Staying in the Cinderella Castle Suite at Magic Kingdom is a bucket list dream for a lot of Walt Disney World fans, and now, it’ll be possible for the first time in forever thanks to Give Kids the World! This covers details of the giveaway and fundraiser, what’s included in this exclusive vacation package, the actual retail value of a night inside the suite, and much more.
We’ve been fortunate enough to step inside the Cinderella Castle Suite twice, and it’s absolutely incredible. The accommodations are truly fit for royalty, with regal attention to detail and lavish flourishings everywhere you look. For those fans who bemoan who hotel rooms at Walt Disney World are becoming generic and unthemed…this is the exact opposite of that.
Every inch of the Cinderella Castle Suite is meticulously detailed and thoughtfully themed. Not only that, but the design is incredibly clever, showcasing Imagineering at the top of its design game. Space in the suite is utilized brilliantly, transforming what’s in reality a pretty small space into something that feels extravagant.
For those unfamiliar with it, the Cinderella Castle Suite is actually a relatively recent addition that’s not nearly as old as the 50+ year old centerpiece of Magic Kingdom. The Cinderella Castle Suite opened in January 2007, and its purpose at that time was to serve as a daily prize for randomly chosen guests during the Year of a Million Dreams.
Prior to that, it was a utilitarian backstage storage space; before that, Walt Disney World phone operators used it as a workspace. (Talk about the ultimate office!) The Cinderella Castle Suite is seldom used these days, save for giveaways or when celebrities like Mariah Carey or Tom Cruise make a special visit.
Honestly, we haven’t heard anything about celebrity stays or giveaways in the Cinderella Castle Suite for the most of the last three years. In today’s era of social media, we’d probably have a pretty good idea if The Rock, Ryan Gosling, Blake Lively, or other Disney-obsessed celebrities (or frequent film stars) recently had the chance to spend the night in Cinderella Castle.
Given that the last big push for the Cinderella Castle Suite was in 2019, our guess is that the last few years of staffing shortages and things slowly going back to normal have put a pause on plans to use the space. Accordingly, our hope is that the new Give Kids the World fundraiser that offers the chance to win a stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite is yet another sign that nature is healing, and the coolest hotel room in all of Walt Disney World will once again be used more frequently.
Anyway, let’s dig into the details of the giveaway!
Give Kids The World Village is offering the chance for one lucky winner and three guests to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime Magical Celebration Vacation Package featuring a one-night stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite, located inside the iconic Cinderella Castle four stories above the Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World Resort.
From August 16, 2023 through October 16, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern, Disney fans can enter for the chance to stay overnight inside Cinderella Castle Suite and be treated like royalty during this unique fairy tale experience. But there’s more to the prize package than just one enchanted evening! This dream Walt Disney World vacation package includes the following:
- 1-night stay at the Cinderella Castle Suite in Magic Kingdom for up to four (4) persons.
- Breakfast for up to four (4) persons at Cinderella’s Royal Table the morning of your checkout from the Cinderella Castle Suite.
- 2-night resort stay in a standard room at a Deluxe Resort, subject to availability for up to four (4) persons.
- Up to four (4) 3-day Theme Park Tickets with Park Hopper Option for 3 days of fun for up to four (4) persons.
- $500 Disney Gift Card for prize winner.
- Domestic roundtrip coach airfares for the prize winner and their travel party (up to four (4) persons total), provided the prize winner and traveling party reside outside a 200-mile radius of Orlando, from the major United States gateway airport closest to the prize winner’s residence to Orlando International Airport.
Behind the Cinderella Castle’s glowing stained glass windows, the Cinderella Castle Suite is a study in opulence.
Designed to resemble a 17th century French chateau, the ornately-decorated Cinderella Castle Suite features coffered ceilings, an antique limestone fireplace topped with a ‘magical’ portrait of Cinderella, elaborate mosaics and murals, and luxurious furnishings fit for a princess or prince…plus a gilded clock stuck permanently at 11:59 p.m., since Cinderella’s magic spell ended at midnight.
Prize package recipients are not the only ones who will come away with cherished memories for a lifetime. Proceeds from this coveted chance to win will benefit Give Kids The World Village, an 89-acre, whimsical nonprofit resort in Central Florida that provides critically ill children and their families from around the world with life-changing week-long, cost-free wish vacations.
Give Kids the World vacations include transportation; accommodations; all meals and snacks; donated theme park tickets to Walt Disney World Resort and other area attractions; nightly entertainment; daily gifts; and more. Since 1986, more than 188,000 wish families from all 50 states and 77 countries have been welcomed to the Village to spend priceless time together away from hospital stays and medical treatments.
“We are grateful to our wonderful friends at Walt Disney World Resort for their tremendous generosity,” said Give Kids The World President & CEO Pamela Landwirth. “With the Village full, support is needed now more than ever before to ensure we can continue our 37-year legacy of creating happiness, promoting optimism, and inspiring hope for the precious wish families we serve; and what a truly magical way of making that possible!”
Check-in for the Cinderella Castle Suite is at 4:00 PM and check-out is at 9:00 AM. The 2-night resort stay at a Deluxe Resort hotel may take place before or after the stay at the Cinderella Castle Suite. Travel for this Walt Disney World Vacation Package must be completed by November 30, 2024, and is subject to availability and block-out dates. Advance reservations are required, and requests must be submitted ninety (90) days in advance and confirmed at least forty-five (45) days prior to arrival.
The “ARV” is $9,308. The actual value of the Vacation Package may vary depending on dates of stay, point of departure and fluctuations of rates and airfares. Any difference between the ARV and the actual value of the prize will not be awarded. There are a bunch of other disclaimers, rules, and requirements that can be found in the contest rules.
The most important two things are that the approximate retail value of the vacation package is $9,308. This is the estimated value of the entire Walt Disney World vacation package, and not just the night in Cinderella Castle.
This means that we can take the known approximate costs of everything else in the package, remove those from the equation, and come up with an ballpark “price” for a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite. At least, according to Walt Disney World. So here goes:
- Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table for 4: $260
- 2-night Deluxe Resort standard room stay: $938 to $2,558
- 3-day Park Hopper ticket for 4: $419 to $580
- $500 Disney Gift Card for prize winner: $500
- Airfare for 4: $800 to $2,000
Total: $2,917 to $5,898
Obviously, that’s a huge range–and is still imperfect because airfare is such a wildcard, and the potential party size could also vary. Nevertheless, from that we can conclude that Walt Disney World considers the approximate retail value of one night in the Cinderella Castle Suite to be around $3,410 to $6,391.
That might seem like a lot of money, but it’s almost certainly way too low if we’re trying to determine the fair market value–or what people would pay for a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite in an open and free market. The scarcity of the suite coupled with the number of diehard Walt Disney World fans and affluent individuals craving an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime experience would almost certainly drive the price much, much higher.
What the fair market value of a stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite would be if it were open 365 nights per year is anyone’s guess. There’s likely a lot of fan demand, plus an endless stream of disposable wealth that could sustain insanely high prices. My guess is around $10,000 per night for the suite alone. Perhaps even higher for the first few years.
It might seem like we’ve just been down this path with Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which failed and is now closing because it couldn’t find an audience at its price point, but this is definitely different. For one thing, there’s one room instead of 100.
For another thing, it’s a stay in Cinderella Castle. Starcruiser had a ton of issues beyond pricing, including but not limited to conveying to casual guests what it was, the limited audience for LARPing, experience time commitments, and much more. By contrast, the appeal of spending a night inside Magic Kingdom and staying in the Cinderella Castle Suite is self-evident. There’s immediate appeal and understanding in those 3 words, and a ton of interest among Disney diehards, regular ole rich people, and…pretty much everyone! Who wouldn’t want to spend the night in a castle?!
Beyond the awesomeness of staying in Cinderella Castle Suite, there’s also the awesomeness of Give Kids the World. We’ve asked readers to support Give Kids the World with past fundraising initiatives, and we’re doing the same today.
Please enter this Cinderella Castle Suite contest to support Give Kids the World! Even if you lose–and let’s be honest, you probably will!–you still win, because this is such a tremendous cause that’s more than deserving your support.
Sarah and I strongly believe in the organization’s mission, and have been moved by our visits to the Village. It’s evident in the enthusiasm of the families staying, the passion of the volunteers and staff, and the collaborative sense of community leaders that help make Give Kids the World Village something special–something magical.
If you want to see more glimpses of the rooms inside the suite, check out our Cinderella Castle Suite Photo Tour post (that bathroom is beyond belief!).
In that, we also cover why it’s not realistic for Walt Disney World to use this on a nightly basis for Make a Wish families or even cash bookings. Nevertheless, it feels almost criminal that it just sits empty most nights.
Ultimately, it’s great to see that Walt Disney World is once again putting the Cinderella Castle Suite to use after a few years of it pretty much sitting empty every single night. It’s even better to see that the first giveaway in ages is going to support Give Kids the World–we cannot think of a fundraiser for a more deserving organization, and one with a ‘distinctly Disney’ connection.
Obviously, it’s great that the Cinderella Castle Suite is put to use from time to time for charity. Even that is pretty infrequent, though, and it’s really unfortunate that this incredible space isn’t used on a nightly basis (or even more frequently, by bringing back tours of it!). Going forward, it’d be cool if there were a more egalitarian approach to Walt Disney World offering nights in the Cinderella Castle Suite on a regular basis, such as the random giveaways like during the Year of a Million Dreams. It was always incredibly exciting to see someone who was randomly selected return from their trip and post about it. You couldn’t help but feel happy for the winners, albeit with just a bit of good-natured jealousy. Few prizes at Walt Disney World are quite as exciting as a night in the Cinderella Castle Suite!
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Happy to see that Walt Disney World is bringing back contests for overnight stays in the Cinderella Castle Suite? Pleased that the first fundraiser in ages is to support Give Kids the World? What would YOU pay to spend a night here (assuming no budgetary limitations)? Do you wish that Walt Disney World bring back random, daily giveaways of the Cinderella Castle Suite? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
