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The Magic Kingdom is home to two of Walt Disney World’s most sought-after dining locations: Cinderella’s Royal Table and the Be Our Guest Restaurant. After all, who wouldn’t want the chance to dine just like Disney royalty?

But which one should you choose to experience during your Magic Kingdom day? The question isn’t an easy one, especially since our Lines 2.0 app ratings currently have both restaurants tied at 87%.

Like most things, the winner of the battle of castle reservations depends on what you’re looking for; and to help you determine the winner for your own Disney World Vacation, we’re breaking down all you need to know about Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest.

Note: Since the Magic Kingdom reopened, Cinderella’s Royal Table and Be Our Guest’s dining experiences have been modified. 

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Cinderella’s Royal Table offers guests the experience of dining inside the iconic Cinderella Castle! Expect stone arches, a vaulted ceiling, and views of Fantasyland all in a medieval-style setting.

Hours: Lunch & Dinner. Cinderella’s Royal Table usually offers a popular character breakfast, but it’s currently suspended due to the current circumstances.

Menu: Very little variety. Expect prix fixe menus with options ranging from a Fish of the Day, pan-roasted chicken, beef tenderloin, and a kid’s mac n’ cheese meal. The Cinderella-themed desserts are a fun touch with names a dark chocolate mousse titled “The Clock Strikes Twelve” and whipped cheesecakes called “Jaq and Gus.”

Price: The current adult menu for both lunch and dinner is $60+ for adults and $37+ for kids.

Setting/Atmosphere: The medieval dining room feels more like King Arthur than Cinderella, even though Cinderella does make a socially distanced appearance. Tables near the windows offer views overlooking Fantasyland, but unfortunately, there are more tables positioned away from the windows than near them.

Why You Should Dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table: Who wouldn’t want to hang out inside Cinderella Castle? Regardless of whether the menu succeeds or not, it’s hard to regret saying you dined like Disney royalty inside one of the most recognizable icons on the planet.

Lines 2.0 Rating: 87%

Lines 2.0 Ranking: #37 of 106 in WDW

Be Our Guest

Guests are transported into the Beast’s castle from Beauty and the Beast with a relatively tame French-inspired menu. Expect to feel transported into the world of the animated film.

Hours: Lunch & Dinner. Be Our Guest used to offer breakfast and functioned as a counter-service restaurant for lunch. It’s currently a table service restaurant for both lunch and dinner due to the current circumstances.

Menu: Expect a prix fixe lunch and dinner menus with options like pork tenderloin, pan-seared sea scallops, French Onion Soup, filet mignon, a kids’ mac n’ cheese meal, and a dessert trio for lunch.

Price: The current adult menu for both lunch and dinner is $60+ for adults and $37+ for kids.

Setting/Atmosphere: Be Our Guest offers three uniquely themed dining rooms, two of which are straight out of the film. The ballroom features massive gold chandeliers and even snow falling outside the windows while the dark and eerie West Wing is home to the enchanted rose with falling petals. The Rose Gallery is not from the film but has huge portraits of the film’s characters and a large music box topped with Belle and the Beast as its centerpiece.

Why You Should Dine at Be Our Guest: For Beauty and the Beast fans, this restaurant is a must-do for both the setting and experience, but not necessarily for the food. Each of the dining rooms offer their own experience and atmosphere, and the Beast makes a socially distanced appearance.

Lines 2.0 Rating: 87%

Lines 2.0 Ranking: #57 of 106 in WDW

Are you Team Be Our Guest or Team Cinderella’s Royal Table? Let us know in the comments!

The post Castle Dining Showdown: Cinderella’s Royal Table vs. Be Our Guest Restaurant appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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Filed Under: Dining, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL), Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest Restaurant, beauty and the beast, Cinderella Castle, Cinderella’s Royal Table, disney dining, disney world, disney world restaurants, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom Restaurants, walt disney world

Have you ever had a day not go at all as planned and yet turn out great? I had no plan to go to Disney’s Riviera Resort the other day. But by a happy accident I decided to pop in for my first visit to the resort. This unique Disney Vacation Club Resort opened on December 16, 2019. It has received mixed reviews at best.

After disembarking from the Disney Skyliner I walked over to the pool area. I could immediately see how the resort did not feel as lush or enveloping as other Disney Vacation Club Resorts. The convenience of the Skyliner is hard to deny, and certainly worth considering as a major benefit to this resort.

The outdoor area is great as well with lovely views of the Skyliner and waterways. I fell in love with Bar Riva. Our readers give this outdoor bar a 93% thumbs up rating, and it is ranked number 30 out of 107 bars at Walt Disney World. The feature pool, with its Fantasia theme, was quite busy. The quiet pool nearby had a fair number of guests enjoying the sunshine here too.

The lobby itself is quite small, and felt very similar to more generic timeshare properties, like Hilton Grand Vacations Club or Club Wyndham. It did not feel as inviting as other Disney Vacation Club lobbies.

Last year, on opening night in fact, our own Len Testa stayed inside a Tower Studio. He quickly declared it the worst value on Disney property. That sentiment has not changed in this past year. But if Riviera Resort is on your list of possible resorts, you may find the convenience of the Skyliner and the outdoor common area to suit your needs.

Have you stayed at Disney’s Riviera Resort? What did you think?

The post PHOTOS – Disney’s Riviera Resort Revisited For Its One Year Anniversary appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Disney Vacation Club, Photos and Video, Resorts, disney hotels, disney on site hotels, Disney’s Riviera Resort

Sometimes the best way to start the day is with something sweet. Le Petit Café, located inside Disney’s Riviera Resort, is a Parisian-style coffee shop that becomes a lounge after 4:00 p.m. I stopped in for a post-lunch treat and enjoyed the seasonal treats offered here.

This little café is a great stop to start your day or for an afternoon pick me up. And when you’re ready to unwind at the end of the day there’s sophisticated cocktails, as well as beer and wine, and small plates to enjoy. Throughout the year Le Petit Café has seasonal sweets and seasonal specialty coffees.

Being the holiday season, the display case offered a few Christmas and wintry treats, and a few festive coffee drinks on the menu sounded tempting. I selected the Noel Blanc Latte (or White Christmas Latte) and I couldn’t resist the Christmas Candy Drop.

The Noel Blanc Latte is available hot or iced. During my visit there was still a tiny nip in the air (by Floridian standards) so I decided to go with the hot version. This cup of cheer was full of sweetness, from white chocolate, caramel, and warm spices like cinnamon. Normally I do not care for coffee so sweet, but it satisfied the sugar rush I needed and tasted so festive.

The Christmas Candy Drop rivaled many of the seasonal sweets served at Amorette’s Patisserie, but had a slightly lower price tag. It was silky, smooth, and the perfect serving size to satisfy my sweet tooth, without being too much. The layers of chocolate mousse and pistachio mousse were not that pronounced, but the dark cherries stood out. The crust was both a thin layer of chocolate cake, and a small crispy cookie. Each forkful was a delight.

There is some limited seating inside Le Petit Café, which is inside the lobby of Disney’s Riviera Resort. I opted to have mine “to go” and walked down the stairs to the outdoor common area. I made my way to the water’s edge where a nice selection of tables and chairs affords guests a place to dine while taking in views of the resort, the pool, and the Disney Skyliner.

Have you ever grabbed a coffee, treat, or cocktail at Le Petit Café? Will you make a stop on your next ride aboard the Disney Skyliner?

The post REVIEW – Le Petit Cafe Serves Up Sweets and Specialty Coffee appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Resorts, disney coffee, disney desserts, Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s Riviera Resort

Each major theme park in Orlando has Relaxation Stations. These are designated areas at which masks can be removed as you sit and relax for a bit. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios there are two Relaxation Stations. They provide a restful area whether you want to enjoy your snack or drink, or just have a place to sit down for a few minutes. Here’s everything you need to know about the Relaxation Stations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Location of Relaxation Stations at Hollywood Studios

The Relaxation Stations at Hollywood Studios are both Star Wars based. The first is located at Star Wars Launch Bay, which is in the right hand side of the park, not too far from Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. This station is mostly indoors, which may not make every guest comfortable with taking their mask off (myself included). It is a cool, themed area and some guests may appreciate the air conditioning. There is a covered portion just before entering the building.

The second location is inside Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, and quite frankly if you’re not familiar with this part of the park, this station is very difficult to find. It is located near the marketplace. If you’re facing into the marketplace, having entered the land from the main entrance off Grand Avenue, the station is on the left, in front of the big gate.

How to Use Relaxation Stations at Hollywood Studios

No reservations are needed for the Relaxation Stations, but they can reach capacity. Lunch time is the most popular time for using the stations. The tables are placed six feet or more apart, and should not be moved. If you have a larger group it is asked that you keep your party at the designated tables and not combine them.

It is asked that all guests keep their masks on until they are at their table. Once you are at the table, you can remove your mask whether you have food and drink, or if you just want to relax. There is no time limit on using the stations. If you need to get up from your table, or whenever you are done, it is asked that you put your mask back on before moving around.

Cast Members frequently clean and sanitize the tables, chairs, and the general area. The Relaxation Stations can have limited hours. They do not always open right when the park opens, and generally close a little earlier than the park itself does.

Have you made use of the Relaxation Stations yet? Do you think they are helpful?

The post Everything You Need to Know About Relaxation Stations at Hollywood Studios appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dos and Don’ts, Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios, disney covid, disney reopening, hollywood studios relaxation stations

It’s always a magical time when we visit Magic Kingdom. This weekend, our team arrived early to enjoy a morning at Magic Kingdom. Here’s some of what we saw.

Are you a fan of Magic Kingdom mornings or are you more of a Disney night owl? Let us know in the comments.

The post A Magical Morning in Magic Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL)