Royal Table breakfast early entry?

I feel like I’ve seen this info in blog posts or articles but my google-fu is failing me and all I’m finding are Discussion posts that are a little dated.

I just succeeded in grabbing an early Royal Table breakfast reservation for this Oct! They went fast so I’m feeling really lucky. Now I’m trying to find the details of exactly how early I need to be at the front gates of the MK to get in. I know that they allow dining reservations in earlier than everyone else but I wasn’t sure what the window was. One hour early? Thirty minutes early?

We’ve got 8:15am reservations, the earliest the system would allow. But we had to split our group of 6 into 2 because the bigger tables went faster than I could get them. So we want to be at the check-in booth as early as possible so we can request the 2 groups are close to each other before the other tables start to fill in.

As I said I feel like that info was in a blog post at one point but I just can’t find it. And I’m hoping for up to date details with all the new covid/Early Park Entry/any other rules that have changed in the past year.

Will you be staying on-site?

On site, the group is in 2 different hotels. Poly and Old Key West. I can calculate the travel times for each group, I just need to know what is the earliest time that they’ll let us through the MK gates.

Both groups are eligible for early entry at 8:30 but the dining reservation lets us in even earlier.

You are willing to give up your 30 minute early entry for this breakfast?

They most likely will let you through the gates before 8 and though the checkpoint before 8:15 but it sounds like you have the first serving. I would expect you will be out after 9?

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Following bc I have an 8:15 also - but in September, before early entry is supposed to start.
I was wondering how it was going to play out.

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Yep! My dads family started going to Disney World when it opened and went back every year. When Royal Table became a thing it was one of their standards each trip. I can’t get lunch or dinner so it’s worth losing the early morning to get him seated inside that restaurant with my kids.

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So, aside from any PPO angle, what’s the collective wisdom on CRT breakfast v lunch v supper?

cost?

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Mostly cost, yes. If all you want is the experience of eating in the castle, then breakfast is the smarter choice, if you don’t care about the early entry time you might be missing.
I would also say that the food at breakfast is a lot more approachable if you have unadventurous eaters.

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Well it looks like the cost of lunch and supper are the same, and the menu appears to be the same.
So unless I’m missing something re crowds or lighting or princesses, the lunch v supper is a toss up.

Breakfast is cheaper but honestly I’m eating in a castle for the experience not as an austerity measure, so it’s not my primary concern. Of course one has to deconflict Early Entry (or whatever it is called). But maybe it’s a better spread? The menu doesn’t seem to be up.

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Availability was the big thing for me. I tried to get lunch or dinner the day reservations opened but there was nothing available due to people booking with length of stay windows. Since Disney only just added the breakfast this morning, I had a chance to be faster than everyone else and I lucked out.

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I think eating in the castle is the treat itself. The food has been meh. If it’s normal breakfast fair but you can beat the crowds then the added cost might be worth it.

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oh yeah. I’m sure I’ll gratefully snag whatever they offer.

Try to book Royal Table before you do any of your other meals. Even if MK is the last day of your 5 day trip, you book Royal Table first. Going in chronological order through all of your other reservations first will mean that all the RT seats are gone by the time you get there.

Being in the system at 6am wasn’t enough to get me lunch or dinner on my original booking date. It only barely got me anything today when the breakfasts were brand new in the system.

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Circling back on topic though, does anyone remember an article or blog post that says how early they’ll let you in the front gate if you have a breakfast reservation? I swear I’ve seen that detail somewhere but I just can’t find it right now.

I got 8:20 for CRT, just kept checking, checking, checking. (I got that an hour ago, on the Web, not app)

We are staying off-site. Don’t eat much, so it is about the experience vs the food. It’s $42 vs normal $62.

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Are you using Disney buses? I’d opt for bus stops at about 6:55 to grab the first MK bus you can.

Travel time isn’t my concern. I can calculate that if I know when is the earliest time we will be allowed through the gates with breakfast reservations.

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I don’t think we know because there aren’t currently any pre RD breakfasts happening. It used to be 7.45 for a 9am opening, breakfasts started at 8. I’d aim for that.

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Everyone is through the gate before your reservation, right? I don’t think you will be let in any earlier than anyone else. You most likely will be sent to a check point in the hub.

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