opinions needed...Castle Dinner or MNSSHP?

[merlinspride]

So we have reservations for Dinner at Cindy's castle for 7pm on a MNSSHP night. Now my sister has decided we should attend MNSSHP..but I am concerned about the dinner time. Our options are to either eat at the Castle (with two 4 year old princesses) and not do the party...skip dinner and do MNSSHP or keep our reservation and do the party anyway. I am so confused...what would you do?

 

[walkdmc]

If it's your only chance to see the parade, I'd do that. We did the CRT breakfast and while it was lovely, I wouldn't pass up a special event parade to eat there.

 

[Lehuaann]

If I had to choose it would be MNSSHP. We've had breakfast 1x & dinner 2x at Cindy's and will visit MNSSHP for the first time in Oct. Yes, dinner at Cindy's is magical however, I find it hard to believe it's anywhere close to the 5 hrs of magic you'd get at a holiday special event. Also, dinner at 7pm cuts into your paid MNSSHP time.

 

[ElizabethB]

I'd do both -- keep dinner and book MNSSHP. Both are fun and you have to eat dinner somewhere. I think you'll have time to see the early parade, but double-check on that. Can you move your dinner reservation any earlier?

 

[catne]

having done both CRT dinner AND the MNSSHP...absolutely would not waste party time eating dinner - anywhere! What I would do is see if CRT can be re-scheduled for between 3:30 & 5:00 p.m., so you're done eating long before the party starts. There's just too much happening at the party to spend the first hour or so in a restaurant. Besides being very expensive to buy those party tickets & then not be at the party...and how late will your 4 year olds last? If you're not getting out of dinner until 8:00 pm or after--your kids could be crashing long before that party gets over, and then you wasted the first hour or more. JMHO, but if I couldn't reschedule that dinner for a lot earlier, I'd cancel it and just eat counter service around 5:00 or 5:30.

We did eat at CRT at 4:00 last year on a party night, and did stay for the party & that worked out great...we were done eating and had our wristbands & party stuff long before the party started. We scheduled an "easy" day before the party, sleeping in & then having a big buffet breakfast around 9:30....we had a very light snack mid-day (ice cream) and were completely ready for dinner at 4:00.

 

[mpbest]

Definitely MNSSHP. You will have so much fun!!! Try to rebook like the PP suggested, that way you can still do both and not miss the party.

 

[merlinspride]

I have been trying to reschedule our dinner for over a week, and there (of course) is no availability in the MK after 5pm that day. As of now we are either doing dinner AND MNSSHP or just dinner. They refuse to give up Cindy's castle. So I am stuck. I will keep checking to see if I can get dinner earlier...but it isnt looking good.

 

[leebee]

MNSSHP!!! IMO the meal at the Castle isn't worth the cost! If they MUST eat with Cindy, what about an earlier dinner at 1900 Park Fair at the GF, then over to MK for MNSSHP? You'll have Cindy, Prince, step-sisters...mice? The GF is gorgeous, and the price is about half what you will pay for the Castle. Then you can have dinner with Cinderella AND do MNSSHP.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

MNSSHP. Without a doubt. Try to do cindys meal another time or book the 1900 park fare dinner with Cindy instead. The party is out if this world fantastic!

 

[sydneysmom]

I'm with everyone else......MNSSHP. To do both is hard..IF you get seated on time, you're still looking at an hour (at least) to eat and get done. That puts you at 8:00. And that's IF you get seated at 7:00. What if you don't ?
I wouldn't want to pay the money for the party tix and have dinner cut into that time. You want to leave yourself enough time to enjoy the party and all the activities. Is there another night that MNSSHP is going on the week you're there ? If you don't want to cancel CRT, that might be another option....choose another night for the party.

We actually made CRT reservations for 4:25 dinner then onto the party. I want to be done and out with plenty of time for the party to start. If you can switch CRT to another night or maybe breakfast or lunch, I'd do that. But both are very expensive so you don't want to really rush either one.

One thing you might want to do in advance though, if you decide not to go to MNSSHP that night...call and make sure that they'll honor your reservation. We had a 7:00 reservation for Tony's on a MNSSHP night (not the one we're going to) and I read on the boards that they won't seat you w/ a 7:00 ressie unless you had a party ticket. So I called Disney and they did say that we would have to change it, that unless your reservation was before 7:00, you wouldn't be seated unless you had a party ticket. I'm glad I called...I would hate to be waiting only to be turned away. I only bring this up because CRT is SO hard to get and I'd hate for you to be turned away. (if you keep that ressie, you might want to show up early )

Whatever you choose, have a really great vacation !

 

[dismichael]

Definitely MNSSHP... you can always do Cindy's Castle at another time.. plus we had the food and it was mediocre, the atmosphere is definitely a must-do, though.

 

[karrit2000]

I have been trying to reschedule our dinner for over a week, and there (of course) is no availability in the MK after 5pm that day. As of now we are either doing dinner AND MNSSHP or just dinner. They refuse to give up Cindy's castle. So I am stuck. I will keep checking to see if I can get dinner earlier...but it isnt looking good.

If you can't reschedule the dinner time did you try to get a lunch reservation for the same day? that way you could do both & not worry about dinner eating into the party time.

 

[williamson_ja]

Another thought is that you might try to eat at the castle in Norway with the princesses on another day if you can't reschedule CRT. That is in a castle and has most of the princesses. The price is a little cheaper and it's MUCH easier to get a reservation. I just booked a ressie yesterday for our trip in Sept. and had no problem at all.

 

[ohlas]

WE got a earlier time just keep calling now i have 520 pm the night of the halloween special plus we are doing mnssh that night .


keep calling them to see if they have an earlier time keep your res. now but keep calling for better time

 

[serene56]

I'd be curious to know if they would allow you to keep your reservation at 7pm on the night of a party without tickets?

and if you do get tickets-- the party starts at 7--dinner should take about 1 1/2 hours-- right in time for the parade--then the fireworks.
How magical is that (very expensive night fer sure)

 

[free2div]

We had ressies at castle during Christmas party one year. Our ressie was before 7pm but we didnt get done before it started. We were escorted out by a cast member since we had no party ticket. We didnt want the party that night since we had done it several times before. At first they tried to tell me I had to have the party ticket to eat there. When I booked it was told I could have ressie so they just flagged our ressie.

 

[Scrappy_Tink]

If you were four years old which would you rather do? Be stuck in a seat eating for one and a half hour, or being at a party for up to eight hours and getting to trick or treat for candy? Sounds like a no-brainer to me!!

 

[ohlas]

hmm my 7 year old says candy lol

 

[ses1230]

I would not do any TS meal during a party, I would keep trying to change the time. Especially MNSSHP, it is so much fun!

If you decide to do just dinner, though, I agree w/ a pp - I would make sure they will honor your reservation since the party will be starting.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

You don't want to miss out on the party! Could you convince them to do a CRT lunch or breakfast, or a 5 pm dinner at 1900 Park Fare w/ Cinderella & then go to MNSSHP? If they're only 4, they may not fully comprehend what they're missing out on by eating at the castle and not doing MNSSHP. This might be one of those times that you want to "gently" put your foot down & explain that mommy knows best. They will thank you (and you will thank yourself) later.