Akershus Question

[lenval]

Hello and thank you for taking the time to read this.

My wife, children and I have a reservation for Akerhus Royal Princess Storybook Dining (Lunch) in a few weeks.

I was reading some terrific reviews here and I stumbled across a mentioning that there was a cold buffet and everything else was a la carte.

I was under the impression that Akershus was a buffet all you can eat restaurant.

I see it's $28.99 per adult and $17.99 per child. If that just covers the cold bar the bill for adding a la carte entrees would exceed our budget.

My family would probably all want some sort of hot dish and I know I could eat at least two hot dishes and my wife could eat at least two desserts .

My question is does the $28.99 include the a la carte items and if so can you order more than what they bring you?

Thank you very much for any answers. I know you all see a lot of similar questions. I did a search for it and went back 8 pages and couldn't find an answer.

 

[oldbay]

Welcome!

We went 2 years ago for dinner. The price included a choice of dinner entrees. It was more than enough to eat but we were allowed to have more if we wanted it. Dessert was also included. I think a photo is now included as well but it was not when I went there.

Hope I answered your questions.

 

[PictureJumpr]

Yes, pp is correct. The price includes:
~a first course of the cold bar buffet (salads, fruit, cold cuts, salmon, etc)
~the hot entree brought to the table from the kitchen (each person chooses from a list of seven or eight, they will bring seconds)
~and a dessert platter brought to the table for everyone to share.

Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the price, as is the photo package (one per party of one-four people) which includes a 5x7 and two or three 4x6 prints of your family photo with Belle as you enter the restaurant.

We really enjoy it, although many people will say 'we just go for the princesses and don't like the food.' I've been there a dozen times in the last several years and have always enjoyed my lunch or dinner.

 

[stemikger]

We went last year and although the food was good, I just didn't enjoy the type of food. However, the quality was good. My wife and daughter enjoyed the cold buffet due to the salmon, but it was nothing special for a New Yorker like myself.

The picture is included and the princesses make their way around going to each table. The only negative I can say about this place is they really rush you through your dinner. My wife said the same thing. If you want seconds at the buffett go fast because they try to get you out as fast as possible.

 

[Fatima1922]

We went in March. I preferred the cold buffet more than the entree. My mom had the pork shank, I had the cod and my aunt had another dish (which I don't recall). While all were well cooked, they needed a bit more seasoning. I found the food to be slightly bland for my taste. I do have to tell you if you have young girls, it is well worth it to see the excitement as they meet the princesses. The only one that wasn't present was Aurora.

We are going back in August, this time I am dragging the DH (thank God for Disney golf courses ) - Bribery gets you everywhere - I treat him to a tee time, he comes to WDW for 6 days. We will definitely eat here again - not for the food but to see the excitement my DD's face - priceless!

 

[smiths02]

allears.net has these new prices for Askerhus Lunch

-- Lunch $30.99 adult/$18.99 child 3-9

(and there is a holiday surcharge if dining April 5-18 and May 24 -July 11)

http://allears.net/menu/menu_norl.htm

But you get the cold buffet, an entree, a dessert, and a non-alcoholic beverage

you also get the photo package

If you are not on the Dining Plan, you will also have to pay tax

Not sure if tip is included if not on DDP

 

[WC*123]

My family ate there last week. The cold buffet had peel and eat shrimp, cold cuts, smoked fish, shrimp salad, fruit salad (melon, pineapple, grapes), and regular salad. Everyone chose a hot entree that was delivered to the table. The salmon was very good. I had the traditional Kjottkake, which is a lot like meatloaf. It was good but would have been better served hot.

My girls loved the princesses. They were a little star struck and didn't have much to say, so each princess was at the table for two or three minutes to sign autographs and take pictures. At dinner, we took a picture with Belle out front then met Aurora, Cindy, Snow White, and Ariel at the table.

Desert was great. It was served "family style" and included school bread, flourless chocolate cake, and rice pudding (or something similar). The school bread was the hands down winner! It was a roll stuffed with cream and topped with coconut.

We had a 6:35PM reservation and finished by 8:10PM. The restaurant never seemed too crowded even though it was Easter week. It might be that they seat one of the three sections at designated times, so some areas seemed empty at times.

 

[MyMuse]

My family ate there last week. The cold buffet had peel and eat shrimp, cold cuts, smoked fish, shrimp salad, fruit salad (melon, pineapple, grapes), and regular salad. Everyone chose a hot entree that was delivered to the table. The salmon was very good. I had the traditional Kjottkake, which is a lot like meatloaf. It was good but would have been better served hot.

My girls loved the princesses. They were a little star struck and didn't have much to say, so each princess was at the table for two or three minutes to sign autographs and take pictures. At dinner, we took a picture with Belle out front then met Aurora, Cindy, Snow White, and Ariel at the table.

Desert was great. It was served "family style" and included school bread, flourless chocolate cake, and rice pudding (or something similar). The school bread was the hands down winner! It was a roll stuffed with cream and topped with coconut.

We had a 6:35PM reservation and finished by 8:10PM. The restaurant never seemed too crowded even though it was Easter week. It might be that they seat one of the three sections at designated times, so some areas seemed empty at times.

I booked us in here for lunch at 3:10pm for when we go in early May. I hope Aurora will be there! I'm also hoping for Mary Poppins, though that might be a long shot. I'm also sort of hoping the picture will be with Aurora.

It does seem pricey at $30.99 for lunch?! Especially when it is a cold buffet for the most part. I'm hoping it will be a fantastic time anyway!

This is a super-secret surprise for my niece's bithday and that day will actually *be* her birthday!

 

[lenval]

Wow, thank you for all the wonderful replies! This community is really active and helpfull! I appreciate it and will try to contribute also.

 

[mom2rtk]

I booked us in here for lunch at 3:10pm for when we go in early May. I hope Aurora will be there! I'm also hoping for Mary Poppins, though that might be a long shot. I'm also sort of hoping the picture will be with Aurora.

It does seem pricey at $30.99 for lunch?! Especially when it is a cold buffet for the most part. I'm hoping it will be a fantastic time anyway!

This is a super-secret surprise for my niece's bithday and that day will actually *be* her birthday!

The photo is usually with Belle out front. I think that only changes on rare occasion when Belle is not available. May Poppins is occasionally out, but I haven't seen her there in any of the trips we've made there. If you miss Mary at lunch, she hangs out in the UK section of the park in the afternoons, usually inside one of the shops, so ask around. I also believe Aurora hangs out in France. Good luck and enjoy!

 

[MyMuse]

The photo is usually with Belle out front. I think that only changes on rare occasion when Belle is not available. May Poppins is occasionally out, but I haven't seen her there in any of the trips we've made there. If you miss Mary at lunch, she hangs out in the UK section of the park in the afternoons, usually inside one of the shops, so ask around. I also believe Aurora hangs out in France. Good luck and enjoy!

Thank you. I've read only a few reviews that both Mary P and Aurora was there. In very few, Aurora was the picture! My niece is the time to be happy no matter what!

 

[sabrecmc]

We did the Akerhaus Princess lunch in December 2008 and really liked it. We couldn't get in to CRT, and this was a good "second choice." The princesses were Belle up front for the photo, Ariel, Jasmine, and Aurora. Each princess stopped by every table for autographs and pictures, but there was also plenty of time to eat without interruption. The cold buffet was seafood, salad, cheese and fruit. Each person got a hot entree and drink and we shared a dessert plate. I thought it was pretty good food, but obviously, you are there for the princesses. I liked that the photo with Belle was included. It had a nice presentation folder and some 4X6s to go along with it. Tiny ladies room there, however! That line was longer than the line to get in!

We must have timed things just right because we left there and found Mulan, then Snow White in Germany, Aurora in France and Alice and Mary Poppins in the UK. It was a regular Princess parade around the WS for us!

 

[MyMuse]

We did the Akerhaus Princess lunch in December 2008 and really liked it. We couldn't get in to CRT, and this was a good "second choice." The princesses were Belle up front for the photo, Ariel, Jasmine, and Aurora. Each princess stopped by every table for autographs and pictures, but there was also plenty of time to eat without interruption. The cold buffet was seafood, salad, cheese and fruit. Each person got a hot entree and drink and we shared a dessert plate. I thought it was pretty good food, but obviously, you are there for the princesses. I liked that the photo with Belle was included. It had a nice presentation folder and some 4X6s to go along with it. Tiny ladies room there, however! That line was longer than the line to get in!

We must have timed things just right because we left there and found Mulan, then Snow White in Germany, Aurora in France and Alice and Mary Poppins in the UK. It was a regular Princess parade around the WS for us!

Oh, thank you for the review! I'm hoping for the same!

What time was the lunch for you? Ours is 3:10pm.

 

[sabrecmc]

We had an early lunch, MyMuse, around 11:15, I think. My 3 year old (and my 64 year old aunt!) could not possibly wait until 3. Maybe you should start at the opposite end of WS and walk around.

My daughter definitely enjoyed this and really, food, schmood, I'm paying for princesses! However, we all left with full bellies and no complaints, so we were happy campers. I think a lot of it is expectation. You can find the menu on allears.net. I had the pasta with chicken. My aunt had the slow-cooked meatballs. My daughter ate nothing, too distracted with looking for the princesses the whole time. It was all just fine, and the pictures were great. I don't know how those princesses manage not to blink and keep a good smile on their faces during all that photo-taking. If I tried, I'd end up with some seriously strange expressions!

 

[lenval]

Thanks again for the information.

My family went there and here is my review:

We arrived at 11:40. Our reservation was at noon, however, I thought I remembered the booking agent reminding me to arrive 20 min prior for check-in. I went up to the hostess to check in and while I was in line someone in front of me had a reservation for 12:05 and the hostess said she could not check in because it was too early. I waited my turn and when I told the hostess I was here for my 12:00 reservation she said I was too early also. I told her what I thought I was told by the res. Agent and she said that would be fine to check in now but I would have to wait nearby—which is what I figured I would have had to do anyways. At first she appeared rude, but the more I thought about it I think she was trying to control a crowd in a small area. This was verified when I was eating my meal and looking through the window at a line looking like many other Disney lines.

Being early paid off. We were one of the first to see Belle for lunch. This is what that long line outside was for. Anyways, saw a lot of princesses and even received a picture of our children with Belle.

Every adult in my group loved the cold buffet bar. I tried a few items but I generally disliked it--I am an extremely picky eater. I settled on Muenster cheese and turkey from the cold bar on hot rolls we were brought from the server. The hot entrée was amazing for everyone although it was just “ok” for me. I ordered two items off the hot menu because I had no clue if I was going to like one or the other. The server had no problem with this but did ask if I was able to eat both of them. I confirmed I would be able to, so I knew I was going to eat it if I liked it or not! I don’t like wasting food. I ordered the vegetable pasta (ravioli) which was pretty good and a rotisserie chicken over barbecue beans which were kind of bland for my tastes. My wife ordered a barbecue chicken sandwich which she loved. For desert everything was great and I even ordered extra chocolate cake. The server appeared like she wasn’t prepared for my request of ordering more, however, she complied to the request after asking if I wanted sauce over the cake.

Would I go back? Yes, definitely for my children’s sake. My kids really enjoyed meeting all those princesses. Do I like the food? For me, it was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had at Disney. I prefer the Crystal Palace dining. I suppose they have more of an option to pick from.

Anyways, thanks again for all of your input.

 

[Dawn68PA]

We ate here in November. Ages in our party were 42, 40, 21, 19, 19 & 17. We loved it and would definately go back!

The food was delish! 4 different entrees between the 6 of us and we ate it all. The cold bar had the best cheese I've had in a long time plus other great items. The desserts - they brought us 2 plates of them and oh so yummy. I felt it was worth the price and my DD19 got to meet Aurora, her favorite princess since she was a little girl. My DSonIL even had his picture taken with Cinderella!

This meal was one of our favorites. The food was great and the princesses were excellent - even for our age group.

 

[SandiKB]

.

Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the price, as is the photo package (one per party of one-four people) which includes a 5x7 and two or three 4x6 prints of your family photo with Belle as you enter the restaurant.

We really enjoy it, although many people will say 'we just go for the princesses and don't like the food.' I've been there a dozen times in the last several years and have always enjoyed my lunch or dinner.

I have a question regarding the photo package, and this might be really silly, but, there are 6 of us, would we still be able to get the photo package? I'm pretty sure my DH and DS's won't want to be in the picture

 

[MyMuse]

We had an early lunch, MyMuse, around 11:15, I think. My 3 year old (and my 64 year old aunt!) could not possibly wait until 3. Maybe you should start at the opposite end of WS and walk around.

My daughter definitely enjoyed this and really, food, schmood, I'm paying for princesses! However, we all left with full bellies and no complaints, so we were happy campers. I think a lot of it is expectation. You can find the menu on allears.net. I had the pasta with chicken. My aunt had the slow-cooked meatballs. My daughter ate nothing, too distracted with looking for the princesses the whole time. It was all just fine, and the pictures were great. I don't know how those princesses manage not to blink and keep a good smile on their faces during all that photo-taking. If I tried, I'd end up with some seriously strange expressions!

Oh, we plan on snacking around the world before 3pm rolls around! LOL!

I think you can request to retake the photo if you don't like it. As long as Aurora is there, we are all goooood!