Is Cinderella's Round Table worth it for a family on a budget?

[DisneyHardin]

Out of all of the trips I had as a child, the number one Thing I remember is the fact that my parents never brought me inside the castle. That was probably a large contributing factor to why my daughter got to eat there when I could finally afford it.

I think this is a big part of why we go all out at Disney too. I was lucky that my Mom took us to Disney several times when we were kids, but she was a total penny pincher on those trips and didn't necessarily need to be. We never ate any meals in the parks - only the occasional snack or drink that my sister and I had to share. Of course, we never stayed on property, so we would eat a big breakfast before coming in the morning, we would leave the park in the early afternoon to go to an off site restaurant and then go back to the park for the evening.

The first time I went to Disney as an adult, it was sort of a budget trip, but we still stayed at All Star Movies and ate at least 1 sit down meal a day in the parks.

 

[ZellyB]

I didn't feel like the experience was worth the price when we went. I'd always wanted to go to get to go inside the castle, but we didn't do it until our kids were teenagers, so maybe that altered our view. I basically found the entire experience underwhelming. The princesses came by pretty briefly (maybe they didn't linger because my daughters were older). I found the interior of the castle dining area to be pretty underwhelming compared to my expectations from the outside and the food was mediocre at best. We went for dinner. I can think of numerous other character meals we had at WDW for less money and better food and better character interactions. If budget were something that had been especially important to me on that trip, I would have been pretty upset that we'd spent that much money for the experience.

Ultimately though nobody can really tell you if it will be worth it to you.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

I think this is a big part of why we go all out at Disney too. I was lucky that my Mom took us to Disney several times when we were kids, but she was a total penny pincher on those trips and didn't necessarily need to be. We never ate any meals in the parks - only the occasional snack or drink that my sister and I had to share. Of course, we never stayed on property, so we would eat a big breakfast before coming in the morning, we would leave the park in the early afternoon to go to an off site restaurant and then go back to the park for the evening.

The first time I went to Disney as an adult, it was sort of a budget trip, but we still stayed at All Star Movies and ate at least 1 sit down meal a day in the parks.

We were very much the same. I think that's why I stay in only Disney resorts and and eat all of the fancy restaurants I've never got to as a child. But I but I remember a lot of trips as a child, and for some reason the things you didn't get to do always seem to stick out more than the things you did.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

In all fairness, I would probably delete my prior messages if I could. At the end of the day the memories you get from this vacation will last a lifetime. Everything else is fleeting. If it really matters to your husband, and you think your children will really enjoy it, then I say go for it. Do I personally think it's worth the money after doing it, probably not. But that is always subjective. But the memories sure are special.

Out of all of the trips I had as a child, the number one Thing I remember is the fact that my parents never brought me inside the castle. That was probably a large contributing factor to why my daughter got to eat there when I could finally afford it.

It will be very special. And considering the occasion, it's a special way to celebrate. And in all fairness it is still cheaper than a fireworks dessert party.

Personally I don't think the dessert parties are worth it, yeah I'm still going because it mattered to my husband too.

You can click the edit button at the bottom and just delete it….

 

[KrzyKtty101]

You can click the edit button at the bottom and just delete it….

It wouldn't let me outright delete the whole post. I just put in something saying I moderated myself.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

It wouldn't let me outright delete the whole post. I just put in something saying I moderated myself.

It won’t, but you can delete the text then type deleted. Or changed my mind…. So anything.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

It won’t, but you can delete the text then type deleted. Or changed my mind…. So anything.

That is essentially what I did

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Cool

 

[ShirikiUtundu]

We are a family on a budget. We will be at the Magic Kingdom on my daughter's 8th birthday, which is also our 12th wedding anniversary. My husband really wants to go to CRT for a special birthday/anniversary meal. We've never eaten there before, and my son has asked to go in the castle. While it does sound like a special, unique experience, my kids would only really like the breakfast foods, and it doesn't seem worth it to me to pay around $180 for breakfast or $250 for lunch that my kids won't even like that much. That is a lot of money for us. I would rather skip it, but my husband says we should put it on our credit card because it's for a special occasion, and who knows when we'll be in Disney World again so this is our chance to enjoy ourselves.

So for those of you who have gone, is this an experience not to be missed? No one in our family is interested in Cinderella, but we do love the castle as a symbol of Disney World. And would you recommend the breakfast or lunch? Thanks.

It is not special enough to warrant a full pre-pay that will accrue interest for 6 months before being paid off. There are plenty of other special restaurants for your occasions that won't require you to pay in full at the time of booking in June.

 

[Anna131517]

Isn’t the purpose of credit card to buy thing you want right now! Then pay off over time,
When I could get the dinning plan I always put it, my park passes, air fair, and the limo to and from the airport on them…. I would then pay it off over a few months when we got back…

So this is totally off topic but no that’s not the best way to use a credit card. Ideally you pay it off each month. That way you get the benefits of the card without paying more for what you buy through interest. We saved a lot using our Disney Visa during our trip, on both souvenirs (10% off) and dining, and now have credits we can use to pay for our upcoming Disney cruise. We didn’t use it to pay for the trip - we used Target gift cards we bought with our Target Red Card so we could save 5%, which adds up. Our airline credit card gives us free checked luggage.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

So this is totally off topic but no that’s not the best way to use a credit card. Ideally you pay it off each month. That way you get the benefits of the card without paying more for what you buy through interest. We saved a lot using our Disney Visa during our trip, on both souvenirs (10% off) and dining, and now have credits we can use to pay for our upcoming Disney cruise. We didn’t use it to pay for the trip - we used Target gift cards we bought with our Target Red Card so we could save 5%, which adds up. Our airline credit card gives us free checked luggage.

56 % of the country carry credit card balance from month to month. It totally 856 Billion dollars on any given month....
That why are economy is called a debt based economy...

 

[rasclautmangos]

It may not be worth it if you think your kids probably won't like the food. There are plenty of other magical/less expensive places to eat where your kids may enjoy the food better.

 

[CampbellzSoup]

No, the answer is no after reading your post.

 

[snikki]

We did CRT a few times when DD was younger. I don’t remember if we put it on a card (back then we didn’t pay off our cards each month) or paid outright. Years later none of that matters and it was well worth it. I have no regrets. It’s a memory we won’t forget. DD16 still talks about it and has the wand from the dinner. She wants to go again next trip.

 

[KrzyKtty101]

Not that it is any cheaper, but have you looked at Be Our Guest? Honestly we enjoyed the food their a lot better, and we thought it was a lot more beautiful. It is absolutely stunning in there. But maybe that can be a future trip.

 

[annadreamsofdisneyworld]

Not that it is any cheaper, but have you looked at Be Our Guest? Honestly we enjoyed the food their a lot better, and we thought it was a lot more beautiful. It is absolutely stunning in there. But maybe that can be a future trip.

Thanks, though we ate there on our last trip and are looking for something new!

Thanks, all. Looks like it could go either way. We'll decide closer to our 60 day dining booking date.

I would still lean against going, but my husband really wants to. He grew up very poor, and I like him to have really special experiences sometimes, so I was wondering how special this was. Looks like some people thought it was okay, and some people loved it.

 

[CamillaF]

My husband and I are having the same discussion right now. We decided to not book CRT or anything else on magic kingdom days. With the state of the parks now we want the flexibility to get the most out of our days. We believe that an ADR could hinder us getting on a ride or see a show. With how much we have to plan these days it’s one last thing we have to do. It’s the park that we both remember being magical as kids. I should say that this is not a financial decision but one based on what would make our day more “magical”. Best of luck to you. Remember that no matter what you decided your kids will remember this trip forever.

 

[SmileEar2Ear]

We have been to Disney many times as a family. We had never done CRT so my daughter (7 at the time) and I went there while my husband and son did Beast’s castle (we had done that as a family a few times before). We called it our dueling castle dinners. Since we are frequent Disney-goers I was glad I got to check “castle dinner” off my list, but we have had so many more “magical” meals that I don’t think I would ever return. Food was fair, as was the character interaction. For the cost I would not go again unless my grandkids someday are super princess obsessed. And even then, I would probably just do the princess breakfast in Norway - cheaper and better character interaction. My best advice if you want something magical is picking a type of food you really enjoy and going to a restaurant that serves that. Or picking a less expensive character meal and going at an off-time. Some of our greatest meals have been 10:30 brunches at Crystal Palace where the characters have literally hung out at our table for 10 minutes each or a 4:00 dinner at the Plaza with ice cream treats after that sets the mood for a fun night of rides in the park. Everybody’s “magic” is different. If your kids will walk out of CRT hungry, it’s not worth it.

 

[leebee]

The last time we at at the Castle, the girls were 10, 8, and 4. They enjoyed it, loved meeting the princesses and the Fairy Godmother. The food was... fine, breakfast was OK, nothing to write home about, and this was back in the days before pre-pay prix fixe meals. There's no way I'd pay for this meal now, credit card or not. We just didn't find eating in the Castle to be "all that" enough to justify the cost for mediocre food.


I guess you really need to consider what you want, what is important to your family for this meal. Are you looking for great food and/or great character interaction? Go somewhere else. If your husband wanting to do this is all about eating in Cinderella's Castle, well, this is the only game in town. Honestly, I still wouldn't do it. There isn't enough value there for me. I'd look at Crystal Palace (heard the buffet is back, and I think there are characters) or Artist Point. Hey, Hoop de Doo is back, too. Does your husband know about this? We have never done it, but if I were looking for a fun family celebration meal, I'd do Hoop de Doo before CRT. AND... pay for it how you want. My guess is that you are an adult, you know what will work for your family and what your budget can afford!
Actually... maybe have your husband view one of the recent video-reviews of CRT and see if he thinks it'd be worth it? Post #6 on this thread has a video from a covid-trip to CRT.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/crt-worth-it-without-meet-greets.3880747/

 

[Her Dotness]

We're foodies and find the CRT food vastly better than it was formerly, so I somewhat disagree with those warning you off eating here because of so-so food. Tastes differ, of course, and besides, any character meal is about the experience more than the food.

I'd say CRT began to get better about 6 years ago and became actually pretty good in 2017-18.

That your family would not like the menu is a better reason to choose somewhere else, IMO, than food quality concerns.