Prices to Increase at Cinderellas Royal Table

[geoffa]

Originally Posted by WDW1974

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.

.

Like they ain't pimping Pirates of the Caribbean? (Sic)

I agree that when it was King Stefan's Banqueting Hall it was far better and adults could enjoy the experience far more. Yes, like most things it's become commercialised but as P T Barnum said "There's a sucker born every minute!" I personally don't find the price over high for what you're getting but I wouldn't seek it out of choice. I don't have kids so I don't have to pander to their wants. My idea of a real great meal (fine dining) is Jiko over at Animal Kingdon Lodge and, yes, I would expect to pay the levl of prices that they ask - and the fact it is never empty means that there is a market demand for it. If I want burger and fries then I'll get that at McDs anytime but not when I'm on vacation.

[EvilQueenRocks]

Originally Posted by WDW1974

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.

I would have to disagree here...unless you mean inside a park. There is some fine dining in some of the resorts. For example, Victoria and Alberts, Narcoosees, Artist Point, California Grill...

Edit: Oh wait...you said MK...my mistake! In that you are correct!

[sir clinksalot]

I don't find the food in the MK to be bad. We have eaten at the Pooh meal and at Liberty Tree. Both very tasty and well worth the price for what you get. We will just continue to eat at those places instead of the castle.

[EvilQueenRocks]

Originally Posted by sir clinksalot

I don't find the food in the MK to be bad. We have eaten at the Pooh meal and at Liberty Tree. Both very tasty and well worth the price for what you get. We will just continue to eat at those places instead of the castle.

The only sit down I have eaten at MK is Crystal Palace for breakfast, 3 years ago. The food was quite good and the server was excellent! But I think the line between good food worth the price and "fine" dining is where we are getting into a murky area here. Tha is kind of left up to the interpretation of the individual diner...

BTW...if you ever wanted to request a specific server again, could you and how? I have seen a group do it at Le Cellier but I didn't ask them how they did it.

[tjcjr]

When you go for a Character Meal of any sort, you are mainly paying for the experience. As has been said by many posters, there is indeed plenty of good food to be found in and around the WDW resort but unfortunately, that does not always hold true of the Character Meals where the quality of the food often takes a backseat to the entertainment.
While in Cinderellas Castle you are treated to a unique experience that you simply can't find anywhere else. It is the opportunity to eat in "the world famous Disney Castle", have a professional, personal photo taken there with the one and only Disney Cinderella (is there really any other?) - and at throne-side no less, interact with a host of other Disney Princesses and Characters and finally be waited on in a lavish, royal setting by servers who treat you like lords, lady's princes and princesses.
Then of course there is the food which may or may not be to your liking but, for some folks when compared to the total experience, that is a secondary issue.
So the questions then become why would you go and what is it worth? If you simply go for the food you will probably be disappointed as the food is not exceptional and therefore not worth the high price. However, if you go for the total experience then you may find that the cost is entirely acceptable.

[sir clinksalot]

I can eat in the castle anytime for about $3 - $5. Get a Turkey Leg, Corn Dog, Dole Whip, etc ... stand in the middle of the castle and chow down.

[Phonedave]

Originally Posted by geoffa

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.

I cannot vouch for the food at the Sheraton Plaza, but I would hope, at $8 a slice, the bacon is at least cooked to order and is of decent quality. Not the mass produced, 90% fat content, swimming in its own grease nitrate explosion served at the Castle. Quite honestly breakfast at the Sheraton would have to be pretty dang special for $86.

You cannot compare England WDW in Orlando. Right off the bat the exchange rate kills any comparison based on price. I also do not know the quality of the food at the places you list. I dropped over $300 US on dinner for two at Victoria & Albert's and I was very happy with that. I think i got very good food, very good service, and an overall excellent experence.

I understand that you are saying you paying for the experence, not just the food. I am saying the experence is not worth the money. The fact the the food is sub-par steam table fare just makes it worse.

We were rushed in for a breif snap snap with Cinderella. No time to "visit". Not that I thought we would have hours, but for the price I was paying I though my kids would have "extra" access. Nope, step up, take a picture, get an autograph, thanks a lot, now go be seated.

Eating in the castle is really no great thrill. It was not some elegant setting but a dark and noisy place jammed to the gills with people.

We were not treated like "lords" and "ladies" but were treated with the same level of service as at other WDW restaruants

There were no "=extra special" visits from other characters. Just the same character visits as at other character meals. They stop by the table, say hi, take a picture, and move on. Nothing special there.

Then there was a breif show about the magic of dreams of some such thing like that. and that was it. Then it was please hurry and finish, as we have to re-set for the next seating.


-dave

[tjcjr]

Originally Posted by Phonedave

I understand that you are saying you paying for the experence, not just the food. I am saying the experence is not worth the money. The fact the the food is sub-par steam table fare just makes it worse.
We were rushed in for a breif snap snap with Cinderella. No time to "visit". Not that I thought we would have hours, but for the price I was paying I though my kids would have "extra" access. Nope, step up, take a picture, get an autograph, thanks a lot, now go be seated.
Eating in the castle is really no great thrill. It was not some elegant setting but a dark and noisy place jammed to the gills with people.
We were not treated like "lords" and "ladies" but were treated with the same level of service as at other WDW restaruants
There were no "=extra special" visits from other characters. Just the same character visits as at other character meals. They stop by the table, say hi, take a picture, and move on. Nothing special there

Unfortunately we shared basically the same experience as you and to make matters worse it happened on the day of our wedding vows renewal ceremony last August. Cindy's was our chosen "special meal" location for after the event and it proved to be a huge disappointment. Although it was all set up for us ahead of time and we were to get some sort of small recognition there as part of our special day, when we arrived, they had no record of our reservation in the system - rest assured we had a copy of the confirmation - and we were herded through to our table after waiting way too long just to see Cinderella first and get our complimentary photo. Long story short, our food was delivered late and cold, our check was given to another table, the hostess was obviously harried and downright rude and no mention was made of our wedding renewal.

With that said however, the experience you get being at the Castle - good or bad, like it or hate it - is "the thing" and for as many unfavorable visits folks have had (judging by this forum I'd say the number was fairly high), it is still the most popular ticket around. Just try to get a breakfast seating within the 180 day time period and see what I mean cause it can be nearly impossible. And the advent of the Dining plan has only succeeded in making things worse.

In retrospect, we never had a bad experience at King Stephans and we would always make that restaurant a part of every previous trip yet as soon as it became a character meal, all that changed for us and sadly we will not be going back.

[alisha85]

I completely agree with Geoffa! Sure it's expensive but imagine the look on your daughter's face when she sees Cinderella! It's priceless!

[tjcjr]

Originally Posted by alisha85

I completely agree with Geoffa! Sure it's expensive but imagine the look on your daughter's face when she sees Cinderella! It's priceless!

The Cinderella who is also available (for free) with the Pricesses in Mickey's Toontown Fair is much more attentive and can spend more time with the kids; we have some great pics of her mugging for the camera and interacting playfully with my 4 year old daughter last year and that experience was completely priceless.
However seeing the disappointment on my daughters face when she was made to rush through her complimentary photo at the Castle with a Cinderella who barely said hello because they had to move us along and up to the restaurant was completely disheartening.

[misterp102778]

lol lets not forget that you have to book it like a zillion years in advance. Last time me and my wife and son were there they said they were booked until oct. And this was in march.

[geoffa]

If Phonedave and those of you who are truly unhappy about the experience you had at the castle and the new costs, then, surely the correct thing to have done was to register a complaint. This should then have been followed up by your complaint in writing to Guest Communications. If the Cinderella thing has become the rush and poor food that you perceive it is then this needs to be communicated to Disney. All I can say is we had a very bad experience back in 1995 at DL Anaheim - Residents Day - and way too many people in the park. I registered (politely) my disappointment at City Hall and followed it through in writing. Result: FULL refund of our two day tickets and a letter of apology (which I still have). I complained at WDW that the Country Bears were not doing their Christmas show. A representative called me at home in the U K from Florida and explained exactly and in depth why such a decision had been taken. So Disney do listen and they do try to put right. All I can say is that you are registering disappointment as an adult - the experience may be different for the small child (although it seems one or two have also picked up bad vibes)

(407) WDW-MAGIC (939-6244)

Walt Disney World Guest Communications
P.O. Box 10,040
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830-0040

[Nom]

I echo others that king steffan's banquet hall was good- good food, good atmosphere. I went again in 97, before it was a princess meal, and it was already going downhill. Now I would not dare try it- even if dd becomes a princess fanatic, I have heard very good things about the new(ish) norway princess meal, which is cheaper and the food was reviewed as very good.

Since DDP, my experience with most character meals is that they are jammed and unpleasant, and I am sure this is the case with Cindy's. Liberty tree used to be one of my fave meals in all of WDW, but we went last year and it's really a cattle call now. Food is still ok, but it is so jammed, it is stressful.

[tjcjr]

Originally Posted by geoffa

If Phonedave and those of you who are truly unhappy about the experience you had at the castle and the new costs, then, surely the correct thing to have done was to register a complaint. This should then have been followed up by your complaint in writing to Guest Communications. All I can say is that you are registering disappointment as an adult - the experience may be different for the small child (although it seems one or two have also picked up bad vibes)

As you suggested we did all that at the restaurant, through the mail and even at Town Hall on the same day after we left the castle. All the folks we spoke to were very nice and courteous taking our informaton and assuring us it would be passed on. Whether or not it was, I can't say as we never heard anything back but at least we voiced our concerns.

[NatdRat]

Originally Posted by Nom

I echo others that king steffan's banquet hall was good- good food, good atmosphere. I went again in 97, before it was a princess meal, and it was already going downhill. Now I would not dare try it- even if dd becomes a princess fanatic, I have heard very good things about the new(ish) norway princess meal, which is cheaper and the food was reviewed as very good.

I can vouch for the Princess meal in the Norway pavillion at Epcot. It was very nice, relaxing (read: not rushed), with good food and the most attentive and excellent "Belle" I've ever seen (the other princesses were great as well).
We had tried to score breakfast in Cindy's Castle but were not so lucky (although perhaps we actually were lucky ). So we decided to give the new (at the time) Norway breakfast meal a try. It worked out great with even though my little niece did not get to see Cinderella. After the photo with Aurora we were escorted to our table and our waitress was waiting (we had one of the earlier times for breakfast). Each princess, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Snow White came by and spent ample time with my niece. Belle was excellent and complimented her on her attire and asked her several questions to which she eagerly responded. The others were nice enough as well, but did not elicit as much response from my neice as Belle had.

Anyway, to bring this back on topic, I have never had the opportunity to eat inside the castle and am sorry to have missed out on King Stephans. As it stands now, I don't see myself trying for ressies in the castle on future trips as the cost (mostly), the experience, and the quality all seem to dictate "poor show."