My family of 4 spent $290 on dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table in Disney World, and it was worth every penny

• My family of 4 ate dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom at Disney World.
• The restaurant is inside the castle, and the atmosphere and food are unforgettable.

As a travel agent at Marvelous Mouse Travels, I often get asked if the restaurant inside the castle at Disney World, Cinderella's Royal Table, is worth the money.

I used to recommend Be Our Guest more, but my most recent visit enthusiastically changed my mind.

Read on to see my family's full review.

The theming of the restaurant is straight out of a fairy tale

We entered through the castle lobby, which is adorned in medieval-looking decor including a suit of armor, tapestries, shields, and swords.

The children were given magic wands and toy swords while they waited, and we were quickly escorted upstairs into the main dining hall — a circular room decorated with colorful flags and stained-glass windows.

What I like most about Cinderella's Royal Table, over Be Our Guest, is it's a much smaller space, offering a more intimate experience. You truly feel like a special guest of the royalty.

The adults started the evening with a couple of wine flights

The restaurant has an extensive wine list and some fun wine flights. We were dining with another party, so we got to taste a wide range of options.

The Royal Sparkling flight and the Belle of the Ball flight were both exceptional and brought a special flair to the dinner.

The Enchantée Champagne brut was a table favorite, it's one of Disney's private labels that's only available inside Walt Disney World and Disney's California Adventure Park.

The restaurant only offers a prix-fixe menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Cinderella's Royal Table only offers a prix-fixe menu (for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), which is prepaid when you make your reservation.

We were there for dinner, so my husband and I ordered one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert for $62 an adult, and my children (both under 10) got one appetizer, one entrée, and a dessert for $37 each.

The kids' meals came with a choice of milk or apple juice. But my husband and I had to pay extra for alcoholic beverages.

Our appetizers were all pretty tasty

The soup of the day was a creamy mushroom, and it was absolutely delicious.

Although the charcuterie board was tasty, it needed some cheese pairing to make it something I'd order again.

The kids enjoyed their cheese and grapes and garden salad with ranch.

The character-dining experience at Cinderella's Royal Table was truncated during our visit

I've eaten in the castle a number of times over the years but always when it was a character-dining experience with the Disney princesses.

It was charming but never relaxing. Most of my time was spent taking pictures, talking to the princesses, and getting the autograph books ready to sign — I can't even recall one food item I ate during those meals.

During our most recent visit, however, most of the character portion of the experience was unavailable due to pandemic safety measures.

Only Cinderella was present, and she didn't visit individual tables.

While we enjoyed our appetizers, Cinderella visited the dining hall. She was announced with regal flair and waved to onlookers.

We were instructed to make a wish on the little stars that were at our table settings, and while the dining room dimmed and twinkle lights appeared, Cinderella granted them.

The children loved seeing her, and I much preferred this over having several princesses come to our table throughout our meal.

I actually got to enjoy my food this time, and the entrées were delicious

For the main course, most of us chose the tenderloin of beef with a Bordelaise sauce, which was served with whipped potatoes and cooked carrots.

Everyone enjoyed the dish. It was cooked to perfection — the beef tender and flavorful, the carrots delicious, and the whipped potatoes creamy and buttery.

My son is a mashed-potato connoisseur, and he gave it a big thumbs up.

My friend got the pan-seared scallops and said they were flavorful and filling. They were paired with pasta with sautéed onions, mushrooms, garlic, and a parmesan cream sauce.

The children's portions were large. Both of my kids chose the beef tenderloin with mac and cheese.

What's great about the kid's meals is they come with a choice of two sides, such as buttered corn, mashed potatoes, french fries, green beans, or rice pilaf.

The service was phenomenal — especially when our server brought us extra desserts

Our server was fabulous. She was attentive, offered great suggestions, and was kind enough to bring extra desserts so we could try all of the offerings.

The children enjoyed the build-your-own cupcakes and deemed them the best of the kid's desserts — the yogurt parfait and cookies-and-cream cheesecake mousse didn't pass muster.

The adult desserts were all tasty.

The signature Clock Strikes Twelve dessert, a dark-chocolate mousse with a caramel-and-crunchy-praline center served with hazelnut gelato, was my favorite. The presentation, adorned with a clock striking 12, is a fun detail.

Our meal was pricey, but it was worth it for the experience

We stayed for quite a while after dessert to enjoy a glass of champagne.

I'm not sure if it was the setting, the company, or the wine flights, but we all agreed our dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table was one we'd never forget — and it was certainly the best meal of the trip.

When we split the check, my family of four ended up paying $290. Although pricey, I highly recommend this experience for an adults-only meal or a special family adventure.