I spent $72 to dine with princesses at Disney World's castle-themed restaurant. The all-you-can-eat meal was great, but I don't need to do it again.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is a character-dining experience at Epcot.

The all-you-can-eat, family-style spot is located in the World Showcase at Epcot and serves Norwegian-inspired favorites.

It's currently one of two character-dining experiences at Disney World where you can meet the princesses. The other is Cinderella's Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, which recently restarted its character offerings. 

It took me nearly three weeks to snag a reservation.

The restaurant temporarily closed at the start of the pandemic in 2020, but it reopened at the end of last year. 

It only serves dinner and accepts reservations between 2:45 p.m. and 8:05 p.m. As a result, trying to find a slot was very time-consuming.

I checked the My Disney Experience app at least twice a day to see if any reservations appeared and eventually snagged one. 

We checked in through the app and with a host in front of the restaurant.

Our reservation was scheduled for 3 p.m., and we were able to check in on the app 15 minutes prior.

At 3:05, we were still waiting, so my party went to confirm with the host. It's a good thing we did because I'm not sure our mobile check-in actually went through. 

The restaurant doesn't have a formal waiting area like many others at the parks, so people were waiting near the front of the restaurant for their name to be called or for a text to come through.

We were called to our table at 3:15, which I was pleasantly surprised by considering how many other people were also waiting to be seated. 

I was blown away by the restaurant's beautiful interior, especially the glass windows, large archways, and chandeliers.

The inside of the restaurant was absolutely gorgeous, and I truly felt like I was dining in a medieval castle. 

I was surprised by how big the restaurant was, and that it had multiple rooms. But I was glad my party was seated in the main dining room — I thought it really provided the best possible experience. 

Our server started us off with a plate of lefse with cardamom-cinnamon butter.

The all-you-can-eat dinner costs $63 for adults and $41 for children ages 3 to 9.

Our server started our meal by bringing us a plate of lefse, a soft flatbread, with cardamom-cinnamon butter. 

This was my first time eating lefse, and I wasn't the biggest fan but was happy I tried it. I thought the sweetness of the cardamom-cinnamon butter complemented the bread. 

We then received the field-greens salad with lingonberry vinaigrette.

The salad was very delicious. The tomatoes were fresh, the greens were very tasty, and the dressing paired well.

Our main course consisted of traditional Norwegian-inspired dishes.

For two people, I thought the amount of food was substantial. We were served meatballs, salmon, red cabbage, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and macaroni and cheese.

But I was disappointed by how small the piece of salmon was. For two adults, this was unfortunate, considering it was arguably the most elevated offering on the plate.

Luckily, we were able to ask for more.

I thought the mashed potatoes were really delicious and creamy, and I especially enjoyed the gravy. 

I wasn't as much of a fan of the macaroni and cheese. But I liked that it was a food I was familiar with, in case I didn't particularly enjoy the new foods I was trying.  

Aside from that dish, I appreciated how the food stayed true to the Norwegian theming.

 

My favorite part of the meal was the Norwegian chicken and dumplings.

Alongside the main dish, our server brought us a bowl of Norwegian chicken and dumplings.

I absolutely loved this dish. It almost reminded me of a thick and creamy chicken-noodle soup. 

I wish the soup was served throughout the park in small tins. 

Our server was Norwegian, as were many of the workers at the restaurant.

It was such a pleasure chatting with our server, Tina, who was from Norway. Since I'd never been there before, I asked her a bunch of questions. 

I think it's such a magical touch that many of the employees working at the restaurant are from Norway. And it was really cool getting to learn something new. 

I'm glad I saved room for dessert.

For dessert, our table was given a plate of riskrem, or rice cream, which is a classic Norwegian treat typically served at Christmastime. It came with strawberry sauce.

We also got a chocolate roulade (rolled cake) with lingonberry cream. 

Both desserts were fantastic, and I was equally impressed with them. I liked that there's an option for those who like chocolate and one for those who prefer fruity desserts. 

We had the opportunity to meet and take photos with five princesses throughout the meal.

Throughout my meal, I had the opportunity to snap some photos with Belle, Jasmine, Aurora, Snow White, and Ariel, which was really cool.

My favorite princess is Belle, so I was ecstatic when she made her way to our table. 

Even though the restaurant was crowded, I didn't feel like the character interactions were rushed. I was able to take multiple photos with each princess, which I enjoyed as someone who likes interacting with characters. 

We also got a princess autograph card.

I didn't bring my autograph book, so I was happy to receive an autographed card with some signatures on it. 

If you're looking to collect autographs, this card contains signatures from Ariel, Tiana, Snow White, Belle, Mulan, Aurora, Cinderella, and Jasmine. 

Akershus may be worth a try the next time you're at Epcot if you're looking to meet princesses and enjoy some delicious cuisine.

Although I dined with my sister, we each paid separately. With my 10% annual-passholder discount, the bill came out to $72.39 after the tip. 

The food was delicious, and I had a really wonderful time at this character-dining experience, but there's no denying it was very costly. I don't think I'd personally come here in the future — once was enough. 

Since I'm a local with an annual pass, I can meet the princesses regularly at the theme parks. I'd rather not spend that much more to meet them in a restaurant. 

But I'd highly recommend Akershus to families, first-time guests, or anyone celebrating a special occasion. If you're short on time, it's a great way to meet several princesses while enjoying a meal.