for days because I saw a reservation for 3 (which would have been perfect for our friends plus their kid), just 10 minutes before my own BOG reservation.

For whatever reason, I could not figure out how to get basic access from TP's website but managed to sign up through a link from a Google search so I now have the searches running for more BOG breakfast spots and for a BOG dinner reservation. Thank you (and everyone else who suggested TP's reservation finder) for suggesting it!

 

[DaisyDuck001]

I'm not a BOG fan, so I'd actually cancel that one, keep Crystal Palace, and consider alternatives for the other meal.

 

[goofyintoronto]

I would keep BOG and your CRT reservation. As someone who has met up with local friends in the park and worked my plans around theirs, it wasn't worth it. I would meet up with your friends outside of the reservation times and all other plans that work best for you. BOG and CRT are great experiences that you're going to want to have memories of with your daughter.

I agree with this.

Thanks for the input so far, everyone! Surprisingly, I think my daughter would probably enjoy the princesses more, and I would probably enjoy Winnie the Pooh & friends more (ex. she's a big fan of Lilo but not Stitch so I think she likes human characters over animals). I would say we have had pretty good luck getting all of the reservations that we wanted so I've been keeping my fingers crossed that we can get a bigger reservation for our BOG breakfast, or maybe we do brunch with friends at CP and go to BOG for dinner (my lunch reservation at CRT is pretty late, at 2:30). I'm just not sure if it's realistic to hope that the reservations will pop up, since BOG is pretty sought after.

BOG is REALLY hard to get for lunch/dinner. I've never tried for breakfast though...not sure if thats also hard to get??

Anyway, you know your daughter best. If you think she'd like face characters more, then i'd go with BOG & CRT and meet up with those friends afterwards/outside of the reservation time. You said yourself that you wont be going back to disney anytime soon. And by not eating with your friends, its not like you WONT see them at all that day. If youre hanging out together long enough, maybe you could even have a QS dinner together that night? or a drink? or snack?

 

[elelele08]

I agree with this.


BOG is REALLY hard to get for lunch/dinner. I've never tried for breakfast though...not sure if thats also hard to get??

Anyway, you know your daughter best. If you think she'd like face characters more, then i'd go with BOG & CRT and meet up with those friends afterwards/outside of the reservation time. You said yourself that you wont be going back to disney anytime soon. And by not eating with your friends, its not like you WONT see them at all that day. If youre hanging out together long enough, maybe you could even have a QS dinner together that night? or a drink? or snack?

It's been pretty difficult to get a BOG reservation at any time of day. They need to leave before dinnertime, otherwise that would've been a good option.

One more wrench that has been thrown in the mix is I just learned that there are EMM tickets available the day we are going, and I'm debating if it's worthwhile... But if we do EMM, breakfast is included so I would give up BOG anyway. So many decisions!

 

[crabbygal902]

Even with all the hoopla surrounding ADRs, I don't think there is any restaurant on property that is a must do. Being with your friends and family in a fun atmosphere is much more important. When I look back at our many trips over the years, it is not necessarily the the characters or a particular dish or a setting that made the experience special, it's my people enjoying our time together.

Cindy doesn't love you like your friends do. I'd dump her and have lunch with family and good friends, the best possible way to have lunch IMO. There are lots and lots of wonderful choices that could accommodate your group.

 

[jacknsally19]

I just wanted to say that at age 2 - I wouldn't worry as much about what you think your child would like. I would just do what you would enjoy the most.... She will be happy with literally anything you are doing at wdw. So if you'd like the CP characters, I would do that. (Also, that happens to be the only character meal that I have eaten at multiple times! I think we've done it 4 or 5 times because I like it so much) When she gets older, she will be a lot more opinionated about what you are doing at WDW.

 

[elelele08]

As an update, TP helped me find an additional 3 seats at BOG for breakfast so we are all going to BOG instead, and we will keep CRT (the timing works better for us this way). Thank you all for chiming in!