AKERSHUS ROYAL BANQUET HALL--experiences??

[cdgrill]

So excited! My DH was able to grab an ADR on 8/24 at 2:50pm just yesterday!! We've never been here and I have always wanted to go! Cannot wait! Would love to hear your experiences......atmosphere, food, princesses, photo package....want to know all.....thanks!!

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[geena]

While we haven't been there in a while, we really enjoyed all the many princessess that were there. Before we were seated, we took a photo with Ariel in the lobby that was available for purchase. The only other thing that stands out in my mind was that the food was not very typical. It seemed there were a lot of foods we'd never seen before and my husband did not feel "full" after the meal.

They did have a wonderful dessert plate that came to the table that everyone was able to share.

We are trying to get an ADR there for our trip, but no such luck yet.

 

[deakam]

Had dinner last year. Lobby photo was with Belle and it is included with the price of the dinner. The cold buffet had some wonderful lox and fresh fruit and for the entree I think our party of 11 ordered everything on the menu. No one complained. The entrees were very filling and the buffet is an all you can eat so you are allowed to go back for more.

The Princesses we had were Ariel, Cinderella, Aurora and Jasmine. They were very friendly and had great interaction with our girls. The inside of the building is done so you feel as if you are in a castle.

 

[anjalee6]

We love the princess meal at Akershus. We saw Belle in the lobby and then Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty. It has been the sad princesses the last two times. The lunch buffet I think is the same as the dinner buffet. It was pretty good. The cold buffet was good. We love the princess interaction.

 

[mom2dina]

The princessess were great. Best place to get pics with them. The food was so so but it was worth it! Enjoy!!

 

[bobbiwoz]

DH and I did it this June with our DGD (8). The princess interaction was great, but the food was not to our tastes at all. It was DH and my second try at Norway's food and we're not going to do it again.

We have another DGD and will take her to another Princess experience when it's her turn.

Bobbi

 

[mom2rtk]

The photo in the lobby is typically with Belle, but that's not guaranteed like it is with Cindy at CRT. But it WILL be with SOMEONE!

I enjoy this meal more when we sit in the main dining hall. It's much more like a castle. Several trips in a row we were in that front area, and it gets very crowded, especially the two times we were seated very close to the buffet. I ask every time if we can sit in the main hall, and have always been told no. Last trip they could and it was SO much better. It's gorgeous in there, and you'd never know that if you were out front.


IMG_5116-1 by mom2rtk, on Flickr

 

[ozzz17]

We had eaten there in Dec of 09 and it was wonderful. Much character interaction, and we thought the food was good.

 

[Bearybear]

We ate lunch there last December, and it is the only meal that was specifically requested by my DH to do again. It is our favorite food of what we've eaten at Disney (although we generally only do character meals). Our picture in the lobby was with Belle in her yellow ball gown, and Snow White, Ariel, Aurora and Cinderella circulated around the room.

 

[joell51868]

We love it there, we actually prefer this over CRT. The princesses spend a decent amount of time at each table. Both times we've had Belle in the lobby for photographs. I wasnt crazy over the food, but my family was. The service was great, too. Enjoy!!

 

[mwmom]

We ate there for the first time last November for dinner. My DD got her picture with Belle in the lobby. After we were seated, we went to the buffet for "appetizers" and this was great to get her eating something before she got distracted by the princesses coming around. When they entered the room we were in, she couldn't take her eyes off of them. It was so cute. After some had come by the table, they did a little parade through the restaurant with the kids following behind the princesses. They don't do this at CRT, so it was a surprise for her! I personally loved the Salmon...best meal I had while I was there. My DD did end up eating her food, too, after she finally came back down to earth!

We are going back this year!

 

[luvmy2babies]

We had lunch there in November 2010. It was really nice. The princess interaction was really great. Each one complimented my daughter on her dress, asking her where she got it, if she picked it out. Funny because the trip was a surprise so she had no idea where the dress came from (ebay). Belle was really nice in the lobby, talking to my daughter and calling my son (10 months at the time) her little tea cup.

Ariel came back to our table again when she noticed my son. I had kept him on the booth side with me to feed him jar food instead of in his high chair which was next to my daughter so she could get all of their attention and be alone in the pictures. I put him over there to eat finger food after they had all come by. Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White.

Anyway she went nuts over him, holding his hand and rubbing his cheek and he loved it. He was smiling from ear to ear, so was I and so was dd. The family at the next table was even laughing. Ariel asked my daughter if she could have ds for her collection. Dd smiled and said no. As the princesses often do with boys, she gave him a kiss and left, leaving two lipstick marks on him. Even at 10 months old you could see the pride in his face. Probably my favorite picture of him the whole trip.

They also had a princess walk where the children walked through in a line through the restaurant with the princesses.

We'll do it again next trip, but I'm going to try to get a breakfast reservation this time. The only thing I didn't love about it was the food. The buffet was good. It was the main dish that left a bit to be desired. Dd enjoyed hers, but mine was just okay, but I heard the breakfast there is really good. Even if we don't get a breakfast we'll go back though.

The picture with Belle was included. An 8x10 and 4 4x6 photos I believe in an Akershus folder.

 

[wizeom]

This was my first time at a character meal(we had more later I our week). I thought the food was great for me and my wife, and the cold buffet was a nice touch. The princesses were great, and my dds loved them. We got Cinderella, who we weren't expecting. Picture in front with belle, and got 4 prints to take away. My only complaint was the kids' meals. My picky kids didn't like the cold buffet at all, and the entrees for them (well for me too) were terribly small. My son is seven and his pizza was minuscule. I was glad we were on the DDP, because if I was paying OOP for their meals, I would have been annoyed. I know the cold buffet is supposed to supplement, but that was ridiculous. I thoroughly enjoyed the princesses and my meal, but make the kids food better!

 

[LovinPooh]

Is dinner all you can eat? Is it a walk up buffet or one of those where they bring it to your table?

 

[tinkermama117]

Is dinner all you can eat? Is it a walk up buffet or one of those where they bring it to your table?

It's actually a combo. They start you off with the cold buffet, then bring an entree to your table for dinner.

I highly recommend it. It was a great experience for my DD. She met so many princesses, more than CRT.

 

[The Tabasco Kid]

The worst part is waiting to be seated. The waiting area is outside, so people on their way to/from Maelstrom are always passing through. The CM's don't use amplifiers to make their voices carry, so you generally have to keep a sharp ear peeled for your party name.

The photo op with Belle is managed well, but don't expect to get a lot of talk time with her. The CMs portraying Belle has always been very gracious.

The best place to be seated is in the main room or the smaller room off to the right of the main room (as you stand in the main entrance). There is another dining area left of the Belle spot that is a bit tighter and darker than the other areas. One good thing about this room is that this is where the princesses enter/exit the restaurant, so you can get an early shot at meeting them when they come out.

The cold buffet rocks, but kids may not take kindly to it.

Princess interaction here has always been great. Once in a while, a female lead appears that is generally not seen. Alice made an appearance once and the CM they chose was a dead ringer.

 

[GASTES2003]

We book a breakfast every time we visit. Last two times picture with belle in gold gown. All the princesses take their time when they visit your table. And the food is good

 

[Dynamite626]

We have had Dinner and Breakfast there. Breakfast is by far our favorite. DH loves the smoked herring. GD and I wanted to pull our tongues out and scrub them. We will be there again this Nov. but some of us will skip the fish.

 

[Mommy2Jameson]

While we haven't been there in a while, we really enjoyed all the many princessess that were there. Before we were seated, we took a photo with Ariel in the lobby that was available for purchase. The only other thing that stands out in my mind was that the food was not very typical. It seemed there were a lot of foods we'd never seen before and my husband did not feel "full" after the meal.

They did have a wonderful dessert plate that came to the table that everyone was able to share.

We are trying to get an ADR there for our trip, but no such luck yet.

We ate dinner there and I just wanted to say I totally agree with the bolded above. If you are doing it to see the princesses, then it's worth it. A great place to meet a bunch of princesses at once and easier to get into then Cinderella's Castle. We got a picture with Belle at the beginning, and they brought it out to us before dessert.

But I wouldn't go there for the food. I took a 16 y/o girl, a 15 y/o boy who normally eats ANYTHING/EVERYTHING, and a 2 year old. The 16 y/o ended up just getting a cheese pizza off the kids meal, because she couldn't find anything she liked on the adult menu which isn't the norm for her at all. My 15 y/o brother ordered something and ended up scraping all the sauce off, and even after eating it, he ordered a pizza when we got back to the resort. I wasn't sure about anything on the menu and ended up getting a chicken breast entree that was so-so.

 

[pjpoppins]

Is dinner all you can eat? Is it a walk up buffet or one of those where they bring it to your table?

I remember reading on here that though it isn't advertised, the meal is truely all you can eat...so if you wanted another piece of salmon you could get it or if you wanted more dessert you can. I can't confirm this, just what I read. (Though I may try in Sept. )