Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner

Cinderella’s Royal Table is located inside Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom Park. Disney describes it as “Fairytale Dining in a storybook setting” and they couldn’t be more right.  My husband and I had dinner with the princesses on a Friday night. I must say that 90% of the young girls who dined with us were dressed in princess costumes with their hair fixed up and were happy and proud princesses themselves. It was a wonderful sight!

Upon arrival, we checked in at the registration desk, which is around the back of the castle. Soon, we were taken into the castle to ascend the staircase to the memory-capturing area. I was able to take these pictures of the area and the stained glass window on the way up.

Once at this large area, a cast member took our reservation slip and took us to Cinderella for our photo opportunity. Guests at Cinderella’s Royal Table receive one professional Imaging Package for groups of up to 4 paying Guests, 2 packages for groups of 5 to 8 Guests, and 3 packages for groups of 9 to 12 Guests. Each Imaging Package includes one 6″ x 8″ and four 4″ x 6″ prints, and one 6″ x 8″ print of Cinderella Castle, all in a Cinderella-themed photo holder.

The regal dining hall was filled with enchanting details like high archways, leaded-glass windows, grand light fixtures, coats of arms and medieval flags. Soon, we were greeted by our fantastic server, Gina, who was attentive to our every need, want and desire all evening. She was totally wonderful and we could not have been more pleased with our service. After we ordered our drinks, we took pictures of the dining room and soon our drinks and rolls with butter arrived at the table.

We ordered from our beautiful menu (shown here), the choices of which you will read about in great detail below. My husband ordered the Rock Shrimp Cocktail as his appetizer, the Beef Tenderloin with Potatoes and Asparagus as his entree and the Chocolate Mousse for dessert. I ordered the Three Cheese Combination for my appetizer, the Beef Tenderloin with Potatoes and Asparagus as my entree and the Dessert Trio.

During the appetizer course, the princesses arrived one by one. First was Snow White, followed by Aurora, then Ariel, then Belle. These Disney Princesses mingle and sign autographs all throughout dinner. There is no need for a child to get up and follow her favorite around, as they each come to every single table to have one on one time with their friends.

Our dinner consisted of many wonderful dishes. First, were the appetizers.

The Rock Shrimp Cocktail was served in a glass and it consisted of the shrimp and tomato marmalade, which was made of cocktail sauce, whole kernel corn and sauteed onions, It was very good and a perfect appetizer portion. My husband enjoyed it very much.

My Three Cheese Combination consisted of a plate adorned in three sections: White Cheddar strips served with a raisin chutney, a ball of Goat Cheese (my all-time favorite), and Brie served with blackberries and honeycomb, I kid you not. This appetizer was the most delicious I have had. I am a cheese lover and this was perfect. The cheeses were so aromatic, rich and delicious and the accompaniments were the perfect choices for each. Delicious!

Our main course was the Beef Tenderloin. My husband ordered his Medium and I ordered mine Medium Well. They were both cooked perfectly.

The Beef Tenderloin was super moist, tender, perfectly seasoned and perfectly prepared. Served in a Chasseur  sauce, a mushroom/wine sauce, each bite was thoroughly enjoyed. The Duchess Potatoes were a type of au gratin with a flavor resembling a twice-baked potato without the skin and served in a mound with a  light crust outside. The asparagus was fresh and crunchy, with just the right amount of salt. The dinner was excellent!

For dessert, my husband ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Mousse. The Mousse had a bittersweet flavor that was not overpowering but really delicious. It was topped with chocolate candy slivers and presented with berries and raspberry sauce as well. It was rich, soft, creamy dark chocolate flavor. Delectably creamy!

My Dessert Trio consisted of Almond Cheesecake with Lingonberry Jam, the Chocolate Mousse described above, and a Fruit Tart. The Almond Cheesecake had a striking almond flavor, reminiscent of the wonderful cakey fruitcake my mom makes for Christmastime. It has a good amount of almond extract which makes it delicious to me. The raspberry sauce was fresh and sweet. The cheesecake was light as a cloud and so delicious! The Chocolate Mousse was the same goodness that I described above, but a smaller portion. The Fruit Tart has two raspberries, a slice of kiwi, and a blackberry atop the custard dessert. The crust was delicious and flaky, but substantial enough to hold the tart together. It was creamy and very fruity. A very good dessert.

Throughout dinner, the Princesses were on hand to pose for photos and sign autographs. We did not have an extra special something to celebrate that night, but for anyone who does Cinderella’s Royal Table would be a wonderful location to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, etc. It would be particularly wonderful for a marriage proposal.Once you have a reservation here, you may choose from a variety of enchanting enhancements for your special celebration, from personalized glass slippers to signature slipper desserts.

This was a most surprisingly fantastic dining experience. I will definitely recommend this to my clients as I think it really is a Disney treasure. We left with many treasures as well: my wand, my husband’s sword, a personal Invitation from Cinderella, our keepsake photos in a Cinderella-adorned folder, and even our menu (we had permission). I am so glad we reserved Cinderella’s Royal Table for a special dinner. It is a wonderful brand new experience. The Royal Dining Room holds 186 guests, but they can stretch it to up to 212 at one time if need be. There are usually 43 tables. Make sure you are in one during your next visit.

Brenda writes here and at Ideally Disney. She’s also an Authorized Disney Travel Specialist with Pixie Vacations. She loves helping families plan magical Disney vacations, so email her at Brenda@PixieVacations.com or send her a message on www.facebook.com/thepixiebrenda.