The Dee Dub--CRT

If you're a typical, non-Disney obsessed person, are unaware of the acronym lingo and don't know what "CRT" stands for, I'm here to help you out.

Cinderella's Royal Table.

It is The Dee Dub's most elusive reservation. People call at 7:00:01am EST 90 days before they want to dine (the earliest you can) to secure a spot with her. Many will try, few will succeed.

But somehow, succeed we did.

I was sorta obsessed with making princess dresses for the girls for this auspicious occasion. The whole thing started with the idea to make a Cinderella dress that wasn't an actual costume, but that anyone could tell was a Cinderella dress. Given as I had learned to sew like five minutes earlier, it was definitely a labor of love. This is what resulted.




Siennah got to be Cindy, and I ended up making a pink one for Lila and a yellow one for Savannah, a la Aurora and Belle. They were just dar. Belle wasn't there though, which left me wishing I'd gone with my original gut and made a Snow White dress (she was there, along with Jasmine and of course Aurora). But I digress.

One reason people want a CRT ressie is so that you can meet Cinderella without waiting in line for a lifetime. I am here to argue the untruth to that idea. I am convinced Disney is not happy if you are not waiting in a line. Or several.

First, you wait in line to check in. This line was, oh I don't know, ten people long?

Then, once you're checked in you wait in line again, for what? At that point you are unsure--it's an adventure! But as you reach the front of the line and enter the castle doors, you realize--you're waiting in line to wait in another line.

You stand in a room with a bunch of other parents, the goal being Cinderella. At least she's there for all to see, this abates some of the agony with waiting. But the children get bored quickly, and soon it's just a room full of parents trying to corral their children. It's especially bad with the boys. The girls have their eyes on the prize, some are awestruck in the very presence of Cindy, but the boys are just their for the sake of their sisters. And being their for the sake of something doesn't make rambunctiousness disappear. (Wouldn't that be nice?)

After you meet Cindy and have your photo taken with her, you're shuttled up a winding staircase that's downright creepy. I was wondering if we were on our way to our punishment for the boys being so unruly in the Cindy line.

But nope, being dreary and creepy is part of the castle's allure, apparently.

The dining room was the same way. It struck me as to how most of Disney Princess related things are sunny and cheery--not this place. It was real castle-esque, complete with brick walls and an old house aroma.

The food was fantastic, tied with Ohana (covered in the next post) for the best meal at Disney. The waiter recommended Major Domo's Pie and I thank him for that--it was Majorly Delish.

It all went downhill when we were done eating, the kids had been there too long, and all you-know-what was breaking loose. The waiter was just not returning with the bill to sign after we'd given them the cards. People were leaving who were still eating when we paid! The longer we waited the more unruly the children became and the higher my blood boiled. We couldn't even take the kids to the bathroom because both stalls were occupied with, ahem, sick children (I was hoping it wasn't that pie of Domo's that was their demise). The mommies absconded with the kids and left the daddies to deal with the delay. It was good that I got out of there or I could have gone postal on someone. And that's just not suitable for a castle.

So the verdict--if you can get a reservation, strap on some patience and take your daughter. She'll enjoy the princesses and you will enjoy Major Domo's pie if you heed my words and order it. If you have a son he'll enjoy the sword they gift to the little "princes." I do so love when people hand my children long pointy objects.

And if you're wondering why there's no pictures, I didn't take any. It was my job to feed two insatiable babies. ; )