Alex Coleman
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Nov 4, 2017
- Messages
- 416
Introduction
Cinderella’s Royal Table is a large restaurant in Cinderella’s Castle in at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Don’t miss that: Cinderella’s Royal Table is a restaurant inside the castle! For people who are unfamiliar with WDW and may be exploring their first trip, that can come as a shock. I know when I first told Sarah that we could dine inside the castle I basically had to mop her up because she had turned into a princess-obsessed puddle on the floor. Because of the location, this restaurant is probably the most iconic eatery on Walt Disney World property.
Once I spoke this restaurant into existence for Sarah, we were destined to dine there. During our October 2016 visit, we went dressed as Carl and Ellie from Up during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on the third day of our visit. Honestly, I am surprised that Sarah let me wait that long. For our November 2017 trip, we went back during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We wore our matching Christmas sweaters and we had a grand time.
Atmosphere
For Sarah and I, this is less of a meal and more of an experience. The experience starts when your name is called inside the base of the castle. You are led into the grand entrance hall. This is an incredibly detailed and beautiful space. You really get the feeling that you are a lord or lady entering a castle.
Next you take your picture with Cinderella and then wait for your table to be ready. Sarah and I have not been overly excited about how either of our pictures with Cinderella turned out. During our first visit, we were soaked with sweat from wearing explorer helmets, a sweater vest, and overalls in the hot Florida sun. During our second visit, we were just awkward. The extreme flash used on the Cast Member’s camera also doesn’t help.
We waited for around 15 minutes and then the hostess called out, “Now welcoming Lord and Lady Coleman!” This is the kind of stuff that really hooks Sarah. Not only does she want to be (I mean is she) a princess herself, but she really likes to feel the “Disney magic”. We followed the hostess up the beautiful spiral staircase and towards the dining room. We emerged into the circular dining room and Sarah reverted to her puddle state.
This dining room is beautiful. There are high, vaulted ceilings with stained glass windows that look out into the park. It seems like the Imagineers who designed this restaurant really wanted to let you know that you are in the castle in the middle of the most popular theme park in the world. Hot tip: try to sit by the windows! Sarah and I sat there during our October 2016 trip and we got a really awesome view of Fantasyland.
Another aspect of the dining experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table that I wanted to discuss was our server during our November 2017 trip. I usually try to stray away from reviewing specific Cast Members or the service at restaurants. I think that it is so up-and-down everywhere that it is mostly unhelpful. For every bad experience, there is a great experience. For every great experience, there is a bad experience. I have found that at most places they cancel out.
However, this trip we had an incredible server. He was so engaged and absolutely hilarious. Sarah and I are both 20-somethings who love Disney (a once-again-growing population I think!). I think this server recognized that fact and loosened up. We had several running jokes and he let us know all about the dishes that were being prepared for the night. He made recommendations and we followed his lead. He moved an above-average experience to an excellent one. Thank you, thank you!
Ok, this is the point where Sarah playfully screams at me: “TELL THEM ABOUT THE PRINCESSES!” Point taken, Sarah. One of the unique attractions involved in the Royal Table experience is that the princesses come to your table for a unique meet-and-greet. Sarah would ensure that I wake up at ungodly hours 180 days in advance for a princess meal even if it was in the Magic Kingdom parking lot. The fact that it is combined with the being in the castle sends her into shock.
The one negative of this restaurant’s atmosphere is that it can be incredibly loud. The dining room is small and has excellent acoustics. The tables are also incredibly close so you feel like you are intimately involved in the lives of the party next to you. Sarah and I don’t really care about this because we aren’t expecting a quiet, intimate experience. If you are looking for that kind of fine dining experience, this may not be the place for you.
Food
The Walt Disney World website categorizes Cinderella’s Royal Table as American Cuisine. I would consider Royal Table to be “fine dining-lite”. For the price tag (more on that later), you may expect slightly fancier food. Sarah and I have eaten dinner here during both of our extended trips so that is the food that I will review.
The meal starts off with the Chef’s Tasting Plate which is the appetizer course. You can select from the Soup of the Day, a Charcuterie plate, or a salad. Both times we have eaten here we have gotten the soup and charcuterie. No vegetables in our lives! The charcuterie was alright. The best aspect of the plate was a jelly that was incredibly sweet. Sarah and I were not overly impressed by most of the other items and the presentation was pretty sloppy.
The Potato Soup was really good. It was incredibly creamy and I wish we would have ordered two. I also liked that it came in a small bowl that was slightly more interesting than other Disney World vessels.
The next course is the Entrees Royal. This menu includes several meat and vegetarian options like pork, beef and shrimp, chicken, fish, and salad. For Sarah and I, vegetables were clearly not an option. It was going to be meat and it was going to be plentiful! Sarah and I always order different dishes so we can try multiple. If I was honest, I would have preferred to order two of the Beef and Shrimp. Instead, I ordered the Braised Pork Shank and she ordered the Beef and Shrimp.
Unsurprisingly, Sarah’s was better than mine. I really did like my pork, but the Creamy Polenta was the star of the dish. The pork pulled right off the shank and it was balanced well with the polenta. Sarah doesn’t even eat polenta, but that was what she stole the most from my plate. Once again, the presentation was not exquisite. It just didn’t feel like fine dining.
Hot tip: order the Beef and Shrimp! I would not call it the best steak I have ever had (or even the best steak on the property), but I think it is safe to say that it is the best entree at Cinderella’s. The shrimp were really good. It feels like shrimp can be very hit-or-miss at Walt Disney World. They tend to be pretty rubbery. These shrimp were cooked correctly and the sauce paired really well. The Potatoes Au Gratin were slightly undercooked, but they had plenty of cheese to make the flavor work well.
Then we came to the Finales. During our both our October 2016 and November 2017 visits, Sarah ordered The Clock Strikes Twelve. I ordered a lemon and tea entree during our October trip that is no longer on the menu and loved it. During our November trip, I ordered the Jaq & Gus and it was not great. For me, it was just a cheesecake with very little else to offer.
Sarah really loved the Clock Strikes Twelve and I think it is the best dessert on the menu. It is a dark chocolate mousse with raspberry coulis. It was delicious. I wish we would have both ordered everything that Sarah got, basically. But, like the saying goes: “thou shalt not covet thy wife’s dessert!” The presentation of both of these desserts were very “fine dining.” They were incredibly creative and fun to see come to the table.
Overall, I think the food was above-average Table Service food. I would not consider it to be the best food I have had at Disney World, but I think that it should not deter anyone interested in a princess meet-and-greet.
Cost
According to the Disney World website, Cinderella’s Royal Table is both Character Dining and Fine/ Signature Dining (I would call it more Signature than Fine, but that is slightly splitting hairs). Royal Table is classified with “$$$-$$$$” which means adults should expect to pay roughly $35 to over $60, per adult. As you either already know or can probably imagine, this restaurant is not cheap. The lunch and dinner pre fixe menu costs between $45-60 per child and $65-80 per adult. The interesting fact is that you have to pay for your meal up-front. If you do not cancel prior to 24-hour before your reservation, you will be charged for your entire meal. Don’t cancel late!
For the Disney Dining Plan users, this restaurant requires two Table Service credits per person. Mathematically, it is hard to justify any of the Signature Dining experiences on the Disney Dining Plan (except if you are on the Deluxe). The price of each credit is so high that adding the extra credit makes it not feasible if you are trying to squeeze every last penny out of your dining plan. For the Tables in Wonderland users, this restaurant has a 20% discount. You get this discount in the form of a refund when you present your card at the door.
Who Should Eat Here?
Cinderella’s Royal Table is a Disney bucket list kind of restaurant. The location alone would move it high up the “must-do” list for most die-hard Disney fans. When you add the unique character meet-and-greet, it probably shoots up towards the top of the list. So I would say that the die-hard Disney fans will be drawn to this expensive and “exclusive” experience.
It is difficult to think about this restaurant without taking Akershus into the equation. The menu at Cinderella’s for dinner is much more approachable than Akershus so this may appeal more for your young (and young at heart: Sarah) princess lovers. Hot tip: get Akershus for breakfast and Cinderella’s Royal Table for dinner. The menu at Akershus is much friendlier to picky palates and the dinner at Cinderella’s is comfortable enough that everyone can be happy. That, by the way, sounds like Sarah’s dream day!
Have you eaten at Cinderella’s Royal Table? What what your experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section! For other reviews including resorts and other restaurants, check out our Reviews page!
