Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and yet it is sometimes hard to find a really good breakfast at Walt Disney World, especially when looking for breakfast at Magic Kingdom. I’m here to walk you through all of your breakfast options at the theme park, as well as to give my opinions on what I think your best choice is depending on what you’re looking for.
Top tip for breakfast at Magic Kingdom
One of the best reasons for a breakfast reservation at Magic Kingdom is the ability to enter the park early. If you have a PPO (pre park opening) ADR (advanced dining reservation) then you can enter the park before it opens to the public. This has a couple of benefits.
The first is that you get those rare park pictures with no one in them. Have you ever wanted a picture of your kids in front of Cinderella’s Castle without all of the people in the way? This is your chance!
Empty park pictures always look beautiful and it’s so nice to enter the park when it’s peaceful. If taking a photo of Cinderella’s Castle is one of your top things to do on your first trip to Disney World, this is the way to do it!
The second best perk is that if you are done with your breakfast by the time the park opens, then you can get in line for some of the more popular rides before the crowds come piling in.
This allows you to ride some super popular rides – rides which will have wait times hours long later – while everyone else is still coming through the turnstiles.
Cast Members won’t let you line up too far in advance, but they’ll definitely let you get in line before the other 50,000 people looking to get in line as well!
The one thing to remember about this is that park opening times can and do change, sometimes with not too much notice.
If Magic Kingdom is scheduled to open at 9AM and you have an ADR for 8.30AM, don’t be too surprised if the park opening time changes to 8AM and you lose that PPO ADR (so many acronyms!) There’s really not much that can be done about this, just try to keep your plans a little flexible those mornings.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Probably the most sought after dining reservation is Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, and it’s easy to see why – I mean, who wouldn’t want to eat in a castle with a princess?!
Cinderella’s Royal Table offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and those looking for breakfast at Magic Kingdom will be pleased to learn that breakfast is the cheapest option – although that does not make this a cheap breakfast choice by any means!
This will probably be the most expensive breakfast of your vacation, but most people agree that the experience is worth it. Costs vary based on the time of year but be prepared to pay up to $75 per adult and $50 per child!
This is one of the few dining reservations that require payment up front, so if you do manage to snag this reservation, be ready to pay for full cost per person (which includes an 18% gratuity) at the time of booking.
If you plan to use the Disney dining plan to pay for your meal, you’ll still need a credit card to guarantee the reservation (as you do for every table service meal at Walt Disney World) but if you have the dining plan as part of your package, the credits will be taken from your plan and nothing will be charged to your credit card.
If you pre-pay and then add the dining plan later, call Disney Dining to have the dining plan credits applied instead and you’ll receive a refund on the pre-payment. This meal is two table service credits per person.
Breakfast includes a drink, pastries for your party to share, and your choice of an entrée. Considering the price of the meal, you’ll really need to choose your entrée carefully to make it feel like the hefty price tag is worth it but remember, you’re here for the whole dining experience, not just the food.
Of course Cinderella will be available before your meal for a meet and greet and to welcome guests into her castle. Other princesses will come around to your table in a similar way to other character dining locations and although characters are always subject to change, you can expect to see princesses such as Snow White, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) and Ariel.
Princesses are happy to pose for a photo and sign an autograph book, and this is a great way to meet some of the most popular characters without having to wait in line.
This is one of those experiences that I would recommend everyone try at least once so that you can say you dined with the princesses in the castle, but the price tag and extra dining credit needed mean it’s probably not something most people are booking each trip!
The Crystal Palace
If you’re looking for a character dining location for breakfast at Magic Kingdom but you can’t quite bring yourself to pay $75 for your first meal of the day, then The Crystal Palace is a great alternative.
This breakfast buffet offers all of the regular breakfast items including hot and cold dishes and the cost isn’t quite as steep as Cinderella’s Royal Table, averaging around $40 for adults and $25 for kids (or one dining credit per person).
While this is still a pricey breakfast option, the all you care to eat buffet means you can fill up enough to probably be able to skip lunch, so the cost somewhat evens out.
The Crystal Palace features the Winnie the Pooh characters, including Winnie the Pooh himself, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore. The characters come to the table for photos and to sign autographs, and as with any character buffet, you do have to keep an eye on the characters to make sure you don’t miss them while you’re up from the table getting food.
We’ve always had great character interactions at this restaurant, and the breakfast options are quite varied, with a little something for everyone.
It’s one of my favorite character dining locations at Walt Disney World and my top choice for breakfast at Magic Kingdom if you’re using the dining plan or want a real experience with your breakfast.
The Plaza
If you want to have a sit down breakfast at Magic Kingdom but don’t want to spend over $30 per person to do so, The Plaza is your best choice.
Breakfast at The Plaza is significantly cheaper than Cinderella’s Royal Table and The Crystal Palace because there are no characters and the food is a la carte, but for many people, this is a definite plus.
Not only does it keep the price down, but it keeps the restaurant from becoming so popular that the reservation is hard to get. It also allows you to just order what you want and head straight out into the parks.
Prices here are much more reasonable, with pricier options like the Steak and Eggs or Lobster Benedict still coming in under $20. You can also get sides like oatmeal and fresh fruit, as well as coffee, juices, and even an alcoholic beverage such as a mimosa! Kids options include the basics like Mickey waffles, eggs and bacon, and cold cereal.
This is my number one suggestion for breakfast at Magic Kingdom if you are paying out of pocket and just want to grab some breakfast and head out without taking too much time.
Be Our Guest
Note: this location is currently not serving breakfast
The only quick service location for breakfast at Magic Kingdom is Be Our Guest (which is a quick service location for breakfast and lunch, but a character table service restaurant for dinner) but it will still require a reservation; this is the only quick service location at Walt Disney World that needs a reservation, and it’s often a difficult one to find.
If you do manage to snag a reservation here, then there are a few things to know. Firstly, this is NOT a character meal in the morning, and the restaurant doesn’t have quite the same feeling as it does for dinner; it’s still a beautiful location, but feels a lot more like other quick service locations than a real restaurant.
Another thing to note is that the menu is pre-fixe, coming in at $29 for adults and $16 for children age 9 and under. This price includes a drink (coffee, juice, or something similar), a basket of pastries for the table to share, and an entree of your choice (with options such as a Croque Madame and a Vegetable Quiche for adults and French Toast and Crepes for kids).
While this price seems quite steep for a quick service breakfast, there is one important thing to note here: you do not have to order a meal per person, so four adults dining are welcome to order two meals between them and split everything.
Unlike buffets and family style meals, where everyone has to pay regardless of what they are eating, this is the only location where you can make a reservation for four people and only pay for two.
It is also possible to order sides like extra drinks and even cocktails so you can add those on to make the meal go a little further.
One final thing to note about Be Our Guest is the option to order online ahead of time. This is great if you’re in a hurry in the morning and want to eat breakfast as quickly as possible and then head out into the parks.
You can even order some of the meal ahead of time and then add other items on later when you get to the restaurant.
Main Street Bakery featuring Starbucks
While breakfast at Starbucks is more like what you probably do at the airport on the way to Walt Disney World than actually at the parks, it is an option and therefore I have to mention it here.
It’s actually a pretty decent option, especially if you’re looking for breakfast you can take with you or you just fancy something light.
While breakfast at Main Street Bakery won’t get you in the park early, it is right there on Main Street as you enter (about halfway down on the right hand side as you’re walking towards the castle).
As well as selling Starbucks drinks, there are breakfast sandwiches, pastries, fruit, and other bakery items. If you have the Starbucks app, you can use it here to pay for your drinks (you cannot redeem a reward, however) and most drinks and bakery items count as one snack on the Disney Dining Plan.
This is definitely the quickest and most convenient option, and lines are often very long at the start of the day.
