I’ve eaten at every Disney World character meal, and Cinderella’s Royal Table is the one I’d personally skip. Here’s why the iconic castle dining experience may not be worth the high price tag for families.

As a longtime Disney World visitor and parent, I’ve now eaten at every Disney World character meal — and while each one has its pros and cons, there’s one experience I personally skip: Cinderella’s Royal Table.

That might sound controversial. After all, dining inside Cinderella Castle is one of the most iconic experiences in all of Walt Disney World. But after years of visiting Disney both before and after having a child, I’ve found that the experience simply doesn’t justify the price for my family — especially compared to other princess dining options.

Disney Character Meals Overview

What exactly is character dining at Disney World? Certain restaurants at the parks and hotels offer meals where you can meet with popular Disney characters while you eat. The experience is a fan-favorite because it gives you the chance to have one-on-one interactions (and photo ops!) with characters you often have to wait a long time to meet in the parks (as well as some characters you can’t meet elsewhere at all).

Of course, along with that experience comes a larger price tag, so you can expect to be paying $50+ per person when it comes to character dining. There are a few different kinds of character meals to enjoy, including buffet, family-style, and plated. Buffet and family-style meals are all-you-care-to-enjoy, and have a set per-person price you’ll know you’re paying (and at these meals, kids under three eat free). Plated meals are a bit different, working more like a regular restaurant where you are paying a set fee, and can then choose certain items off the menu (with some items at an additional price).

As for what Disney World character dining is available, here are all of your options:

• 1900 Park Fare: Breakfast and dinner buffet with Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel, and Tiana
• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, family-style, with Disney Princesses
• Cape May Cafe: Breakfast buffet with Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck
• Chef Mickey’s: Breakfast and dinner buffet Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Goofy, Donald Duck
• Cinderella’s Royal Table: Plated breakfast, lunch, and dinner with Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Princess Aurora, Jasmine, and Snow White
• The Crystal Palace: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet with Winnie the Pooh and friends
• Garden Grill: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner, family-style, with Chip, Dale, Mickey Mouse, and Pluto
• Hollywood & Vine: Breakfast buffet with Disney Jr. characters, or lunch and dinner buffet with
• ‘Ohana: Breakfast, family-style, with Lilo and Stitch, Mickey and Pluto
• Ravello: Breakfast buffet with Goofy, Minnie, and Mickey
• Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White: Plated dinner with Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen (a separate photo opp)
• Topolino’s Terrace: Plated breakfast with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck
• Tusker House Restaurant: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet with Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Mickey Mouse

What is Cinderella’s Royal Table at Disney World?

Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the most iconic meals in Disney World. Located in Magic Kingdom, you’ll find the restaurant within Cinderella Castle itself, with a setting fit for royalty. Inside, you’ll first get a chance to meet Cinderella for a special photo op before being led to the restaurant. Inside, you’ll meet with Disney Princesses as you eat, including Ariel, Belle, Princess Aurora, Jasmine, and Snow White

Available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant offers plated meals. This means that for a set cost, you’ll receive an appetizer, entrée, beverage, and dessert (for lunch and dinner). There are also cocktails and upgrades for an additional fee.

Photo by Marisa Alvarado

Because it’s such a popular spot, Cinderella’s Royal Table is also one of the most expensive places to eat in Disney World. For breakfast, the cost is $74 for adults and $45 for children (ages 3-9), plus tax and gratuity. Lunch and dinner are even more expensive, at $88 per adult and $52 for children (ages 3-9), plus tax and gratuity. Unlike buffets and family-style restaurants, kids under three don’t eat free, per se. If they’re eating off your plate, it’s free. However, if you want them to get their own meal, you’ll incur an additional cost.

Cinderella’s Royal Table Review: Why I Skip It

There’s no denying that Cinderella’s Royal Table is a unique restaurant – Disney Princesses inside the Castle? Amazing! But, for me, there are a few reasons it’s pretty low down on my list of character meals to choose from. Here are a few reasons it’s frequently a skip for me and my family.

The Price is Prohibitive

All dining in Disney World is expensive, and character dining is particularly pricey. But Cinderella’s Royal Table is pretty next level with their pricing, especially considering it’s a plated meal versus a buffet or family-style. For picky kids that need a few options, the menu at Cinderella’s Royal Table is going to be a bit more limited than you’ll find at buffets such as 1900 Park Fare or The Crystal Palace. While there are still generic kid meals to choose from, paying $45 to $52 for a kid just feels wrong, and that’s not even getting to the $74 to $88 per adult.

Dessert at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Photo by Marisa Alvarado

By comparison, there’s Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT, a family-style meal that also features Disney Princesses. There, you’re paying $59 to $69 for adults and $38 to $46 for children, with kids under three eating free. Essentially, the $15+ per person difference you’re paying is just for the atmosphere.

There Are Other Places to Meet Disney Princesses

On a similar note, there are other places you can meet the Disney Princesses for meals. 1900 Park Fare is a buffet where you can see Cinderella, Tiana, and other characters. Akershus is home to Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Princess Aurora, and Ariel. Story Book Dining is a plated dinner with Snow White, along with other characters from her film.

Akershus in EPOCT. Photo by Laurie Sapp

If you’re looking for a meal with Disney Princesses, but are open to a different environment than Cinderella’s Royal Table, you can find alternative options that allow you to meet them elsewhere!

It’s a One and Done Restaurant

This is my biggest sticking point with Cinderella’s Royal Table: for me, it’s a one-and-done restaurant. There’s no denying the atmosphere is very cool, and getting to meet the Disney Princesses in such an environment is unique. But, between the price and the food (which, honestly, is just fine), I’d choose other character meals before this one.

For me, I think this will be a restaurant I do once for a special occasion when my daughter is a bit older (probably more in the 6-9 age range than her current toddlerhood). While she loves meeting the characters, for the cost, we’d want her to be at an age where she can really appreciate the experience of being inside Cinderella Castle. Right now, if we want a place with Disney Princesses, we’d choose Akershus or 1900 Park Fare instead.