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Reminder: Character Dining Is About to Return to This Magic Kingdom Restaurant!

Characters at Magic Kingdom
Credit: Disney

Meeting characters can easily be one of the most magical experiences you can have during a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. And with so many places to meet your favorite Disney characters, or wave from a distance, tracking down all of your favorites is easy.

One of the best ways to meet characters, however, is by booking an advanced dining reservation for a character meal. Especially popular for breakfast, but available throughout the day, character dining allows Guests to meet multiple Disney characters while enjoying a delicious meal, thereby saving time tracking them down in the Parks.

cinderella

Credit: Disney

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Character meet and greets were modified during the pandemic, but most locations have since returned to normal across Walt Disney World. (And Disney even kept the character cavalcades and flotillas in the case of Animal Kingdom going, giving Guests several different ways to see all of their favorite princesses, heroes, villains, and of course, Mickey and the Fab Five.

In the Magic Kingdom, however, one iconic character dining location has been operating without characters for a few years now. The Walt Disney World Resort shut down along with the rest of the world in March 2020 at the onset of the pandemic. While the Resort later reopened in July of that year, it took months (and in some cases, years) for many of Disney’s restaurants to return to normal operation.

Cinderella's ROyal Table

Credit: Disney

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Cinderella’s Royal Table reopened in September 2020 with a very modified dining experience, as in, no characters. Located inside Cinderella Castle with gorgeous theming and breathtaking views, it is no surprise that this location still filled tables, even without visiting princesses.

In December 2022, we were finally able to report that Cinderella’s Royal Table would once again be welcoming back princesses to greet Guests throughout their meals. Characters are  set to return to this fan-favorite dining location very soon, with reservations already open (and selling out!) beginning February 28, 2023.

Rapunzel CInderellas Royal Table

Credit: Disney

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Since we originally shared that characters would return to Cinderella’s Royal Table, we had been hoping that Disney would confirm which Princess we can actually start seeing at this location. So far, Disney has not confirmed if the lineup of princesses will be changing. In the past, princesses varied by mealtime but have included Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, and Rapunzel, along with Cinderella, who has her own character meet and greet experience in the restaurant’s lobby.

The menu will not be changing when the characters return, so diners will still find their favorite items like traditional breakfast staples and charcuterie boards, beef tenderloin, and the chef’s fish of the day for lunch and dinner.

Reservations always go quickly for Cinderella’s Royal Table, and they have been especially difficult to come by since Disney announced that the characters will return. Set your alarm to make your dining reservations for this location as soon as you’re able to, and visit Disney’s official website or use the My Disney Experience app to make yours. Enjoy!

About Brittany DiCologero

Brittany is a New England-based writer focused on the history of the Walt Disney World Resort. She is the author of "Red, White, and Disney: The Myths and Reality of American History at the Walt Disney World Resort," and "Brittany Earns Her Ears."