welcome to the DIS. This place can be an invaluable tool for information, tips and strategies.
I'm probably not the best to respond but I'll try. We've been to CRT several times but always for lunch.
I look at the choice of meals relative to touring plans/style and menus.
If you can get a pre park opening ADR for breakfast, then I would do that. It's a chance to see the park almost empty, see the princesses and get on with the touring. If your kids are like mine they will want to spend less time in restaurants and more time in the parks. The one issue is that these time slots are usually the first to go. If you're not before your 180 mark, this will be hard to get.
Dinners are nice when we visit WDW in the middle of summer. We take a break in the afternoon and swim and shower. We're refreshed for the meal. That strategy is less useful when the parks close earlier. Dinner has more substantive food and people using the dining plan often view it as a better value because all meals are two tables service credits with dinner being a higher cost if not on the
DDP.
1900 Park Fare dinner is a good alternative if your main goal is to see Cinderella. It's fun. Druscilla and Anastasia are entertaining. Their antics play differently with young kids. Some want to see only the good Disney characters.
Another alternative is Askehus in Epcot. The structure is the same as CRT. There will be one princess greeting guests and posing for pictures and four princesses/leading ladies moving around the dining area greeting guests. Cinderella can be there but it is not gaurunteed.
Both 1900 Park Fare dinner and Askerhus (all meals) are one table service credit on the dining plan.
We took our daughter when she was 3, 4 and 6 and are heading back in a couple of weeks. She enjoyed it each time. At 3 she didn't remeber much a few months later but you will.
