Disney4me Posted Monday at 08:00 PM Report Share Posted Monday at 08:00 PM When it comes to deciding where you should dine at Disney World, the possibilities are almost endless. While visiting Disney World is special on its own, sometimes you’re looking for ways to make those moments truly shine. Finding that “glass slipper fit” for your special meal while you’re at Disney World might include something a bit more upscale and luxurious, but does it live up to the hype? Cinderella’s Royal Table We recently stopped by Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom to see if this restaurant lives up to its hype, and now we’re bringing you our FULL review. Is it worth finding the time and money to dine in the castle during your next trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth? Find out here! Atmosphere If you’ve ever dreamed of being treated to the ultimate Disney meal, you just might find what you’re looking for at Cinderella’s Royal Table. This unique restaurant is not like anything else you’ll find at Disney World because its (typically) your only peek at what it’s like to live inside a Disney castle and dine like a true prince or princess! Entrance to the restaurant You’ll start your journey by coming around to the back of Cinderella Castle, the focal point of Magic Kingdom. From there, you’ll be greeted by a wooden sign welcoming you to your check-in host for your meal. Check-in for your meal here Outside, there may not be much to look at beyond a posted menu and the host stand, but once the Cast Members have notified Cinderella that her “royal guests” have arrived, you’re invited to step INSIDE the castle into the Grand Hall. Inside the Grand Hall As you make your way through the Grand Hall of Cinderella Castle, you might just find that you’ve stepped right through the screen and directly into Cinderella’s world. The hall is filled with woven tapestries depicting Cinderella’s story… Tapestries hung on the walls …statues of armored knights guarding the entrance, coats of arms on metal shields hung above your head near the fireplace… Coats of arms on shields …and if you look real close, you might even find a few of Cinderella’s tiniest helpers peering out to have a look at who’s just arrived! Jaq & Gus! Take a few moments to really enjoy this space and have a long look around — it’s truly a spectacular sight to see and there are so many details to spot within. The Grand Hall is also where Cinderella likes to treat her special guests in person. Cinderella Don’t forget to stop by and allow her to say “hello,” pause for a quick portrait, and be sure to ask her about all the details you can find around you as you wait for your invitation upstairs and on to your table. From the staircase The main dining room can be found just up the winding staircase (but don’t worry, there’s also an elevator in use for those who may have trouble ascending the stairs easily). As you head up, you’ll spot detailed stained glass windows with Cinderella’s picture perfectly posed in the center… Detailed stained glass …as well as a stop near the top for the restaurant’s bathrooms. Ah — you’ve arrived! Welcome to the main dining room at the top of the staircase. Isn’t it spectacular?! The dining room You’ll find there are several levels making up the dining room. Take note of the carved wooden details that line the walls and frame the center of the room paired against tall archways that stretch high above you. Flags in the center of the room In the center, you’ll find surrounding kingdoms’ flags, and your server will escort you over to your plush seating. Tables Natural light is let in through a series of cascading, slim stained glass windows that overlook the entrance to Fantasyland where you might be able to spot people around the park below you. This is a popular spot to ask to be seated just before the nightly fireworks go off, too! Table by the windows During your meal you’ll be greeted by several of Cinderella’s fellow princess friends! We got the opportunity to meet with Ariel… Ariel …Jasmine… Jasmine …Sleeping Beauty or Aurora… Sleeping Beauty …and even Merida! Merida Each of the princesses are announced into the dining room, and there’s no need to hop up. As they enter, they’ll make their way around the dining room, stopping by each table for the chance to welcome you to the castle, sign autographs, and take a few photos with you! Meeting at tables Additionally, your server will also leave a few gifts from Cinderella at your table! The first being a Wishing Star (you’ll want to hold on to this one because of the wishing ceremony that will take place during your visit)… Wishing Star for the ceremony during your meal …a wand with a star at the end inscribed with “Cinderella’s Royal Table” as a commemorative souvenir… Star wand …and an autographed postcard with all of the princess’s signatures, just in case you’ve forgotten to bring something for them to sign during your visit! Signature card But enough about the restaurant — what’s on the menu here?! Menu Dining inside Cinderella’s Royal Table is a prix fixe meal. While you’ll have a few options to choose from in each category — appetizers, entrées, and desserts, you’ll pay one set price for your meal. Adults dining here are priced at $88 for lunch and dinner while children ages 3-9 are priced at $52 plus tax and gratuity. Unless you’re using the Disney Dining Plan to pay for your meal, you’ll pay for the meal as you’re making your booking, and the taxes plus an automatic 18% gratuity will be included in your price. Menu So what exactly are your options to dine like royalty? Let’s take a closer look! You’ll start out with drinks like specialty cocktails, wines, and even a flight option (these are an extra cost)… Starting off your meal …the prix fixe appetizers, entrées, desserts, and included beverages… Main menu …and your biggest problem you’ll have while choosing your selections will most likely come from which dessert you’d like to round out your dining experience with! Specialty add-ons Of course, there are a few extended options you can spring for as accompaniments to your main meal like a few specialty non-alcoholic drinks including the So Many Wishes specialty beverage, a few wines to pair for your regal feast, and even a special dessert that’s not on the menu (so make sure you ask your server about options that may not have been revealed before you’re seated inside the castle)! And now, it’s time to talk about the true belle of the ball — the FEAST! Eats For our appetizer of the court, we started with the Slow-braised Beef. This dish is made of Carrot Purée, Red Wine-Onion Jam, and Horseradish Gremolata and we don’t think we could have made a better choice to set the tone for what was to come! Slow-braised Beef The beef was so tender, and the flavors from the juices the meat was cooked in didn’t leave each bite. While we could tell it was juicy, it wasn’t soggy or soupy, but just enough to feel like you were getting the most tender bites of a beef that mimicked a pot roast dish. Lots of flavor The carrot purée was poured around the outside as an accompaniment, while the red wine onion jam and horseradish gremolata topped the beef. Truly, if this had been a bigger plate, it could have easily served as a filling entrée on its own. Next up for our meal was the entrée royal, and we chose the Grilled Filet Mignon. It’s served with Olive Oil-whipped Potatoes, Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, and Garlic Butter, and we could see the buttery spread melt right on top of our filet in real time. Grilled Filet Mignon If you find yourself hesitating between options, the filet is a solid choice. The meat was grilled to a nice pink center at medium temperature (our request). Look at the butter melt The garlic butter melting on top of the filet soaked into each bite, and the oil-whipped potatoes were like a dream when those bites hit our taste buds. Truly, they were the highlight of the meal which surprised us. We were so full already, we didn’t know if we’d have room for dessert! The best choice we could have made yet The desserts here are called finales, and we once again found ourselves between options. While we ultimately made our selection with The Clock Strikes Twelve… The Clock Strikes Twelve …our server also asked us to highlight the Jaq & Gus Cheesecake (because it’s just too darn cute)! So we actually have a few desserts to tell you about. Jaq & Gus Cheesecake Starting off with The Clock Strikes Twelve, this dessert is made of a Chocolate Ganache Tart topped with Salted Caramel-Coffee Mousse, and you don’t have to be a coffee lover to enjoy its decadent taste. Mmm, chocolate! The creamy center tart was easily sliced through like butter, and the inside revealed the bold layers of salted caramel-coffee mousse and blue coating sitting atop the ganache-filled tart. We could certainly taste the hints of the salted-caramel coffee flavor, but they weren’t overpowering and when paired with the chocolate ganache underneath it — it mostly blended into a chocolate-lovers dream bite. Admittedly, this was a great dessert to choose but we have to give our server credit because she hit the nail on the head straight on by suggesting the Jaq & Gus Cheesecake. Inside of the cheesecake This dessert plate is almost too fun to eat! The pieces of “cheese” are made of Vanilla Cheesecake served with Fresh Fruit and Garnishes of graham cracker crumbles. Just a bite! It’s almost like digging into a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake dish and we LOVED every last bite! But truly, the speed at which we found ourselves shoveling this one into our mouths like Gus and those pieces of corn were downright comical. To really amp up the flavor, challenge yourself to get all of the elements into at least a few of your bites, especially those graham cracker crumbles! The vanilla cheesecake doesn’t have a bitter bite to it and it’s more reminiscent of a mousse consistency. We hope you were paying attention at the top of this review, because if you were you’ll remember we mentioned a SECRET menu item you won’t learn about until you’ve been seated for your meal — but, we’re not ones to gatekeep from our friends! The Cinderella White Chocolate Slipper dessert is also available at an additional cost. Cinderella White Chocolate Slipper The slipper is made of white chocolate and filled with raspberry mousse topped with edible flowers, glitter, and surrounded in a sauce of raspberry shavings. If your mouth is already watering just looking at this one, trust us when we tell you it’s even more incredible to taste. Delicious! We thought the white chocolate flavor from the slipper might be a little overbearing, but we were pleasantly surprised to be oh-so wrong. It complimented the raspberry flavor so well that it helped taper down that bit of puckery-sour taste raspberries can sometimes harbor. Truly if you’re willing to splurge a little bit more on your meal (to the tune of $25 plus tax and gratuity which totaled a little over $27), it could easily turn into a highlight of your meal here. Drinks Your prix fixe meal comes with a soft drink, but to make this review extra special we decided to pick up the So Many Wishes for $6.59. This is a non-alcoholic drink made of pomegranate-green tea, hibiscus, lemon, and a dash of stardust. So Many Wishes We were excited to order it initially but admittedly were a bit underwhelmed when it was served to our table in the same royal blue goblets as the other drinks that come along with the meal. This made us sad because when we’ve had this drink before out in other Disney World restaurants, it’s beautiful color and shimmering dust is neat to look at. The only way to tell it was a bit different was due to the fruit spear near the top of the drink. But how did it taste? Delightful! Closer up We’ve likened this sparkly drink to a pomegranate Jolly Rancher before, and we’re happy to report it’s still got it! But, we do have to say this is a very sweet drink. Our sips were most prominently flavors of pomegranate or sugar, and we only got hints of green tea or lemon flavor. If you love sweet drinks, or you’re looking for something out of the normal to try to make this experience even more special, this is a solid choice for adults and kids alike. You would probably enjoy this one without coughing up another huge chunk of change for it. Nosh or Not This Disney World restaurant is a dream if… You’ve dreamed of seeing the inside of Cinderella Castle. This is the ultimate dining experience to be dining among Cinderella and a few of her fellow Disney Princesses while enjoying a full meal from start to finish. You’re looking to make your next Disney World visit’s celebration EXTRA special! This restaurant is a popular option in general, but if you’re really looking to plus up the “WOW” factor for your next celebration on vacation, the restaurant, meal, and character meet and greets are already impressive on their own. But, there’s also a few special things you can order to enhance this even further. You favor the experience and are willing to spend a little more than usual for it. There’s no getting around the pricey cost for this experience whether you’re paying cash for it at booking or with Disney Dining Plan credits (currently, it’s 2 credits per person to visit here). But, if the experience for the meal, a more intimate meet and greet with a few Disney Princesses, and the opportunity to step inside the castle and see how Disney royalty entertain guests and dine, well, we can’t say we blame you much! You should skip this Disney World experience if… Budget conscious value is more your goal. Yes, it’s going to cost you a lot of money to dine here. We enjoyed this visit, however, it is more the experience that we crave for a repeat visit here over the food. While the food was good quality and we left with a full belly, that doesn’t mean you couldn’t get food of equal quality cheaper somewhere else. Your kids (or you) just aren’t into the more “classic” Disney Princesses. Disney Princesses have evolved over the last several years, and more and more of their storylines have moved them away from traditional medieval castles they called home. If your experience would be better placed in somewhere like Mirabel’s enchanted Casita or Moana’s island oasis on Motunui, this might feel a bit dated for what you’re looking for. The entire idea of this restaurant and its experience doesn’t blow you away on paper. This isn’t a restaurant that will please everyone, and while it is super popular, it’s a time sucker, too. If you’re someone who’s looking to spend minimal down time from your park plans, this experience will take 1-2 hours, and you may not want to give that time up. Just because it’s a frequently booked restaurant doesn’t mean it’s the right experience for everyone’s ideal vacation. It’s totally fine to spend your time finishing out your Lightning Lanes, capturing those PhotoPass photos out in the rides and walkways, and picking up a Mickey pretzel to keep moving on! Overall Overall, this is certainly a posh experience you won’t get anywhere else at Disney World. In fact, this is your only way to be invited inside Cinderella Castle as a park visitor, and truly something that most folks cherish for a lifetime even if they’re able to do it only once. Our meal We enjoyed our meal, and it was an improvement over our past experiences here. Is the meal and experience pricey? Absolutely, but may be worth the cost if you’ve ever dreamed of stepping inside of Disney World’s iconic Cinderella Castle, being greeted by several Disney Princesses, and enjoying a good meal. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments!The post REVIEW: Yes, This Magic Kingdom Restaurant Is ICONIC, But I Still Think Lots of You Should Skip It first appeared on the disney food blog.View the full article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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