CRT...The other side of the coin.

Over the years I've eaten at many on the character meals.

The locations seem to be getting bigger every few years. Chef Mickeys has expanded 3 or 4 times that I can remember, The Poly breakfast has moved to a bigger location, Crystle Palace

With each addition in size the characters have to cover more ground, leaving less time per table. At most of these locations, the character guides come to the tables before hand to make sure your cameras and autograph books are open and ready.

The last visit we noticed each of the character meals have a follow the leader, dance time or over all show that has to be fit in on top of everything else.

Kids loved it (DD5 & DS7), DW and I felt rushed.
 

Just wanted to add my bit. When we went to CRT early December (booked June) we specifically chose lunch as we were told there was no character interaction at dinner. We had a great experience. Yes it was expensive, but we weren't paying just for the food. We were paying for the experience of the castle and for the characters. Te characters were so attentive to the four princesses in our group. We were lucky enough that each of our girls were dressed as one of the princesses who happened to be on o that day. Snow White actually approached us saying she had noticed this and would we mind having a photo taken with them as group. We also loved getting a proper decent picture with Cinderella without others in the background. The food we had for lunch was fine. Not absolutely fantastic but nothing wrong with it. We all quite enjoyed it and do expect to pay a little more at WDW.
I know that everyones experience can be different depending on day, servers and other influences. We will be going back without hesitation. This without a doubt, along with BBB which we did just before CRT, was the highlight of our trip.
MatchingPrincesses.jpg
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Just wanted to add my bit. When we went to CRT early December (booked June) we specifically chose lunch as we were told there was no character interaction at dinner. We had a great experience. Yes it was expensive, but we weren't paying just for the food. We were paying for the experience of the castle and for the characters. Te characters were so attentive to the four princesses in our group. We were lucky enough that each of our girls were dressed as one of the princesses who happened to be on o that day. Snow White actually approached us saying she had noticed this and would we mind having a photo taken with them as group. We also loved getting a proper decent picture with Cinderella without others in the background. The food we had for lunch was fine. Not absolutely fantastic but nothing wrong with it. We all quite enjoyed it and do expect to pay a little more at WDW.
I know that everyones experience can be different depending on day, servers and other influences. We will be going back without hesitation. This without a doubt, along with BBB which we did just before CRT, was the highlight of our trip.
MatchingPrincesses.jpg
[/IMG]

OMG, that picture is just toooo cute!!!!
It took me a second to realize there was a little princess for each big princess.
 
Kevin,
Thanks for your honest review and for including the reviews of some real "princesses". I'm sure that otherwise many of us would have perhaps thought that the experience is more than just the meal and therefore perhaps worth it.
It is sad that this is what the castle has become.

I remember not so many years ago getting my family up to make the call at 7am for the CRT ressie. But in spite of that craziness we were rewarded with an acceptable breakfast combined with dreamlike character interaction for my daughter. There were many princesses who would circulate, sign autographs, pose for pictures and general royal interaction. I even have about a bazillion pictures of one time when we dined at the end of breakfast seating and no new guests were arriving - Belle came and took my daughter to the window and sat and waited for Peter Pan and Hook to race around outside on a ledge - some part of the castle show. They were there for about 20 minutes and the other princesses came to visit them. Also on that visit my daughter had not worn a princess dress but had brought a crown. She brought it with her to breakfast to have Cinderella put it on (she would know how to do it as opposed to mom who is not a princess). Cinderella obliged and again photos to make a mom swoon.


Sorry for the CRT trip down memory lane. Just wanted you to know (although you probably do know) that it wasn't always the debacle that you experienced. Although of course I understand it is important for future guests to know what it is like now, not what it once was. I'm just missing what it once was. OK I'm also missing my daughter wanting to be a princess - now of course she wants to be a rock star.
Why do things have to change?!?

Tammy
 
This is a few of the many....
Disney-Aug-2-5-2004-072.jpg

041_12A.jpg

My husband is in the red shirt taking a picture.
Disney-Aug-2-5-2004-079.jpg
 
I took my aunts and my cousins to CRT breakfast in 2003. My then 6 year old cousin loved meeting all of her favorite princesses, and her older brothers were really good sports about the whole thing. The food was good, meeting the princesses was wonderful and eating in the castle was quite an experience. I am really glad I did it, and it was worth every penny. That being said, I will probably never go back. I do not have children of my own and the price you pay is just outrageous. On my next trip I'll be breakfasting with Pooh and the gang at Crystal Palace.

Melissa
 
In 2005 I had an ADR for dinner in the castle, this was BEFORE it was a character meal. I was with my niece and we had gone back to the resort for a break and I could not get her out of the pool, so we missed the reservation.:sad1: I'm still so bummed. I would have loved to have eaten there when it was just a restaurant before the mayhem.
 
Kevin, thanks for the great review. I sat on the computer with headphones on laughing like a fool:rotfl:, esp when I heard the blood clot reference. I think my DS was getting the commitment papers ready for me. I've always been undecided about this meal - now I think I'll try a different experience. Keep up the good work. Thanks for the info & the laughs!
 
If I rember correctly the last time we ate there they had prime rib (which was great) and mashed potatoes.

I think this is almost 2 years ago.

The characters did stop and take pictures with our little one then.

We are going back in Sept and I will give my spill on the place fwiw.
 














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