jdybnsn...you are a star

We are going to Disney next March/April and had already planned to contact dining reservations for Cinderellas Castle under the 90 day ruling.

I knew nothing about the change to 180 until I read your post so Ive just rung and had no trouble booking for the breakfast on 30/3/06.

Without your post I would have waited til end of December under the 90 days and probably missed out.

My little girl is Disney Princess mad, especially for Cinderella so......


*Edit to remove excess emoticons. Please keep the use of these to a minimum. Thanks. Pippy*

charlieharrywag -

That's just how I felt after someone else posted this info on another discussion board.

So pleased you got your ressie too.

I have actually emailed Disney to see if they could clarify how much of Cinderella / Princesses we would now see after Feb 2006 .

This is their reply ...............
Thank you for contacting the Walt Disney World Resort.

Breakfast and lunch will continue to offer a Princess dining experience with a few changes:
1. Upon arrival, guests will experience a photo opportunity in the castle lobby.
2. Then the guests will proceed to the dining room where Disney princesses mingle among the tables
to greet the guests.

Enjoy breakfast or lunch in Cinderella Castle-featuring Characters from Disney's Royal Family and
their Friends. Starting February 1, 2006, along with breakfast and lunch with Characters from
Disney's Royal Family and their Friends, guests receive a photo opportunity in the castle lobby.
Included with their meal is an Imaging package of their photo. The complimentary imaging package
includes 4 - 4x6 prints, 1 - 6x8 print, 1 - 6x8 print of Cinderella's castle all in a beautiful
Cinderella themed photo holder.

HOURS: 8:00am - 10:20am - Breakfast
12:00pm - 3:00pm - Lunch

PRICE:
Prior to February 1, 2006 BREAKFAST: $21.99 Guest (10 and older) $11.99 Guest (3-9)*
Starting February 1, 2006 BREAKFAST: $31.99 Guest (10 and older) $21.99 Guest (3-9)*
*Plus tax and gratuity. Meal includes choice of non-specialty, drinks
such as sodas, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, punch, milk, etc.

Prior to February 1, 2006 LUNCH: $23.99 Guest (10 and older) $12.99 Guest (3-9)*
Starting February 1, 2006 LUNCH: $33.99 Guest (10 and older) $22.99 Guest (3-9)*
*Plus tax and gratuity. Meal includes choice of non-specialty, drinks
such as sodas, coffee, tea, iced tea, lemonade, punch, milk, etc.

*All prices are subject to change without notice*

Although it is not currently possible for dining arrangements to be made online, guests are welcome
to call 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463), up to 180 days in advance.

If you have questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

........Hope this info clarifies it a bit.

I do find it 'rich' that the photo opportunity' and complimentary photos accompany a price rise!!!!!!!!!

Too true MRB !
But then I greatly suspect that the demand is such for this particular event that people would still book it at this price ....even if it didn't have the free photos !!!!

Yep

Im booking it for my children - 2 little girls who adore the princesses - gutted about the price hike when I was just about to book tho.

Trouble is its not about the meal but the event!

Thanks so much for this advise Thought it was 90 days!! Just called and booked ourselves into two great character meals for July vist!! Thanks again!

No problem Coninban - glad you got your Ressie

We are off to Florida in two weeks and we are doing the 'new' Cinderella breakfast first day of our trip.

Hopefully will be able to report on it if anyone is interested in the beginning of March ?

Have a great trip - look forward to all the news

jdybnsn....Hope you have a great time (or if you read this when you get back) Hope you had a great time.

We're off on Mar 26th. We would certainly be interested on how the new breakfast set up went in the Castle.

Also, I see theres a Mardi Gras Parade at Universal now. Did you go and if so was it worth doing.

Looking forward to seeing your post

CHW

Just got back and I have to say I really enjoyed the CRT breakfast ..we also went a bit mad and booked the Princess Storybook Breakfast at (Norway) Epcot !

We got an early ressie 8.10am which I would highly recommend because :

- we got great shots of the park with hardly anyone in it
- a mono rail carriage to ourselves down to the park
- had only a short queue to greet Cindy (it was much longer when we left)
- walked straight onto about 6 rides after breakfast before the park filled up.

We were there at 8.00am and got admitted to the castle straight away- so it is worth going just a little early.
I actually liked the fact that we met Cindy in the lobby as you were guarenteed to meet, speak and have a decent photo with her (you can take your own too)......whilst the other princesses in the dining room did not all get round all the tables, you had a limited interaction with them..just enough time for a quick photo in most cases.We had Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, and a couple of others (sorry it was 2 weeks ago now !)

That said it was lovely eating in the castle with the Princesses flitting around and the food was good. There were a few freebies; a (cheap !) wand for the girls, plastic sword for the boys and some rather nice twinkling (battery operated) star fridge magnets for us grown ups.

We were not rushing and were out by 9.00am (the photo part took about 20 mins due to the queue). The photo we had of our DD4 and Cindy was lovely and well presented, with a photo of the castle too. The biggest mistake we made was then to lug it around the park all day so the card mount got a little damaged .......we did not realise that we could have had it sent to package collection at the front of the park free of charge (grrr).

We also enjoyed the Princess Storybook breakfast which incidentally works out almost the same price if you buy the official photo as the new CRT (which being suckers we did). The princess in the lobby there was Sleeping Beauty (I don't know if this varies) we also had, Jasmine, Snow White, the Mulan princess, Mary Poppins circulating the room. The food was not quite as good (but that's not why you go is it ?) and there were no freebies.

Any questions on either breakfast please fire away !

Has anyone been to the character breakfast at the castle. If so did you book by telephone, what age if any were children there and was it worthwhile

there have been a couple,of members,who have booked this & thoroughly recommended it.
we have booked it,for this nov.our grandaughter,will just be 6,so i'm sure shel'l love it.
i booked it over the phone & it was really straight forward.
i think i'm more excited than kiera
tracy

Thank Tracy. Think I will book it as my daughter will be nearly 4 when we go in October. Let me know how you get on and will do same

AllyT

We have been since the changes introduced in Feb 2006. We also did the Princess Storybook character breakfast in Epcot.

We took our daughter age nearly five - she loved them both !

We booked by phone - which I recommend that you do as soon as you can as it is very popular - the earliest you can book is 180 days before your intended reservation (most people will try and book the very day of 180 day window as it really is SO popular).
We called from an ordinary land line and it was less than a £1 to make the call. You initially get through to an automated service, just keep pressing 0 if you can't answer the questions and you will eventually get through to an operator who will help you with your reservation and who will always be really helpful. They will ask for your UK phone number so be prepared to put 44 infront of your number and drop the first 0 from the area code.

The phone number to call is 0014079393463

But don't forget the time difference so call from the UK about 11am to get them at the beginning of their day. Lines are open Saturdays /Sundays too.
Also for the CRT meals, they take the full cost of the meal from your credit card when you book - all others you pay a deposit. Have a pen ready as they will give you a reservation booking number - they do not send any paperwork for your confirmation of your booking so its important to keep this number and take it with you. Your booking/ name should appear on their list when you arrive at the breakfast reception desk (or CMs list if entering the Park before opening)- so taking your reservation number is precautionary.

My recommendation would be to book a CRT breakfast for before the park opens (you can book from 8.00am), as there is nothing like walking down the Main Street without the crowds, and getting some magical pictures in front of the Castle on your own !!! Also by the time you finish your meal you will be there early enough to have a good 1.5 hours without queuing for the big rides that will normally have 40 minute queues later in the day. The first day of your holiday is an ideal day to book this, as the time difference will mean that you will be up really early anyway, as your body will take at least a couple of days to adjust - and it is a really great way to kick start your holiday !!

Breakfast at the Castle is truely magical and if you have a young budding Princess the inclusive photograph you get taken with Cinderella is priceless. A little tip..... when you get your photo use the free 'pick up' service that allows you to pick up the photo as you leave the Park rather than take it round the park with you all day !
The food is OK - nothing special - but that's not what you are really paying for. Young girls get a wand at the breakfast, and young boys a sword (neither are great quality), but the little flashing wishing star fridge magenets are cute.

This is how the CRT breakfast goes ;
1- line up and have your photo in the castle foyer with Cinderella (good if you go early as queues can get long)
2 - go up stairs to the dining room and seated for breakfast; breakfast fresh orange / tea/ coffee, muffins, fruit , potato, eggs, bacon etc served by staff
3 -various princesses and female characters circulate the room meeting and greeting guests and posing for photographs (not Cinderella) We had Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Snow White, & Mary Poppins - these characters can vary.

The Princess Story Book at Epcot (in the Norway Section) is similar though the setting is not so dramatic ! and it is cheaper as the photo is not part of the package. If you add the official photo they work out about the same price. My daughter had the official photo with Sleeping Beauty and it was worth every penny. The food was not quite as nice though. The characters circulating the room were Jasmine, Snow White, Mary Poppins and Mulan - again this can vary.

Hope this helps.

that's great information,thank you!
i booked, on the 1st day possible,couldn't wait,any longer!
if you are,willing to pay,do you think,they will allowyou, 2 photos.?
i would really like,1 of kiera on her own,then 1 of the 3 of us.realise,this may not be possible,as there will, be other people waiting,but i hope so
wish it was oct now!
tracy

I think you are best e-mailing Disney customer services this question as 1 photo per booking is definitely the norm.

I think you could have more than one taken at the Princess Story Book - but photos are separate to the meal in any case, and a charge would be made for each.

thanks jdybnsn!
hope we enjoy it,as much as you did!
tracy

Tracy you will love it, we have done it twice for our daughters birthday.
When we arrived the seven dwarfs where in front of city hall and you dont have the queues as if you ask for eary as poss breakfast you can get in 1 hour before the park opens, therefore we got lots of photos with our own camera. When it was time to go in to the castle fairy godmother was inside sat on her thrown and we took more photos and got her autograph.We had told reservations when we booked that it was our daughters birthday and they where fantastic, they called us in to breakfast and announced our daughter as princess Ashleigh and that we where invited to the Royal Table for her birthday.She was amazed, she was 7years old that day and it was very memorable. When we sat down they served us breakfast and told Ashleigh that the princesses would like to visit her after she had ate breakfast (she never ate anything with excitement) When they came in it was magical, we took 2 pictures with each character, we had Cinderella, snow white, peter pan, wendy and belle the first time and the second we had sleeping beauty, mary poppins and a few we had seen on first occasion, the second time was her 9th birthday which was equally as good.
They gave her a signed certificate that had all the princesses signatures on and they asked everyone in the room to clap her, she was so happy. It cost for a family of 4 probably the same as having a childs birthday party in England but the memories are 10x better. Have a great time.

it sounds fantastic liz!
they are memories,to cherish,something you will,never forget!
we miss kieras 6th birthday,by 12 days.i woulv'e loved to be there,on her birthday,but her mum,would never agree,for her, to be away,on her birthday,which is only fair.it's me & her grandad,who are taking her,you see.
we booked for 9.30 a.m,hope we still get some great photo's.
also booked,for halloween night,on the 31st,which we are looking forward to.
roll on oct
tracy