CRT for 5th birthday?

[lolobug]

Hi!

My daughter will be turning 5 while at disney. I'm trying to decide if we should do CRT? it's so expensive!!
If we were to do CRT, whats better- breakfast or dinner. Also, if my daughter wanted plain pasta or a grilled cheese could they accommodate her? After all, I want to make sure the birthday girl can eat!
she will be 5 her sister 2. This will be our first day at MK (maybe first day in parks). I don't want her to burn out at night and not eat and be miserable! If we started early and took a break would dinner be nice followed by wishes? Is that even possible? Or do you think CRT in the morning would be better?
If we decided NOT to do CRT, will my daughter know its a restaurant? Would she know she "could" go in there or might she just think its something to look at?
Thanks!

* EDIT/UPDATE: we are NOT going to do CRT. I need a really nice alternative. Character not necessary. Good food, great time, close to MK so we can see wishes after.
Thanks!

 

[Hootch]

our daughter right after she turned three. She had a great time, but I don't know how much she remembered that time. I know she remembered when we took her back when she was four. And a few other times after that. This will be the first trip without CRT in a number of years.

Breakfast is the least expensive followed by lunch and then dinner. We have always done lunch simply because it fit how eat and how we tour. Lunch is probably $5 more than breakfast for adults. Dinner could be $15 more for adults. Askerhus in Epcot has a similar offering that is less expensive.

Honestly, our daughter hardly ate anything because she was so excited at being there and seeing the princesses (and/or other leading ladies). It is a small room so you see them moving around the room. She just watched them talk to others.

I don't think she could tell that there is a restaurant there. There is a check in desk in the passage through the castle. There will likely be waiting to be called in after they have checked in, but there is a door that blocks the view.
I am trying to remember if you can see into Bibbiddi Bobbidi Boutique which also located there.

There are a couple of mosaics on the wall of the passageway that are really nice. They depict the Cinderella story. I think it is worthwhile to see them.

I did not see the dates of your trip. If you are going in summer, I highly recommend taking midday breaks. Your kids will function better in the evening is there are a couple of hours of downtime. (I function better in the evenings with a couple of hours of downtime.) In the summer the hours are extended enough to make this trade-off.

 

[lolobug]

our daughter right after she turned three. She had a great time, but I don't know how much she remembered that time. I know she remembered when we took her back when she was four. And a few other times after that. This will be the first trip without CRT in a number of years.

Breakfast is the least expensive followed by lunch and then dinner. We have always done lunch simply because it fit how eat and how we tour. Lunch is probably $5 more than breakfast for adults. Dinner could be $15 more for adults. Askerhus in Epcot has a similar offering that is less expensive.

Honestly, our daughter hardly ate anything because she was so excited at being there and seeing the princesses (and/or other leading ladies). It is a small room so you see them moving around the room. She just watched them talk to others.

I don't think she could tell that there is a restaurant there. There is a check in desk in the passage through the castle. There will likely be waiting to be called in after they have checked in, but there is a door that blocks the view.
I am trying to remember if you can see into Bibbiddi Bobbidi Boutique which also located there.

There are a couple of mosaics on the wall of the passageway that are really nice. They depict the Cinderella story. I think it is worthwhile to see them.

I did not see the dates of your trip. If you are going in summer, I highly recommend taking midday breaks. Your kids will function better in the evening is there are a couple of hours of downtime. (I function better in the evenings with a couple of hours of downtime.) In the summer the hours are extended enough to make this trade-off.

I'm leaning toward NOT doing it. I just don't want her to be disappointed if she sees the castle but realizes we are not going in. I would like to avoid BBB too, only because this trip will have to be thrifty and I don't want her upset. So... I'm correct in assuming we can visit MK without her feeling like we are missing out, right? Thanks!

 

[Hootch]

know. I would skip the mosaics this trip though.

There are plenty of other places to get a princess experience.

You may want to get there early and head straight for Enchanted Tales with Belle. It is an interactive retelling of the Beauty and the Beast tale. It is new and the lines are fairly long after the early morning.

Ariel is her Grotto in Fantasyland.

Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Rapunzel, et al meet at Town Square.

If you want her to meet princesses, the best thing to do is look at this site for locations:

http://kennythepirate.com/

 

[amccu18007]

She won't know or miss anything. If I were you and on a budget I would go to Akershus for breakfast in Epcot. The food is good and it is cheaper.Eating in the castle is great but you really need to be old enough to "get it" otherwise, it is just a room where the princesses are walking around, you know?

BBB on the other hand might be harder to disguise. Your dd will see lots of little girls walking around with their hair done and in gowns. My dd asks me everytime where they got it done...lol. We watched them come and go at the downtown location. She is interested but not heartbroken that she isn't doing it. I would let her help in planning her outfits etc. It helps with my 5 year old daughter Have a great trip!!

 

[lolobug]

She won't know or miss anything. If I were you and on a budget I would go to Akershus for breakfast in Epcot. The food is good and it is cheaper.Eating in the castle is great but you really need to be old enough to "get it" otherwise, it is just a room where the princesses are walking around, you know?

BBB on the other hand might be harder to disguise. Your dd will see lots of little girls walking around with their hair done and in gowns. My dd asks me everytime where they got it done...lol. We watched them come and go at the downtown location. She is interested but not heartbroken that she isn't doing it. I would let her help in planning her outfits etc. It helps with my 5 year old daughter Have a great trip!!

Thank you! We are not getting the hopper so I am looking for somewhere really special at MK or nearby where she can dine as a princess (in costume). The actual princesses don't need to be there. I just want great food and a very special experience. Afterwards, we will watch wishes... Ideas? Thank you!!

 

[ses1230]

If you want CRT breakfast is the cheapest, and you could try to get a pre-park opening reservation. If not, she can dine anywhere in costume, there are princesses everywhere! Maybe look at Crystal Palace as an alternative if you want to celebrate the birthday at MK.

She won't know that there is a restaurant there. The only thing you can see is the check-in desk, and I don't think that will give it away.

BBB on the other hand is hard to miss if you are walking through the castle. There is always a lot of activity and girls going in and out. If you want to see the mosaics, you can distract her as you get close to BBB. Is is on the left just before you exit the castle (if walking from Main St.), straight ahead is the carousel, you could focus on that.

 

[lolobug]

Updated! Please read original post!

 

[ses1230]

* EDIT/UPDATE: we are NOT going to do CRT. I need a really nice alternative. Character not necessary. Good food, great time, close to MK so we can see wishes after.
Thanks!

So do you want somewhere to eat and then watch Wishes from or, are you going back to MK?

You can see it from any of the monorail resorts, and all of them have nice restaurants. If I had to choose (other than at MK itself) I would watch from the beach at the Poly.

 

[lolobug]

So do you want somewhere to eat and then watch Wishes from or, are you going back to MK?

You can see it from any of the monorail resorts, and all of them have nice restaurants. If I had to choose (other than at MK itself) I would watch from the beach at the Poly.

I am open to anything

 

[lolobug]

Bump, need a great bday dinner!

 

[Eliza'sMom]

If your trip is more than 180 days away, you could try for Be Our Guest when your ADR window opens. There's also 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian (Cinderella's there at dinner). FWIW, my princess-crazy 5-year-old has been to WDW quite a few times and has no idea that BBB exists. She has never noticed, and she wouldn't know there was a restaurant in the castle either unless we had taken her there.

 

[lolobug]

If your trip is more than 180 days away, you could try for Be Our Guest when your ADR window opens. There's also 1900 Park Faire at the Grand Floridian (Cinderella's there at dinner). FWIW, my princess-crazy 5-year-old has been to WDW quite a few times and has no idea that BBB exists. She has never noticed, and she wouldn't know there was a restaurant in the castle either unless we had taken her there.

Thank you!

 

[Patience]

I would suggest Akershus in Epcot for a fun princess dinner. You will get a free picture with Belle and they do a little princess parade around the restaurant that your daughter will be able to participate in. There are 5 princesses at Akershus. You could also do 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian if your daughter really likes Cinderella but no free picture and no princess parade. You can, however, watch Wishes from the boat dock area or go next door to the Poly to watch them from the beach after dinner.

Regarding Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, I highly recommend it if you can swing it. The basic package is $54 I think plus tax. You can bring your own princess dress and change there. My daughter did BBB when she was 4 and she loved it. We are doing it again in September (she's 6 now).

Have fun!