Review: Is Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table Worth the Cost Right Now?
Cinderella’s Royal Table has been open for quite some time in Disney World, but it had only been serving lunch and dinner since its reopening…until recently!
Hi Cinderella!
That’s right, breakfast is officially BACK at Cindy’s castle, but it’s not exactly the same as it used to be. Is breakfast worth the cost at the moment or is it something you should skip on for now? We ate at this spot for breakfast recently and now we’re bringing you all of our thoughts.
Again, as we mentioned above, Cinderella’s Royal Table has been open for quite some time, offering guests the chance to eat in this unique spot during lunch or dinner. If you’re unfamiliar with it, Cinderella’s Royal Table is located in Magic Kingdom, inside of Cinderella Castle. Truly, the location of this spot is one of its biggest draws. Eating in the Castle for at least one meal is one of those bucket list things we think every Disney fan should do at least once, just to say that they did.
Gorgeous!
Plus, Cinderella’s Royal Table is traditionally a character meal. At the moment, however, that has significantly changed. During breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the princesses do not meet and greet with guests at their tables as they used to. Instead, for breakfast, just as we’ve seen during lunch and dinner, only Cinderella appears very briefly in the restaurant.
Character sign
She doesn’t meet and greet with guests at their tables, nor does she walk through the restaurant. Instead, Cinderella comes out of one area, stands on an upper portion of the restaurant, and walks around that slightly elevated area.
Hey There Cinderella!
She’ll walk from one side to the other, wave, do a few twirls, pause for some quick distanced photos, and then generally head out.
Time for a Spin
It’s very different than the full character meet and greet princess experience guests used to be able to get here. Cinderella isn’t out for extended periods of time, and depending on where you are sitting in the restaurant, you might not get the best view of her, so that’s really important to keep in mind (especially if you’re eating with little ones). Still, it’s the closest you can get to dining with the princesses at the moment, so if that’s important to you then that’s something to consider.
A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes
BEFORE the closures, you could expect to see typically 4-5 princesses at this meal along with a wishing star ceremony they would all do periodically. Guests were given shimmery plastic “wishing stars” at their table and children received a plastic sword or wand as well. All of that is still not happening at this time.
Remember the good ol’ days with Wishing Stars?
At the end of this meal you will be provided with an autograph card from Cinderella.
Autograph Card
It’s a nice, little souvenir to take with you from your time in the Castle. Keep in mind that this card is pre-signed as traditional meet-and-greets and autographs with Cinderella are not being done at the moment.
Autograph Card
Now, let’s get into the atmosphere of this spot.
Atmosphere
Overall, the atmosphere and general location is really the star of the show here. Let’s start from the very beginning though. When we arrived for our breakfast reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table, we gave our name to the Cast Members standing outside the front of the Castle (our reservation was quite early, before the park opening time). During normal park hours, the check-in podium is found in the rear of the Castle.
Cast Members Outside
Eating breakfast really early in Magic Kingdom can be a great benefit in and of itself. Getting to enter the park early, before other guests, gives you the chance to see things when they’re a bit more empty. It can also give you the ability to snap some fantastic photos without many people around.
Nothing Quite Like Getting Those Perfect Castle Views
They checked us into our reservation, and then we soon received a text indicating that our table was ready.
Time to Eat!
That’s when we were able to head inside. You truly get the sense walking through this space that you’re eating inside of Cinderella’s Castle. All throughout, you’ll find archways, decor, and more that transport you to a magical place.
Entrance Area
Before you’ve even entered the dining room, you can already get a sense of why we say that the atmosphere here is the star.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
Even the restrooms are in theme!
Lords and Ladies!
A note on the layout here. Before the closures, you’d typically meet Cinderella down in the main foyer area for a photograph before ascending a spiral staircase to the dining room (there’s an elevator too, if you have mobility issues). For now, you just walk to the stairs and head up. Just note it’s a little more narrow of a walkway than you might think!
Stairway to the dining room
There’s also some gorgeous stained glass in this space that you won’t want to miss out on.
Stained Glass
And once you step into the dining room space, there’s even more to admire.
Such a Beautiful Space
You’ll find a variety of standard tables and chairs spread out throughout the space, as well as some seating arrangements that feature booth-like options. On the tables, you’ll find cloth napkins with utensils.
Another Look at the Dining Room
Look around for all kinds of details including various flags, shields, and more. As great as the view is inside, the view out into the park can be even better. (Note you can’t go out on this balcony area, but you can peek out the windows!)
What a View
Overall, the dining room is one connected space, though there are some columns separating certain areas, and there is a portion of the dining space that is elevated.
Eats
When we dined at Cinderella’s Royal Table, we were provided with a paper menu…
Menu
…though there is also a QR code available to scan.
Here’s a closer look at the full breakfast menu for Cinderella’s Royal Table. Breakfast is priced at $42 per adult and $27 per child. Keep in mind that lunch and dinner are priced at $62 per adult and $37 per child.
Breakfast starts with assorted pastries. Then, adults can select from one of the various entrees available including a quiche, avocado toast, shrimp and grits, and more.
©Disney
When it comes to the kids’ choices, kids will be able to select an entree as well as 2 sides.
©Disney
A number of beverages are included in the price of the meal, such as hot tea, coffee, and orange juice.
©Disney
Or, you can opt for some specialty cocktails like a mimosa or sangria.
©Disney
If you need an allergy-friendly option, the menu does list some allergy-friendly food choices for adults…
©Disney
…and kids. Be sure to speak to the Cast Members there to ensure your allergy needs are addressed.
©Disney
In terms of our drinks, we grabbed some coffee.
Coffee Time
Keep in mind that select drinks, like coffee and soft drinks, are included in the cost of the meal. We were also given a goblet of ice water. These cobalt blue glasses really stand out, don’t you think!?
Some Drinks Are Included
But, we also opted to get The Royal Breakfast Flight. This drink costs an additional $14 (above the standard price for the meal) and includes a taste of the Mimosa with Paul Cheneau Lady of Spain Cava and Orange Juice, the Canella Bellini Sparkling Peach Cocktail, and the Opici Family Selection Sangria.
Royal Breakfast Flight
We have to admit we were pleasantly surprised by the serving size. Not bad for 3 samplings of drinks! As for the taste, we thought the breakfast flight was…fine. The drinks were all decent, but relatively boring.
Unfortunately, Not the Most Exciting Drinks
The sangria tasted like the kind you just get out of a box, and overall it was our least favorite of the three. It was very sweet, so if you don’t like your sangria tasting like a sugar bomb early in the morning, that’s something to keep in mind.
The Sangria
The mimosa was our favorite of the three because it wasn’t overly sweet and had a nice balance of flavors.
Are You a Fan of Mimosas?
The Bellini was good and we really enjoyed the peach flavor in it, but overall it was relatively simple and boring. Our reporter who tried this said they’d rather opt for a glass of champagne or at least the mimosa as opposed to the Bellini in this case.
The Bellini
If you do want to sample a few drinks, rather than just getting a larger portion of one, this can be a good option though. It’s a pretty fair price at $14 for samples of the 3 drinks, but overall none of the drinks really blew us away.
Shortly after getting our drinks, breakfast for us started with assorted breakfast pastries.
Pastries
Our pastry basket included adorable Mickey-shaped blueberry muffins…
Mickey Muffin Anyone?
…chocolate croissants…
Chocolate Pastry
…and regular croissants.
A Closer Look at the Croissants
There were also some strawberries included.
The Pastry Plate
All of our pastries were very good. They weren’t anything that would knock your socks off though. They were just standard, tasty, but fairly simple pastries.
A Look at the Chocolate Pastry
We especially loved the fact that those muffins were Mickey-shaped. Things that are Mickey-shaped just taste better, right?!
A Peek Inside the Blueberry Muffin
The items don’t come with any spreads, but we asked our server for some options and they were able to bring us grape jam, honey, and a pat of butter.
Honey, grape jam, and butter
So, if you’re the type of person who can’t eat your bread without a topping, be sure to ask about those.
Topping Our Croissant With Some Tasty Items
Next, we ordered the Shrimp and Grits as our entree. This item is made with smoked Gouda cheese grits, tomato jam, a fried egg, and buttered shrimp. It also comes with a garlic baguette.
Shrimp and Grits Time
This was actually very good! The tomato jam added the perfect level of sweetness to the dish. The fried egg was cooked wonderfully and was gooey and delicious in the yolk.
Check Out That Fried Egg
Our dish comes with several pieces of that garlic baguette, which was absolutely LOVED. The bread had a strong garlic flavor (in the best way possible) and was fantastically buttery.
Carb Lovers: Rejoice!
It was soft and we loved loading that up with the shrimp and grits to enjoy them all together.
Loading it Up to Create the Perfect Bite!
The shrimp were cooked really well (and, thankfully, pre-peeled for those of you not looking to get your hands dirty first thing in the morning!)…
A Look at the Shrimp
…and the grits were nice and cheesy, as they should be.
YUM
Truly, we had no complaints about this dish. If we had to come up with one it would be the portion of shrimp. We would have happily welcomed more than four average-sized shrimp on our plate. BUT, if you like garlic bread and shrimp and grits, we think it’s something you’ll really enjoy.
A Look at Our Meal
So, who should visit this spot?
Nosh or Not
You should consider stopping by Cindy’s house for breakfast if…
- You’re a big princess fan — Again, this is the closest you can get to a princess character meal at the moment in Disney World, though you can see the princesses from a distance in EPCOT and in the princess cavalcade in Magic Kingdom.
- You’re a romantic and are looking for a special spot to spend the morning with friends or family — There’s no denying the beauty of this atmosphere and how unique it is. If you’re looking to go on a special date with a loved one, this could be a great spot.
- You’re a Disney diehard and haven’t eaten in the castle before — like we mentioned above, eating in the castle is one of those must-do things for Disney fans (at least in our opinion). If you haven’t eaten in the Castle and are looking for a way to do that by spending the least amount possible, breakfast is your best option as it is cheaper than both lunch and dinner.
You should head to another spot for your morning meal if…
- You’re on a budget — Cinderella’s Royal Table is not cheap, particularly given the amount of food you get in comparison to other spots and the lack of princess interaction at the moment. You’re really paying for the atmosphere here. If you’re willing to spend a bit more on your meals but want the best bang for your buck, other places that offer buffets or all-you-can-eat family-style meals are going to provide you with a better value for your money.
- You’re really looking for food that’s unique or especially delicious — All of the food we ate here for breakfast was fine, and the shrimp and grits (especially with that garlic bread) was very tasty. But, overall it’s not something that’ll knock your socks off. We didn’t have any complaints about the shrimp & grits, but it’s also not the best shrimp & grits in the world. If you’re a foodie and are looking for that ultimate meal that you’ll dream about in the days to come, this probably isn’t it.
- You’re not really looking for that princess atmosphere — If you’re a Disney fan but not really into the princess atmosphere and don’t really care to see Cinderella when she pops out during the meal, then this spot might not be for you. Save a few bucks and opt for a quicker breakfast on the go!
Overall
Overall, we had a good experience at Cinderella’s Royal Table. The food was fine, and the shrimp & grits with that garlic bread was tasty. But, none of it blew our socks off, and the drinks were rather boring. Honestly, we’re hard-pressed to call that plate of food and a Mickey-shaped muffin or two worth $42. But we knew that going into this — you eat here to eat IN THE CASTLE, not for the best meal of your life. Plus getting into the park before posted hours is always a nice perk.
We did have a fantastic server though who was incredibly attentive and helpful. The server even got our reporter a to-go coffee, which was wonderful.
Beautiful Spot to Eat
Cinderella’s Royal Table is pretty expensive for what you get for breakfast, particularly because the princesses are no longer meeting guests, and you’ll instead only get to see Cinderella briefly from a distance. But, you’re paying for the atmosphere and the overall chance to eat in the Castle. For many families, that’s well worth the cost of the meal.
Is it worth it right now? That depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re looking for that big, character meal with all of the princesses in the Castle and that “full” Cinderella’s Royal Table experience, then eating breakfast at this spot might not be worth it for you right now. If you’re just looking to say you ate in the Castle and would actually be happy to have a little less character interaction and a little more quiet time in this space, then breakfast might be worth it for you (particularly over the more expensive lunch and dinner options).
Cinderella’s Royal Table: Yay or Nay?
What do you think? Is breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table something you’d be willing to pay for right now? Or would you rather wait to see if/when the traditional character dining experience returns to this spot? Let us know in the comments — we’d love to hear from you.
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