From the most elegant of private dining to the glorious guilty pleasure of snacking, Disney parks offer every type of dining experience. They offer more options than most guests ever get to enjoy, but among the plethora of delicious food is one option that guests just can’t get anywhere else – the opportunity to dine with Disney characters.
For some guests, character dining is passé and others view it as “something you do with kids,” but Disney character experiences can be special for any family, regardless of whether or not there are children present. Certainly meeting characters in the parks can be a thrill, but the chance to spend time with Disney characters in the more controlled setting of a restaurant where cast members can take the time for personal interaction with guests is a step above most in-park encounters. That opportunity to have “personal time” with characters is a truly unique one, and most restaurants offering character dining book up quickly.
Although everyone has their favorite characters, there has never been any question for me in choosing a character dining experience. I want to dine with princesses…duh. Like most modern females, I grew up with Disney films. I sang the songs; I watched the movies over and over; I have a favorite princess. The Disney Princess dream isn’t one that just dies with adulthood; it represents a deep desire to be special and beloved that doesn’t go away. The opportunity to indulge all of those dreams by “meeting princesses” is too tempting for me to pass up, and, since I found a real-life prince charming, my husband loves the interaction as much as I do. (The fact that the actresses playing the princesses are very pretty could have something to do with that too…)
In the Walt Disney World parks, there are two places where princesses mingle with diners: Cinderella’s Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom and Akershus in the Norway pavilion at Epcot. Both restaurants rely on their castle environment to set a fairy tale backdrop for the princesses, both offer unique experiences that go a bit beyond standard dining, and both offer a fixed-price menu including a photo package of your party. So which princess dining experience is best for you and your family? Well…that depends.
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