The Lowest Rated Character Dining Locations in Disney World

Character meals are some of the most expensive table service meals in Walt Disney World, but they often also have an emotional component. There can be lots of pressure for your child to be engaged and willing to pose with or near the characters. That’s assuming they (and you!) have the patience to wait for the full lap of appearances to complete – often after you’ve finished eating. These aren’t just our thoughts on character meals – though we agree with them – they represent some of comments we have received from TouringPlans Subscribers on their trip report surveys. 

You can find rankings and ratings for every single Disney World dining location on our website and on the TouringPlans Lines app. We’ve taken the data posted below directly from the Dining section of the Lines app. The locations below are the two lowest rated Character dining experiences in the four parks according to our Subscribers:

Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom

While the exact rating for Cinderella’s Royal Table is 90%, Average, there are a few things that cause this location to rank at #40 of 91 table service locations in Walt Disney World.

The Price & Payment in Advance 

It will cost you a good bit to dine in the Castle and you’ll need to pay in full at the time of booking. Your total will include tax and tip, too. At the time of this post, the prices for Cinderella’s Royal Table (CRT) are:

Breakfast: $92.83 for ages 10+, $57.27 for ages 3-9, ages 0-2 are free

Lunch and Dinner: $109.01 for ages 10+, $65.98 for ages 3-9, ages 0-2 are free

Disney Dining Plan: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will require 2 Table Service dining credits per person per meal for the rest of 2025 and in 2026.

Tip- be sure you’re paying attention to ages when you’re adding guests to your party. Since CRT has 3 tiers AND requires payment in advance, you don’t want to count your 15-month old as a big kid and get charged $57.27 or more for their meal.

The Ruckus

This is one of the loudest meals we’ve ever experienced. The dining hall is small, and there are lots and lots of excited little ones (and their excited adults) eating, chatting, waiting for princesses to arrive at their table. Loud. So loud. Luckily, the meal goes so quickly that you won’t have to tolerate it long.

The Food

We’ve had mixed reviews about the food but most of the feedback skews positive and we have to agree. The menu changes since 2020 have largely been solid. The entrées are well themed and the portion sizes are hefty. We recommend the Grilled Steak and Egg pictured above if you’re headed for breakfast. The cheese frittata was a nice treat and the steak was cooked exactly as ordered.

The Good Stuff

There are lots of reasons that CRT is still worth booking according to our Subscribers – even with the poor rating and rank. Just being able to sit inside Cinderella Castle and look out over Fantasyland is kind of awesome. Being seated inside the symbol of our childhood joy eases the pain of the the price for many folks. Then there are the princesses! You’ll get to meet and pose with Cinderella as you enter the Grand Hall on the first floor. She is the only princess that holds court downstairs – it is her castle after all. The other princesses will snake their way around all of the tables as everyone eats. Although Disney’s website doesn’t guarantee any princesses other than Cinderella, we’ve seen Merida, Jasmine, Sleeping Beauty, and Ariel on a recent visit.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion of EPCOT

The in-park Character meal rated lowest by TouringPlans Subscribers is Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway Pavilion of EPCOT. The information above is taken from the TouringPlans Lines app and can also be found on our website. Akershus is currently struggling with an 88%, Below Average, rating and a rank of #58 out of 91 table service locations in Walt Disney World. Based on our own reviews and those of TP surveys, there are a couple of reasons this spot is locked at the bottom.

The Price 

You won’t need to pay at the time of your reservation, but Akershus is still not a cheap meal. At the time of this post, the prices for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall are:

Breakfast:

Ages 10 and up: $62 plus tax and tip. Tax and a 20% tip = $79.24 per adult.

Ages 3-9: $39 plus tax and tip. Tax and a 20% tip = $49.85 per child ages 3-9.

Disney Dining Plan: Akershus breakfast will require 1 Table Service credit per person for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026.

Lunch and Dinner:

Ages 10 and up: $69 plus tax and tip. Tax and a 20% tip = $88.19 per adult.

Ages 3-9: $46 plus tax and tip. Tax and a 20% tip = $58.79 per child ages 3-9

Disney Dining Plan: Lunch or dinner at Akershus will require 2 Table Service credits per person for the remainder of 2025 and into 2026. Since 1 adult Table Service credit on the current Dining Plan is valued at $65, you can see why some of our Subscribers would balk at using $130 in credits for an $88.19 meal. More if you tip on the value of the meal, as you should, when using the Dining Plan, but that’s an argument for another day.

The Food

There are multiple reviews in our log that praise the kitchen staff for being able to accommodate picky eaters and that’s always nice to hear. We also get lots of comments about how tasty everything is – and we agree – but that’s balanced by the number of folks who don’t feel the amount of food and variety offered is worth the cash price or 2 Table Service credits. We have to agree with this, too. Maybe we all just really miss the old buffet? We can’t speak for everyone, but the Testa family used to put a hurting on the platter of Ski Queen cheese alone! Not to mention the Agurksalat – the single greatest pickled cucumber salad every made! Sigh. Moving on.

The Good Stuff

Disney clearly states that exact princess aren’t promised, but you can count on a combo of at least 4 different pals to make an appearance during your meal.

We’ve encountered Belle, Ariel, Tiana, Mulan, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and Jasmine during recent visits. We’ve found that the princesses at Akershus typically spend more time per table than the regal lineup at Cinderella’s Royal Table. For families that have “Must Meet Princesses” in their touring plan, being able to eat and accomplish meet and greet goals in one seated spot may justify the price.

What do you think? Do you agree with these Subscriber ratings? What is your favorite Character meal in Walt Disney World?