Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
If you’ve got little princesses of your own, chances are their number one priority is going to be meeting other princesses, be they mermaids, magic carpet riding, or born with freezing powers.
The good news is, Walt Disney World makes it very achievable to encounter as many of your favorite princesses as you’d like! Across the four parks, princesses have meet and greets and dine with subjects. The locations will vary, with some princesses meeting indoors for the entire day, and others meeting outdoors during a specific time slot. Some princesses seem to be everywhere, while a few only meet in one place.
But that’s not all! You can also indulge your royal side with a princess meal at a deluxe resort, or ride their attraction 700 times, or watch their Broadway style stage shows, or wave to them as they parade by. The princess possibilities are so much more than just a meet and greet. You can fashion entire park days, even entire vacations, around your little one’s favorite princesses. By knowing where your favorite princesses are, you can craft the perfect plan to meet them all before you turn into a pumpkin.
Cinderella
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
Ride: Prince Charming’s Carousel, Fantasyland, the Magic Kingdom.
While it’s not “technically” Cinderella’s ride, you can find her special steed among the beautiful horses on this classic ride.
FastPass: No.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
Show: Cinderella and her Prince dance to “So This is Love” during the “Once Upon a Time” evening show at the Magic Kingdom. This is a projection show that uses Cinderella’s Castle at the backdrop.
Once Upon a Time Projection Show. (Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World.)
Meets: Princess Fairytale Hall, Fantasyland, the Magic Kingdom.
Usually from when the park opens to about 30 minutes before closing, but be sure to check the Character Times Guide. The good news is, the queue for this one is indoors, so you can beat the heat. Even better news, there is FastPass available so if Cinderella is one of your must sees, I would definitely recommend using a FastPass.
FastPass: Yes.
Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare, the Grand Floridian.
Dining Options: Cinderella is one busy princess because that girl is hitting all the hot dining spots. She is the greeting princess/photo op at Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She is the main draw at the Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian, AND she is one of the rotating princesses who appear at Akershus in Epcot for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Great news for you Cinderella fans, you could plan a whole day of dining with Cindy!
Parade: If a dream of Cinderella in a parade is a wish your heart makes, then wish granted! She is featured in the Festival of Fantasy Parade at the Magic Kingdom.
Bonus Glass Slippers: Our girl Cinders has almost as many cool, out of the way photo ops as she does awesome dining opportunities.
Cinderella’s Fountain is a perfect photo opp spot, located behind Cinderella’s Castle, next to the entrance to Castle Couture in Fantasyland.
But that’s not all! Cinderella has another water based photo opp spot, this one a little more hidden. Cinderella’s Wishing well is located on the path that leads past the Merida’s Fairytale Garden towards the castle. It’s a little out of the way, but the detailing on the well and the view of Main Street and the hub cannot be beat.
Rucifee! I cannot get over these details. <3
Cinderella can also be found, in statue form, at Disney Springs.
Oh, and did I mention she has a WHOLE CASTLE? You can walk through the castle to see the mosaics of Cinderella’s story done on the walls in glass tile.
Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World
My Take: Cinderella gets a lot of love, especially at the Magic Kingdom, and that is as it should be, since her castle is the symbol of the iconic park. If you have a big Cinderella fan, you could easily base your vacation around her, between meals and meets. I’m always amazed by the cast members who portray the “older” princesses (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella) because their movies aren’t as long, so there aren’t as many character details for them to pull on as some of the newer princesses. But Cinderella is always a joy. She has many opinions on chores, cleaning, pets, families, dreams, and she is always very regal, but also very kind.
For one of the more classic princesses, Cinderella has a lot of cool merchandise. She has the typical dresses and toys of the other princesses, but the theme of her collectible toys is always carriages and glass slippers. Really cool, iconic stuff. Even if your little isn’t that into Cinderella, she might be tempted by a wand shaped like a carriage.
If you can’t get a reservation at Akershus or Cinderella’s Royal Table, the Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare is an excellent alternative. Not only do you get Cinderella and the Prince, but the Stepmother and Stepsisters are also on hand. This is a great lower key princess meal, and the atmosphere at 1900 Park Fare is really charming. If you’re hoping to dine with Cindy in the parks, Akershus is a really fantastic option. Like Cinderella’s Royal Table, you’ll meet with a bunch of other princesses as well. But unlike CRT, you’ll only use 1 table credit for Akershus, and if you score an early breakfast reservation, you could walk right onto Frozen Ever After before the park opens. We loved the atmosphere of Akershus, and when Cinderella realized our Glass Slipper was wearing an identical dress, she was delighted. “You have a fairy godmother too???”
Is Cinderella your favorite princess? What is your favorite Cinderella experience? What Cinderella themed activity would you like to see in the parks? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!