Magic Kingdom’s two hottest desk service eating places each supply the expertise of eating inside a fort, which is the principle draw of each Cinderella’s Royal Desk and Be Our Visitor 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. (Up to date March 12, 2023.)
It’s value noting up entrance that you could be not have a alternative. When you’re already in Magic Kingdom and are attempting to determine which to do, it’d already be too late. Each are among the many hottest eating reservations at Walt Disney World, and ceaselessly guide up virtually 60 days upfront. To that time, we extremely suggest consulting our Prime 10 Suggestions for Reserving Tough Advance Eating Reservations, ideally earlier than your journey–however there’s some recommendation for last-minute ADRs.
Moreover, when you’re in search of meals photographs or particular ideas on dishes we’ve tried, it’s best to seek the advice of our Be Our Visitor Restaurant Lunch & Dinner Assessment and Cinderella’s Royal Desk Assessment. 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.
Furthermore, we’re solely evaluating lunch and dinner inside Beast’s and Cinderella Fortress. At present, breakfast is simply served at Cinderella’s Royal Desk, however will seemingly return to Be Our Visitor…in some unspecified time in the future? Who is aware of. (We anticipated it to be again a couple of 12 months in the past, and we’re nonetheless ready!) A variety of this publish will apply equally to all meals, and we’ll additionally supply conclusions about different meals on the finish, however the direct comparisons pertain to dinner, particularly.
Alright, let’s get able to rumble: Be Our Visitor Restaurant v. Cinderella’s Royal Desk. NO HOLDS BARRED…
Theme: Each eating places are set inside castles, and each make our lists of the Prime 10 Themed Eating places at Walt Disney World and Prime 20 Themed Eating places at Walt Disney World. Regardless that Be Our Visitor Restaurant ranks increased on these lists, I believe it’s a more in-depth name than these rankings most bear out.
The thematic energy of Cinderella’s Royal Desk is that it feels such as you’re truly inside a gothic fort (most likely since you truly are), which is basically cool. The design is regal and feels lived in, albeit with out the opulence that some youngsters might count on. Don’t underestimate the psychological impact of strolling inside Cinderella Fortress, going up its stairs, and looking the home windows.
I’d additionally go a step additional and say the inside of Cinderella’s Royal Desk is underrated. It’s traditionally correct moderately than movie-accurate, which positively appeals extra to folks like me who’re primarily Disney parks followers moderately than Disney animation followers. No matter that, the entire package deal is superior.
In contrast, our expertise with Be Our Visitor Restaurant just isn’t that of eating inside a fort. The suspension of disbelief simply doesn’t work, because it’s fairly arduous to fathom that you just’re coming into the toy fort on the roof of the mountains once you enter the doorways. (Possibly the impact works for teenagers?)
With that mentioned, Be Our Visitor Restaurant does really feel such as you’re coming into the world of Magnificence and the Beast, and that is notably true within the extra intimate eating rooms. They’re like being “on set” of the film, which is itself actually cool. But it surely’s not the identical. Be Our Visitor Restaurant very a lot has a simulated feeling, whereas Cinderella’s Royal Desk is inside a fort.
Environment: Whereas there’s a sure romanticism about eating inside a fort, they’re not wonderful eating eating places. There’s a regal high quality to each, and these eating places succeed at making youngsters really feel like royalty. However 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.
A part of that is the inherent design of eating places designed to the inside of a fort. One other a part of that’s the pure consequence of eating places that cater primarily in the direction of households. When you’re a pair in search of a quiet and complicated date evening restaurant, you need to be wanting elsewhere altogether.
I’m not an enormous fan of the ballroom at Be Our Visitor Restaurant. I’ve mentioned earlier than that it’s like a cafeteria or mess corridor, and I believe that’s probably the most apt method 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 area or dampen the noise. It’s a fancy-looking mess corridor, positive, nevertheless it nonetheless appears like a multitude corridor.
In contrast, the principle space at Cinderella’s Royal Desk is massive, nevertheless it no less than feels extra intimate. The area is damaged up a bit by a number of tiers, pillars, and different design artifice that works to its benefit. Whereas each have numerous fake concrete that may make these eating rooms cacophonous, Cinderella’s Royal Desk appears to have extra materials that take in the noise.
If we had been going solely on the principle eating rooms at every, Cinderella’s Royal Desk could be the decisive winner. Nevertheless, Be Our Visitor Restaurant has the West Wing and Rose Gallery, every of which provide a considerably higher vibe. The West Wing might be noisy (one thing about which I’m reminded I ought to inform households as it may well scare young children), nevertheless it’s themed noise, not simply screaming patrons. We extremely suggest requesting a desk in one in all these rooms as they’re on par with, or arguably higher than, the environment of Cinderella’s Royal Desk.
Delicacies: Probably the most divisive facet of each eating places is their meals. We occur to actually get pleasure from every, however you’ll find loads of people that disagree. In the case of Be Our Visitor Restaurant, this could seemingly be attributed to inconsistency. The throughput is fairly staggering, and it’s seemingly the kitchen is in a perpetual state of chaos.
With Cinderella’s Royal Desk, critique of the delicacies would possibly come all the way down to expectations based mostly upon value. This meal is on par with different Signature Eating places price-wise, and the meals is unquestionably a rung or two beneath Citricos, Jiko, Flying Fish, or different high tier resort eating places. You need to take note of that you just’re paying for the Magic Kingdom in-castle location, in addition to assembly princesses.
While 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 standard of the elements, 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 Desk when it comes to delicacies.
Characters: Be Our Visitor Restaurant by no means was a personality eating expertise, however assembly Beast on the finish of the meal at all times was once 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 constructive observe, the Disney princesses have formally returned to the eating room at Cinderella’s Royal Desk as of March 2023. On this regard, it’s now as soon as once more much like Breakfast à la Artwork at Topolino’s Terrace — Flavors of the Riviera and Story Guide Eating at Artist Level with Snow White, our two favourite character meals at Walt Disney World (not in substance–all three character meals are very totally different).
So in that sense, there’s no comparability between Be Our Visitor Restaurant and Cinderella’s Royal Desk, however there by no means actually was. For these wanting to satisfy their favourite royal characters, Cinderella’s Royal Desk is the hands-down winner. Even as soon as Be Our Visitor Restaurant is completely again to regular, it’s not a correct character eating expertise. For a lot of households, assembly and mingling with the princesses is a vital value-add.
Price: That is a straightforward victory for Be Our Visitor Restaurant, which prices $67 per grownup and $39 per baby as of March 2023. In contrast, the price of breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Desk is $65 per grownup and $39 per baby. Lunch or dinner with the princesses inside Cinderella Fortress now prices $79 per grownup and $47 per child.
After all, worth just isn’t strictly about menu costs, however the intersection of price and high quality. We’d say that each eating places are near equal when it comes to meals high quality. Each now serve prix fixe menus which can be a rung beneath Signature high quality, however above regular in-park or character eating. We give Cinderella’s Royal Desk the sting, nevertheless it’s a slight edge. Regardless of how significantly better the meals is, it’s not “higher sufficient” to justify the large chasm in value.
Others might contend that assembly the princesses in a nice setting with no ready gives a major worth. For some, that is actually going to be true. Are princesses value $12-$18 occasions the variety of folks in your social gathering? Worth there’s within the eye of the beholder.
From my perspective, the premium pricing for Cinderella’s Royal Desk is well worth the cash for lunch and dinner. While you account for the marginally superior delicacies high quality, higher themed design and environment, and the princesses, it’s a fairly straightforward win. However then once more, not everybody cares about princesses and Magnificence and the Beast followers would possibly truly choose that setting.
Trouble: Neither of those are the robust ADRs that they as soon as had been. That’s relative, as each was once practically inconceivable even on the 180 day mark. Now, that ADR window has been lowered to 60 days (technically 60+10 for on-site friends) and each are simpler however nonetheless not straightforward. Nonetheless most likely among the many high 10 eating places at Walt Disney World when it comes to reserving problem, however you could find tables inside a month out once in a while.
Relying upon your dates, you may also be capable of discover same-day availability for both, with Be Our Visitor Restaurant turning into more and more widespread for morning-of and Stroll-Up Waitlist availability. With that mentioned, that is extremely dependent upon social gathering measurement. These with 4 or fewer are going to have much more success on this regard.
Nonetheless, each Cinderella’s Royal Desk and Be Our Visitor Restaurant could be a problem to guide. The perfect follow is reserving them 60+10 days out. The meals just isn’t that good (actually not significantly better than Skipper Canteen, which commonly has same-day walk-up availability), so it actually relies upon upon whether or not consuming inside a fort and with royalty is essential for you or your youngsters. For some households, it’ll be absolutely the spotlight of a visit to Walt Disney World. Others are merely reserving one of many two based mostly 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 are usually not for everybody. And that’s as somebody who truly finds the lunch and dinner menus at each to be very stable. I solely point out this as a result of we hear from numerous 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 reside as much as or exceed expectations for a lot of Walt Disney World friends, however actually not everybody.
Finally, there’s a purpose each Cinderella’s Royal Desk and Be Our Visitor Restaurant are two of probably the most recognizable and standard 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 teenagers…and even adults like us. As long as you go in with acceptable expectations, we actually don’t suppose both Be Our Visitor Restaurant or Cinderella’s Royal Desk will disappoint.
With that mentioned, every restaurant has its personal distinct promoting factors. Regardless that each are “in-castle” eating, the precise attraction of every ought to differ. If you would like an genuine in-castle eating expertise or a personality meal, select Cinderella’s Royal Desk. If you would like a meal that roughly captures the essence of Magnificence and the Beast otherwise you’re merely on a tighter finances, select Be Our Visitor Restaurant. In case you have youngsters who’re obsessive about princesses and the film Magnificence and the Beast, discover a method to do each.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Find out about motels on our Walt Disney World Lodges Evaluations web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Evaluations. To save cash on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash on Walt Disney World Tickets publish. Our What to Pack for Disney Journeys publish takes a novel have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Journey Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the perfect place to start out is our Walt Disney World Journey Planning Information for all the things you should know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Do you agree or disagree with our comparability of Be Our Visitor Restaurant and Cinderella’s Royal Desk? Which restaurant would you give the sting when it comes to theme and ambiance? When it comes to delicacies? Are both or neither well worth the problem and value? Any questions we may also help you reply? Listening to suggestions about your experiences is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!
