To CRT or not to CRT????

[CapnJacksGirl]

I need help!

I have all our ADRs mapped out for our August trip (can't book them til Feb 26th though), except for our first night at WDW. I'm considering CRT but honestly, I've not paid a lot of attention to the reviews over the years we've been taking our DSs, thinking we wouldn't likely go there. They grudgingly do a photo with a princess once a trip or so, but they're not jumping up and down about it!

Now, I'm thinking I want us to do it, just once, but I'm stingy with DDP credits! I know it's the castle. I know it's a one-of-a-kind experience. I also know that if the food stinks, DH and I won't be happy that we let go of two DDP credits that we could've used at places we know we like!

So give me the scoop....how is the food? Is it really worth two credits or are we going to give up two credits just for the castle experience? I know everyone's tastes are different, so I'm just hoping for a cross-section here. (And to give you an idea of what we like, our favorites are LeCellier and Captain's Grille and we can't stand 'Ohana. )

TIA for the help!

 

[ladyfoundhertramp]

Now for the main event: Dinner at CRT 1/22

I was a little un-sure about using 2 TS credits for one meal, but since this was DD3 first visit and she is a princess freak I pulled the trigger and made the ADR. (and not so secretly I have always wanted to eat in the castle) We checked in and were taken to meet Cinderella, this girl was stunning. My husband and I were stunned by how pretty this particular princess was. We did our little photo session and waited about 3 mins before we were called upstairs. The dining room is beautiful, it's a round room with high ceiling and banners and flags. And the front of the room is all windows over-looking Fantasyland. Well guess who got seated in front of the window!! YUP!! We did. Pixie Dust!! Our waiter came right over took drink orders and came back with drinks and wands for our DD's. We were served a bread basket after we ordered, just your basic dinner rolls. For the apps DH went with the trio of cheese--it was goat cheese, brie and gouda, he said it was delicous, DD ordered a garden salad and I went with the Shrimp Cocktail- now this was good--its in a mini maritini glass with corn and shrimp and a horseradish style vinagrette over it. I finished every bite. For our entrees DH ordered the Pork 3 ways--not so great. It was dry and the spoon bread was more like polenta. Not like a send it back awful dish, but not the best. DD and I both ordered the Beef Tenderloin--FANTASTIC! It was served over mashed potatoes with grilled asparagus and a mushroom burgundy reduction. I cannot say enough about how good this was. For dessert DH ordered the almond cheesecake, this was very good. The raspberry sauce made the dish. DD ordered the chocolate mousse and thought it was too rich. I ordered the trio which was a mousse, apple tart and cheesecake..All yummy. We had also special ordered the chocolate slipper desserts for our DD's. They were so good. Dark Chocolate Slipper filled with Chocolate Mousse. over a angel food cake pillow and surrounded with fresh fruit. And personalized for whatever you like. The meal was fantastic. The Princesses were all sweet and not rushed, Snow White, Belle, Aurora & Ariel were there. The best part of the entire evening for me was we were able to stay in our seat and watch wishes out the castle windows over Fantasyland. This entire experience was covered in Pixie Dust!! I would highly recommend CRT, it is worth every bit of 2 TS credits.

 

[charissemp]

For us, we really think a trip to the castle is worth the experience. However, we also think that 2 dining credits is steep.
So, although we have the disney dining plan, we choose to use our disney visa rewards card money for breakfast. The breakfast prices aren't as high, you still get the experience, and then it doesn't feel like we are spending "real" money when we use the rewards card. It feels like "bonus" money, and what better to use it than a treat like CRT.

Last time, we scheduled an 8:05 ADR, so we were done with breakfast and standing in Fantasyland for Rope Drop. Got to chat with the Fairy Godmother and help open up the park. Truly magical.

 

[auprincess]

Now for the main event: Dinner at CRT 1/22

I was a little un-sure about using 2 TS credits for one meal, but since this was DD3 first visit and she is a princess freak I pulled the trigger and made the ADR. (and not so secretly I have always wanted to eat in the castle) We checked in and were taken to meet Cinderella, this girl was stunning. My husband and I were stunned by how pretty this particular princess was. We did our little photo session and waited about 3 mins before we were called upstairs. The dining room is beautiful, it's a round room with high ceiling and banners and flags. And the front of the room is all windows over-looking Fantasyland. Well guess who got seated in front of the window!! YUP!! We did. Pixie Dust!! Our waiter came right over took drink orders and came back with drinks and wands for our DD's. We were served a bread basket after we ordered, just your basic dinner rolls. For the apps DH went with the trio of cheese--it was goat cheese, brie and gouda, he said it was delicous, DD ordered a garden salad and I went with the Shrimp Cocktail- now this was good--its in a mini maritini glass with corn and shrimp and a horseradish style vinagrette over it. I finished every bite. For our entrees DH ordered the Pork 3 ways--not so great. It was dry and the spoon bread was more like polenta. Not like a send it back awful dish, but not the best. DD and I both ordered the Beef Tenderloin--FANTASTIC! It was served over mashed potatoes with grilled asparagus and a mushroom burgundy reduction. I cannot say enough about how good this was. For dessert DH ordered the almond cheesecake, this was very good. The raspberry sauce made the dish. DD ordered the chocolate mousse and thought it was too rich. I ordered the trio which was a mousse, apple tart and cheesecake..All yummy. We had also special ordered the chocolate slipper desserts for our DD's. They were so good. Dark Chocolate Slipper filled with Chocolate Mousse. over a angel food cake pillow and surrounded with fresh fruit. And personalized for whatever you like. The meal was fantastic. The Princesses were all sweet and not rushed, Snow White, Belle, Aurora & Ariel were there. The best part of the entire evening for me was we were able to stay in our seat and watch wishes out the castle windows over Fantasyland. This entire experience was covered in Pixie Dust!! I would highly recommend CRT, it is worth every bit of 2 TS credits.

THIS is exactly what I'm hoping for when we go in April! I know there are mixed reviews, and we've been once years ago when we just had one DD, but now we have 3 little princesses so I think it is time for us to go back. Hope the food is good, but in the end, for this particular dinner, it is just about the experience.

 

[x5x5x5x5x5]

Now my opinion is probably colored by the fact that we paid OOP for CRT breakfast (the tab blew me away for the quality of food etc.). I would not do it again. Being in the castle was kind of neat but frankly, not nearly as grand as I expected. Granted I am not an extremely sentimental person - but I was pretty disappointed. If my daughter BEGGED to go again (she's still little - kind of princess age), I MIGHT consider it. But unless it was a heartbreaker for her, I would not go back.

 

[AshleeH]

We went on our first trip and it was more for me. We paid OOP and I wanted the experience of eating in the castle - the boys were 7 and 4 liked Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid (we watched a few more princess movies on the drive down) so I figured it was now or never, unless a girl comes along in the future.

They loved it! We went into it thinking it would be a one-time experience and we would definitely eat there again. The food was very good (we ate there for lunch) and the character greetings were the best we experienced. My boys loved it and after all the princesses got ahold of them, they were covered in glitter and lipstick prints. My oldest told Ariel that she was his favorite princess and she was so flattered that she stopped by our table twice to ask the boys what their wish was in the wishes segment. She was amazing and I got my picture with her as well . That movie came out when I was 7 and she's always been my favorite princess, so I had to have the photo op when the opportunity presented itself.

We didn't eat there last year because it was a spur of the minute trip and we were trying to go on more of a budget. We're doing the dining plan this year for the first time, so I didn't want to use 2 credits when I'm not 100% sure about the entire plan, so we're going to try Akershus for the first time.

 

[AshleeH]

We went on our first trip and it was more for me. We paid OOP and I wanted the experience of eating in the castle - the boys were 7 and 4 liked Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid (we watched a few more princess movies on the drive down) so I figured it was now or never, unless a girl comes along in the future.

They loved it! We went into it thinking it would be a one-time experience and we would definitely eat there again. The food was very good (we ate there for lunch) and the character greetings were the best we experienced. My boys loved it and after all the princesses got ahold of them, they were covered in glitter and lipstick prints. My oldest told Ariel that she was his favorite princess and she was so flattered that she stopped by our table twice to ask the boys what their wish was in the wishes segment. She was amazing and I got my picture with her as well . That movie came out when I was 7 and she's always been my favorite princess, so I had to have the photo op when the opportunity presented itself.

We didn't eat there last year because it was a spur of the minute trip and we were trying to go on more of a budget. We're doing the dining plan this year for the first time, so I didn't want to use 2 credits when I'm not 100% sure about the entire plan, so we're going to try Akershus for the first time.