When it comes to dining with royalty (aka Disney Princesses), most folks will book Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom. However, did you know there’s a less expensive alternative in EPCOT?

Seriously, when it comes to Princess dining, we think everyone almost forgets about Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, where you can experience Princess Storybook Dining with many of your favorite Princesses while enjoying a family-style dining experience. So let’s head on over to EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion to check it out!

Atmosphere

The space inside Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is designed to look like a Norwegian castle. Even the outside of the restaurant has lots of nods to medieval architecture, including a shield and banner.

Once you step inside, you learn about the castle’s history and its story.

Inside, you’ll find more medieval nods, with stone archways and wooden trusses.

Banners with sigils hang from the ceilings, giving the feeling of a true Viking castle.

The restaurant has several dining rooms, but they all feel like they’re part of the castle thanks to stone and wooden accents. There’s plenty of seating with tables and chairs.

But enough about the restaurant — what’s on the menu here?!

Menu

You can grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Akershus with menus that feature family-style dining. We visited the restaurant for dinner, which is $69 for adults and $46 per child (ages 3-9). The menu features breads, cheeses, meats, entrees, and desserts. A plant-based option is also available. A variety of beverages are also available, including fountain beverages, specialty cocktails, as well as beer, cider, and wine.

And now, onto the main event — the food!

Characters

As this is a character dining experience, you can meet some of Disney’s most iconic Princesses here…and you’ll meet a LOT (we think this dining experience might even have more Princesses than Cinderella’s Royal Table). While we dined, we met Belle…

…Aurora…

…Merida…

…Tiana…

…and Snow White!

That’s a lot of Princesses, and they make their way around the room, so you’ll have a chance to say hello to each Princess and get photos.

Eats

The first course consists of Lefse with Cinnamon Butter, Selection of Cheeses, Grilled Nordic Shrimp Salad, and Princess Garden Greens with Lingonberry Vinaigrette.

The first course includes Lefse with Cinnamon Butter. Lefse is a traditional Norwegian flatbread made with riced potatoes. The lefse itself has a similar texture to a tortilla and has some brown caramelized parts that give it a nice flavor. Then it’s smothered in delicious cinnamon butter. This is the perfect way to start a meal. Soft, fluffy Bread rolls are also served with this course, and they, too, pair well with the cinnamon butter.

From the selection of cheeses we got, our favorite was the Caramel Cheese (or Brunost), which is a traditional Norwegian cheese that’s been boiled down until it caramelizes, giving it a brown color, and a lovely sweetness (although it has a hint of sharpness). It goes really well with bread! The other cheeses were pretty standard.

The Grilled Nordic Shrimp Salad was creamy and packed with flavor. The dill is the prevalent flavor, but combined with the sweetness of the shrimp, the crunchy cucumbers, and the cream sauce, it’s such a good combination of just everything.

The Princess Garden Greens had mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, and radishes, as well as some dill, poppy seeds, and other herbs. The salad is so light and crispy with a great variety of textures. The radishes offered a nice, slightly bitter flavor when added to the sweetness of the tomatoes. The Lingonberry Vinaigrette was just the icing on top. It seems like a simple salad, but it has complex flavors.

Main dishes include Norwegian Meatballs with Lingonberry Jam, Potatoes and Brown Gravy, Seared Salmon, Chicken, and Macaroni & Cheese.

The Norwegian Meatballs are flavorful balls of meat with that sweet and tart Lingonberry Jam on top. It’s such a nice contrast between savory and sweet.  Then you’ve got these smooth and creamy mashed potatoes with the perfect amount of seasoning. They’re topped with a delicious light brown gravy. There’s even a bit of dill on top that adds a nice herbiness. The mashed potatoes and gravy balance so well with the meatballs.

The Chicken honestly surprised us. It’s SO tender and juicy. The skin is well-cooked, and overall, it’s a delicious addition to the plate. Yes, it’s just really good chicken, but it adds to the overall dish.

The Macaroni and Cheese was a well-cooked pasta that’s just a little past al dente. The sauce is creamy, light, and cheesy, too. This side will please just about everyone, including picky eaters and children.

The seasonal vegetables were well-cooked, and we LOVED having the squash on the plate. It was cooked to where it’s still slightly crunchy. It also paired SO WELL with the chicken that we combined bits of the squash and chicken together. The asparagus, though, was disappointing. We thought it was a little overcooked and underseasoned.

Okay, now it’s time for dessert! You get The Royal Chef’s Dessert Plate, which has an assortment of Norwegian-inspired Desserts. They’re served in this tray that resembles a bird cage.

One of the desserts is Rice Pudding with Strawberry Sauce. It’s light and not too sweet. There’s a tiny bit of texture from the rice, but it’s mostly just creamy, with the strawberry adding the majority of the flavor. In the mouth, it almost feels like whipped cream with a hint of texture.

The Ariel Cake Pop is a dark chocolate cake pop coated with white chocolate. This also has a smooth texture with a wonderful, rich chocolate flavor that reminded us of brownie batter. This dessert is sure to please both kids and adults alike, especially those who love chocolate.

The Belle Dome has a crust that’s a spiced traditional Norwegian cookie. It’s like light gingerbread flavors that aren’t overpowering. The top is a creamy mousse that tastes like vanilla. The dessert is nice, but it doesn’t have as much flavor as the other two desserts.

So, should you head on over to EPCOT to dine with royalty?

Nosh or Not

This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if…

• You want to meet Disney Princesses. Yes, you can meet Princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table, but Akershus is a lot less chaotic and a lot easier to get reservations for. If you’re in EPCOT, this is where you go for Disney Princesses.
• You want more unique options you can’t find elsewhere. What sets Akershus apart from other restaurants is its focus on traditional Norwegian food, although there are some standard items that could please picky eaters, too.
• You want to eat somewhere with great theming. Akershus really feels like stepping into a medieval Norwegian castle, and it really makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a Norwegian fairy tale.

You should skip this Disney World spot if…

• You’re short on time or don’t want to commit to a full, sit-down meal. If you just want a quick bite to eat and don’t want to spend time at a sit-down character meal, which tends to take up a lot of time, you’ll want to head somewhere else.
• You aren’t hungry. Akershus is one of those restaurants where you need to bring a big appetite. The food here is all-you-care-to-enjoy, and the portion sizes are HUGE. It’s also hearty food that will fill you up, so if you want something lighter, head somewhere else.
• You aren’t really into Disney Princesses. Although the food is almost as much of a draw at Akershus as the characters, if you’re not really into the Princesses, this probably isn’t the place for you.

Overall

If we want a meal with Disney Princesses and don’t want the hassle of trying to get those hard-to-get reservations for Cinderella’s Royal Table, we’re heading to EPCOT to eat at Akershus. Not only do you get to meet a bevy of Disney Princesses, but you also get to dine on unique food you can’t find anywhere else in Disney World. It also costs less than Cinderella’s Royal Table. It’s a win-win.

In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more!

3 Magic Kingdom Restaurants the Experts Refuse to Book

Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments!