Inside Disneyland’s $15,000 21 Royal Dining Experience | Eater
"A wildly exclusive, theatrical private-dining experience perched above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction that converts the park’s former Dream Suite into an intimate salon for 12. For roughly $1,250 per person guests receive VIP trappings — valet at the Grand Californian, park-hopper tickets, a chained-off staircase entrance, signature cocktails and a seven-course, chef-curated meal with wine pairings — all delivered amid richly themed, Dorothea Redmond–inspired interiors (Victorian living room, pastel-pink patio, balconied views of Rivers of America) and playful in-suite effects (a model train, mermaids in a grotto, a musical grandfather clock). The cuisine mixes refined technique with Disney-style theatricality: highlights included Osetra caviar with Alaskan king crab, a tidepool-inspired seafood course finished table-side with sea urchin foam, foraged-chanterelle and corn-egg dumplings, A5 wagyu/Kobe pastrami, spicy curried pheasant and a peach “snowball” dessert, all shepherded by a knowledgeable sommelier. The experience’s real currency is access and storytelling — private views of Fantasmic! and museumlike décor — though critics note the meal’s brisk pace (about 19 minutes per course), some limitations on guest privileges (no overnight stays or videography, restricted post-show service) and an overall price that buys exclusivity and nostalgia more than culinary innovation alone." - Carlye Wisel
