Cinderella's Royal Table Restaurant at Disney World

This is a must-eat at while you are on vacation at Disney World; be advised though, reservations begin 180 days out from your trip, and this place books up fast! Call as soon as you decide to eat here and make sure to get yourself on the list. Just a tip, too; if you can not get a reservation for the day/time you were hoping for, go to the castle/restaurant entrance once you arrive at Disney on the morning that you were hoping to eat there. Some times, they have last minute cancellations or openings. Your fairytale dining experience may have hope after all; they'll do their best to get you fit in (all part of that special Disney magic!)

Once you check-in for your reservation time, you are welcomed in to a beautiful castle entryway (waiting area.) Do not worry though, the many times I've been there, the wait time is always short (20 minutes or less), and you have such a great atmosphere to marvel at (even if you do have to wait.) Currently, each meal price (oh, also be advised that when we went this past June 2008, we were required to pay for this meal in advance of our reservation date) includes a formal picture with Cinderella. So make sure you and your family are dressed nicely (just church dress) and cleaned-up after a long day in the park if you want a nice memento to take home with you. Cinderella is always very sweet and gracious; she's always a delight to watch with the children! That's one of my favorite parts of our vacations - watching the kids there interact with the characters. The looks of awe on their little faces knowing that they're eating dinner in Cinderella's castle is always precious!

At this point, all of the children are given a keepsake - the boys are given a prince sword and the girls are given a fairy-godmother wand. (But, if you're two newlyweds like us, feel free to ask for them, too. The cast members there are always more than happy to give them to you! I even got one the last time I dined there with my parents 3 years ago, and we were not celebrating anything special.)

Once your name is called, you're taken upstairs to the royal dining room. Be prepared to have your breath taken away! It's an absolutely beautiful dining hall, and it's even better if you get a window view of Magic Kingdom (which, I've been fortunate enough to get before!) This time though, we had a very intimate table to ourselves, which was decorated with newlywed decor. (The staff knew we were on our honeymoon.)

The menu is limited, but all of the choices are marvelous! I had the chicken, and my husband had the lamb. We were both very happy with our meals! The pretzel breadsticks that they offer throughout your meal are to-die-for; request as many as you'd like! They'll be more than happy to oblige! I've eaten here nearly 15 times, and I've never had bad service.

We shared our deserts - mango sorbet and the chocolate cake. I almost fought my husband over the chocolate cake, though. The mango was great, but the cake was some of the best that we've ever had!

During your meal, Cinderella's fairy-godmother and two of the mice come out to do a short show. It's very pretty - especially if you're there at night. They recognize anyone who is there celebrating anything special - honeymoons, anniversaries, birthdays, etc. They each walk around for a few minutes afterwards and take pictures, but be prepared that if your children have those autograph books, they're not allowed to take the time to do this. (Which, honestly stinks. I'm hoping this is done away with as they used to sign the kid's books when I was little.)

Overall, the whole experience was fantastic!

I've learned now that they do a princess lunch; the food is a bit less formal, but still looks amazing! All of the main princesses are in attendance - Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, etc. We will definitely have to eat there during a lunchtime on our next trip.

This is one place that I believe you must eat at while on vacation at Disney World; it's pricey, but it's worth it! If you have children, they have a great menu selection for them too. There was a table full of kids with their family below our seating area, and their portions were the biggest I have seen at any Disney restaurant!

5 stars!! Wonderful food and perfect ambiance!