Disney World character dining experiences are truly special.
Hey, Pluto!
Not only do you get a great meal, but you can also get some valuable one-on-one time with characters without having to wait in line to meet them. There are also SO many character dining experiences available, but only one takes place INSIDE Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom. But if you haven’t done this character dining experience before, you might need to prepare yourself for some SERIOUS sticker shock.
We’re talking about Cinderella’s Royal Table, where you get to dine INSIDE Cinderella Castle and meet some classic Disney princesses. But here’s the thing. Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the MOST expensive character meals in Disney World. Breakfast is $65 per adult and $39 per child (ages 3-9), while Lunch and Dinner will run you a whopping $79 per adult and $47 per child.
Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table can be pricey
Of course, what you’re really paying for is the view, and we can’t argue that it can’t be beaten. This is the only way you can go INSIDE Cinderella Castle, after all.
You are literally INSIDE Cinderella Castle
Plus, you get a chance to meet a variety of Disney Princesses, including Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, Ariel, Snow White, and more.
Aurora at Cinderella’s Royal Table
We’ve been to Cinderella’s Royal Table several times, and the food is good (it’s a pre-fixe menu), but we might argue that you could get an equal or better meal for a lot less, perhaps at Skipper Canteen. But again, it’s not the food you’re mostly paying for here — it’s the castle view and the princesses. But what if you just don’t want to drop that much on a meal? Well, there are other options.
Parisian Gnocchi at Cinderella’s Royal Table
Well, if you’re interested in meeting princesses while you dine, you can find another princess dining experience in EPCOT in the Norway Pavilion at Akershus Royal Banquet. Here, meals are a little cheaper: it’s $53 for adults and $34 per child for breakfast and $63 per adult and $41 per child for dinner. We actually prefer the breakfast here to the one at Cinderella’s Royal Table. PLUS, you still feel like you’re dining inside a castle.
It’s like you’re inside a castle!
Although you won’t meet Cinderella here, you will get to meet a variety of other princesses, including Tiana, Ariel, Snow White, and Belle. If princesses are your priority and you’re not interested in dining in the castle, book this reservation instead.
Belle at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
The food here is served all-you-care-to-enjoy, family-style, and there are some Norwegian dishes available, too, so you can try a few unique items.
Breakfast at Akershus
However, if you’re more interested in dining in an ACTUAL castle, you might want to consider Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest Restaurant. Although breakfast isn’t available here, lunch and dinner are $67 per adult and 39 per child. Here, you can dine INSIDE Beast’s castle from Beauty and the Beast. The atmosphere is stunning, though again, the food isn’t necessarily the best part of the experience here.
You can dine INSIDE Beast’s castle
The food here is generally okay (although we miss the days of the cheaper lunch option). It’s a pre-fixe menu, but dessert features that famous Grey Stuff from the Beauty and the Beast movie (yes, it really is delicious).
Dessert Trio: Try the Grey Stuff — it’s delicious
However, this is NOT a character meal — what you’re paying for here is the ambiance and some magical moments (like a changing portrait of the Beast and a thunderstorm effect in the West Wing dining room). You might see Beast during your time at Be Our Guest.
Beast
Both of these restaurants offer similar options to Cinderella’s Royal Table but for a little less. You might also find that getting advance dining reservations to Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and Be Our Guest is easier than getting reservations to Cinderella’s Royal Table. Ultimately, you’ll need to decide if your priorities involve dining with princesses or inside a castle, but you do have other options.
We’ll let you know about EVERY unique dining experience in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for more.
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I have a suggestion: a soup and bread restaurant would be wonderful. Everyone could afford a bowl of French Onion, tomato basil, roman noodle, chicken noodle, cream of mushroom, etc. with a small Baggett bread. Priced at $8.99 to suit everyone’s budget and taste. Children and seniors love soups. Disney is imploding from it’s high priced meals. You can even have kiosks for soups around every Park. Don’t destroy Disney with your inflated priced foods.