Ask anyone where you should dine if you want to dine with a princess at Walt Disney World and you’ll hear opinions such as Cinderella’s Royal Table or Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Those are amongst the most popular princess dining options thanks, in part, to their high visibility locations inside of theme parks (Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, respectively). However, there is one less popular option for dining with royalty that the MouseHouseNews.net team thinks is worth your time. Just a short boat or bus ride from Magic Kingdom over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is what we think is a highly underrated option, and you get to dine with a princess and some other rarely seen characters.
Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is pretty much what it sounds like: A dining experience with Snow White and some other characters from the story. Namely, Grumpy, Dopey, and The Queen. The dining room at Artist Point is decorated like the Enchanted Forest, so you feel like you’re part of the story. This dining experience is only available for dinner, and our team recently snagged a 4:00 PM slot so we could beat the heart of the dinner rush. Spoiler alert: We really enjoyed ourselves!
Once we were seated, our waitress took allowed us some time to look at the menu and took our drink orders. Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White is one of Disney World’s prix fixe dining options, meaning everyone pays the same price for dinner. The price for adults (anyone age 10 and up) is currently $67; children under age 10 will be charged $41 each. There is the opportunity to increase your bill if you would like to order alcohol or non-alcoholic specialty drinks, but things like soft drinks are included. While you will choose which main entree you want from the menu, every person dining will receive the following with their meal:
Appetizers:
- Smoky Mushroom Bisque
- Wicked Shrimp Cocktail (Bloody Mary Vinaigrette, Seaweed Salad, Spiced House-made Seasoning)
- Hunter’s Harvest (Turkey and Chicken, Cranberry Preserve, Crispy Sauerkraut)
Desserts:
- Miner’s Treasures (Cookies and Cream Panna Cotta, Chocolate Gems)
- “Poison” Apple (Dark Chocolate-Apple Mousse, Sour Center)
- Fairy Tale Gooseberry Tart (Meringue and Gooseberry)
Once you choose your main entree, the courses start being delivered. For our dinner, I ordered the Market Fish, which was a Pan-Seared Salmon at the time. Erin ordered the Royal Prime Rib Roast. Both entrees were of a generous portion and cooked perfectly. (Of note, we were told that the Royal Prime Rib Roast was cooked Medium Rare by default; Erin requested a Medium Well instead, and it was cooked to order). Since this is more of a review of the atmosphere and entertainment, as this is what you’re really paying for, I will summarize the food by saying it’s pretty solid!
Back to that entertainment: While you’re enjoying your meal, pay special attention to the atmosphere in the dining room for the twinkling lights. When you start to see lights twinkling, that means something is about to happen. During the time our team was dining, this happened four times: When Grumpy and Dopey are introduced, when Snow White is introduced, when The Queen is introduced, and when Snow White and the Dwarfs dance to the Silly Song. We’ve got video of all of this, so check it out below. Apologies for the abrupt end to the Snow White introduction video; Dopey came to the table!
We took the opportunity to Disneybound during our visit to Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White. Erin channeled her inner princess with a Snow White inspired outfit, while I portrayed the Prince whose name nobody knows (for the record, it is Prince Florian). It was a good time, as Snow White recognized who I was supposed to be and Dopey was particularly mesmerized by the version of Snow White sitting at my table. I guess the outfits turned out to be pretty good!
Given the cost of this dinner, do we think it is worth it? As mentioned before, the food is good, but you’re paying the premium for the entertainment and interactions with the characters. Even with the Cast Members, they are able to continue with that theme of providing Disney Magic; just check out this presentation of the Chocolate Enchanted Hearts that come after your meal!
We’re happy to report that the interactions are really, really good here. We noticed that the first time each character came around was their longest interaction with us. However, we can report that both Dopey and Grumpy visited our table for some fun at least three times. Snow White only visited once, but she was front and center right next to us when it was time to dance to the Silly Song. Grumpy was fun to interact with as we tried unsuccessfully to put a smile on his face, and Dopey was crushing so much on Erin (I mean, Snow White) that he kept returning. He even asked for a kiss on the forehead. Just like in the movie!
You might notice that there is one character I have not mentioned much about. While The Queen is part of this dinner, you really cannot interact with her unless and until you are summoned to meet her. You can plan on receiving that summons after you pay your bill!
Once you receive your summons and decide to go meet her, you will get in line with everyone else who has been summoned by the Queen and await your turn. When it is your turn, you will meet and greet The Queen while a Photopass photographer captures your interaction. Just be prepared for The Queen to stare you up and down if you are Disneybounding as Snow White! Because I was not, I was not treated as harshly. It could also have been because I bowed to The Queen and told her it is a pleasure to meet her. I did appreciate her response of, “Yes, the pleasure is all yours, I’m sure”! That interaction with The Queen was a great way to top off our character dinner, and something very unique that you can’t get anywhere else.
By this point, I’m sure you can tell that we do recommend this dinner! Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White has good tasting food in an environment that takes you into the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, complete with quality character interactions and entertainment from characters that are not so common. As with other character dining options at Walt Disney World, you receive a postcard with all of the characters’ signatures on the back.
Give this dinner a try if you are looking for a unique princess dining option that is not as crowded and has more ample reservation opportunities. It is not located inside a theme park, but it is fairly easy to take Disney Transportation to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (and if you are staying at Wilderness Lodge, definitely be sure to grab a reservation). Stay tuned to MouseHouseNews.net for more Disney Vacation News and Reviews for Disney Adults!
