My Son Fell in Love
Posted by Cate O’Malley on Well Fed on the Town.
Recently my family took a short trip to Disneyworld, which was my son’s first time there. And while there, he fell in love. Her name is Cinderella. It started slowly, seeing the castle from afar, and hearing talk that we would be dining with her, and then all the sudden, wham!
We had lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table on our first full day in Florida, eating lunch in her Castle in the Magic Kingdom. The other princesses (Jasmine, Belle, and Snow White) flit about the dining room, pausing at each table to talk to their little guests and pose for memory-creating pictures. It’s not cheap, and the food is really nuthin’ special, but the memory it created for my son made it worth every penny.
Two days later, we went back to the Magic Kingdom at night, to whiz around on a few rides and catch the Light Parade and the nightly fireworks. When we got there, the inside of Cinderella’s Castle was open so you could walk straight through (it wasn’t open when we ate there). I pointed out the castle to Nicholas and told him that this time we could walk right through it. “Really, mama?” he asked, squeezing my hand. “Yup, really.” He paused in front of the castle to take a good hard look at it, appreciating the different view at night, and turned to me and said, “Thank you for taking me through the castle, Mama.” God, I love that kid.
So, the food … this is one of the few character meals in Disneyworld that you have to prepay for, due to its popularity and small dining room. We choose lunch, figuring we’d get the best bang for our buck. When you enter the castle, there is a small line waiting to meet Cinderella and pose for pictures. While you’re eating, the staff brings you your pictures, included in the cost of the meal (thank goodness!). Choices for the kid selections included the standard chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese. Adults started out with a little tasting tray of cheeses, meats and a salad, and the main course options include a foccacia sandwich and salmon. Like I said, nuthin’ special. Dessert was included, and for the kids’ sundaes, it featured a chocolate crown.
After we returned home, and Nicholas was back in school, he told me that he told his teacher of his time with Cinderella, finishing it with, “I have a little crush on her.” He cracks me up.
