Cinderella's Royal Table Dinner

[centurythree]

I just booked CRT for the first park dinner for my guests and I on 9/20. It will be their first trip to WDW (mother & 12 year old son), and my birthday will be two days later. The CM who booked the reservation said that there will be no characters at the dinner.

So:

Do you think that my guests will enjoy this enough to make it worth sacrificing the time on our first day in the parks? How long does it generally take from start to finish?

Should I inform the staff that it will be their first trip? How about that it's my birthday? What do they do for either event?

How does the process work? Are you effectively served your food, or is it a traditional buffet line?

Thanks! Any information you can provide will be helpful.

 

[IUHoosiers]

We enjoyed dinner at CRT in Feb. Cinderella is available downstairs for pictures and autographs (and a small photo package is included with your dinner). Dinner was nice. We really enjoyed our meal. The fairy godmother and mice did a small show and came by each table for photos. It was my DD's birthday. I informed them when I made our ADR. There is one part during the show when the Fairy Godmother asks if anyone is celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc. At that time, they brought out a cupcake with candle for my daughter and the others. We really enjoyed our experience. LOVED being inside the castle.

You order from a menu; no buffet line. I believe we were there about an hour and a half. The first 20 minutes or so were downstairs with Cinderella.

HAVE FUN!!!

 

[centurythree]

You order from a menu; no buffet line. I believe we were there about an hour and a half. The first 20 minutes or so were downstairs with Cinderella.

HAVE FUN!!!

That sounds perfect! Not too much out of our day, and I prefer just ordering from a menu rather than getting things off of a buffet line.