Got a girl-child? Then you got to go. Suck it up and prepare to drop $100 minimum for lunch (for 3). The dinner costs more, and has a kind of rushed feeling about it, and unless you call 6 months in advance you ain’t gettin’ into the breakfast with the Princesses. Soon, the same may be true of the lunch. In ’05, all you had was Cinderella in the lobby at lunch time, but they changed it sometime since January 2005. In ’06 it was a full-blown character meal called "Fairytale Lunch," with the entire collection of Princesses and a Fairy Godmother. In ’06 they also introduced a photo package.

They make darned sure your little princess gets a nice photo with Cindy, and they bring a set of prints to your table – $30, cheap. That’s how it gets from the usual $25 to $35 per person, to $100 or more. Unlike most character meals, this one is not a prix-fixe or a buffet. You order from a menu. Ask the server’s opinion, discuss it with him/her. It’s all good, and Disney is so organized that they are not pushing anything that’s overstocked. They sincerely try to help you. However, please do not get steak here unless you are so cantankerous you won't eat anything else. They change the menu often, but look for things you might not make at home such as beef wellington or a well-dressed tuna steak. If they have a pasta dish, pay attention to it becuse they do that well. Also, listen to the specials; if they sound good, then they usually are. As with any high-end Disney restaurant, be sure to get a salad with their house dressing.

The place was absolutely packed the entire time we were there. I had been last time but wanted to go again so that my fiance could see the inside of the castle. I love the decor and props they have set up. Eating there is worth that alone. The actual restaurant portion of the place is on the second floor of the castle and has huge stained glass windows that look out over Magic Kingdom.

For as busy as they were, the service was incredibly quick. I ordered the prime rib (which was the most tender I had ever had) and he had the leg of lamb, which was pretty good as well. Other than that, the meal was pretty normal, but this is a must-see for parents with kids. Sometimes Cinderella shows up, and it's a fun time for them.

While I was there, we saw Mary Poppins, Aurora, Snow White, Belle, and Cinderella. Lunch is $23.99, which includes a tasting plate appetizer, an entrée, and a pre-selected dessert.

I ordered Major Domo's Favorite Pie, which was "Prime Rib of beef simmered in rich cabernet sauce, served with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, crowning a light pastry." It was a good portion, and delicious to boot. I wasn't crazy about the dessert, "Blueberry Buckle Cobber with lemon ice cream and finished with creme fraiche." It was refreshing, but I'm a fan of neither blueberry nor lemon.

The interior of the restaurant is spectacular. You will not believe that you are walking THROUGH the infamous castle! The lobby area was occupied by the Fairy Godmother. We climbed the royal looking stairs into the restaurant itself. Make sure to get a good look at the ceiling! It truly looks like a castle from a fairy tale. You may also find yourself sitting next to a gorgeous stained-glass window overlooking Fantasyland.

This is a great dining experience for all ages. Don't hesitate to go to the character dining meals without kids (my friend and I didn't!). However, I do hear that the dinner there is outstanding and sans characters. This place is not to be missed!

After your table is ready, you proceed either by elevator or by spiral staircase to the second floor, where the dining area is. It is this gorgeous restaurant where the waitstaff is dressed for the occasion. Don’t worry; you don’t have to be. There are large stained-glass windows all the way around the restaurant that give you views of Fantasyland. If you have children, you may want to request a table close to the window. It will provide entertainment. This restaurant has large, wood-beamed ceilings and linen on the tables, with goblets for water and sodas.

Lunch is significantly cheaper than dinner, but both are amazing. To start, your server provides you with a roll and Mickey Mouse-shaped butter. For my entrée, I had prime rib. I like a good prime rib, and this was good--a perfect cut, not too big or too small, but just right. Then, for dessert, we had a chocolate soufflé cake that was on a white plate, with the castle screened onto it in chocolate. As we cut it open, the chocolate oozed out onto the vanilla ice cream. They have a special fruit punch that comes in a souvenir glass with the logo of the restaurant on it. Really, one of those glasses is worth it.

We have dined here several times, and every time, it is just as amazing. I would recommend it if you have children. We went to the character breakfast one time, and it was jam-packed. For those, go outside the park to one of the hotels. This restaurant does take reservations. I would suggest booking them as soon as you know you are going.

By the time we arrived at the Castle, there was a short line of folks checking in at the podium. After checking in we headed into the main lobby to wait to be seated. Fairy Godmother was in the main lobby posing for photos and providing autographs for everyone that was waiting to be seated. This helped pass the time; we only had to wait a few minutes after seeing Fairy Godmother to be seated. In no time at all our party was called and we where sent up the staircase of the castle to the restaurant. (There is also an elevator for your convenience.) As you scale the stairs, you can't help but notice the beautiful Cinderella-themed stained glass windows.

When we arrived at our table, we found a basket of mini-pastries (croissants and Danish), fresh cut-up fruit and strawberry yogurt. Our server quickly appeared and took our beverage order and poured orange juice. She explained that there are two basic meals -- healthy and hearty - and that you can ask for unlimited refills of any of the foods offered. The ‘hearty’ breakfast consists of pre-plated scrambled eggs, potato casserole, bacon, sausage links and cheese-stuffed French toast in a blueberry sauce. The "healthy choice" breakfast consisted of granola, low-fat strawberry yogurt and caramelized bananas. We all choose the hearty breakfast.

After a quick sampling, I found the potato casserole was the best item on the regular plate -- the bacon and sausage were also good. If you have special dietary needs you need to call at least 24 hours ahead of time and the restaurant will make special accommodations for you.

Enough about the food -- what about Cinderella? Is *she* at least worth the price of admission? Well, since we were one of the last parties to be seated the Princesses where already moving around the room. They all followed the same circuit around the dining room. Our first "Princess" visitor was Mary Poppins. She was followed by Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, then Sleeping Beauty. Each was delightfully in character and posed for photographs and autographs. After a few moments, they were on to the next table, where other youngsters were anxiously awaiting their arrival. And to answer the question, Yes she is worth it.

Prices: Adults, $19.99; children 3-11, $9.99. Tax, gratuity extra; a beverage is included.

During breakfast hours, Cinderella's Royal Table offers character-meeting breakfasts. By dinnertime, CRT is one of the upscale restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. Although it's not meant as a character meet-and-greet, Cinderella and Belle (from "Beauty and the Beast") were in the lobby greeting people while they waited to be seated. One of the people waiting said Cinderella will sometimes grace the patrons as they eat, but we did not see her again once she left the lobby.

The dining room (accessible by spiral staircase or by elevator) is what one may expect from Castle dining. The ceilings were high, the tables long and looked like mahogany wood and the lighting was dark. The outer wall has large iron-cast windows (as one might expect when thinking about a castle) which are partially-stained. There are individual tables for each party, so it's not like a single table from festive medieval lore.

The food was great. The bread before the meal was soft pretzel-bread rolls. We had an appetizer, but I forget what we had. For a main course I had prime rib of beef which was well-prepared and had a delicious spicy almost-crust. For desert, the waitress brought out a small birthday desert with candle. My friends slipped the message to the hostess before we went up, so I got embarrassed by "Happy Birthday" in the lobby and again at dinner.

As we were waiting for dinner, the Magic Kingdom fireworks were going off. We were able to see parts of it through the window. I am fairly certain if we were closer to the windows, we would have seen much more, but you still see quite a bit even from the back of the room.

Breakfast is plated -- I think you have a choice of two entrees -- and includes good orange juice, croissants and muffins (including chocolate), fresh fruit, and coffee/milk/tea. You can ask for more of anything without extra charge, but with kids itching to get off to see the rides, we pretty much just ate what initially was served.

The food was good, the characters were fun, but in high demand, so you only got a bit of time with each, and there was a hefty wait even with the obligatory and very hard to obtain priority seating.