Credit: DisneyOne of the most controversial Disney resort entry rules has just been lifted.
Whether it’s your first visit or your hundredth visit, every trip to Disney is a whole new experience. From Disneyland Resort all the way to Tokyo Disney Resort, each Disney location is packed with so many rides, characters, foods, and tiny, immersive details that you truly cannot have the same day twice.
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Every diehard Disney regular will tell you that, often, the hotels are worth just as much exploration as the theme parks they serve. Disney is the expert at immersive lodging, with resorts inspired by everything from Cars (2006), The Little Mermaid (1989), and The Lion King (1994) (Disney’s Art of Animation) to life in the wilderness (Disney’s Wilderness Lodge).
Lately, its hotels have taken things to a whole new level immersion-wise. Some of the most recent locations to debut include Toy Story Hotel at Tokyo Disney Resort, where guests experience life as a toy the same size as Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends, and the now-closed Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, in which guests embarked upon a two-night role-playing adventure to a galaxy far, far away.
Then there’s Pixar Place Hotel – Disneyland Resort’s latest hotel addition that replaced Paradise Pier Hotel with new theming inspired by (you guessed it) Pixar Animation, including live lobby performances by Joe Gardner from Soul (2020). Just as its predecessor tied into Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure Park, this also ties nicely into the area’s replacement, Pixar Pier.
In January, another immersive hotel opened – or, to be more accurate, reopened – at Disneyland Paris. The park’s most luxurious hotel, Disneyland Hotel, wrapped up a three-year makeover which saw it adopt a new Disney Princess theme.
As part of this makeover, rooms were transformed into regal lodging inspired by princesses such as Rapunzel, Tiana, Raya, and Elsa, with a view of the resort’s main theme park, Disneyland Park. If you book the Deluxe Experience, you could find yourself in a Deluxe Room, as well as check-in at a private reception and gain access to the Deluxe Lounge with a view of Fantasia Gardens.
Guests paying for this luxury (which can cost upwards of $1,000 per night) also received the perk of being able to book private 15-minute meet-and-greets with select princesses and enjoy exclusive access to the hotel’s two dining experiences.
The first is La Table de Lumière – the hotel’s “finest” restaurant where princes and princesses visit diners as they eat – which boasts dishes such as roasted sea bass, pan-fried French beef, and organic Ile-de-France region pasta for a cool €60 per child, and $120 per adult.
The second, Royal Banquet, is also a character dining experience where Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and friends visit guests dressed in royal attire during an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Until now, both restaurants have been limited to guests with a confirmed reservation at Disneyland Hotel. This hasn’t exactly gone down well with non-hotel guests, who have complained that it adds an extra paywall to the resort – especially considering the fact that you also need to join a virtual queue through the Lineberty app to visit the hotel at all without a reservation.
This week, however, this rule has been partially lifted as all guests are now able to book a meal at Royal Banquet!
🍽️ Starting today, Royal Banquet Restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel is accessible and bookable for all Guests, via the Disneyland Paris App or call center.
🍽️ Starting today, Royal Banquet Restaurant at the Disneyland Hotel is accessible and bookable for all Guests, via the Disneyland Paris App or call center. pic.twitter.com/cLshtLu9XN
— DLP Report (@DLPReport) June 13, 2024
As per a notice on the Disneyland Paris website, non-hotel guests can book breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Royal Banquet up to two months in advance. Like other restaurants at the resort – such as PYM Kitchen at Walt Disney Studios Park and Plaza Gardens Restaurant at Disneyland Park – reservations can be placed via the Disneyland Paris app and website.
For now, there’s no word on when or if the restrictions will be lifted on La Table de Lumière, but we’ll keep you updated on any changes.
Elsewhere at Disneyland Paris, major changes are afoot. Walt Disney Studios Park is currently in the middle of a total renovation that will see it become Disney Adventure World – complete with its own version of World of Frozen, a Tangled (2010) ride, and an entirely new entrance area (RIP Studio 1).
What’s your favorite Disney hotel?