CRT..No Disc..New Price..Grrrrr

[senecabeach]

OK....I will be taking a family for thier 1st trip to WDW in May '06.

So...CRT is a must for the lil' girls (ages7,6)....who talk nothing but princesses!!

I called today for ressies and YES...got them!!

Well...thought I would get the "old" prices...no...no
........thought I can use me DDE.........no.....no

FYI.....
Per the CM there will be NO discounts of any kind for this restaurant beyond Feb when the $$ change begins.

Oh well....going anyway...though.......
...... IMHO.. really think this "IS" a rip off!!

Now...4 adults, 2 kids....about $220 WOW .....
........for LUNCH!!

 

[whacked]

CRT has been one of the most difficult reservations that "normal" (non rich and famous) people can make anywhere in the world. Not WDW, but the actual earth.

I am surprised that it has taken Disney this long to raise the prices.

That being said, I doubt we'll ever do it again after we go in December. It's just not worth it. There are too many other things to do with my money.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

I caved, I got an ADR for CRT on 4/30 for just me and my two little DD's (10 and 9 )!! They were SO EXCITED when they asked me if we were eating breakfast at the castle again, how could I disappoint them?? I know, Disney has me right where they want me ... and so do my dd's!! They were in the room when I called Disney Dining and were jumping up and down cheering when they realized I got the reservation. I got a big Awwwwwww! from the CM I was on the phone with because she heard them in the background!!

DH and the two older DD's (15 and 16) are going to Trail's End ... their choice!! We will meet up in MK after we eat! The three of them will eat for the price of one adult meal at CRT!!!

 

[Amy&Dan]

I cancelled my CRT breakfast for late April a few days ago. I was so shocked to actually be able to get it and have my choice of dates and times the price they charged me didn't sink in for awhile! Then I realized that $143 for a breakfast my family of four has already done before is crazy. I ended up paying off my dental bill with the credit put back on my debit card!

 

[nicurn]

wow! no idea they had raised prices and changed the menu. glad we've been there before cause we aren't going back! maggie

 

[bicker]

Oh well....going anyway...though.......

And this is really why the change was made. Folks vote with their wallets, with regard to whether the dining experience is worth it or not. Apparently, at least for folks like the OP, it is.

 

[kmkja1]

We havn't done a charecter meal before. DW and the kids really want to do them. I am thinking about doing the dining plan mostly for these. If we do it we will try to get in 5 or 6 on our 8 day trip.

 

[senecabeach]

kmkja1 .....

When you do the "dining plan"...check and be sure CRT is a qualified restaurant...if you still want to go there.
Remember there are other wonderful character meals out there and at much better prices.

The CM told me they will be taking; "no" discounts at all anymore for CRT.....assuming the CM was right !!
My DDE should have been good too!!

 

[aubriee]

We havn't done a charecter meal before. DW and the kids really want to do them. I am thinking about doing the dining plan mostly for these. If we do it we will try to get in 5 or 6 on our 8 day trip.

After Feb 1st CRT will be 2 TS credits, instead of one.

Sorry, in my opinion definitely not worth it. Luckily I got my fill of CRT this year. We ate breakfast there this past January and Sept. I'll be taking my mom there for lunch Dec 14th and my GD for lunch Jan 7th (before the price increases and DDE will no longer be accepted), but we won't be back.

 

[crisi]

After years of saying "never" I took my six year old princess to the PSB in Epcot. Food was marginal, but her face was lit like Vegas for all of breakfast. Dad and my DS rode Mission:Space twice while we ate and collected FastPasses.

But I think that was it. Next trip she will be eight. For all the previous trips we never let her know breakfast with Princesses was even an option.

Personally, I don't get why CRT is a "must" - particularly now that there are other options for princess meets - a Princess spot in Toontown, PSB, 1900 Park Fare. Yeah, eating in the castle in a treat - and personally, I'd rather spend a hundred bucks on breakfast than stand in line in Toontown. Maybe I'm lucky, my daughter isn't any more into Cinderella in particular than she is into Aurora or Snow White or Belle. (And with her mom having a definate preference for Belle and Mulan, PSB was better for us).

 

[F1Julie]

DD and I will be doing lunch in May. I can't justify the cost for breakfast, but for lunch it isn't too bad. We did the lunch in October and the food was quite good and now getting the photo package will be a bonus. We're on the dining plan, but I elected to pay up front for CRT rather than using 2 TS credits a piece. I can make those TS credits go a lot further this way.

 

[3kidz4dis]

We actually were all going to go, DD,DS,DM,DD,DD, but after hearing the prices my husband said that just the girls should go and DD and DS will skip it. Just a thought for those who may not want to spend all the money.

 

[kmkja1]

After Feb 1st CRT will be 2 TS credits, instead of one.

Sorry, in my opinion definitely not worth it. Luckily I got my fill of CRT this year. We ate breakfast there this past January and Sept. I'll be taking my mom there for lunch Dec 14th and my GD for lunch Jan 7th (before the price increases and DDE will no longer be accepted), but we won't be back.

I think there are plenty of other Charecter Meals that will be a great experience that only cost 1 credit. We will just stick to those!

 

[senecabeach]

We did the lunch in October and the food was quite good and now getting the photo package will be a bonus.

At least its good to know that the food is good.

So....are you saying that the "photo package" is included??
Hard to believe they're not squeezing more $$ out of my wallet!

 

[nluvwithmickey]

I got lucky last week when I made my dining ADRs. since I knew the prices would no longer be affordable, I decided to jump at the chance to go for the Castle lunch and take one last look at it cause we won't be going back anytime soon...

When we went for dinner, the waitress had told us that big changes were coming....I guess she was totally on the money! (LOL). I sure hope we get lucky and see her again, she was a delightful lady.

 

[disneyfav4ever]

I've done CRT twice, and won't be doing it again in the near future, maybe in a few years when I have kids of my own.

 

[lisareniff]

Well, we are going. It's a big hit to the wallet but we'll do it one last time while DD4 is so inthralled with princesses.

 

[ehaley]

Have been lucky enough to get the CRT breakfast every time I tried in the past(3 trips) . DD loved it and was reasonable splurge for 2 of us. Great memories, especially of Fairy Godmother - she was wonderful on each visit. We have ADR's again for Jan trip but will probably be the last time for us too. DD (now 19) LOVES this place and the food. But with price increase and other changes I just don't see it as being a must do anymore for us. That being said I would probably still try for it if my DD was still young. Is hard to believe she's in college and still wants to eat with Cinderella (but this was always her favorite movie). Now frees us up to try some of the other character/dining options I've always wanted to do.

 

[Taratink]

I just booked CRT lunch. This will be our first time eating lunch in the castle. We always buy pictures of our family in front of the castle every time we go. So I can take a little off the price in my mind because of that. My son really wanted to eat in the castle last trip. I had no luck. Both my dd4 and ds6 love the princess. My son loves pretty girls and loves it when they call him a prince and kiss his check. I hope that it looks cool inside and that my husband will enjoy it too. I do feel that it is too expensive. This will be our splurge for this trip.
Tara

 

[coconino]

'This will be our splurge for this trip.'

As this poster said, the CRT breakfast and now lunch, are for many guests being recategorized as splurge items. IMHO, its being priced similarly to the Hoop-de-doo and Luau shows. I think it makes perfect sense, this will help to create more "magical moments" and hopefully allow for those that really, really want to eat in the castle be able to. As another poster stated, princesses are available to eat with at EPCOT and 1900 Park Fare for much less than the castle, so there are other options! Its too bad about the discounts though, I wonder if they offer DDE for the dinner shows?