Magic Kingdom’s two hottest desk service eating places each provide the expertise of eating inside a fortress, which is the primary draw of each Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant. This Walt Disney World eating comparability weighs the professionals & cons of those highly-hyped spots that will help you select the place to dine throughout your WDW trip. (Updated March 12, 2023.)
It’s value noting up entrance that you could be not have a selection. If you’re already in Magic Kingdom and try to resolve which to do, it’d already be too late. Both are among the many hottest eating reservations at Walt Disney World, and ceaselessly ebook up nearly 60 days upfront. To that time, we extremely advocate consulting our Top 10 Tips for Booking Difficult Advance Dining Reservations, ideally earlier than your journey–however there’s some recommendation for last-minute ADRs.
Additionally, in case you’re in search of meals photographs or particular ideas on dishes we’ve tried, it is best to seek the advice of our Be Our Guest Restaurant Lunch & Dinner Review and Cinderella’s Royal Table Review. This ‘versus’ publish takes a extra holistic strategy, evaluating the general comparative expertise of every to see how these eating places stack as much as each other.
Moreover, we’re solely evaluating lunch and dinner inside Beast’s and Cinderella Castle. Currently, breakfast is just served at Cinderella’s Royal Table, however will doubtless return to Be Our Guest…in some unspecified time in the future? Who is aware of. (We anticipated it to be again a couple of yr in the past, and we’re nonetheless ready!) A whole lot of this publish will apply equally to all meals, and we’ll additionally provide conclusions about different meals on the finish, however the direct comparisons pertain to dinner, particularly.
Alright, let’s get able to rumble: Be Our Guest Restaurant v. Cinderella’s Royal Table. NO HOLDS BARRED…
Theme: Both eating places are set inside castles, and each make our lists of the Top 10 Themed Restaurants at Walt Disney World and Top 20 Themed Restaurants at Walt Disney World. Even although Be Our Guest Restaurant ranks larger on these lists, I believe it’s a more in-depth name than these rankings most bear out.
The thematic power of Cinderella’s Royal Table is that it feels such as you’re really inside a gothic fortress (in all probability since you really are), which is actually cool. The design is regal and feels lived in, albeit with out the opulence that some children might count on. Don’t underestimate the psychological impact of strolling inside Cinderella Castle, going up its stairs, and looking the home windows.
I’d additionally go a step additional and say the inside of Cinderella’s Royal Table is underrated. It’s traditionally correct somewhat than movie-accurate, which positively appeals extra to folks like me who’re primarily Disney parks followers somewhat than Disney animation followers. Regardless of that, the entire bundle is superior.
By distinction, our expertise with Be Our Guest Restaurant just isn’t that of eating inside a fortress. The suspension of disbelief simply doesn’t work, because it’s fairly exhausting to fathom that you simply’re coming into the toy fortress on the roof of the mountains if you enter the doorways. (Maybe the impact works for youths?)
With that mentioned, Be Our Guest Restaurant does really feel such as you’re coming into the world of Beauty and the Beast, and that is significantly true within the extra intimate eating rooms. They’re like being “on set” of the film, which is itself actually cool. But it’s not the identical. Be Our Guest Restaurant very a lot has a simulated feeling, whereas Cinderella’s Royal Table is inside a fortress.
Atmosphere: While there’s a sure romanticism about eating inside a fortress, they’re not high quality eating eating places. There’s a regal high quality to each, and these eating places succeed at making children really feel like royalty. But they are family-friendly eating places, and comparatively cavernous and chaotic ones, at that. I gained’t sugarcoat the truth that each of those eating places are loud.
Part of that is the inherent design of eating places designed to the inside of a fortress. Another a part of that’s the pure consequence of eating places that cater primarily in the direction of households. If you’re a pair in search of a quiet and complex date night time restaurant, you ought to be wanting elsewhere altogether.
I’m not an enormous fan of the ballroom at Be Our Guest Restaurant. I’ve mentioned earlier than that it’s like a cafeteria or mess corridor, and I believe that’s essentially the most apt solution to put it. The tables are shut collectively, the middle of the room is very large, and there’s not sufficient to interrupt up the house or dampen the noise. It’s a fancy-looking mess corridor, certain, nevertheless it nonetheless appears like a multitude corridor.
By distinction, the primary space at Cinderella’s Royal Table is massive, nevertheless it at the least feels extra intimate. The house is damaged up a bit by a number of tiers, pillars, and different design artifice that works to its benefit. While each have a variety of fake concrete that may make these eating rooms cacophonous, Cinderella’s Royal Table appears to have extra materials that soak up the noise.
If we had been going solely on the primary eating rooms at every, Cinderella’s Royal Table could be the decisive winner. However, Be Our Guest Restaurant has the West Wing and Rose Gallery, every of which provide a considerably higher vibe. The West Wing may be noisy (one thing about which I’m reminded I ought to inform households as it could actually scare babies), nevertheless it’s themed noise, not simply screaming patrons. We extremely advocate requesting a desk in one in all these rooms as they’re on par with, or arguably higher than, the ambiance of Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Cuisine: The most divisive facet of each eating places is their meals. We occur to essentially get pleasure from every, however you’ll discover a lot of people that disagree. When it involves Be Our Guest Restaurant, this may doubtless be attributed to inconsistency. The throughput is fairly staggering, and it’s doubtless the kitchen is in a perpetual state of chaos.
With Cinderella’s Royal Table, critique of the delicacies may come right down to expectations primarily based upon value. This meal is on par with different Signature Restaurants price-wise, and the meals is unquestionably a rung or two beneath Citricos, Jiko, Flying Fish, or different high tier resort eating places. You should take into consideration that you simply’re paying for the Magic Kingdom in-castle location, in addition to assembly princesses.
When you evaluate both of those to different character meals, there isn’t any comparability. (In equity, most character meals are buffets, so that you’re buying and selling amount for high quality right here.) The high quality of the substances, the melding of the flavors, and the care of the presentation impresses at each. We give excessive marks to the delicacies at each, and taking value out of the equation (one thing we’ll add again in beneath), we’d give the benefit to Cinderella’s Royal Table when it comes to delicacies.
Characters: Be Our Guest Restaurant by no means was a personality eating expertise, however assembly Beast on the finish of the meal at all times was a pleasant deal with. That has been absent from the meal for some time, however ought to make a comeback in some unspecified time in the future within the close to future. For now, Beast (normally) makes periodic appearances within the eating room, roaming round briefly for photographs and introductions.
On a optimistic be aware, the Disney princesses have formally returned to the eating room at Cinderella’s Royal Table as of March 2023. In this regard, it’s now as soon as once more just like Breakfast à la Art at Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera and Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White, our two favourite character meals at Walt Disney World (not in substance–all three character meals are very completely different).
So in that sense, there’s no comparability between Be Our Guest Restaurant and Cinderella’s Royal Table, however there by no means actually was. For these wanting to satisfy their favourite royal characters, Cinderella’s Royal Table is the hands-down winner. Even as soon as Be Our Guest Restaurant is completely again to regular, it’s not a correct character eating expertise. For many households, assembly and mingling with the princesses is a vital value-add.
Cost: This is a simple victory for Be Our Guest Restaurant, which prices $67 per grownup and $39 per little one as of March 2023. By distinction, the price of breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table is $65 per grownup and $39 per little one. Lunch or dinner with the princesses inside Cinderella Castle now prices $79 per grownup and $47 per child.
Of course, worth just isn’t strictly about menu costs, however the intersection of value and high quality. We’d say that each eating places are near equal when it comes to meals high quality. Both now serve prix fixe menus which are a rung beneath Signature high quality, however above regular in-park or character eating. We give Cinderella’s Royal Table the sting, nevertheless it’s a slight edge. No matter how a lot better the meals is, it’s not “better enough” to justify the huge chasm in value.
Others might contend that assembly the princesses in a pleasing atmosphere with no ready provides a big worth. For some, that is actually going to be true. Are princesses value $12-$18 occasions the variety of folks in your celebration? Value there’s within the eye of the beholder.
From my perspective, the premium pricing for Cinderella’s Royal Table is well worth the cash for lunch and dinner. When you account for the marginally superior delicacies high quality, higher themed design and ambiance, and the princesses, it’s a fairly straightforward win. But then once more, not everybody cares about princesses and Beauty and the Beast followers may really desire that setting.
Hassle: Neither of those are the robust ADRs that they as soon as had been. That’s relative, as each was practically unimaginable even on the 180 day mark. Now, that ADR window has been decreased to 60 days (technically 60+10 for on-site friends) and each are simpler however nonetheless not straightforward. Still in all probability among the many high 10 eating places at Walt Disney World when it comes to reserving problem, however yow will discover tables within a month out every now and then.
Depending upon your dates, you may also have the ability to discover same-day availability for both, with Be Our Guest Restaurant turning into more and more frequent for morning-of and Walk-Up Waitlist availability. With that mentioned, that is extremely dependent upon celebration dimension. Those with 4 or fewer are going to have much more success on this regard.
Still, each Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant generally is a problem to ebook. The greatest follow is reserving them 60+10 days out. The meals just isn’t that good (actually not a lot better than Skipper Canteen, which commonly has same-day walk-up availability), so it actually relies upon upon whether or not consuming inside a fortress and with royalty is necessary for you or your children. For some households, it’ll be absolutely the spotlight of a visit to Walt Disney World. Others are merely reserving one of many two primarily based on hype, with out having their very own justification for doing one of many two.
I do know this flies within the face of the web hype machine that builds up these eating places as should dos, however they positively should not for everybody. And that’s as somebody who really finds the lunch and dinner menus at each to be very strong. I solely point out this as a result of we hear from a variety of readers who discover both or each to be overrated, and there’s positively a “that’s it?!” vibe with each that’s normally a results of listening to an excessive amount of hype. These eating places completely dwell as much as or exceed expectations for a lot of Walt Disney World friends, however actually not everybody.
Ultimately, there’s a cause each Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest Restaurant are two of essentially the most recognizable and common eating places at Walt Disney World. In their very own methods, they every ship when it comes to theme, and may make for a really memorable expertise for youths…and even adults like us. So lengthy as you go in with applicable expectations, we actually don’t assume both Be Our Guest Restaurant or Cinderella’s Royal Table will disappoint.
With that mentioned, every restaurant has its personal distinct promoting factors. Even although each are “in-castle” eating, the precise attraction of every ought to differ. If you need an genuine in-castle eating expertise or a personality meal, select Cinderella’s Royal Table. If you desire a meal that kind of captures the essence of Beauty and the Beast otherwise you’re merely on a tighter funds, select Be Our Guest Restaurant. If you could have children who’re obsessive about princesses and the film Beauty and the Beast, discover a solution to do each.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To lower your expenses on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips publish takes a novel take a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the very best place to begin is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for the whole lot you want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you agree or disagree with our comparability of Be Our Guest Restaurant and Cinderella’s Royal Table? Which restaurant would you give the sting when it comes to theme and ambiance? In phrases of delicacies? Are both or neither well worth the problem and price? Any questions we may also help you reply? Hearing suggestions about your experiences is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!