It's the hottest ticket in all of Walt Disney World: Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table, aka breakfast with the princesses at the castle. But it's also one of the most expensive tickets in WDW! Breakfast for our family of four was right at $150. Yes, it's pricey...so why would Affording the Mou$e go for something like this? First, how could I deny my daughters the ultimate in princess euphoria at WDW? Seriously, you just have to bite the bullet and do it at least once. But another reason I can feel OK about spending that kind of dough on breakfast is this: Time is money. Waiting in line to see five princesses takes up a LOT of time. (You would also have to go to multiple locations to find said princesses.) At this lovely meal, we saw five princesses in about 45 minutes.
Our experience began even before we approached the restaurant. For starters, we were able to snag one of the earliest seatings--at 8:10, before the Magic Kingdom opened. This allowed us to enter the Park early and walk casually up Main Street, taking as many pictures as we'd like along the way. I highly recommend the early seating! We were also finished with breakfast in time for rope drop, allowing us to be among the first guests on our favorite attractions!
Upon arrival at Cinderella's Royal Table guests are ushered into the lobby, which takes every opportuntity to remind you that this is a castle. Royal tapestries, a suit of armor, and even a few of Cindy's mice friends complete the decor. Since a complimentary photo package is part of your meal price, you'll wait in a brief line to have your pic taken with Cinderella. (We just had the girls in ours, but some parties chose to include the whole family.) The package includes an 8 x 10 and four 4 x 6 prints. You also get a stock photo of the castle.
Next, you're ushered to your table. Ours was upstairs, and we had a window seat with a spectacular view of Fantasyland. Because of our early seating, we got to see each princess make her royal entrance. A pre-recorded announcement gives a bit of each story and then the princess waltzes in to greet her adoring public. They are spaced about ten minutes apart, which is a nice spacing, since it allows for a quick trip to the bathroom between princesses if necessary. Each princess spends just a couple of minutes at your table, but there's certainly enough time for autographs, a few photos, and even a few friendly questions with your child(ren).
Now, about the food. Admittedly, we don't attend character meals for the food, although we've had some good food experiences. This particular meal was pretty basic. The food tasted fine, but it was nothing special. There was a plate of assorted pastries on the table when we arrived, and the kids dug in immediately. For my entree, I chose the stuffed French toast, hoping for something a bit more creative and exotic than bacon and eggs, but it was so rich and greasy that I could barely finish half of it. My husband said the basic breakfast (bacon, eggs, sausage, and hashbrowns) was tasty, but, again. nothing special. Still, the orange juice and fresh fruit were especially yummy, and none of us left the meal hungry.
Each child was given a (cheap) magic wand or sword, based on gender. They also each got a plastic "wishing star" that was used during a short ceremony. Your pictures arrive at your table before your meal is finished. We were, literally, in and out in less than an hour. Money well spent? We think so. It's something you really need to do once, especially if you have princess-obsessed girls. But once is probably enough for most kids. (We've done CRT twice, but our youngest wasn't born yet the last time. We've also done the princess meal at Akershus at Epcot too.) If you happen to have boys, save your cash and try Chef Mickey's, Ohana, or the Crystal Palace.
Now, on to dessert. Of all the many experiences available to guests at Walt Disney World, the one that most appealed to me was the Wishes Dessert Party. This special dining event at the Tomorrowland Terrace offers guests priority seating for the Wishes fireworks spectacular, along with an all-you-care-to-eat dessert buffet. The total for our family of two adults and two childen was around $85--pretty pricey, when you consider that it's just dessert and a few beverage selections. Still, I was determined to try it.
As far as the fireworks go, we had a great view from the terrace--you could even see TinkerBell sailing toward us. The only unfornate thing is that you must stand; you're not permitted to take chairs up to the railing. (Boo.) Still, they keep the seating numbers low enough that you don't have to fight other guests for a spot at the rail. There's enough standing room to share.
I must admit that I had seen reviews of this event on several sites, and the pictures of the buffet looked amazing. So, when we arrived to only two small carts with dessert trays, and a long table of beverages, I was a little disappointed. I expected a display of epic proportions. I'm not sure if the scaled-down version is a result of lighter crowds or if they've simply gone to a less elaborate set-up. Whatever the reason, it just felt, well, small. Overall, the buffet seemed to be well-stocked, but they did run out of plates at one point and didn't have any readily available. It took several minutes for them to replenish, which seemed like a "rookie mistake" that shouldn't have happened.
The overall quality of the desserts was fine, but, again, there were no stand-out items. There was really nothing that made me say, "Wow, I need to get another one of those!" The servings were small, which was great because it encouraged guests to try a variety of desserts. My general impression was that these were industrial, buffet desserts--you know, the kind they would serve at a convention or something. I had hoped for a buffet of stand-outs--small versions of items you would choose to order off a menu. Sadly, this just wasn't the case.
Would I do the Wishes Dessert Party again? Probably not. Instead, I'd go with my usual fireworks plan (leaving the MK duringWishes, after Tink flies!) and avoid the throngs of guests leaving at closing. And then sometime during my visit, I'd order a fancy, expensive dessert to savor. Still, it was a satisfying experience that I would classify as better than average...just not stellar.
I also want to add that my oldest daughter has a severe tree nut allergy, and we have had nothing but spectacular experiences with Disney in this regard. In most cases, I mention the allergy when I make the ADR. Upon arrival, the host or hostess will see the noted allergy and offer to have a chef visit the table. The chef then briefly informs us of any items that might pose a risk, so that we can avoid those. In the case of the dessert party, I neglected to inform Disney ahead of time. Still, though a chef wasn't available, a manager was able to show me a printed table that listed the different items on the buffet and what allergens they might contain. This gave my daughter the assurance that she could indulge in most items--and avoid a few--safely. They even offered to make her a special allergen-free plate (it would take about 15 minutes), but we declined, as we felt certain she could find plenty of safe items on the buffet.
The verdict on both special dining events? Thumbs slightly up. Next trip report feature: Disney's Homeschool Days.
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