Prices to Increase at Cinderellas Royal Table

[tjcjr]

Perhaps we need to review what you get for your money

"Once Upon a Time Breakfast"
A photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room.
A package with four 4x6 prints and one 6x8 print of your photo, as well as one 6x8 print of Cinderella Castle, in a Cinderella photo holder (valued at $29.95 plus tax) will be delivered to you during your meal,
which will be from a fixed-price, set menu.
One photo package per party of 1-4; two photo packages for parties of 5-8, etc.
Additional photos may be purchased.

Pre-Plated, All You Care to Eat Meal Brought to Your Table includes
Fresh Fruit
Scrambled Eggs
Bacon
Sausage
Cheese Danish
French Toast
Potato Casserole
Healthy Choice: Granola - LowFat Yogurt - Caramelized Bananas
Beverages included in price
Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa
Minute Maid Apple Juice or Orange Juice
Milk
Soda
Iced Tea
Lemonade
Punch
Additional Beverages (Extra charge)
Cappuccino
Espresso
Still and Sparkling Bottled Water

Characters: Cinderella, Fairy Godmother, Belle, Aurora, Snow White -- characters vary by day.

Tax, gratuity extra

"A Fairytale Lunch with Characters"
A photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room.
A package with four 4x6 prints and one 6x8 print of your photo, as well as one 6x8 print of Cinderella Castle, in a Cinderella photo holder (valued at $29.95 plus tax) will be delivered to you during your meal,
which will be from a fixed-price, set menu.
One photo package per party of 1-4; two photo packages for parties of 5-8, etc.
Additional photos may be purchased.

Chef's Tasting Plate
(Appetizers)
Cinderella has instructed her royal chef to start off your meal with the "specialties of the castle"

Entrees Royale
(Choice of One)

Pasta al Pomodoro - Pasta tossed in fresh tomato sauce with garden vegetables
Pan-Seared Salmon - Saffron crab risotto, grilled asparagus and lemon beurre blanc
Herb-Crusted Pork Tenderloin - mustard cheese grits, cabernet sauce and crispy onions
Focaccia Sandwich - ham, turkey, and muenster cheese piled high on focaccia bread, with dijonaise complimented with house-made sweet potato chips
Major Domo's Favorite Pie - shredded beef simmered in rich cabernet sauce, served with mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables, crowning a light pastry

Children's (3 to 9) Lunch Entrees

Minor Domo - A child-sized version of our most popular entree
Chicken Strips - with Ranch and BBQ dipping sauces and fresh fruit
Pretzel Dogs - with sweet potato chips and garden salad
Baked Pasta Marinara - with garden salad

Finales

Blueberry Buckle with lemon ice cream and finished with creme fraiche

Beverages included in price

Coffee, Assorted Hot Teas, Hot Cocoa, Coca Cola, Diet Coke, Sprite, Nestea Iced Tea, Hi-C Pink Lemonade, Punch, Fanta Birch Beer Soda, Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Whole, 1% or Chocolate Milk
Additional Beverages (Extra Charge)
Still and Sparkling Bottled Water
Cappuccino
Espresso

Characters: Cinderella, Fairy Godmother, Belle, Aurora, Snow White -- characters vary by day.

Tax, gratuity extra

"Cinderellas Royal Table Dinner (adult)"

A photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room.
A package with four 4x6 prints and one 6x8 print of your photo, as well as one 6x8 print of Cinderella Castle, in a Cinderella photo holder (valued at $29.95 plus tax) will be delivered to you during your meal,
which will be from a fixed-price, set menu.
One photo package per party of 1-4; two photo packages for parties of 5-8, etc.

Appetizers
(Choice of one)

BLT Salad - a mixture of frisee, iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, with applewood bacon, tomato, eggs, red onion and roasted shallot vinaigrette
Castle Salad
Mixed Field greens with Blue Cheese, Raspberries and Candied Walnusts tossed in a Berry Vinaigrette
Vegetable Spring Roll with soy bean and bok choy salad and ginger-garlic sauce
Corn and Crab Soup with sour cream and chives
Entrees Royale
(Choice of one)
Roast Lamb Chops with fingerling potatoes, Vegetable Ragout, and drizzled with a Herb Pesto
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with orzo cheese casserole, cremini mushrooms and a port wine reduction
Lemon Lavender Chicken on Mashed Potatoes served with Wilted Spinach and a chicken Jus
Roast Prime Rib of Beef with gratin potatoes and a cabernet sauce
Pan Seared Salmon with a grain pilaf, Grilled Asparagus and glazed with Rosemary-lemon Honey
Cheese Tortellini with julienne vegetables, garlic marinara Sauce and fresh Romano

Finale
(Choice of one)
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buckle with choclate ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce
Poached Pear on Angel food cake topped with Mango Sorbet and drizzled with a Port Reduction
Raspberry Sorbet

Beverages included in price

Coffee, Tea, Hot Cocoa
Minute Maid Apple Juice or Orange Juice
Milk
Soda
Iced Tea
Lemonade
Punch
Additional Beverages (Extra charge)
Cappuccino
Espresso
Still and Sparkling Bottled Water

Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Brew - A frozen smoothie served in our Cinderella's collector's mug. Take home a piece of the castle. $8.20

Characters: Fairy Godmother and one or two of Cinderellas mice friends

Tax, gratuity extra

"Cinderellas Royal Table Dinner (child 3-9)"

Appetizer

Fruit and Cheese Platter with carrots, celery sticks and ranch sauce for dipping

Entrees
(Choice of one)

Beef and Macaroni with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese served with green beans and carrots
Mini Hot Dogs with potato tots, green beans and carrots
Chicken Strips with mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots

Dessert
(Choice of one)

Royal Crown Sundae - vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, and coronated with a chocolate crown
Raspberry Sorbet

Beverages included in price

Minute Maid Apple Juice or Orange Juice
Milk
Soda
Iced Tea
Lemonade
Punch
Additional Beverages (Extra charge)
Still and Sparkling Bottled Water

Bibbiddi Bobbiddi Brew - A frozen smoothie served in our Cinderella's collector's mug. Take home a piece of the castle. $8.20

Characters: Fairy Godmother and one or two of Cinderellas mice friends

Tax, gratuity extra

[wolfy]

Never have gone there and now I know I never will......

[BigPigletFan]

When I dined there for dinner I never had the option of taking my photo with Cinderella and that was just in 2005. I think I was ripped off!

[EvilQueenRocks]

Well, I can understand the increase then if they are offering a new service of photos along with the dining and character experience...

[SweetPeaRules]

Well I know me, hubby and the kids will never eat there at those rates unless I win the lottery....that I don't play!! LOL

[sir clinksalot]

Originally Posted by MegaDisney

Where do you people eat that 40 dollars for a nice sit down dinner is outrageous???

I think it is reasonable...

I don't consider Cinderellas Royal Table to be fine dining.

Personally, it could be alot less and I probably still wouldn't eat there. Why? The hassle of getting in the place. The incessant Soccer Mom's insisting that little "Britney", "Paris", "Lindsay", (or whatever) get to spend more time with Cinderella, etc, etc, etc.

[Phonedave]

Originally Posted by MegaDisney

Where do you people eat that 40 dollars for a nice sit down dinner is outrageous???

I think it is reasonable...

A nice sit down dinner for $40 is very reasonable.

However this event if FAR FAR FAR away from a nice sit down dinner.

Its all pre-prepared microwaved or steam table held food served in a very very rushed atmosphere.


-dave

[Phonedave]

Originally Posted by geoffa

I don't want to get into USA v. the World argument - let me make that plain - but the biggest complaint about prices always seems to be from (IME) the American posters on these boards. The new price equates to what I would normally expect to pay in an average hotel in the U K for a cooked breakfast / buffet. This isn't just a breakfast. It's in Cinderella's castle, you get a chance to meet Cinderella and other characters, you can get a photo and you put a huge smile on the face of your young daughter. To her this IS Cinderella - no matter how you may view it.Now I grant you that my cost of living is somewhat different to the average American (your clothes and stuff are way cheaper than ours - why do think we bring empty suit cases?) but for a "one off" I don't find the price that bad. It equates to around £15. OK if you want to pay $5 then go to Dennys but it ain't gonna be the same experience. One thing I would say though, is that people complain about the service, and if they are going to charge more for this event then they had better address that area because I won't pay any price for slack or bad attention by a server.
And in the scheme of things I think you can expect other character meals to follow suit.

For you alone it may in seem so bad, for a family with two kids its $112 for BREAKFAST.

I have eaten breakfast in many many many places and have NEVER come close to paying $112 for a party of four.

-dave

[MegaDisney]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I don't consider Cinderellas Royal Table to be fine dining.

I don't consider it fine dining and didn't say that, it is a nice sit down dinner, not a burger and fries in Tommorrowland.

I agree with our poster across the pond, if you want cheap food go to a fast food resturant with a dollar menu.

The food prices at WDW are not unreasonable considering the location and the experience included in the cost.

[WDW1974]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I don't consider Cinderellas Royal Table to be fine dining.

Personally, it could be alot less and I probably still wouldn't eat there. Why? The hassle of getting in the place. The incessant Soccer Mom's insisting that little "Britney", "Paris", "Lindsay", (or whatever) get to spend more time with Cinderella, etc, etc, etc.

Well, you obviously have a good sense of taste. There isn't an establishment in the MK that could now -- or ever in the past -- qualify as fine dining.

But Cindy's is now just an abominable excuse to pimp princess merchandise, photos and soon the Jon-Benet Experience.

I used to dine there. Frequently.

There was something special about being served a Steak and Ale quality slab of prime rib and baked potato on a pewter platter with a huge mug of icy, cold Coke while fireworks filled the sky outside.

It was, dare I say it ... magical.

I can't dine there anymore. Like so much at WDW, it's been taken from me in an obscene grab from Team Disney for more $$$ (as if it wasn't hugely profitable before). I was always willing to give up breakfast ... hell, I usually sleep right through it anyway ... but when they removed lunch and then dinner from the masses and made them only for mommies and daddies of the Britney crowd, that was it for me.

If I want to dine with a princess, I'll pick her ... and rest assured we'll be dining on true fine cuisine.

[Captain Rex]

In hindsight, I wouldn't have spent TWO table service credits for it on the dining plan in the first place... With the price raise, I doubt it would pay for it next time anyway...

Fun to do once though.

[ghosty4]

Why are most people mentioning Cinderella AT ALL?!? lol I was there for one thing, and one thing only... TO EAT IN THE CASTLE. And we did. And so I will never have to do it again. It was pretty boring as far as atmosphere, and the food was just ok. The inclusion of a picture was really nice though. As mentioned, you can see the Princesses anywhere (Belle wasn't even in her yellow dress when we were there!) so there's no way I would pay those prices if it were based on seeing characters alone.

[geoffa]

Originally Posted by BigPigletFan

While I completely understand what you are saying; however, I believe the concerns others have posted above are that the price increase at this full service restaurant is a bit of a jump. Yes, it really is an experience and I can understand that as that is what all full service dining at Disney is. But when you look at the pricing for all Disney dining locations, this one is now one of the most expensive (V&As set aside, of course.) I think another concern is that other full service, especially character dining, might be next for an increase as well. While it might be closer to what you are used to spending in the UK, I would rather that the experience be a bit less expensive so that more families can at least have the opportunity if they choose to dine at Cinderella's Castle.

I hear where you're coming from. But the price is about paying for an experience as well as a meal. It does include one photo of the castle plus one large and four small photos as part of the package. delivered to you in the time it takes to eat your meal. (So that's $30 as part of the bill) Disney must presume to put up the price because of increased costs, demand etc. - that's economics. That's why the room rates are going up too. I think air fares are outrageous but I have to pay them to get where I want to go. I sympathise with your wish that all families could have the opportunity to attend this experience but life ain't fair. If you really want to do it then you will have to find the money and maybe forego something else. I'm not being a meany - it's supply and demand at work. I doubt they are going to outprice everybody such is the popularity of this event. It's a well known fact that each day there are about 150 places for breakfast. They usually sell out within ten minutes of the telephone lines opening. I was suggesting that maybe folk should treat Cinderella's as a one off experience. And, yes, I agree the Pooh breakfast at the Crystal Palace is better value and for me it was a whole more fun - having Tigger trying to steal my fruit loops is an experience I'll never forget and I'm in my 50s.

Maybe one solution would be to use meal credits from your dining plan for this event????

[Phonedave]

Originally Posted by MegaDisney

I don't consider it fine dining and didn't say that, it is a nice sit down dinner, not a burger and fries in Tommorrowland.

I agree with our poster across the pond, if you want cheap food go to a fast food resturant with a dollar menu.

The food prices at WDW are not unreasonable considering the location and the experience included in the cost.

I would not even go that far. Its sit down - I'll give it that, and that's about it. Nice is really pushing it.

The food in the place is not good at all. It is industrial, pre-prepped, SYsco-esq food.

The atmosphere is horrible. When we went, we were rushed in every sense of the word. Hurry up and take you picture, others are waiting. Hurry up and eat so we can seat the next people.

Yes, it is an experence, yes it is something that is neat to do at least once (expecially if you have kids, and no mine are not named Briteny or Linsdasy or Paris) but in the value sense of things, there are a lot of other things that I would spend the same amount of money for and feel I had a much better "return". Right off the top of my head MNSSHP with the kids FAR outstripped the Castle, and at the same price point.

Look at it this way. If a family had $120 to spend on a "special moment" would you advocate dinner with Cindy or admission to MNSSHP. Me, I would go for the party.

-dave

[geoffa]

Originally Posted by Phonedave

For you alone it may in seem so bad, for a family with two kids its $112 for BREAKFAST.

I have eaten breakfast in many many many places and have NEVER come close to paying $112 for a party of four.

-dave

Try the Sheraton Plaza & Twin Towers in Boston - $86 for TWO. Bacon was $8 a slice! Try staying at Le Manoir in Oxfordshire, U K where a boiled egg is £16 ($32) and - no - I wouldn't pay that.
I can only compare to what I live with. A main course in most London restaurants (fine dining) will range from £15 to £30 ($30 to $60) per person and no allowance would be made for a child (unless it was a mid range). I agree the Castle isn't fine dining but at the sake of repeating myself for the hundreth time you are paying for an experience not just a breakfast. I'm not suggesting you pay that sort of money for every breakfast you have at Disney.