Am I being rational or just stupid? CRT

[WeLoveLilo05]

We are going in Aug with free dining. I am so debating CRT, and honestly I don't know what to do there Breakfast, lunch or dinner. But I was just thinking we are saving so much with the free dining is it really a big deal to have to pay Out of pocket for a buffet if we need to (being that CRT is 2 TS credits). Am I being stingy with money or smart? Yeah we are getting meals for free but we also have to tip which after tipping for so many meals becomes a small fortune in and of itself.
I guess....what it comes down to is...is CRT really worth it and WWYD? Not sure if this is in the right spot.

 

[2DisPrincesses]

We did CRT for breakfast during free dining last Nov and I'm glad we did. I see you have a DD(5) and if you've never done it, I'm sure she would enjoy it. My DD(4) tells everyone that she ate in Cinderella Castle. I don't think paying for one meal OOP is a big deal if you need to do so. Even with tips factored in, you are getting a good deal and maybe eating places you wouldn't get to if you were paying for everything OOP.

 

[Mommytobree]

I am debating that as well. I think with the free dining it does work out to be a good deal, I just struggle with the 2 TS credit thing.

 

[OceanAnnie]

We had dinner at CRT. I'm glad we did. It was a great experience! Our kids won't forget it, I'm sure! Lots of fun and atmosphere. The food was really good too! Well worth it to us. We used the free dining.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

my next Q....has anyone eaten there with food allergies? DD has a peanut allergy. When looking at the breakfast menu I see they have french toast (no pancakes) and was wondering if the bread was safe? If not can they make pancakes?
I assume if we ate there for lunch or dinner the chicken strips would be ok, of course I would check first.

 

[ShannonMB]

I agree that every little girl needs to eat in the castle at least once, and what better opportunity than with free dining?

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

my next Q....has anyone eaten there with food allergies? DD has a peanut allergy. When looking at the breakfast menu I see they have french toast (no pancakes) and was wondering if the bread was safe? If not can they make pancakes?
I assume if we ate there for lunch or dinner the chicken strips would be ok, of course I would check first.

We ate breakfast there in November and really enjoyed it. We had Free Dining but paid for it OOP since it took 2 credits. BTW, the tip is included in the price.

They now have 3 choices, a french toast with bananas, a spinach omelette, and a healthly choice( which I can't remember what it was). I asked if I could get an omelette made to order but the server said everything was prepared so it seems they are pretty strict about changing orders. I would doubt you could get pancakes. DS12 was able to get an adult sized version of the kids meal. We had the french toast and it was very good.

When you make your ADRs I would be sure to note DDs food allergy. I have heard that Disney is very accomodating about food allergies.

We have never tried dinner, but did do lunch and didn't like it at all.

Hope this is helpful!

 

[TxRabbit]

If you have never eaten at the castle, then you should eat at the castle IMO. And free dining is the perfect time. Imagine if you were trying to decide whether or not to eat there when you paid for dining, or have to pay OOP.

We did lunch and loved it. We did it on an AM EMH day. We were ready for the nice sit down meal break. DH and I ate the salmon and it was fantasic.

As for peanut allergies, everyone I know with diet issues LOVES going on vacation to WDW. It is one of the few places that is KNOWN in the allergy community for being so friendly to work with people to accomodate dietary restrictions. I would have no qualms getting an ADR for there. Google disboards peanut allergy and see what threads come up. You may find an old dining report or something that will help you discover what can and can be done for your DD.

 

[TinkerbellinLouisian]

CRT is a family tradition...

Our visit (DS and myself) in MAY will not include a CRT visit...and it will be the FIRST time DS has NOT Been to CRT at WDW in his life (After 10 visits!)

Everyone must do CRT... at least ONCE in their life...and the earlier the better!

Hugs
Mary

 

[ajh88]

About the allergy - make sure they know about it. I don't have any first-hand experience, but based on many things I've read here and elsewhere, I believe allergies can be accommodated.

As far as using 2 TS credits - I know that folks who break down the value of the DDP will say it isn't worth 2 credits, and I'm sure they are right from a $$ perspective. However, I don't mind, simply because I could probably *never* bring myself to pay the bill OOP (and 6 months in advance!). We aren't foodies nor is my DH a very adventurous eater - therefore, a lot of the TS restaurants aren't a good value for us anyway (but using the DDP forces my DH to try some places he would never go otherwise!). So, I'd rather spend 2 credits at a place I know he likes.

And, as many other PP's have said, if you've never done it, you should definitely go at least once. We had breakfast and I thought it was wonderful (although, there aren't too many ways to mess up breakfast).

 

[PiperGirlInWondrland]

I would recommend paying OOP for CRT. You can get a lot more for your money with the two TS credits than you would pay OOP for breakfast at CRT.

 

[mykidslovesdisney]

We were on the DDP last aug. DD6 and I did CRT Breakfast OOP. Well it was OOP at first. AKV screwed up our DDP a few days after check in and they had to reinstate our credits. They took away a few too many snacks but gave us 2 extra TS. I ended up using it towards dd meal and I paid OOP. Needless to say the DDP screw up was a mess. AKV stated it was due to linked DVC ressies. But honestly it was on their end. We have done linked ressies for years and never encountered a problem. We are returning again in Aug and CRT in on our list for mommy and daugther breakfast.

As for peanut allergy. There is a contact person that will send u a dietary form to fill out. You list the person w/ the allergies. Also all ADRs that u have made. I do mine online a few weeks before we leave. When making ADRS make sure you tell the CM about the allergies so the ressie can be flagged. Upon arrival at ADR- advise CM again of the allergy and they will have the Chef come out and speak w/ you. If you are at a buffet they will walk u thru the buffet to tell you what is safe to eat. DS2 has milk allergies. I find the chefs are extremely accommadating to your needs. We once got 'scolded' by a chef for letting DS eat from the buffet before he came out. He was soo concerned that DS would eat something that would make him sick. Also when u contact the people that deal w/ the allergies,. they will send u a listin about snacks that are in the parks. We use it to see if something has milk in it. Also when at CS when you walk up ask to speak w/ the mgr in regards to allergies. They have a big book of all the ingrediants and will make ur food in a safe area so there is no cross contamination. At the moment my mind blanks on who handles the allergies. If you check the dining section of the disney website you should be able to find it. If not PM me and I will go back to my emails to see who I contacted.

Enjoy free dining and definitely do CRT == it is soo much fun~!

 

[keltshan]

just did CRT lunch for DD 5th bday---it's a one time thing---would not do again, but can say I did it---how cool is it to eat in the castle!!!!!!

 

[pioneer89]

I'm in agreement with some of the others here:

We ate there, were very happy we did, but now we don't need to go back.

 

[RadioFanatic]

We went last year during free dining and decided to pay for CRT. We loved it but thought it was cheaper for us to pay for this meal and then we when to HDDR with free dining instead which I do think is worth 2 TS.

 

[rkrose1]

We have taken DD6 to CRT for lunch OOP in both 2009 & 2007, while on the DDP. She loved it both times. We used the extra dining credits later. We choose lunch, because we are not big breakfast eaters, so it is a better value for us. Plus, we are not very social (for the princesses) in the morning.

I didn't see this in the other posts, but I don't believe the princesses are present at dinner. Dinner is hosted by the Fairy Godmother. (edited: I just read on another thread, that when the name changes, the princesses might be present at dinner, too. I cannot confirm this, though.)

DD & I are both pesce-vegetarians, and notate the "allergy" in the ADR. I remind the server when we are seated. They will usually send out a chef to speak with us and take our order. Last time, the chef took both DD & my order, to avoid mix up, and the waiter took DH's order. They are very helpful, and have offered us both items off menu. There is also a special dietary number you can call in advance, but I have not used it.

I hope this helps.

 

[clanmcculloch]

my next Q....has anyone eaten there with food allergies? DD has a peanut allergy. When looking at the breakfast menu I see they have french toast (no pancakes) and was wondering if the bread was safe? If not can they make pancakes?
I assume if we ate there for lunch or dinner the chicken strips would be ok, of course I would check first.

Last time I checked, they carried Van's gluten free waffles at CRT. These are also nut free. They're quite tasty. Even my daughter who isn't gluten free enjoys them (they're the brand I buy at home).

I've been told no on pancakes or Mickey waffles as an alternative for allergy sufferers.

 

[cigar95]

my next Q....has anyone eaten there with food allergies? DD has a peanut allergy. When looking at the breakfast menu I see they have french toast (no pancakes) and was wondering if the bread was safe? If not can they make pancakes?

If you contact them IN ADVANCE, they can go off-menu to accommodate your needs. I know that for my cardiac diet they were helpful, though I can't speak to the specifics of what they can do for your particular situation.

Contact the special diets dept a couple of weeks before your trip - that will give you time for whatever "back and forth" communications might be needed.

 

[DVCBELLE]

You should consider OOP...

when we went it was DD and I - the meal with tax and tip came to about $75 - when we go to a buffett or sit down to eat - our meals were anywhere from $85 to 120 (for 4 of us - we would have been using the boys credit and they would have had to fend for themselves for breakfast that day)

Do a cost comparison and see which is better.

I think every little girl should eat in the castle - but the food is not so great - truthfully if your fiancee is planning on going with you - I would not pay for him to eat there - he would probably enjoy a quiet morning while you go for your girls breakfast!!!

 

[ckdsnynt]

We ate there in Dec for breakfast and loved it! No children with us either. Just us two older, mature people! Free dining and the 2 TS didn't bother us at all. But now that i think of it, we had to use a cc to reserve our spots and then they used our KTTW to swipe when we ate so I need to check and see if we got our cc credited back for our original cost! Duh! With Christmas and everything (we have had 2 bad snow/ice storms - one Christmas Eve) things here have been hectic!

Sorry, didn"t mean to hijack the thread. But CRT is the best. It took me 56 years to get there and I loved it! Can't tell, can ya?