Share Your Princess Storybook Experience

[UBSHANG]

I would be interested in learning of your experiences with the Princess Storybook Breakfast at Restaurant Akershus in Epcot.

It is arguably overpriced, but did you consider the experience to be overrated, rushed, noisey or chaotic?

How much time and attention did the Princesses give your family and child during breakfast, and were they available for pictures or conversation during or after the meal?

I originally did not plan on visiting Epcot since we will be vacationing for only a few days, and I don't feel that there are enough appropriate attractions that would appeal to a 5 1/2 year old girl.

And our limited stay also is not long enough for us to benefit from a Park Hopper Pass, which would have allowed us to leave Epcot and visit another park.

Therefore, the daily admission pass to Epcot would be used (misused, rather) just for gaining entry to the Character Meal.

 

[kimwim8]

You might be better off going to one of the other meals that have princesses (CRT, if you plan on MK or 1900 Park Fare). I don't think PSB itself is overpriced (although I haven't been yet until we go in October) compared to other character meals, but if I had to add on the price of park admission to that price, then YEAH it's definitely not worth it to me.

If you are planning on going to MK, then you can try to get PS for CRT or just find the princesses around the park.

I'll be watching the thread as well, to see other people's feelings on PSB.

 

[tink2]

We have this one booked for the first time in Dec. I'm interested in other's experiences and which characters they saw. WE've done CRT twice and loved it- doing it again in Dec. also. DD5 loves the princesses!!!

 

[kitkatsnindylou]

I did this in august with my 5y old niece, she liked it better than CRT, the food was ok and they kept it coming, no asking for 2nd's The princesses spent quite a bit of time at each table, they were all very friendly. If your only reason to go to Epcot is this breakfast, try for CRT or 1900 park fair for Dinner. If you go..and your time is prior to park opening arrive early they have a special line for you to go through, and remember you need to go all the way to world showcase for the bkfst, its not just a little way's into the park for little legs.

 

[Doodlebug939]

We went last year and we really enjoyed ourselves. I personally didnt feel rushed at all. At the beginning they bring you your drinks and danish/doughnut/muffin type things with fruit and yogurt. Then the main meal comes out a short time later. I NEVER HAD TO ASK FOR SECONDS ON THE FOOD. It just kept coming. And the princess attention was really rather good. They each stopped at our table and let us take two pictures and signed each childs autograph book. I never felt rushed compared to CRT.

I also loved being able to walk into the world showcase with it closed and take some pictures of the kids without others in the photos. A real treat.

That being said, I would highly recommend the breakfast but if you have to burn a ticket just to go then I would save it for next time. Best of luck to you!!!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Keep in mind that you can always purchase park hoppers, sincce they are the best deal financially and give lots of freedom, and then just hold onto them for your next trip - they NEVER expire and believe me, you WILL be back.

That said, we LOVED LOVED LOVED our PSB experience. It was just 5 adults, and we had a wonderful time. The food was good, the service was great, and the princesses were wonderful. They took their time with us, were wonderful with the children around us, took pictures, signed our cards, etc. My husband esp loved Jasmine It's one of our fave memories from our last trip. We didn't feel it was overpriced at all because they were the only characters we care about getting pics for, and we HATE to stand in line for pictures and autographs. So it was money worth spent! The restaurant is lovely inside, and we had plenty of room. It really wasn't hectic, the princesses moved well through the room, and the kids weren't running around or anything. We had a great time.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[sharon78]

im pleased to read that you have good reports,we also are going for the 1st time in Oct/Nov we have a P.S for 10am! is this a good time?
Thanks

 

[Tinkerbellmom33]

I have a PS for this one for the 1st time in Nov. I'm glad it was a good one! My daughters will be so excited. I have a late PS , 10:20. I was wondering the same thing.

 

[Vavasmon]

We have done both PSB and CRT three times. We love PSB for
the princess interaction. The last time we were there was Friday Sept 3 (The day before Frances). DD got to be the "princess of the day". This is a priceless memory that erases being stranded by the hurracane.

The princess time is much less rushed at PSB. CRT is like princess beat the clock. The Princesses are more talkative and willing to pose for multiple pictures at PSB. We have generally had good service there. The food is okay (the potatoes are the best). CRT wins the food rating because of their cream cheese franch toast.

As far as will EPCOT be enjoyed by a DD age 5. It depends of the child. We visitied Disney for the first time just after DD's 6th birthday. She has always loved the WS and doing the KIDCOT mask. She likes meeting the people from other countries and seeing the shows (Make sure to see the candy lady in Japan and the chineese acrobats). The living Statues are also fun for the kids to watch. The FW portion of EPCOT can also be fun (the land did a cooking activity in the past - cookies I don't know if they still do it). The living seas is fun for a child who enjoys fish. Innovations seems to depend on the crowd.

 

[Reedmonster]

Glad to hear some good reviews. We have our first PS for PSB on Oct. 24th at 8:30. If the park opens at 9:00, will they let us into the park around 8:00. What time is the earliest you can get into the park if you have a PS before the park opens? I am so excited to see Epcot without the crowds!!

 

[shoes99]

Our Grand Gathering Family Reunion Group is going Oct 25th. We have a group of 12 including two little girls 6 & 4. Our reservation is for 8:40 so I hope I can drag my DH, their Uncle out of bed that early....

 

[UBSHANG]

Originally posted by Reedmonster
Glad to hear some good reviews. We have our first PS for PSB on Oct. 24th at 8:30. If the park opens at 9:00, will they let us into the park around 8:00. What time is the earliest you can get into the park if you have a PS before the park opens? I am so excited to see Epcot without the crowds!!

Dining reservations suggests that guests arrive for their priority seating about 10 minutes early. Since the Character Meal restaurants are open one hour before the parks, the CM's will probably let you wander around Epcot in light of your 8:30 AM reservation.

But remember that none of the attractions are open until 9:00 AM for FW, and 11:00 AM for WS. That means the CM's will direct your party back to FW if your PSB breakfast ends before 11:00 AM. Click on the following link for a thread concerning transportation between resorts and parks for early Character Meal breakfasts http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=554377.

I understand your excitement at anticipating "Epcot without the crowds". However, I just wondered if you were aware of the many special events scheduled for October which tends to draw large crowds. Some of the major events include Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Walt Disney World Golf Classic, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and Eat to the Beat! Concert Series Line-up at Epcot:

10/01-10/05 - Kool & The Gang
10/06-10/10 --Starship with Mickey Thomas
10/11-10/12 -- The Beach Boys
10/13-10/15 -- Temptations Review with Dennis Edwards
10/16-10/20 - Taylor Dayne
10/21-10/25 - Commodores
10/29-10/30 - Survivor
10/31-11/04 - Blake Shelton
11/05-11/09 -- Eddie Money
11/10-11/14 - Chubby Checker & the Wildcats

 

[sleepydog25]

Here's another vote for PSB. We took DD4 to it just last month on a Saturday, 0830 PS, and we were staying at VWL. We caught a bus to Epcot, checked through the main gate (have your PS ressie # available just in case), then walked over to Norway. Yes, it is a bit of a walk but since it's not crowded, the walk was easy. We checked in and about 15 mins. later they began seating tables. It's very cute how they seat you, actually. The host/hostess walks up to the crowd and announces, "Now seating the royal family of ______." You follow him into the restaurant and are seated promptly.

Waiting at our table was a platter of cinnamon rolls with apple butter on the side and a plate of fresh fruit in the middle of the table. We were quickly greeted by our server who took drink orders and came back with them in just a few minutes. Within another ten minutes, our food arrived in a skillet, full of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, and our favorite, some cheesy potatoes. There were also biscuits but since we had cinnamon rolls, we didn't eat them. Our server was diligent, though the one skillet was all that we could manage (it's an all you care to eat breakfast), and she kept our drinks filled.

As for the princesses, they were absolutely wonderful. They go around to each table, one at a time, spending a few moments with each child at the table. Not once did I see any of the princesses rush through a table, and when each one arrived at our table, our DD was thrilled. We got a separate picture with each one, and a with couple we took two shots. Snow White, Aurora, Mulan, and Jasmine were our princesses. Snow White was most in character as she had the perfect squeaky voice; Aurora had the nicest smile; Mulan was the most gracious; and, of course, Jasmine was the favorite of all the DDs!

Our DD was simply in awe the entire time, so I highly recommend PSB. It's also a fair bargain compared to the other breakfasts. However, if you have to pay for another park ticket just to take in the breakfast, it might not be worthwhile, though to be fair, it's still cheaper all around than, say, Cindy's. Only you can decide whether the cost is worth it, but as far as experiences go, it was one of the highlights of our 5-day stay.

 

[berly1657]

I hate to be negative...we went to the PSB with the girls/moms in 2003. We felt that the princess' were very rushed - but we were at the begining of the rotation.

On the other hand the rolls and muffins were very good - the main course was ok.

We too love to do character meals instead of waiting in line for characters

Overall we would do this meal again with just the girls (considering how hard it is to get in to the castle) and let the boys do something else. I do believe this character meal had just opened/started too...

 

[Reedmonster]

Originally posted by UBSHANG


I understand your excitement at anticipating "Epcot without the crowds". However, I just wondered if you were aware of the many special events scheduled for October which tends to draw large crowds.

I was referring to the time before the park opens that we can walk around in before our PS. It's turned into an added perk for getting an early PS. Every other time I've been to Epcot it has seemed so crowded. Hopefully the October crowds will be a little better than Christmas time.

 

[3MouseMom]

We went Feb of 03 and really liked it. We are going again in October (me, dd4, dd8 and my mom) for a "girl only" trip. I felt the food was pretty good and the interaction was nice. Not too rushed. I tried one day for CRt and then bagged it in favor of this one, my girls love Belle and Jasmine the best anyway!

have a great time, I can't wait!

 

[Aisling]

Our experience is a lot different! We were very late for our PS, so late that there was only 5 minutes left before they were stopping breakfast to do lunch. The princesses were already gone when we got there, except for Jasmine, who was just strolling around. When I explained to the manager that we were so late because we did a resort transfer that morning and miscalculated travel time, she said she would waive the payment. Normally, if you miss your PS for the princess breakfast, they charge you anyway. I saw the charge of $69 on my credit card, and then the credit for $69.

Just wanted to share.

 

[skiwee1]

Originally posted by Reedmonster
I was referring to the time before the park opens that we can walk around in before our PS. It's turned into an added perk for getting an early PS. Every other time I've been to Epcot it has seemed so crowded. Hopefully the October crowds will be a little better than Christmas time.

When you get to the park for the PSB you will be guided from one CM to the other to get to the PSB. You won't be able to walk around anywhere. Once they check their little notebook to make sure you do have a PS this is what they do. They were really strict about that. I also have a negative vote for the PSB. I thought the interaction was very poor, princesses rushed, tables crammed so close together that getting a picture was difficult, and the food horrible. Also just a tip: There were many people being let into the WS way earlier then their PSs. So if you have a 9am PS they were letting other times, like 10 am, in too. When we got to the podium we watched many families that had later PSs get in before us simply because they showed up first. We were 15 minutes early for our PS but because others that might have been 1 hour earlier were let in before us. We ended up waiting about an hour even after speaking with a CM about this unfair practice. I finally found a manager and was let in. I don't know if they still do it this way but thought it was not right. So even if you have a PS it is still first come first served.

 

[Dreamin' Disney]

Does anyone know when they stop serving breakfast at PSB?

We got a very late PS at 11:10 am - which I don't mind since we were planning on doing the MFV from 5:30-7:30 that night followed by a late dinner.

I was just wondering if there will still be any princesses around at that time.

 

[mittelst]

Yes, I also just got an 11:10 PS for 11/3. The CM said they have extended bookings for PSB until 11:40am (the hours listed on the menu posted on allearsnet.com have breakfast ending at 10:30). I wonder how they will be able to set up for lunch, which starts at 12? I hope we're not too rushed!