Have you ever wondered what Cinderella’s Royal Table restaurant is really like? Located inside Disney’s Magic Kingdom castle it is the most popular restaurant in the whole of Walt Disney World. But does it really deserve to be that popular?
Anyone who has tried to make Advance Dining Reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table will know that sometimes it feels as though you have embarked on Mission Impossible! Unless you call right at the first minute of the first day you can make ADRs (90 days ahead for everyone, and up to 100 days ahead for Disney resort guests) then you will most likely be told that there are no tables left. So we know it is very popular!
What if you don’t manage to get Advance Dining Reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table. Try again. Sometimes there are cancellations and you will strike it lucky.
Do remember though that there is a 24 hour cancellation policy. When you make your ADRs you will be asked for your credit card details – and they will be charged unless you cancel within the 24 hours before you are set to dine.
But does the Cinderella dining experience live up to the expectation? Of course it gives you a chance to actually get inside Cinderella’s Castle. And for this alone it is worth it for many Disney World visitors. The interior of the restaurant is very well done. Just as you would expect the inside of the castle to look – lots of stained glass,stone work and wood. It is also much smaller than most people imagine – another reason why it is so difficult to get in!
It is pretty pricey. At $42.99 for dinner for adults with tax and gratuity as extra this is not an inexpensive dining option.
Cinderella’s Royal Table restaurant is what is known as a photo package experience. What does this mean? The price of the meal also includes a photo with one of the characters.
Many people love the fact that a photo is included with the meal. The photo package is four 4×6 prints and one 6×8 print of your photo, as well as one 6×8 print of Cinderella Castle in a Cinderella photo holder. Each party of 1 to 4 guests will get one photo package,5 to 8 guests will receive two packages.
For me and for many other guests though the feeling is that it would be better if the price was lower and the photograph was not included. Personally I do not like to have to wait in line to have a picture taken (and this is what often happens). This may be because I have hundreds of pictures already of myself and my family with Disney characters! But I would prefer to be able to skip this part.
The time with the characters is good for a Disney character dining experience. The restaurant is small so when I have been there we have had plenty of time with the characters. Who will be there? As with all Disney character dining restaurants the list can, and does, change so don’t promise your little ones (or yourself) a special character. But the ones you are likely to find are Cinderella, The Fairy Godmother, Princess Belle, Princess Aurora and Snow White.
So what is the food like at Cinderella’s Royal Table? Not great but not bad either. For that price I would expect a higher standard. But with this Disney restaurant you are going there for the experience of dining in Cinderella’s Castle. The food is fine, but nothing to get that excited about. There are plenty of choices including a Children’s menu. Some guests do report feeling rushed but I have never really found this to be so.
So is Cinderella’s Royal Table really worth it? I would certainly say it is somewhere you should experience at least once. The unique quality of being located inside Cinderella’s Castle really is a lot of fun.
Have an expectation that the food will be fine but nothing that special. If you want to dine with Cinderella and have great food then try out dinner at 1900 Park Fare in Disney’s Grand Floridian. Overall Cinderella’s Royal Table is a good Disney experience though – if you can get in then you should give it a try.
Want to know even more including finding out what exactly is on the menu and even get a peek inside to see what the restaurant looks like? I have written a free guide for you here:
Photos used under Creative Commons from armadillo444
I know I haven’t had a great experience at Cinderella’s Castle. We went there and my brother thought that the macaroni and cheese tasted like plastic. It could have changed since then, but I would just like to input that.
We just returned from Disneyworld and had dinner for a party of 5 adults and one child at Cinderella’s Castle which cost nearly $400. The experience for the 4 year old child was wonderful and the food for the 5 adults was absolutely deplorable and without a doubt not worth the expense.
wow what a pretty cinderella. Food you can get anywhere its the experience of it all thats the key.
Enjoy be happy to be alive in this nasty world i say.I would enjoy being at disney right now if I could.