Reopening Date Confirmed For This Unique Disney Character Dining Experience

Lots of restaurants are reopening around the Walt Disney World Resort, and we love to see it! While many aspects of a pre-pandemic Disney vacation have already returned, several shops, restaurants, and even a couple of attractions have remained closed.

For dining, continued closures are likely due to staffing, which has continued to be a challenging area to recover from the impacts of the pandemic. With the full return of the Disney College Program, however, and more recently Disney International Programs, we are seeing more dining locations open around Walt Disney World, and we are excited to share the latest!

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The return of Disney Cultural Representatives will have the greatest impact on closed locations in EPCOT (though Cultural Reps can also often be spotted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Animal Kingdom Lodge, along with a variety of other areas of the Parks and Resorts.)

While the program is returning in phases, with the first phases focused on countries that were open to international travel, Cultural Representatives from Norway have arrived in Walt Disney World and are now preparing for the reopening of one of EPCOT’s most beloved restaurants.

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According to the Disney Parks Blog, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall will reopen to Guests on November 4, 2022. This location offers Guests the best of both worlds with family-friendly eats like grilled salmon, mashed potatoes and gravy, and macaroni and cheese, served alongside traditional Norwegian specialties.

Norwegian food is certainly not easy to come by at Central Florida restaurants (and across most of the U.S.) so dining at Akershus is truly a unique experience. On the more traditional side, the menu includes Traditional KjØttkaker with Norwegian meatballs, the Kylling og Melboller, chicken and dumplings. Along with the full family-style meal, Guests at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall can enjoy a delicious dessert spread featuring  Rice Cream with strawberry sauce and a Chocolate Roulade with lingonberry cream.

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It isn’t just the food that makes dining in EPCOT’s Norway pavilion so memorable, though. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall hosts Storybook Dining with the Disney princesses! Disney has not confirmed which Princesses will be greeting Guests when the restaurant reopens, but in the past, we have seen Belle, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, and Snow White.

According to the menus on Disney’s website, it looks like character dining will only be available during dinner (it used to also take place for breakfast). We will monitor any changes to that schedule and share any updates here on Disney Tips.

Disney’s official description of Akershus Royal Banquet Hall reads:

Princess Storybook Dining
Akershus Banquet Hall opens its doors for a feast in honor of beloved storybook princesses—and you’re invited! Dine in a medieval castle where you’ll encounter a royal promenade of princess friends who can’t wait to meet you.

Taste of Norway
Enjoy Norwegian-inspired fare for lunch and dinner.

Delight in family-style platters fit for royalty! Highlights include field greens salad with lingonberry vinaigrette, traditional kjØttkake (Norwegian meatballs) and grilled salmon.

Be sure to save room for dessert––a platter of 2 delectable desserts served family-style for the perfect ending to your feast.

Reservations for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall open on October 24, 2022, so be sure to login to My Disney Experience to make yours then. Enjoy!