Epcot’s Norway Pavillion is home to Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. For Princess fans, Akershus is a magical Disney World experience and we love to dine there as a special treat for our very own princess-loving trio!
For those of you considering princess dining at Disney World, we wanted to share our review and experiences of Akershus, our thoughts on whether it is worth it and how it compares to Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Located in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot, Akershus Royal Banquet is a medieval castle with high ceilings, medieval flags and soaring archways.
Food is served family-style to the table and guests are joined by 4 or 5 Dinsey Princesses during their meal.
How to Reserve Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Akershus Princess Dining is extremely popular and reservations are usually snapped up shortly after the advance dining window opens.
Guests with a Disney Resort Hotel reservation can make reservations 60 days + length of stay (up to a maximum of 10 nights) in advance. All other guests can make reservations up to 60 days in advance, with reservations opening at 6am EST 60 days out.
We always sign up for Mouse Dining – Mouse Dining is a dining alert service where you can set text alerts for your preferred days and times if you don’t get your favored appointment times. It’s a Disney must-have for us and we always manage to secure our desired reservations by setting Mouse Dining alerts.
You sign up, and set alerts to your desired reservations (e.g. 8am Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, lunch at Akershus). As soon as a cancellation is made, the dining alert service will alert you via email and/or text so you can reserve it immediately.
There is a free service (email only, 6 alerts) but we use the monthly subscription ($9, email and text alerts, includes international texts) in the months leading up to our Walt Disney World visits. If you want one of the highly sought-after reservations like Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or Cinderella’s Royal Table then we’d recommend the paid monthly subscription as you can set up alerts for all your planned park days and we always notice the text alerts instantly.
Akershus Princess Dining tip: we rely heavily on dining alerts in the run up to all our Walt Disney World and Disneyland California trips and we’ve always been able to secure a reservation. We’ve tried a few services and always return to Mouse Dining as their alerts are super speedy and reliable. Make sure to practice with an easy-to-secure reservation so you know the exact process – check out Mouse Dining here!
The Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
There are typically five Princesses at Akershus – Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and either Tiana or Cinderella.
Of course, the Princesses in attendance are not guaranteed and, on our most recent visit, we met 4 Princesses. Snow White, Ariel, Tiana and Belle were in Akershus during our meal.
Food and Drinks at Akershus
Akershus serves up Norwegian-inspired fare in family-style dining. Guests are served sharing platters to dish up among the table and the menu is fixed.
The breakfast offering includes pastries, scrambled eggs, potato casserole and Norwegian waffles.
Lunch and dinner highlights include Norweigan meatballs, grilled salmon, Norweigan chicken dumplings, mac and cheese and corn dogs.
The sides include a field green salad, green beans and mashed potatoes and gravy.
The dessert at Akershus is a platter with two Norwegian-inspired desserts – rice cream with strawberry sauce and chocolate mousse cake with blackberry cream.
One of the signature dishes at Akershus is the Lefse, a soft Norweigan flatbread, served with a melt-in-the-mouth Cardamom-Cinnamon Butter
Plant-based options are available including plant-based bratwurst and gelato and olive-oil mashed potatoes.
Drinks at Akershus
Water, soft drinks and tea and coffee are included in the dining cost at Akershus. Speciality and alcoholic drinks are available at an additional cost.
We asked about the famous Viking Coffee served in Norway (in Epcot) and it was quickly delivered to our table despite not being on the menu!
Is Akershus Worth it?
Yes! We really love Akershus and it’s one of our favorite in-park character dining experiences in Walt Disney World.
Norway is one of the best pavilions at Epcot – it’s also home to the Frozen Ever After attraction, the Anna and Elsa meet and greet at Royal Sommerhus and it’s where you can find one of Epcot’s best snacks, the School Bread – and we love stopping by Akershus and meeting the princesses when we visit.
We really enjoy the lunch/dinner sharing platter and the mac and cheese, corn dogs and mash are great options for kids. The ambience is fantastic and the Disney Princesses are incredible to meet.
Cinderella’s Royal Table or Akershus?
We love both!
There are different Princesses at both restaurants. Cinderella, Aurora, Jasmine, Snow White, and Ariel are at Cinderella’s Table, with Merida sometimes taking the place of Snow White in recent months. At Akershus, Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and either Tiana or Cinderella are in attendance.
We find the atmosphere more laid back at Akershus and the restaurant is usually less busy so the Princess interactions are fantastic.
The food style varies at the two restaurants – Akershus is family-style platters while guests can order a 3-course meal off the menu at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
Dining at Akershus is a little less expensive – it costs $69 for an adult breakfast at CRT vs $55 at Akershus and $84 for an adult lunch/dinner at CRT vs $67 for Akershus.
However, it’s hard to choose between the two so we usually end up dining at both!
Everything you need to know about Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Here’s everything else you might be wondering about Princess Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Walt Disney World:
Which Princesses attend Princess Dining?
Typically, you will meet 5 Princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. Snow White, Aurora, Belle and Ariel appear at most sittings with Cinderella or Tiana sharing the last Princess spot!
Akershus Princess Dining tip: the character line up is never guaranteed. We met four Princesses on our most recent visit to Akershus.
For comparison, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Aurora and Snow White are usually in attendance at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom although we did have Merida take the place of Snow White on a recent visit – the lineup varies occasionally and we love having a new Princess to meet with!
What days/times is the Princess Dining at Akershsus?
Currently, princess dining is available daily at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. There are 3 sittings: breakfast is served from 8.30am to 12:10pm, lunch is served from 12.15pm to 4.40pm and dinner from 5.25pm to 8.05pm.
There is a separate menu for breakfast and the lunch and dinner menus are identical.
How much is Princess Dining at Akershus?
Breakfast costs $55 for adults/ $35 for kids plus tax and gratuity. Lunch and dinner cost $67 adults/$43 kids plus tax and gratuity.
Can I cancel reservations at Akershus Royal Dining?
At the moment, dining must be canceled or modified at least 2 hours in advance of reservations but, given this is princess dining, the rules can change. There is usually a $10/person fee for no-shows or late cancelations.
Do I need to reserve Princess Dining at Akershus?
Absolutely! Akershus is one of the most popular dining experiences at Epcot. All of the dining slots are regularly snapped up on release day (for guests with a Disney Resort hotel reservation, advance reservations for Akershus open at 6am 60 days + the duration of your stay (up to a maximum of 10 days). For all other guests, reservations open 60 days in advance starting at 6am EST).
Do kids dress up as Princesses/Princes?
Yes, for sure! Many of the young guests wear prince and princess costumes for their Royal dining – we picked up some lovely (and relatively inexpensive) outfits prior to travelling. Our 5-year-old was adorable in his Prince Charming costume as was our 3-year-old in her Princess dress. You can also purchase dresses in the parks (try Magic Kingdom and the Bibbidi Boddidi Boutique if you have a reservation.
Adults were dressed casually and we wore our regular theme park clothes.
Is there a PhotoPass Photographer at Cinderella’s Royal Table?
There are no PhotoPass photographers in Akershus but you are more than welcome to take photos.
Do the Princesses sign autograph books at Akershus?
Yes! All the Princesses will sign books during the meal.
How long does the Princess Dining at Akershus take?
I’d say allow around 1.5 hours in total: it takes around 1 to 1.5 hours to dine and then you need to allow some time for check-in and waiting to be called for dining.
Do I need a theme park ticket/reservation to attend Akershus?
Yes, Akershus is located in Epcot and a theme park ticket (either a single park Epcot ticket or a Park Hopper) is required. Reservations are no longer necessary for most ticket types.
Where else can I meet the Princesses at Walt Disney World?
In Magic Kingdom, you can dine with the Princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table.
As well as dining, there are loads of opportunities to meet the Princesses at Walt Disney World. From meeting the Princesses at the Fairytale Hall to Ariel in her Grotto and Frozen’s Anna and Elsa in their Royal Sommerhus, we love meeting the Princesses across Walt Disney World.
For more on where to meet the Princesses at Walt Disney World, check out our guide which includes all the Princess Meet and Greets, dining, attractions and parades across Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.
Younger guests can also enjoy a transformation at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Magic Kingdom – our kids love the royal makeovers at BBB! If our schedules work out, we always reserve Bibbidi Bobbidi prior to Cinderella’s Royal Table or Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.
Do I leave a gratuity at Akershus?
Akershus is not prepaid so you need to add a gratuity to your check on the day.
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