Hi Kristin,
I'm excited to hear that you'll get to take your princess to
Akershus Royal Banquet Hall for a special and delicious lunch! When my family dined there, my daughters were SO excited to meet the princesses that we kept having to remind them that it was also mealtime!
As for royal attire, I'd see what your princess wants to do. Some little girls do wear dresses all day long while some decide to change prior to their meal. A trip to the Walt Disney World Resort is definitely a special occasion, so if it works for your family to let your princess dress up all day long, feel free to do so! (Just don't forget comfy shoes. Princess meltdowns over tired or blistered feet aren't pretty!) My family prefers to bring a small drawstring backpack that we either keep with us or store in a
locker with princess attire and change right before the meal to make the meal something extra special. An added benefit with changing beforehand is that we don't have to worry about any special accommodations that a royal princess might need when climbing in and out of attraction vehicles or moving about in a crowd. I will never forget my daughter's beaming face when she donned her Cinderella gown prior to a character dinner and came out of the restroom with her head held high, demonstrating her very fanciest princess walk, (plastic) glass slippers and all. She went in to the restroom a regular seven-year-old girl and came out a true princess. It was a pretty special moment for our family.
Thanks so much for visiting us at the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Kristin, and please stop by again if you have any other questions as you're planning your trip. I hope that you and your princess have a truly magical vacation!
Missy