Which Disney Restaurant has the BEST Princess Dining Experience

Are you hoping to dine with Disney Princesses? We are comparing Akershus and Cinerella’s Royal Table to see which princess meal is right for you!

Princess Dining in Disney World

For many, one of the quintessential Disney World experiences is dining with Disney Princesses. Did you know that Disney World offers not one, but two restaurant options to help you check Princess dining off of your Disney wishlist? Which one should you book?

Cinderella’s Royal Table is perhaps the more well-known of the two options. Many dream of enjoying the experience.

However, Disney’s other princess dining experience Akershus Royal Banquet Hall recently reopened its doors to diners as well. And, it should not be overlooked!

We are putting the two options head to head so you can compare them and decide which meal is the BEST for you and your travel party. Here is the rundown.

Location and Ambiance

When it comes to dining in Disney, location and ambiance can very much add to (or detract from) the overall appeal of the meal. Which one is best for your travel party?

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table occupies what is arguably one of the best locations in all of Walt Disney World. It is located in the heart of the Magic Kingdom INSIDE of the iconic Cinderella Castle. It allows diners to enjoy the opulence of the royal dining room. And, truly, what could be more idyllic than dining in a castle?

Located on an upper floor, it offers views of Fantasyland from its stained glass windows. You can even catch the fireworks from the inside of the castle for something a little different.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Akershus, by contrast, is tucked away in World Showcase in EPCOT. You will find it in Norway, near Frozen Ever After. Unlike Cinderella Castle, which is hard to miss, you might pass it right by if you don’t know to look for it.

It is molded after a Norwegian Castle. While it is more understated from the outside, the decor on the inside is still quite opulent. It feels cozy, yet regal in its own right. It is a good vibe, and while it is certainly no Cinderella Castle, you will still have a magical experience.

Breakfast Options

It is hard to mess up breakfast, and honestly, the better meal boils down to personal preference. Breakfast is a tale of two completely different styles. Do you prefer a Prix Fixe plated meal? Or, is all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style dining more your travel party’s speed?

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table offers a Prix Fixe Menu. Each member of the party receives an entree at a set price.

Adults can select from:

• Traditional Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, Bacon, and Potatoes
• Shrimp and Grits: Smoked Gouda Cheese Grits, Tomato Jam, Fried Egg, Buttered Shrimp, and Garlic Baguette
• Baked Quiche: Goat Cheese, Spinach, and Mushroom Quiche with a dollop of Goat Cheese Cream served with Arugula and Roasted Bell Peppers
• Royal Avocado Toast: Multigrain Toast, Plant-based Eggs and Cheese, Avocado, Radish, and Jalapeños (Plant-based)
• Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast: Decadent French Toast stuffed with Sweet Cream Cheese and Spiced Apples drizzled with Caramel Sauce and served with Bacon
• Beef Tenderloin and Egg: Potatoes and Cheese Frittata with Broccolini, Boursin® Cheese Sauce, and Chive Oil

Kids Can Enjoy:

• Egg White Frittata
• Mickey-shaped Waffle
• Fruit and Seed Oatmeal
• Assorted Cold Cereals

Each kid’s dish is served with a beverage and 2 side selections. These include bacon, turkey sausage, pork sausage, home fries, and seasonal fruit.

Do you still need help deciding? Here is a dinner review of breakfast to help you decide.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

On the other hand, you will find all-you-care-to-enjoy family-style dining at Akershus. Pricing is fixed here as well, and you pay regardless of how much or little you eat.

Everyone enjoys a platter. You can select Princess Storybook Dining with Breakfast Pastries and Accompaniments, Mixed Fruit, Potato Casserole, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, and Norwegian Waffles.

Or, you can enjoy plant-based options such as Mixed Fruit, Nordic Berry Compote, Plant-based Applecake, Plant-based Waffles, Plant-based Egg Scramble, Home Fry Potatoes, and Plant-based Sausage.

Lunch/Dinner Options

Here again, the two restaurants follow vastly different formats and deliver completely different many items. So, the one you will enjoy more will be dependent on personal preference.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

As it is at breakfast, dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table is a Prix Fixe Menu. Lunch and dinner are identical. Diners select an appetizer, entree, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. Offerings do rotate seasonally but at the time of writing the options are as follows:

Adult Appetizers included soup of the day, castle salad, braised beef, or chilled jumbo shrimp.

Adult Entree selections cover all the typical bases. They include spice-rubbed pork tenderloin, Sustainable Catch En Papillote, Grilled Tenderloin of Beef, Slow-braised chicken, and Parisian Gnocchi.

Desserts are less typical and more unique to the establishment. Here are the descriptions.

• Jaq & Gus: Cheesecake with Seasonal Flavors and Garnishes
• The Clock Strikes Tewlve: Dark Chocolate Mousse with a Caramel and Crunchy Praline Center, served with Chocolate Sauce and Hazelnut Gelato
• Coffee Pot de Crème: Coffee-infused Coconut ‘Custard’, Passion Fruit Gelée, and Crumbled Chocolate-Espresso Beans (Plant-based)

Kid’s Meals are also set up for children to select appetizers, entrees, sides, and desserts. Appetizer selections are cheese and grapes, apple slices, or a salad. Entrees include chicken nuggets, mac n cheese, grilled beef tenderloin, or fish of the day. Kids also get two sides: seasonal vegetables, rice, corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes. Dessert is either a decorate your own cupcake, yogurt, or sorbet.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Here again, lunch and dinner are all you care to enjoy. The menus are the same regardless of meal period and regardless of age.

First up is a nice Field Greens Salad with Lingonberry Vinaigrette. You also enjoy a bread service of Lefse with Cardamom-Cinnamon Butter.

The entree platter includes a mixture of Norwegian dishes and things for the less adventurous eater. You will receive Traditional KjØttkake: Norwegian Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, and Gravy, Grilled Salmon with Herbed Butter, Green Beans, Red Cabbage, Macaroni & Cheese, Kylling og Melboller: Norwegian Chicken and Dumplings, and Corn Dog Nuggets.

Dessert is a duo of Norwegian-inspired Desserts. When last I dined there was a chocolate cake and a rice pudding.

Do you still need help deciding? Here is a dinner review of Akerhus to help you decide.

Princesses

What would a princess meal be without princesses? The royalty appearances certainly vary by location. Keep in mind, nothing is guaranteed. If the presence of a particular princess is very important to your child, it might be best not to make any promises just in case one has other duties to attend to during your reserved time.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

The line-up of princesses is typically consistent here. Diners have a chance to meet Cinderella, Ariel (blue gown), Snow White, Jasmine, and Aurora (pink gown). However, now and then another princess may fill in.

Your meal includes a photo op with Cinderella. Other princesses stop by your table throughout the meal to pose for photos and sign autographs.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

At Akershus, however, the princesses tend to rotate! You never know which particular line-up will make an appearance.

Snow White, Jasmine, Belle (Gold Dress), Tiana, Aurora, Ariel (Blue Gown), and Mulan have all been known to stop by! All seven names are on the autograph card the restaurant gives out at the end of the meal.

Five princesses will visit your table during your meal, but the combination of princesses is different from day to day. So, don’t make any promises to your travel party members about whom you will see during your meal. Leave it at “princesses.”

Pricing

Perhaps the most polarizing factor in the decision-making process is the price point. While neither option will sound like a stellar deal, the sticker shock hits a little less with one than the other.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is $65 per adult and $39 per child for breakfast. Lunch and dinner are $79 per adult and $47 per child. These price points are pretty steep, especially if your child decides to order cereal for breakfast.

Akershus, on the other hand, is $53 per adult and $35 per child at breakfast. For lunch and dinner, it is $63 per adult and $53 per child. These price tags are hefty as well; however, they are significantly lower than CRT, especially if you are feeding an entire family.

Overall

Honestly, it is possible to have an amazing time at both restaurants. If you want to have an enjoyable princess meal and save a bit of money, Akershus is your best bet. But, if you dream of dining in the heart of the Magic Kingdom in Cinderella Castle, you are going to want to book Cinderella’s Royal Table.

In terms of food, the restaurants are so completely different that it all comes down to preference. The food is good at both locations. Neither has the best food in the parks, but both are enjoyable!

Regardless of which you decide to book, while you are emersed in your meal, you will not find yourself wishing you had chosen the other. Princess dining is one area where Disney consistently delivers great memories.

Have you eaten at Cinderella’s Royal Table and/or Akershus? How was your experience? Let us know in the chat to help others make their decisions. And, if you know someone planning a trip to Walt Disney World who is trying to decide where to eat, be sure to pass this along so they have all the details.