CRT--lots of questions!

[cab0ad]

Okay, I'm not going to listen to all of the negativity about this place and I'm still gonna book it for my DD4! Knowing it isn't the best use of 2 ts meals I'm still gonna do it. How can I make it the best that it can be?

What meal would be best to eat there? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Is breakfast all you can eat? What is with the menu either being "healthy" or "not healthy"? can't you get a bit from both? I thought it was family style like Ohanas until I started hearing about healthy or unhealthy options. Can someone clear this up for me?

And are the characters different at breakfast vs. lunch and dinner? I think lunch and dinner is a bunch of princesses but what about breakfast?

 

[wildcatfan]

If I am correct, the princesses are only at the breakfast. The dinner and lunch has the fairy god mother and perhaps the mice. I am also pretty sure that breakfast is served at the table family style, and it is all you can eat. However, it has been a while since I have eaten there. I did do dinner there once, but that was when it was only one credit. I would recommend the breakfast and I think if you have never eaten there it is a must with a little girl.

 

[distherapy]

We had breakfast and lunch there this week (yes, princess overload - I won't do that again). I prefer the food at lunch, but it's a little more hectic getting checked in. We did the breakfast before the park opened and that was obviously calmer.

You check in at the front desk and are ushered into a second line inside where you meet Cinderella and have autograph books signed and pictures taken. Then you move to a third line where you wait until you're taken upstairs for your table. The princesses at lunch were introduced and made their way from table to table, talking briefly, posing for a picture of two and signing books. The greetings are efficient (some would say too efficient).

Our previous visit, we had 8:05 reservations and my daughter was chosen to be princess of the day, so we met Cinderella with no one else in the castle and had the first table. That was nice, but hardly guaranteed.

Breakfast is all you can eat, but the food is pre-plated with fruit & yogurt as one option, eggs/bacon/potatoes as another. I think there may have been a third. I prefer the breakfast food at Crystal Palace.

Another thought - we had 3 princesses mingling at breakfast and went through the whole production in less than a half hour - from check-in to leaving. At lunch, there were 4 princesses.

I have never had dinner there.

 

[Cafeen]

If I am correct, the princesses are only at the breakfast. The dinner and lunch has the fairy god mother and perhaps the mice.

This changed somewhat recently (less than a year, more than a couple months). The princesses now make the rounds at the tables for all 3 meals. There is no difference in potential characters between meals.

As for "best use", desire trumps financials. I can't really comment on the other bits, as I went last year before they made some of the changes and such and simply have no idea.

 

[wahmtexas]

We have been 3 times, once every trip with our children and loved it all 3 times, once for breakfast and twice for dinner. The food has always been very good.
We saw princesses at breakfast and dinner but one time at dinner just fairy godmother(09)
Dining in the castle is always a treat and the pic with Cinderella is always one we treasure.
My advice, go with a great attitude and you will have a wonderful time

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

We did dinner last week. We had 4 princesses. I would recommend breakfast/early lunch with little ones. Even I was tired and we only had a 5:40pm. dinner.

Have a great time. It is very pretty inside the castle. (Side note, dinner was very hectic and the food was atmosphere did not appear to be as child friendly as character meals I have done at breakfast/lunch).

 

[wildcatfan]

Wow, I didn't realize there had been so many changes. I really did enjoy eating here both times, but as I stated in an earlier post it was quite some time ago. If it is princesses you are really after, I would suggest going to Norway and eating there. It is only one table service and the food was really good. Also, I have eaten at Crystal Palace numerous times and I highly recommend it.

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

We're eating there at lunch for the first time in March. The lunch and dinner menus were recently changed - last I checked neither new menu is on allears but if you google Cinderella's Royal Table menu, the official menu from WDW should come up. We're going for the experience, not the food. My DDs did Norway last time, but wanted to go into the castle. We think it's worth 2 TS only for this reason - going into the castle while my girls still believe. It'll probably be the only time we do CRT for a long time though, but little girls need to eat in the Castle at some point.

 

[graceesmom]

We've been to CRT 3 times, each time for lunch (Apr. 09; Oct. 09; May 10). Each time we met Cinderella downstairs then had 4 princesses upstairs. We like the lunch menu and it fits well into our park touring plans.

We'll be having lunch there again this Saturday. This time we are also taking my DD2 (almost 3) for her first visit inside the castle.

We also go to Akershus and I love it. It feels a little less rushed there, especially the pre-meal portrait with the host princess (Belle at Akershus vs. Cinderella at CRT), BUT I hope that every little princess will get to eat in Cinderella's castle some day. It truly is magical.

 

[ElizabethB]

The princesses have been there for lunch for many years. They were recently added to the dinner.

 

[AuroraMeansDawn]

Okay, I'm not going to listen to all of the negativity about this place and I'm still gonna book it for my DD4! Knowing it isn't the best use of 2 ts meals I'm still gonna do it. How can I make it the best that it can be?

What meal would be best to eat there? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Is breakfast all you can eat? What is with the menu either being "healthy" or "not healthy"? can't you get a bit from both? I thought it was family style like Ohanas until I started hearing about healthy or unhealthy options. Can someone clear this up for me?

And are the characters different at breakfast vs. lunch and dinner? I think lunch and dinner is a bunch of princesses but what about breakfast?

First of all, it's not a bad use of 2TS if you enjoy it. Not all choices are made with $ in mind. Happy 4yo daughters shining faces when they meet Snow White are well worth an extra TS. We had breakfast at CRT and if I am remembering correctly it was sort of a combination of family and plated. They brought out a compote dish of fruit and a basket of pastries that we all shared and then individual plated breakfast entrees that we could choose the healthy option or the really delish stuffed french toast (guess you know what I chose)

As a rule the characters are princesses, princesses and more princesses at every meal now. It used to be only at breakfast. When we went we met Cinderella downstairs for the photo session (make sure your daughter finds Jaques and Gus on the ledge downstairs)

Also make sure to note the story of Cinderella told through the stained glass windows. It might help to watch the movie before you go so you're fresh on the details so you can converse with confidence too. The other princesses that visited our table were Snow White, Jasmine, Belle (in the blue dress with the apron) and Mary Poppins (who was just beautiful in the white carousel dress) It won't hurt to ask if you can get a window seat. They will accomodate if they can. There is a really sweet wishing star ceremony and all of the little girls get a wand and the boys get a sword. If your daughter likes to dress up and wants to wear her princess dress to the breakfast it makes for precious pictures. And lastly, if you're of a mind to do it, you can special order the chocolate slipper dessert (at a cost of course) but it does make a sweet ending to a special event.

Ok, now that I've said all of that, if it were me and I could, with a 4 year old I would book dinner around 5:00 p.m. on a day we'd toured in the morning, gone back to the resort and napped and then return to the MK and have an early dinner while everyone was fresh and rested and ready to take on the MK for the evening. (and the bit of a penny pincher in me can't help but think if you ARE spending two TS on it you get the best bang for your buck with the dinner pricing)

Hope you have a magical time!

 

[onejellyshelly]

I am so glad you are going to CRT. We went for the first time in April and we will be going back in November. We had a wonderful time! I had read all the posts saying how awful it was. We had a wonderful meal (prime rib) yummy! But, more than the food we walked away with wonderful memories. My little princess who is five years old made many wishes during the dinner that I will never forget. I hope you have a wonderful time.

 

[PEANUT1]

I kind of do think it is a waste of 2 credits...bc if the dining plan is 40 something dollars a day for an adult, you are spending 2 days worth of sit downs for something that doesn't cost very much.

We have taken our girls once...and paid oop... If paying out of pocket I would do breakfast bc it is the cheapest..if you are using ddp..it seems a waste to go to breakfast..I'd do dinner bc it is a better value. Have fun...I agree that you should take your daughter at least once to eat in the castle.