Can you enter the castle without dining there?

[PrincessP]

or do you have to have a reservation to view the inside of the castle? If you can enter w/out an ADR, are there specific hours of operation? Thanks!

 

[Robo]

Can you enter the castle without dining there?

Nope.

But, they will sometimes let you peek inside the waiting room, if you ask nicely.

Be prepared to see, basically, NOTHING... but a waiting room full of guests.

The real "themeing" is upstairs in the dining hall.
And, that's generally off limits until your ressie is ready and your name is called.

 

[sdzman]

You used to be able to walk through it to get into fantasyland. I am not sure when exactly they "sealed" it up.

 

[catne]

unless they have a show going on at the front of the castle, you can walk through the castly passageway (where they have that whole wall of beautiful mosaic with the fairytale story in tile) There's not much to see besided the mosaic, though.

 

[Robo]

You used to be able to walk through it to get into fantasyland. I am not sure when exactly they "sealed" it up.

unless they have a show going on at the front of the castle, you can walk through the castly passageway (where they have that whole wall of beautiful mosaic with the fairytale story in tile) There's not much to see besided the mosaic, though.

These refer to waking in the passageway/tunnel/hallway that runs through the castle
that links the Hub and Fantasyland.

I generally consider the "inside" of the castle to be the restaurant (Cinderella's Royal Table) and, maybe, the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique.

Way "upstairs" inside the castle is the "Castle Suite" where guests used to be able to spend the night during the Year of a Million Dreams. (Tours not available to the public for this.)

 

[Kim66]

I am currently reading the new book "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World". In it it states that around 3 pm you can enter CRT to look around - even if you are not dining there.

 

[bama-mom]

I am reading the same book and saw that tip about being able to tour the restaurant @ 3. Does anyone know if that is still true?

 

[Robo]

I am currently reading the new book "The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World". In it it states that around 3 pm you can enter CRT to look around - even if you are not dining there.

I am reading the same book and saw that tip about being able to tour the restaurant @ 3. Does anyone know if that is still true?

They stop serving lunch at 3pm.
There will likely still be guests finishing their meals well past the 3:00 hour.
Then, dinner begins serving at 4pm.

It is possible that at some point between 3PM and 4PM they would let sight-seers view the dining hall.

But it's no too much different than a Steak and Ale dining room in there, I gotta tell ya.