A royal buffet with Cinderalla and her family.
Written: Jul 13 '09 (Updated Jul 13 '09)
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Pros: Yummy food, photos with characters.
Cons: Yellow lighting for photos.
The Bottom Line: Our family enjoyed the meal. The food was good and it was interesting meeting Cinderella's family.
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| xyzwyatt's Full Review: 1900 Park Fare |
I was thrilled when we were able to get an evening dinner reservation during our latest tip to Disney. We had visited Cinderella's Royal Table before, so I was hesitant that it would feel like the same experience, but it was quite a bit different.
We cleaned up for the occasion so had to go from our hotel to Magic Kingdom to connect to the Grand Floridian because transportation doesn't go from hotel to hotel. We allowed for plenty of time to arrive so that we would not miss our reservation. The boat ride over was very relaxing, and we took some excellent outdoor shots in the garden.
Atmosphere
This restaurant is inside the lobby of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Most people would recognize this hotel if they saw a picture of it because it's one of their signature resorts and can be seen from the ferry or monorail near the Magic Kingdom. It is a very large white Victorian style resort with a red roof and is right off the water. The rooms start at $400 per night, so you can expect a nice luxurious feel.
We were seated immediately upon arrival. I just loved the way that the hostess opened the double doors for our grand entrance into the ballroom.
The room was set up like you would expect at a banquet. There were several different lines for the buffet with kept the traffic down. I also liked how the room was set up well with defined isles so traffic flowed well to the buffet.
Food
We were pleased with the selection on the buffet and the flavor was good. There was a variety of food on the buffet like prime rib, salmon with sauce, Italian dishes, Asian inspired dishes, and a full spread of kid food. My kids favored the ice cream bar. The dessert bar had bite size tarts and smaller portions for dessert which I loved because it gave me the opportunity to try more than one thing.
The dishes change daily, but the extensive menu can be found online to give you an idea of what to expect.
Characters
The usual characters at this restaurant are Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine (the nasty stepmother in a red dress), Anastasia (awful stepsister in hot pink and purple dress) and Drizella (dreadful stepsister in blue and yellow dress).
We must have just missed Cinderella when we entered the restaurant and had to wait for about 30 minutes after we finished eating for her to stop by our table. Our waitress encouraged us to stay as long as we could to have a chance to see her.
Each character said a couple of sentences, took a picture with the children and quickly moved on. The mother and stepsisters were my favorite. I loved their fussy attitude. We were not impressed with the appearance of Cinderella and didn't think she played the part very well. The prince was way too shy. The other characters rocked.
Price
The current price for the experience is $29.99 for adults, and $14.99 for children ages 3-9. Tax and tip are extra. Since this is a buffet, there's no extra charge for soft drinks or desserts so we ended up spending less than than some of the sit down restaurants in the park. The dining plan is accepted at this location.
Park tickets are not required to dine at this restaurant, however reservations are. Reservations can be made months in advance by calling (407) WDW-DINE.
Children
This is a dream come true for most little girls. The ride over to the hotel was priceless. All of the girls were dressed as princesses sitting as still and formal as they could. The Disney employees always make a big fuss for the girls dressed up and the other guests are full of complements as well. It's just a really great experience just getting to the restaurant.
Dressing the girls
Nearly all of the young girls were dressed in their princess costumes so if you can bring a princesses dress from home, or even a tiara that would add a little magic to the experience. It also makes for fabulous pictures. We purchased our ball gowns from the Disney Store before we arrived. Disney sells dresses in their gift shops, but be aware that they are ball gowns (not play costumes) and they are over $100. Dresses can be found in toy sections of most stores before you leave home for $20 but stick to the traditional princesses. A stepsister dress would be the best, they'll make a big fuss over the child.
Many of the girls went to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique earlier that day in Magic Kingdom's Cinderalla's Castle to have their hair and nails done. That experience will set you back $55 or more. It requires advance reservations and an hour in the boutique. Call (407) WDW-STYLE for reservations. I didn't know about the hair boutique before, and my girls were wanting their hair done once they saw everyone on their way to the restaurant in an updo. We were able to salvage that moment with a royal crown from the gift shop but I wish I would have thought to bring the one we already had at home.
Pictures
This is a great location for photo opportunities but be prepared when the royalty arrives because they are not patient and honestly do not have time to wait. If a child does not want to be photographed, they don't beg. The characters pose well but do not like to take more than one picture.
There were plenty of adults taking pictures with the characters too so don't be bashful to go without children. I also saw plenty of little boys happy to be photographed with the characters as well.
There will be people at other tables pictured in the background of your photos so if you want something nice to frame, smile pretty for the photographer in the lobby. The room has a few chandeliers and no windows so our pictures didn't turn out very well. Take a look at the Epinions picture posted above to get an idea of the lighting. Maybe the camera should be on a particular setting because point and shoot didn't work very well for us.
Remember to bring the autograph book and character pen which can be purchased from any Disney gift shop for around $10. An autograph book from home is also acceptable. The autograph book is a fantastic keepsake and provides some interaction with the characters.
Bring your personal camera for photos at the dinner table. A professional photographer does not accompany the characters like they do in the park. This restaurant does have the group photo option of the entire family with a professional photographer when you check in. They have a beautiful back drop, but no characters will be present for this picture. We loved our picture and purchased the package for $30.
Overall
I suppose my children (ages 7 and 9) have outgrown the princess theme. Their favorite part of the meal was the ice cream bar. They also enjoyed choosing their meal from the buffet themselves and ate a lot of food which is a nice surprise.
My youngest said that she preferred Cinderella's Royal Table better which is located inside the Magic Kingdom's castle. She argued very strongly that there was no substitution for the “castle”.
In my comparison, our check at 1900 Park Fare was $50 less than Cinderella's Royal Table, the experience was more relaxed and enjoyable, the character theme was more consistent, and the and the kids ate quite a bit more. The only drawback would be if your child doesn't care for the characters at this location. My children recognized the stepfamily, but couldn't tell me what their names were and weren't really interested in them.
Everyone in our family enjoyed the taste of the buffet, and the character experience was fun. I think it was a really nice experience for the whole family and we would definitely dine there again.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Kids and Families
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Epinions.com ID:
xyzwyatt
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Location: Nashville, TN
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