{Disney Dining} Cinderella's Royal Table

Cinderella's Royal Table is the restaurant located inside Cinderella's castle in Magic Kingdom.  At one point, this was the most difficult dining reservation to secure.  It remains a popular dining spot but if you make your dining reservations at the 180 day mark, you should be okay, especially if you won't be visiting during a super busy time.  Dining here wasn't on our original agenda and even though I booked it a week later, there were many, many time slots available.  When you make your dining reservation, you will also need to pay in full.   Rumor has it this was set up years and years ago to combat the issue of folks circumventing the dining reservation system and making reservations on behalf of others.  If you do cancel your reservation within the allowed time, your payment will be refunded to you.  Those using the Disney Dining Plan (or Disney Deluxe Dining Plan) will need to say good-bye to two table service credits.

This restaurant is wildly popular because you are dining in Cinderella's castle and if you've been to Disney, you know that the theming is amazing.







When you enter the castle, you will be greeted by Cinderella.  Be sure to ask her to sign your autograph book and don't be afraid to take your own photos, especially if you aren't using PhotoPass.  Push that photographer aside and stand front and center for the best photos.



The price per person is fixed even though the meal is plated.  Each person receives an appetizer, a main course and dessert.  For the appetizer, the kids could choose between grapes and cheese cubes or a small salad while a platter of meats, cheeses and other items was served to the table for the adults. And of course, my kids sampled some it as well.



I ordered the pan-seared chicken, which was served with tomato risotto.



It was delicious and I only wished that there had been more risotto, but it left room for dessert, which for me was the flourless chocolate cake.



We were all extremely pleased with our meals.  Allie ordered the kids' beef tenderloin and her plate was clean when the meal was over.  She told us that it was delicious! If you have kids, keep in mind that Disney will make food substitutions when possible.  All you have to do is ask!  For example, Emily ordered a Mickey Check Meal.  These meals consist of healthy food choices and usually come with a dessert of sliced apples or yogurt.  Now, my kids will not eat apples or yogurt for "dessert."  If they eat these items after dinner, they call it a snack.  On vacation, dining in Cinderella's castle, they most certainly will not accept apples or yogurt as a proper dessert so I asked if she could have the s'mores instead.  Both Emily and Anna ordered this for dessert and they devoured it.


(There's another layer of graham cracker on the bottom and the chocolate was soft.  When I saw it on the menu, I wasn't quite sure how it would be served.)  





While you're dining, three princesses will visit your table, sign autographs and pose for photos.  For our meal, we met Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Ariel.  (Visiting princesses are subject to change.)







[So while the cost of this meal has not changed over the past few years, the bang for your buck has decreased.  Disney used to give you a printed photo of your party with Cinderella as part of the meal cost and the number of visiting princesses has been reduced by one.  Rich commented that he felt as if we had received more of a royal treatment the first time we visited as opposed to this visit.  As we were leaving Magic Kingdom that afternoon, I was stopped by a cast member who asked if we had dined in the park that day.  I agreed to complete a survey regarding our dining experience and dining in general, which was interesting.  The fact remains that even though Disney has made these changes, reservations still fill to capacity.]