Lords and Ladies of the Kingdom, we welcome you to…Cinderella Castle!!!
Admittedly, I couldn’t wait to go back to the castle — in the middle of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom — to dine. I’d never had breakfast here (not since I was a small fry, at least), and I was downright giddy! I don’t care how old you are, it’s just plain rad to go inside the castle where nobody else (unless they have a reservation, too, of course) gets to go. Seriously. Rad.
So I made the reservation the minute our 180-day Advanced Dining Reservation Window opened up (yep — this is one of the toughest reservations to get, so book early), gave them my credit card number (need to lock this one in with a card number — call in advance to cancel, or you’ll be charged), and started counting down the days…
Atmosphere
There are several magical things that happen when you book an early breakfast reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table:
- You get into the Magic Kingdom early. That’s right. Book your reservation for 8:00am on a day when the park doesn’t open until 9 and you get the wonderful experience of entering the park before anybody else and walking down an empty Main Street USA. You feel like a VIP. THEN, when you’re finished with your meal, you’ve already bypassed the huge crowds that gather at the entrance turnstyles at opening time, and you get first crack at Fantasyland. Very cool trick.
- You get to explore the castle and its intricate decor in the daylight. You can’t do this at night, as the lighting isn’t very powerful; it’s hard to see all of the incredible detail.
- You get to carry around your princess wand or your prince sword all day long. OK. So that’s not so magical.
- You get to watch Fantasyland come alive through the castle windows!
Anyway, the scene opens when you get to the restaurant. Imagineers have done an excellent job of building anticipation when it comes to actually entering the castle, and then the restaurant itself. Guests check in at a podium set in front of huge double doors. Anyone without a reservation can only hope to peek inside and see what it’s like in Cinderella’s throne room — or even see Cinderella herself!
Cinderella's Royal Table Entry Doors
Shiny suits of armor and medieval weapons guard the massive entryway room, filled with dark wood, “stone” walls and floors, and plush velvet and tapestry decor. It’s everyone’s dream of a fairytale castle, and you’re inside!! I don’t know about you, but I still get goosebumps when I go in there. It’s pure Disney magic, and I’m willing to pay the price for it.
Suite of Armor
Tapestries and Windows in Entry Hall
Plush Seating in Entry Hall
Entry Hall Shields and Chandelier
View of Staircase from Entry Hall
This is also where you can get your special princess wand or princely sword!
Wand, Sword, and Photo Package Folder
Once you have your photo taken with Cinderella herself, the imagineers have created another anticipatory segment to the journey. At this point, guests must follow the red carpet up the twisty-turny turret stairs or climb through the wooden doors of the elevator. (Seriously — twisty stairs! I love it!)
Twisty Turny Stairway to the Restaurant
Elevator to Restaurant
On the staircase, which I think is one of the best pieces of restaurant themeing I’ve ever seen in a Disney restaurant, you’ll pass an overhead view of Cinderella’s entryway downstairs, stained glass images of the princess, and fancy restrooms on the first landing before you come to a small doorway leading to the restaurant.
View of Entry Hall from Stairway to Restaurant
Cinderella Stained Glass Window Seen From Staircase
Rest Room
Women's Restroom Powder Room
Women's Restroom Mirror
But you don’t immediately see the restaurant — you must come out of the doorway and turn before you see the two story dining room capped with royal shields, flags, massive stained glass windows, and huge medieval chandeliers.
Top of Stairway and Entry to Dining Room
Dining Room
Dining Room Chandelier
Dining Room Ceiling and Flags
Dining Room Windows
Bright royal purple napkins crown dark wood tables surrounded by richly upholstered chairs. Tall, dark wood chair rails culminate in ornate carvings six feet up, and the “stone” pillars and columns rise into graceful archways surrounding the inner dining-room. I mean…come on! This is awesome. Admit it.
Seating
Plus — there’s the view…
View of Fantasyland from Castle Dining Room
The Show and The Princesses
Of course, as soon as the breakfast begins, the show is underway. Like Ariel’s Grotto in Disneyland, each princess is introduced individually, her story being told over the loudspeaker as she appears. On our visit, we got to see Ariel, Belle (the only time I’ve seen her at a Character meal in her blue dress), Aurora, and Snow White.
Ariel
Belle
Aurora
Snow White
The princesses visit each table, and there are special little celebrations (sometimes with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother!) scheduled throughout the morning for your little prince and princess to enjoy.
During your meal, your photo package created from the pic taken earlier with Cinderella will be delivered to your table in a handy little folder frame. We asked Cindy to pose for a solo photo so you could imagine your family there instead of having to look at our crazy visages! 😉
Photo Package large photo
Eats
Breakfast begins with pre-plated pastries, fruit, and OJ. The fruit, as you can see, was gorgeous; and I really enjoyed the mini pan au chocolat pastries. The cinnamon rolls were fine, but probably not worth the calories 🙂
Table Setting
Pastries
Fruit
On our visit, we had the choice of a standard breakfast with eggs, bacon, breakfast potatoes, and sausage; or the famous stuffed french toast, which is basically a pastry filled with sweet cream cheese and covered with an apple-berry sauce.
We, of course, ordered both. The standard breakfast was fine and filling — nothing over the top to report here. It’s not going to win any awards, but it’ll definitely fill you up for a day of touring.
Eggs, Potatoes, Bacon, and Sausage Adult Breakfast
The stuffed french toast as uber-sweet and very good. Plan ahead, though, as the amount of sugar here will probably have you crashing halfway through your day! 😉 I ate a few bites of this along with some protein (eggs and sausage) from the other plate to balance everything out a bit. I do like that there seems to be a little hidden Mickey on my french toast, though!
Stuffed French Toast
Stuffed French Toast Cross Section
Overall
Many folks rail about the food and the cost here, and while it’s not spectacular, 5-star cuisine, it’s really not bad. Pricing is high ($30-50 depending whether you’re getting a kids’ or adult meal), but what you’re paying for here is a truly wonderful experience unlike any other in Disney World. I don’t care if you’re five or 500, you want to see the inside of that castle when you walk through the gates of the Magic Kingdom. This is your chance.
If you haven’t eaten here, definitely book a reservation. Disney World is an icon, and Cinderella Castle is the epicenter of the magic. If you’re a big Disney fan, or you have a little prince or princess who might enjoy this meal, it’s worth the cost.
I know you have an opinion! Let us know how you like Cinderella’s Royal Table in the comments section below!
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Several years ago, we ate at Cinderella’s Castle for dinner. This was before they turned every meal service into a “package” with limited choices. Although these experiences are geared for children, the cost is much more than what you get to eat. I think the photo package should be optional and the food upgraded to a more elegant meal. There are no other quality sit down meals at the Magic Kingdom. We find ourselves eating our dinner meal at Epcot always. It would be nice for each park to have a fine dining restaurant, particularly MK and AK. The breakfast looks good, but it is not worth paying $50 for a $10 meal. You have so many more choices at Crystal Palace and it’s a character meal too for less than half that price.
We are heading down to Disney in April and I also called at the 180 day mark. We will be having Easter lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table. My daughter will be going to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique right before our lunch and she talks about it every day. We can’t wait to go and am glad to hear a positive review that takes it for what it is, an unforgettable Disney experience!
WE celebrated our 8 th aniversary dinner here and because we were on California time we had a late dinner which was 9pm. Which was only 6pm our time and it was fabulous leaving the castle after the park had closed. Nobody was there! plus they gave us a bottle of champagne and 2 Cinderallas Castle Champagne glasses. I had a lamb shank which I can still taste today! It was just fabulous…
We are planning to bring our two princess (ages 4 and 3) here next trip. Our biggest decision right now is for which meal! I would love to head over for breakfast to get to Magic Kingdom early, but my real life Sleeping Beauty, who must be woken up everyday, may not appreciate being woken up while on vacation. 🙂
Great review! this makes me even more excited to try it out. We ate at Akershus last trip, and the girls loved it, so we are thinking being in the castle will be even better!
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve eaten at CTR – I’ve gotten lazy with the 180 day window – and I’d forgotten how much I love the architecture and ambiance at CRT. Thanks for taking so many pictures. Now see what you’ve made me do; the restaurant is back on my trip list, which means I have to stay on top of my travel planning! 😛
Interesting about the Cinderella solo photo. I didn’t know you could do that.
And…spot on about the sugar rush with the carb + sugar dishes like the stuffed French toast. Such dishes are very good, but us vegetarians (especially) need to be sure to request some appropriate protein to go with it. Because it is crash and burn waiting to happen.
And seriously, how cute is that hidden Mickey?
Breakfast at the Royal Table is the best. People do complain that it is expensive. But you pay for all the meet & greet of the Princess and the picture package. Every Princess or Prince (your kid) gets souveniers at the table. It truly is a special experience. But we have done breakfast, lunch & dinner at the Royal Table and we have never had a complaint. Akershus had a great breakfast & lunch but we still prefer the Royal Table.
But if cost is the turn off I suggest you go to the Grand Floridian and have breakfast with the whole cast of Cinderella (Prince, stepsister & stepmother included).
Love Disney!
we took our daughter her last year for supper .. food was on the low end of ok.. but the experience was second to none.. i think i have the same pic looking out the window from the same seats.. truely magical…
I’ve taken my family here twice for breakfast and we love it! I always order the stuffed french toast, and the opportunity to eat inside the castle is truly magical. My kids love it. I have a 12 year old boy and 5 year old daughter, and we are all in agreement (including my husband) that this is a must breakfast whenever we visit WDW. We add the dining plan to our packages so the cost of the actual experience there is not an issue for us, except that we know we have to use 2 sit down credits for the 1 but it is worth it!! Next time, I would like to try the dinner. I hope its just as good.
We had breakfast at CRT for my daughter’s birthday on our last trip. The food was alright, but the experience (and not waiting in line for the five princesses separately) was completely worth it. At ours we saw Aurora, Jasmine, Belle, Snow White, and Cinderella downstairs.
I would do it again for a special occasion, but it’s definitely not something for every trip considering the cost.
We have done this 4-5 times and loved it every time. On our past trip we did CRT for dinner and found it was way better than breakfast. From now on we will be doing dinner at the castle.
Great review!!
We did breakfast here a few years ago and thought it was a lot of fun. Our biggest complaint was even with the ADR we had to wait about 1/2 hour before we got our picture with Cinderella and then it seems like we had another 15 minute wait before we were seated for breakfast. I thought the food was really good but of course after a 45 minute wait we were all pretty hungry. We did enjoy the atmosphere once we were seated and we were glad we did this at least once but it is not on our must do list for every trip. I would choose the breakfast with the princesses at Akershus over this hands down. But I do agree that it something every Disney fan should experience if for nothing else just to say they have been inside the castle.
To me, the CRT should be experienced with some kids to see it through their eyes. I think without kids the food isn’t worth the price. Obviously, there is great beauty and detail to see but what at WDW isn’t beautiful to look at.
I find it curious that they give you pastries first. If I ate those first I wouldn’t want to eat much of the rest of breakfast.
It’s a great point about getting into the MK early. We go to the earliest seating at Crystal Palace every trip just to do this.
I’ve never been to CRT and probably never will (I have a young son and and there are too many other places that we love and/or want to try.) But I hear you loud and clear on uniqueness AJ. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only restaurant in a castle on all of the five worldwide Disney parks. Not even Paris or Toyko can lay claim to a dining location in either of their castles.
The reason Belle is in her blue dress? Her yellow ballgown’s hoopskirt is too large to fit between the tables. One of my princess friends told me.
I ate at CRT in December with my best friend. She’s 22, I’m 21, and we had the time of our lives.
I really enjoy CRT! I know some people complain about the food quality here and, while it’s definitely not on par with other Disney signature dining experiences that cost 2 TS credits on the dining plan, I agree that part of what you are paying for is the experience. And, to us, this is worth it, though others may not feel the trade off is worth it.
We’ve never done breakfast here since we have two boys who are absolutely NOT interested in all things princess. The last time we had dinner there, it was when it was still the fairy godmother and the ugly stepsisters instead of the princesses. I’m hoping that now that all 3 meals are princess-ified, I can convince my boys that Princess Mommy deserves a meal at CRT at least once every few trips!
I haven’t eaten at CRT since 2007, but I completely agree that what you’re paying for is the location. I also agree that it is worth it!
I haven’t been to Cindy’s since 2008. They have a new menu now, right? That stuffed french toast looks amazing, I might have to try it for breakfast soon!
so would dinner be my best bet then?? Because we definitely want to eat here on our next trip. We were always kinda on the fence about this restaurant, after reading so many mixed reviews. So, this will be our first time actually inside the castle and I can’t wait! But I have heard from many that they prefer dinner over breakfast. So…. im undecided… breakfast or dinner?!?!?
I (a 25 year-old girl) had lunch here in August and had a fantastic meal. The food was good the princesses were excellent and I had so much fun. All the princesses treated me like an honoured guest and posed for great photos. When I got home and found that my camera had malfunctioned and I lost all my pictures from this special experience I actually cried… But I still have my autographs!
Love this review! I’m going there for the first time in January 2012 and I absolutely cannot WAIT!
How long would you say we should give ourselves for breakfast? I’ve got an 8:05 reservation and need to rush out by 9:30 to make a tour … would you say that’s enough time?
Is it better to use 2 DP credits for Breakfast at the CRT or just pay cash? Can’t seem to find an answers.
Julie — It really depends on how many credits you have to use. If you can spare the 2 credits and won’t use them anywhere else, then use them. But many folks do choose to just pay cash and save the 2 credits for more expensive meals elsewhere.
Thanks AJ! We visit the World in just 4 short weeks …. I can’t seems to get Zipidee doo da out of my head this morning!
I booked a CRT breakfast for our trip in March. Our reservations are for 8:15 but the park doesnt open til 9. I was told I could not use the parking lot as it would not be open yet and I would have to take a bus there. I was also told the monorail does not open until 8 am so we would be cutting it REALLY close for the breakfast. What do we do? Our reservations are for 815 am on March 30, 2012.
Stephanie — Here are your options:
1. Double check on that parking lot thing. I’m pretty sure it will be open. It’s true that the express monorail and boats might not be running until 8, though the resort monorail usually runs earlier since the resort guests may have to get to the park for an 8am breakfast.
2. You can take a taxi to the MK. That’s a fail-safe way to arrive on time and not have to worry about boats, buses, or monorails. If they can’t drive you to the MK gates, have them drop you off at the Contemporary Resort and walk in.
3. Take the Breakfast Bus from a Disney resort.
Good luck!
I’m going to try for an ADR for breakfast during my November trip.
Ate both Breakfast and Dinner recently and apparently they have a new Chef. The breakfast menu had beef tenderloin and another dish with crepes, crab and lobster. Not the meal we got on our last visit. The tenderloin was delicious and had a spicy fritatta under it. The lobster and crab came on crepes with a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. They even slipped us a stuffed french toast fro us to try as we had trouble deciding on an entree.
At dinner we feasted on slow roasted beef tenderloin and a stuffed chicken dish. Both were awesome. The almond cheesecake for dessert was delicious and the chocolate mousse was light and airy.
Best meal we’ve ever eaten at the Castle. Hope the new chef keeps the good stuff coming….
Great review, Charles! Thank you!!
How much earlier than ADR should you arrive to fit in touring castle,pictures,etc?
Mark — I would say arrive about 15 mins before your ADR. They take all of that stuff into account when seating. 🙂
Thank you so much for a terrific and information-rich post! My little picky eater wanted to Google “what do princesses eat for breakfast” and that’s how we found this post! #LOVE XX
We just returned from our trip to Cinderella’s castle. I found this searching for the recipe for the stuffed French toast. It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It didn’t look anything like the above picture though.
Few tips I thought I would share. I saw somebody asking about transportation in the mornings. We were told to leave an 1 1/2 hours early encase we had to wait for trams or monorales. Our reservation was for 8:15. We got to the parking lot so early nobody was there and we didn’t have to pay for parking that day. We also were the 1st to park so you don’t need a tram, front row parking!! The resort monorale runs every 5 minutes or so. We were the 1st people in the park so we got great pics with nobody in them with the castle behind us. Then we thought we would have to wait while all the 8:00 reservation people were seated but they got us right in. (There was NO need for us to get up so early!!!!!!)
I am so happy to read these reviews! I have been debating over and over where we will have our first character meal and I love what everyone has to say about this. I will be booking in a few weeks for our April 2013 trip. Thank you all!
We just returned to Cinderella’s Royal Table Breakfast this past week and it will be the last time we visit there. Part of the reason for not returning is that our kids are getting older, but the dining experience doesn’t even come close to the price tag. We ate at many restaurants during our 6 day trip and Cinderella’s Royal Table Breakfast was easily the worst food. Cold eggs, soggy potatoes, etc…not too mention the kids are too distracted to enjoy their meals.
It didn’t really sink in as to how bad the food was until we ate at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary. Chef Mickey’s was bright, upbeat, open space, and the buffet was fantastic!
It felt like there was a lot more character meet and greets in the parks since the last time we visited two years ago, which kind of eliminates the “need” to eat with the princesses. Cheers!~
-PC
Quick question: does anyone EVER cancel at Cindy’s?? Last minute opportunity has arisen and I’d love it if even just my youngest and her Daddy (of our family of five) could get a table! Thanks!!
Erika — YES! I’ve cancelled at Cindy’s before myself. Just keep calling with fingers crossed.
One thing that I noticed on our last 2 trips to Disney it’s that the portions are enormous. We have decided to forgo the dining plan this time around because we never ate everything on our plates and it seemed very wasteful to me. If we are paying out of pocket can an adult order off the kids menu? Or, can my daughter and I split an adult meal? I know we can’t do that at a buffet, but this is not an all you can eat breakfast.
Regarding Lori’s information:
I have booked Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for 8:05am, but I am not at a Resort.
Am I REALLY able to arrive early in the morning (7am) and wait at TTC for a character breakfast monorail from 5 to 5 minutes to get me to MK?
Or I’ll have to walk to a near resort to do that (let’s say the Polynesian)?
We went in April 2013 for breakfast and I wish I could post pics of the new menu items. I had the stuffed crepes while my mother had the chipolte steak and eggs. Both meals were to die for. I wish they offered more for the kids meal because scrambled eggs aren’t my daughters favorite, but she loved the pastries. Overall the place rates as a 10 on my scale and I would do it over and over again.
I am so excited. I am going to have breakfast at Cinderella’s Table for my honeymoon! 😀
My question is… do they let adults have the wand and/or sword?
Arlie — Yep — the adults can have the wand/sword.
Thank you AJ! I cannot wait to eat here. This has been something I have wanted to do since I was at least 10 if not younger.
We’re headed to CRT for the first time (yay!) in March. We have a 9:55 reservation for breakfast. Wondering how long the whole ordeal takes? Trying to select FP+ options, and want to make sure my timing is okay. Also, how early do we need to be? If park opens at 9AM, will we have time to do a ride or two beforehand, or should we be at the castle very early before the reservation?
Question about dining at CRT. We have a 9:30pm reservation, only one open for a party of 5, how does that work with the fireworks at 10pm? We of course would not be done eating and of course don’t want to miss the fireworks. Are there any good spots to try and get to enjoy them while we eat and how long in advance should we arrive in order to be first in line to suggest these seats???
Wait…are there really only 2 meal options? $60 gets you a choice between 2 meals at breakfast? What happened to the steak and eggs, or other things? Can anyone clarify how they do the menu now? Stuffed french toast is too sweet, and my bf doesn’t like ham or bacon, so what do we eat?
Courtney — you can see parts if the fireworks from the restaurant, but there’s nowhere to go to see the whole show. 🙁
My first trip to Disney as a child my parents took us here for dinner. While honestly it was over 30 years ago I do remember our dessert. 🙂 As a surprise for my 8 year old daughter’s second visit we are having breakfast here on our last day. Even bought her a beautiful princess dress to wear. I can’t wait. It’s so hard keeping this a secret.
Took my 4 year to the Princess Dinner at Akershus last year. Although we enjoyed the experience very much, we really disliked the food. For our upcoming trip I made an ADR for CRT for 8:05am. I have to admit the thought of being in park before it opens is kind of neat. However, I’m still debating weather Dinner would be a better option(as far as getting a good meal). We will be using dining plan credits for this meal. Or would I just be better off having breakfast at Akershus. All this preplanning can be a bit overwhelming :/. I’m just hoping this time around the Princess experience will be accompanied by some good food.
We were wondering if you are finished with breakfast and are still hungry can you have more? I have seen pics of the breakfast entrees and while they look lovely, they are small and I have a hungry teenage boy that can eat more than my husband and I combined.
christina, I’m sure you would be able to ask a waiter about ordering something additional if you needed to. I ordered the steak and eggs while I was there, and the portion was MUCH more than expected! You can also order sides of things initially, if you know in advance that it won’t be enough. They also give breakfast pastries before the meal, so there’s a little extra too.