Mystery has surrounded the creation of the Beauty and the Beast-themed Be Our Guest Restaurant — Disney’s newest dining location — since we first saw the Be Our Guest Restaurant concept art!
From the announcement that beer and wine would be served for the first time at a Magic Kingdom restaurant to our most recent Be Our Guest guest review, we’ve explored the Beast’s domain from afar.
Be Our Guest Bridge Entrance
Well, not anymore. I finally was able to dine at the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom! And over the course of several meals I (and my various dining companions) ordered everything on the menu. (Well, the adult menu anyway.) I know how important it is to know what you’re getting when you’re planning your dining in Disney World, and I wanted to be thorough with this one for you guys.
After months (and months) of speculation about the decor and menu, stepping inside Be Our Guest Restaurant was truly exciting.
Be Out Guest Restaurant Check-In Area
After dining there several times this weekend, I’m anxious to bring to you my take on the food, beverages, and decor. So, let’s get started…
Atmosphere
Guests begin their experience by checking in at the Bridge entrance — a bit like a Gatekeeper’s area. This is where you make your requests for a dining room if you’d like — the Ballroom or West Wing (the Rose Gallery is usually used only for lunch, though some overflow tables are seated there during dinner currently).
Once you’re checked in, you’ll be given a pager and asked to wait on the bridge. Once your page goes off, head toward the large restaurant entrance to be greeted by the Beast’s servant who will take you to your table!
Be Our Guest Restaurant Entry Doors
Beast’s Servant Leads Us To Our Table
Once you’re inside the castle, be sure to peek into the Beast’s Study. It’s the room where lunch guests make their orders, and is located right through the hallway where the Knights are all whispering to one another!
In the study, you might see Beast himself greeting his guests!
This was a surprise for those of us dining at the restaurant the first night of reservations. We’d all been told that Beast would not appear, but at 45 minute intervals throughout the evening he walks through the restaurant (with great fanfare and cheering) and then settles in his study to greet guests who have finished dining.
I’m not sure how long this will go on or if it’s just a temporary test during the restaurant’s first week, but hopefully he’ll stick around!
Look to see if the Beast is greeting visitors in his study!
But all of that is for AFTER you’re finished dining. First, let’s get you to your table!
You’ll likely be seated in the Be Our Guest Restaurant Ballroom, which is the largest dining room (by far) with a grand atmosphere. It’s quite dark in here…and very, VERY loud.
Ballroom
The centerpiece of the room is the painted ceiling, adorned with winged cherubs (which I’m hearing are Imagineers’ babies?) and massive chandeliers!
Ballroom Seating
The best part about this room is the lovely snowfall projected outside the windows. Watch it for a while…it’s mesmerizing. You might even see a little flurry!
Snow outside of ballroom
Seating here is comfortable and elegant, with marble tables.
Ballroom Seating
All place settings at Be Our Guest are accentuated with a rose-folded napkin.
Rose napkin at table setting
Now, if you’re up for a cozier atmosphere, consider requesting the West Wing dining room when you check in. I did this for my last meal at Be Our Guest this week and have decided it’s definitely my favorite dining room in the restaurant!
Be Our Guest West Wing Dining Room
If you remember the film, this area was off-limits to Belle when she was in the castle. It held the Enchanted Rose and all of Beast’s belongings. The Enchanted Rose is still enchanted here! Its petals drop throughout the night…
West Wing Enchanted Rose
And when they drop, they signify the time limit the Beast has to break the spell! If he doesn’t find someone to love him before the petals all drop, he will remain the Beast forever!
You can see an intricate example of this in the portrait hanging over the fireplace. The portrait begins as a painting of the Prince.
Prince Portrait in the West Wing
And when petals fall, guests will hear a crash of thunder and see a flash of lightning as the portrait starts to transform into a painting of the Beast!
Watch Closely — The Prince Morphs into the Beast when Enchanted Rose Petals Fall
And here is the full transformation of the painting! It happens for only an instant while the lightning is flashing, then returns to the portrait of the Prince!
West Wing Beast Portrait
This happens about every 20 minutes during your meal, and the thunder in the room gets progressively louder and stronger as it builds up to the portrait change and petals dropping.
I heard several “unhappy” babies when that thunder was getting louder, and I know that I would have been freaking out as a little one (I still have to cover my ears to watch fireworks, though, so take that as you will!). You cannot hear the thunder in the Ballroom unless you’re sitting right next to the West Wing entrance.
The tables in the West Wing are warm wood with leather seats, and overall, I find this room much more enchanting and cozy than the Ballroom. I’ll be requesting this one from now on.
Be Our Guest West Wing Dining Room Table
Should there be overbooking on your visit to Be Our Guest for dinner, you might be seated in the Rose Gallery.
Usually used only for lunch, this dining room features portraits of many of the characters you’ll remember from Beauty and the Beast, and the centerpiece here is a massive music box made by Maurice (Belle’s father) for Belle and the Beast when they were married.
Rose Gallery Music Box and Chandelier
The figures turn and dance around while music-box versions of the soundtrack you hear throughout the restaurant play. Be sure to walk around the whole display, each side has a different front detail.
Now that you’re comfortably seated and ready to dine, let’s take a look at what’s available, shall we?
Eats
The overwhelming theme here at Be Our Guest Restaurant is the Enchanted Rose; you’ll find it here on the front of the menu as well as in mosaics, carvings, chairs, columns, and more throughout the restaurant!
See the full Be Our Guest Restaurant Dinner Menu here!
Menu Cover
In addition to the dinner menu, you’ll also be given a beer and wine menu! You can see the Be Our Guest Restaurant Beer and Wine Menus here. There’s a great selection of French wines and French and Belgian beers.
Our friends indulged in some red wine…
Wine
And my dining companion ran the gamut of beers over our several dinners here!
Hoegaarden Wit, Belgium Beer
Beer – Saison Dupont, Belgium
Chimay Blue Belgium beer
Kronenbourg 1664
I stuck to the All-Natural Fruit Punch with Organic Cane Juice and Wildberry Extract topped with lemon-lime foam. This was quite sour with the foam, so if you don’t like the first sip, mix in the foam so that you have a more even flavor.
All-Natural Fruit Punch – sweetened with organic cane juice and wildberry extract topped with lemon-lime foam
You can also order an All-Natural Lemonade with Wildberry Foam. Both of these specialty drinks can be ordered in a souvenir light-up goblet for $18.99.
Castle Souvenir Goblet
Warm bread rolls are brought to the table next, with generous pats of sea-salted butter. I have no idea if these were the same bread rolls that are served elsewhere in the Magic Kingdom (they sure do look the same), but served warm and fresh, they were delicious!
Bread
Of course, we wanted to sample everything on the menu during our several dining reservations (yep — I was on the phone REALLY early that day in August to get these reservations!), so throughout the meals we ordered every single appetizer.
First up, the Assorted Cured Meats and Sausages — a charcuterie board that serves two. This included Serrano ham, Smoked Virginia ham, caramelized pearl onions, Sun-Dried Tomato sausage, Apple Raisin sausage, Champagne pate, Chicken and Duck Liver pate, Soppressata, cornichons (little pickles), mustard, and toasted baguette.
The meats were served cold, and were very flavorful. This is definitely a choice for a more grown-up palate, however. The cured meats packed a real punch, and I particularly enjoyed the sun-dried tomato sausage.
Charcuterie Board – Assorted Cured Meats and Sausages served with cornichons, pickled onions, and toasted baguette (serves two)
I was excited to try the French Onion Soup, since it’s always been one of my favorites. It came out bubbly and gorgeous!
The Gruyere cheese was perfect on top, but I wish the broth had been a bit stronger. I found the soup to be a bit lacking in flavor, so if you like your French Onion soup dark and rich, you may be disappointed. Note that this broth is vegetarian, not beef-based.
French Onion Soup – topped with crouton and gruyere cheese
We also sampled the Potato Leek Soup, which was a true winner! Rich and creamy, the soup was thick with potato chunks and leeks, and had an incredible flavor.
Warning that some may find this a bit salty (a common grievance about several of the dishes), but I loved it!
Potato Leek Soup
The Mussels Provencal were absolutely gorgeous. With plenty of savory, buttery sauce, these were rated highly by my dining companion!
Mussels Provencal with white wine, tomato, garlic, onion, basil, and butter
And the Seasonal Salad Trio, including Roasted Beet, Gold Raisin, and Orange Salad; Green Bean, Tomato, and Roasted Shallot Salad; and Watermelon, Radish, and Mint Salad, may remind some diners of something they’d get at Sanaa or Boma in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!
An interesting addition to this French-inspired menu, but it definitely offers something different to try!
Seasonal Salad Trio — Roasted Beet, Gold Raisin, and Orange Salad; Green Bean, Tomato, and Roasted Shallot Salad; Watermelon, Radish, and Mint Salad
If you’d rather stick with familiar territory, try the Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette. It also got high marks from our dining companions.
Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
Are you ready for entrees?! We tried each and every one of these for you, too!
First up, the Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops – with seasonal vegetables served in puff pastry with a creamy lobster sauce. This dish is 1.) Very pretty! and 2.) Rich and flavorful! If you’re a seafood fan, this is a must-try.
My mom (who joined us at one of the reservations) got it with all scallops (so…Sauteed Scallops and Scallops, I guess), and loved it. She said the addition of the veggies in the mix was a nice contrast to the rich seafood and lobster sauce.
Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops – with seasonal vegetables served in puff pastry with a creamy lobster sauce
The Rotisserie Cornish Hen with roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables was probably one of the more disappointing entrees on the menu. A bit dry and ho-hum, even the white wine jus didn’t really jazz it up that much.
The roasted fingerling potatoes were a nice, crunchy accompaniment, however.
Rotisserie Cornish Hen – with roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables
One of my favorites on the menu (which I actually ordered twice!) was the Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables, and red wine au jus.
I don’t know about Thyme scent or anything, but this was downright delicious. It’s pork, so there’s always the chance that it could be overdone and tough, but my portions were pretty perfect.
The Mac and Cheese was of medium bite — not too strong, but not mild, either. Eventually I ended up just dousing the whole meal in that red wine au jus and smooshing it all together. It was delicious!
Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop – with au gratin macaroni, seasonal vegetables and red wine au jus
My other favorite? The Grilled Strip Steak with garlic-herb butter and pommes frites.
This dish was truly delicious. A tender steak doused generously in garlic-herb butter is paired with…well…let’s be honest, they’re steak fries…is a great classic combo.
I would definitely prefer a skinnier “frite” here (that’s what I was used to getting with steak and frites when working in Switzerland), but the dusting of fine salt on the frites was actually very good. And they came with an herb mayo for dipping.
Grilled Strip Steak – with garlic-herb butter and pommes frites
Pommes Frites dipping sauce
The only qualm with the steak: the kitchen seemed to have a bit of trouble cooking to order on our visits. When my companion and I both ordered medium rare cuts, they came out VERY different…
Medium Rare Steak 1
Medium Rare Steak 2
You can see that #1 is on the side of medium to medium well, while #2 is verging on rare. Hopefully they’ll fix this little glitch, since the dish really is delicious.
The vegetarian and vegan dish on the menu (yep — just one) is the Layered Ratatouille: Oven Baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Caramelized Onions sliced and layered on Quinoa served with Bell Pepper Sauce. The leaf on top is fried Basil.
This dish had more flavor than I was expecting, and the Bell Pepper Sauce really does add a zing to the quinoa. The caramelized onions and mushrooms were a great addition, I thought.
Layered Ratatouille: Oven Baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Caramelized Onions sliced and layered on Quinoa served with Bell Pepper Sauce
Finally, the Pan-Seared Salmon on Leek Fondue served with creamy saffron-crushed potatoes also got high marks from my dining companions. I didn’t try this one myself (SO. FULL!), but I was angling for a try of that leek fondue!
Pan-Seared Salmon on Leek Fondue served with creamy saffron-crushed potatoes
Whew!! If you’ve gotten this far, you’ve gotta say for dessert with us!
Once you’re finished with your meal and decide to indulge, your server will bring around this dessert cart in order to prepare your dessert table-side. Note that when the Be Our Guest menu was first released, dessert was included in the price of your entree. Now, it’s $3.99 extra.
Dessert Cart
I’m a little disappointed that at a restaurant this anticipated the only desserts you have to choose from are some cupcakes and cream puffs — the same ones that are served at counter-service lunch. I’m really hoping that this changes, and that they introduce some truly exceptional desserts to choose from in the future.
But, in the meantime, here’s a quick review of a few of these goodies!
Of course, my first choice was the Triple Chocolate Cupcake with chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse filling, and chocolate ganache. It was quite good, but very, very rich.
Note those little plastic wrappers? Those are REALLY hard to take off. There’s even a sticker at the bottom holding them on. So usually you’ll see Be Our Guest diners just digging into the little cake wrappers with their spoons. 😉
Triple Chocolate Cupcake – chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse filling, and chocolate ganache
Here’s what the cake was like inside…after I wrastled the wrapper off! (And, yes, I meant to write “wrastled.”)
Inside Chocolate Cupcake
One of my favorite little desserts was this Lemon Meringue Cupcake with Vanilla sponge cake, lemon custard filling, and flamed merinque icing.
This one has some yummy (though a bit too sweet) lemon curd in the middle!
Lemon Meringue Cupcake – Vanilla sponge cake, lemon custard filling, flamed merinque icing and crunch
Another clear favorite was the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake with vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing.
That cream cheese icing is luscious!!
Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake – vanilla sponge cake, strawberry mousse filling, and cream cheese icing
Strawberry Cupcake with Cream Cheese Icing inside
And to represent the cream puff contingent we tried the Passion Fruit Cream Puff – filled with passion fruit mousse and topped with whipped cream.
This was actually better than I’d thought, and I’m eager to sample the chocolate cream puff on my next visit.
Passion Fruit Cream Puff – filled with passion fruit mousse and topped with whipped cream
Passion Fruit Cream Puff inside
Finally, the Lemon-Raspberry Cream Puff is filled with lemon custard, and is the gluten-free, No Sugar Added dessert at Be Our Guest. I didn’t try this one, but the general thought is that it’s too lemony (which means I MUST try it, since I’m a fan of “too lemony”).
Lemon-Raspberry Cream Puff -filled with lemon custard (Dessert is gluten-free and No Sugar Added)
Now, here’s the real fantastic treat! If you’re celebrating (yep — gotta be celebrating to get it, apparently), you’ll receive “The Grey Stuff” for an added sweet at the end of your meal. This cookies-and-cream whipped panna cotta is deeeeeelicious (just ask the dishes!).
For those of you who don’t know how this fits into the story, Lumiere, the candelabra character in Beauty and the Beast, sings to Belle in the song “Be Our Guest” to “try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!”
And it is.
The Grey Stuff
Overall
So, after dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant several times this week, here are my findings:
Atmosphere and Dining Rooms
Atmosphere is very nice, especially in the West Wing. I found the Ballroom to be dark (thus some of the picture quality in this review), and very loud. While it’s beautiful — and the snow outside IS enchanting — I felt like I was in a giant cafeteria as the tables are set up in awkward rows.
However, the West Wing was smaller and cozier. It also felt a bit more “magical,” since so many transformations are taking place there while you dine.
Menu
Regarding the menu, it’s small (we seriously just showed you everything on the adult menu except for one cream puff). But it’s got a decent selection of appetizers and entrees. And note that the menu is seasonal — new additions will be introduced several times per year. I would have liked to see a pasta dish, but I guess that’s not all that French, eh?
There has been a lot of feedback about the food being very salty, and this is probably true. But, like I said, I love salty food, so it was right up my alley. If they take the salt away, I’ll probably find the dishes bland. However, the strong feedback on this end will likely end up with a reduction in the sodium content. 😉
The beer and wine addition was a good fit, I think. However, since the table turnover is quick right now as the restaurant is slightly overbooked, it’s a bit difficult to linger with friends over a bottle of wine. Hopefully that will change in the future, and the pace of the meal will slow down a bit.
And I do hope the dessert menu gets stronger as the restaurant continues to evolve. Right now it’s just too thin for a French-inspired, relatively expensive restaurant. I’m hoping this isn’t the “wave of the future” for other restaurants…especially since I’m sure it saves Disney plenty of money Dining Plan-wise.
After trying just about everything on the menu, my ideal ordering would go like this: Potato Leek Soup, Grilled Strip Steak, Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake. Healthy? No. But quite good.
Service
We had some seriously great servers on our visits to Be Our Guest. You can tell they’ve pulled the cream of the crop to work here and open the restaurant, and we were very pleased with the service.
Food was quickly delivered, and we didn’t exactly feel rushed. Though, as I mentioned, we were aware that table turnover was quick and the pace of the meal was rapid. I’d like to see that slow down a bit in the future.
Characters
We were told there would be no characters here, but as it turns out the Beast does walk through the dining rooms and settle in his study to greet guests after they finish their meals. When we were there, the line to greet the Beast wasn’t very long, and we often saw him sitting all alone in his study. I’m not sure how much longer that meet-n-greet will take place, but if you go to the restaurant, head over and give the Beast some love.
Recommend?
Yep, I would recommend this restaurant in its current state. I think several of the dishes are quite good, and the atmosphere is something everyone will want to see at least once.
Don’t forget that you can experience the restaurant for a counter-service lunch with NO reservations. This means you can sit in ANY of the dining rooms you’d like. Since a lot of the restaurant’s pull is seeing inside the Beast’s castle, I’d definitely recommend this.
Remember, you can click here to see a review of the counter-service Lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant!
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Have you dined at Be Our Guest Restaurant, or would you like to? Let us know in the comments below what menu item caught your eye!
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Thanks for this great review! Very happy to hear the French Onion Soup was vegetarian broth based too, good news for us (and helps pad out a menu for us veggie folks). That salad trio looks fun and the desserts look splendid! Not to mention the chance to get a wine list at MK. I’m looking forward to getting dinner here when I can!
Awesome review! So great to finally see the ratatoille dish. Will be there in a few weeks!
Did this restaurant seem as flexible as the others, in terms of non-menu options for those not a fan of the vegetarian option, say? I am hoping they have a chef that can make improv dishes. Did it seem to lean either way?
Jasmine — You bet! It was fun to research! 🙂 Yes, there’s not too much here on the vegan side, but vegetarians at least have a few items to choose from. Be sure to get that mac and cheese! 🙂
Courtney — Thanks! Unfortunately, from what I’m hearing, they’re not too flexible yet in terms of whipping up different dishes for vegetarian options. I’ve only heard from a couple of people, though, so I look forward to your feedback.
Lovely review!
I’m glad my suspicions re the loudness of the ballroom have been confirmed, haha. I remember being in awe of the space and high ceiling of it from the imagineer videos but thinking how much the sound of a packed dining room would be echoing around. Imagine how beautiful it would be to harpist or someone playing as you eat, though!
My father and I will be having lunch there on the 27th in the West Wing if its open and I CAN’T WAIT.
AJ
Thanks for this review. Do you know if there is a passholder discount during the lunch and dinner hours? Do you know if Tables in Wonderland will be accepted? I can’t seem to find anything on it.
After just reading that the onion soup is vegetarian – I seriously had to stop myself from booking plane reservations.
must… hold.. on… till… dwarf… snow white… roller coaster… complete….
For those of us who will not be visiting at least until the Seven Dwarf’s coaster is up and running, you have performed a great service: you have eaten (and eaten and eaten and eaten) for all of us, a Hurculean feat of eatin’, and you are to be commended. Though the food looks, and sounds from your descriptions, generally good (charcuterie = bliss in my lexicon), I think you’re right that this does seem to be more about the fantasy experience than a true fine dining event. Perhaps that’s as it should be, given that it’s a Magic Kingdom restaurant in a Fantasyland locale. I’m sorry to learn that the ballroom is loud and that it has the aura of a cafeteria; that might pass muster at lunch, but not at dinner, where one wants sedate elegance in a ballroom. The wines and beers look great, sitting there innocently unaware of the drama they have caused in the addled minds of some. Gads, that steak is not even close to cooked right! French Onion soup without beef broth is not French Onion soup, and is, therefore, unworthy of notice or comment. And then there are . . . the desserts. I have been thinking about them for some time. They are very geometrical, and I wonder if this is a deliberate act on the part of the food designers (if such a job description exists). The food in the “Be Our Guest” scene of the film is very stylized and geometrical, and perhaps this is an attempt to emulate that in the restaurant. Just a theory, but what else could account for such odd little dessert presentations, so uniform in their little rows? In any event, bravissima for such a thorough review!
Do you need a reservation? I’ve tried to make one during my stay in December but it is unavailable. I really want to experience it so is a reservation necessary?
D — I love the idea of a harpist. There is Beauty and the Beast music playing in the background, but it’s hard to hear!
Ken — Yes, Tables in Wonderland is accepted at dinner (not sure about lunch at the moment). There are no passholder discounts. You can see all of the details on our Be Our Guest Restaurant Page Here: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/be-our-guest-restaurant/
Liana — Ha ha!! Give them a few months to tweak the menu and make it perfect. 🙂 You can do it!
Prof. Brainard — Thanks for your wonderful comment! Yep; I think you’re right. While the food here is very good, it’s not the main attraction, I don’t think. (Maybe the steak, if it’s cooked correctly.) Ha ha — agreed that the wines and beers know not the drama they’ve caused. 😉 Interesting take on the desserts! I never thought of them being themed to the film in their little rows… Hmm…
Liz — Yes, you need a reservation for dinner, and the restaurant is booked up through April right now. You do NOT need a reservation for lunch, though! It’s a counter-service meal. Here’s a review: http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/11/04/guest-review-be-our-guest-restaurant-lunch-in-the-magic-kingdom/.
We ate at Be Our Guest on Sunday and had a great time. We were seated in the ballroom and it was very loud, but beautiful. The food was good.
Thanks for the very thorough review…..although for me you could have stopped at charcuterie and I would have been satisfied.
We have a reservation for our honeymoon in early May, and I can’t wait! Everything looks so delicious: it’ll be hard for me to decide between the salmon and ratatouille, and I’m sure my fiance will love that steak dish (as long as they learn to cook it right!). Thank you so much for your thorough review!
So the ballroom is loud and the West Wing’s thunder is loud… which would be better for a kid that doesn’t like loud noise? Is the West Wing overall quieter (except for thunder)?
Thanks for the amazingly thorough review, AJ! I mean, I like to eat, but that’s taking one for the team. The potato leek soup looks good, but so does the French Onion. It’s hard for me to resist that cheese. Though I’m a carnivore, the ratatouille actually sounds pretty yummy.
And, of course you said, “wrastled.” You are becoming more and more Texan (I also love to hear you say, “y’all” on the podcast!). 😀
Can’t wait to experience Be Our Guest in April. I’ll be asking for the West Wing, methinks.
In another review, the server told the guests that the “wrapper” on the cupcakes was not intended to be removed and that they were supposed to eat the cupcakes with a fork.
How is the noise level in the Gallery?
The more I think about dinner, the more I liked it. I think it’s a better value than lunch, though the food was good at both meals.
Ken & AJ – Tables in Wonderland isn’t accepted for lunch.
Deb-During lunch, one of the servers saw us struggling with trying to get the cupcake wrapper off, and he brought us forks and said just dig in, lol.
I’ll have to wait until next year to try it. I did get to peak inside last week when the area was open for a dress rehearsal.
It’s funny how you say you would get the potato leek soup, steak and strawberry cupcake again as your favs, considering all three can be ordered at lunch via CS. I’m not sure how well that bodes for the dinner menu and the difficulty of getting ressies.
thanks for the great review AJ, i am able to “experience” the dinner through your photos….i’m so hungry!
AJ,
Thanks for such a comprehensive review. I salute your thoroughness 🙂
You’ve given us great information for ordering and selecting the venue. I personally can’t wait to enjoy it myself!
Sounds amazing!!!!!! Love the strawberry cream cheese cupcake!! At there for lunch and loved the rose gallery!!!!
I was fortunate enough to be able to eat at Be Our Guest and I was thoroughly enchanted and loved my dinner. Even though I would love to tryother items on the menu, I know I would end up with that wonderful sauteed shrimp and scallops if I were to go again.It was superb! I also thought the lemon cupcake was perfect; I’d probably order that again too. Hmmmm…I really do need to get out more.
The noise level didn’t bother me; I was enjoying the experience so much that I didn’t notice it that much.
This restaurant has it all. Food, service, and ambiance like nothing else I can recall at WDW.
We lucked into dinner there and it was a grand experience.
Frank
We had dinner at Be Our Guest yesterday, but were a bit disappointed. Maybe we were looking forward to it too much and had too high expectations (they were VERY high after reading so much about it and reserving our Thanksgiving dinner months ago), but we just didn’t think the food was very good. 🙁
Firstly, the bread was nice but nothing special. They are just simple little frozen breads you can get at any grocery store; nothing like for instance the delicious assortment of breads you get at Mythos Restaurant (Islands of Adventure). For appetizers we had the salad trio and soup. The soup was great (the best thing we had) and the salads were okay. Then we had the salmon and ratatouille. We found both to be rather tasteless. The salmon was some of the worst we’ve had in a restaurant, especially on Disney property. It was hard and plasticy. Maybe we just had a bad piece. For desert we had the chocolate cupcake (Beast’s favorite 😉 and the strawberry one. These were pretty nice, but as you’ve written in the review only cupcakes and puffs is a bit one-sided for such a nice restaurant. Come on, we’re supposed to be in France … what about creme brulee, tarte tatin, crepes, chocolate mousse, madeleine, … !?
The service was okay, but not as nice as I expect at Disney. For instance we received our appetizers about 1 minute after we ordered and 5 minutes before we got our bread and drinks.
In conclusion the meal wasn’t THAT bad (except for the salmon), but not nearly as good as we had expected. But again, maybe our expections were too high. I can think of many similarly priced restaurants at WDW that I would much rather eat at.
We also ate at Be Our Guest last week for lunch, and that was far better. It is of course the most perfectly themed restaurant in the resort, so my advice would be to not miss this and go for lunch instead of dinner, and save some money. The lunch portions were very small though and I was hungry again an hour after, but the beautiful restaurant was well worth it and the roses you get during lunch are very cool.
Thank you for this review. I cannot wait to have my Christmas dinner and will be asking for the west wing based on your comments. We had Thanksgiving dinner in the Castle a few years back and it was just awesome. Hoping for a similar experience at Be Our Guest.
Thanks, Frank, for the info. I’m sorry the food didn’t live up to the hype. I’m rethinking my salmon selection based on your review…
I completely agree about the desserts. Mass produced cupcakes aren’t what we’d find in France at Epcot even, so why try to get away with it here? Are good desserts that expensive?
We had dinner at Be Our Guest this past Tuesday and left a little on the disappointed side – mostly due to the service.
The food was very good. The pork chop – excellent! An order of shrimp and scallops came out cold though. Our server had vanished and it took some time for him to come back and check on us and for us to let him know of the food issue. He returned with another almost immediately saying, “I just took someone else’s”?!? Found that odd.
The service was slow. He also let glasses and plates accumulate on the table.
There also was an issue with the kids’ menu. There are two sections on that menu – the “complete meal” section which includes all that is listed including fruit salad as a dessert. There is also a “pick one” from each category section (beverage, appetizer, entree, dessert). The desserts clearly listed the cupcakes and creme puffs – each, in fact, listed individually on the kids’ menu. Long story short, he charged us for our child’s cupcake separately. Granted it was only $4, but after a long night of slow, inattentive service, we brought it to his attention. He stated all kids get fruit salad (something he didn’t mention when she ordered the cupcake!?). We then showed him the menu and he just flat out got all confused! He came back and said “they” told him the menu was wrong?!? He was going to “take it off” anyway. Gee thanks.
Bottom line – based on the reviews – I just think we drew the short straw with our server. The food was pretty good – not awesome, but a nice change to our MK experience.
Go to my website and watch the video of Be Our Guest and you can see the noise level in the ballroom.
I am anxious to hear from those who have dined at Be Our Guest: is the general consensus that the West Wing is better than the Ballroom dining room? If I only get one shot at this, I want to do it right!
Wow, that’s a tough one. I ate in the Ballroom and was very happy there. I think it comes down to what YOU like.
I could eat again in the Ballroom and be very happy.
BTW, Our food was very good. I agree the dinner rolls weren’t anything special, but I thought the food was great. Our service was excellent also. But we did have early reservations and the restaurant wasn’t that crowded. I would go back again.
Frank
When attempting to make reservations for March 2013, I keep getting a “soon to open” message. Are they open or not? Thanks for the photos, menu, and comments. This is a great site.
Aggie — I’ve heard that they’re booked through April. Just as a test, try to make a reservation for May and see if you’re able to do it. OR call 407-WDW-DINE and ask a cast member what’s up. 🙂 Good luck!
When I had trouble making reservations on line I called. They are very helpful.
I have to agree that the food was very salty. We ate Thanksgiving dinner and was disappointed in the experience and menu. They didn’t serve turkey. Desert was delicious.
We’re in FL this week taking the boys to magic kingdom tomorrow my kids are 7,5,3 I didn’t see a kids menu do they not have one? That food looks tasted to me but my kids are hot dog and French fry kinda kids and couldn’t imagine spending over $20 for a 3 ur old that will probably take two bites and be full.
While the atmosphere is fantastic, we (and others we have spoken with) feel there is better food to be had on property. I’m glad we tried it, but we’re in no hurry to go back.
My husband and I just got back from Disney World a week ago. He can’t stop talking about the Triple Chocolate Cupcake from Be Our Guest restaraunt at Magic Kingdom. He said it was the best cupcake he ever tasted! My question is do chefs at the restaraunt make those or are they brought in?
I have managed to get a reservation for August- and had to do so by telephone. The cast member was extremely friendly but sad news- without even asking her, she told me there would be no characters at the meal. I suspect people have been anticipating the constant stay of the Beast but alas, it isn’t to be!
Is the lemon raspberry puff the only gluten free option for dessert? I was under the impression they all were- false hope I suppose!
Wonderful picture review!
AJ-
Thank you for your personal sacrifice (he-he) so that, through you, we may all taste, see and hear the delights of the Be Our Guest Restaurant. You have brought it to life for me. Hope I can get the West Wing during my May trip(#28). I am a vegetarian and will have some nice choices. The lemon cupcake is surely on my “have to have” list.
You did a fantastic job with photos and all the details!
Oh no, i thought everyone who dined could get the grey stuff 🙁 Was looking forward to it!
Thanks for the great review, think I’ll be going with the steak!
We were just there a few nights ago. I agree with lots of your review – we sat in the big ballroom right next to the snowy window and it was beautiful. The desserts were our favorites. We did have some issues, though. My teenage son ordered the steak and it was overcooked so he ate very little. For $32 we were hoping for something better. I had the seafood in puff pastry, and it was very good but not something I would return for specifically. My big complaint, though, was the service – specifically our server. He was terrible. Besides having a very ‘blah’ attitude, he never refilled our water, brought two appetizers when we ordered three (and acted a little put out when we reminded him of the third), took forever to bring dessert and the check, and overall acted like he’d rather be somewhere else. I expect way more of most servers anywhere, and especially Disney servers in a pricey restaurant. We did eat late – 8:30 – so maybe he was just tired, but it made the dinner less fun than it should have been. Honestly, we probably won’t return when all is considered.
How difficult is it to get the grey stuff? I’ll be there celebrating graduation but not until september, will they give me a hard time? If someone were celebrating their birthday would it need to be THAT day? Or is it more they have an “I’m Celebrating” button?
Any one know how big the portion sizes are? Are they “Filling” enough so that we’re full after 3 courses? Also same question as Bridget in regards to celebrations for the grey stuff…
To answer your curiousity about the Ballroom ceiling- they are baby photos of the Imagineers who worked on the project. That is why there are babies with gigantic ‘fros from the 70s, etc. (I was a cast member who got a tour before it opened)
just a question, I will be traveling on a budget and have opted for the dining plan with one each of table, counter service and snack paer day. Does this restaurant accept the dining plan? I assume this would be a table credit, so what is included in the meal credit? It looks like you got an app, entree, and dessert with your meal which would seem pretty substantial. Im uncertain of if the app is included in your dining credit or if this will cost more. Just trying to make sure we can eat on the plan without being hungry an hour later.
Lacrumise — It is on the dining plan. Your table service credit will include an entree, dessert, and drink — no app.
You didn’t post prices. I’m just starting to plan my first trip to Disney in June. Staying off property (Disney Springs) for budget…but beginning to wonder at the huge task of getting into park, making food arrangements (we were just going to wing it) and all the intricacies. I’m 70, not used to all that walking in heat…my son is 53 & grandson 7, all stuck in one hotel room in Disney Spring for 6 nights. This all looks horrifying and EXPENSIVE. Not sure we can eat. Should we rent a car instead and get a condo with kitchen?
Margaret — Those are great questions. First, let me address your comment about the pricing. We don’t often post pricing in our reviews because it is always subject to change, even when the food stays the same. Secondly, I would definitely recommend that you do some research into restaurant options as you plan, especially if you’d like to dine at table service restaurants, because those tend to fill up ahead of time, and it will be difficult for you to choose to dine at many of them spur-of-the-moment. Counter service options, however, will always be available to you. Third, staying off property and renting a car is an option, but keep in mind that it could mean longer commute times and daily parking fees. There is, unfortunately, a lot to consider. For more help as you research, check out our Best Disney World Restaurants page, which gives you lots of tools for planning. Best of Luck! 🙂
The Rose room is disappointing. Make sure they don’t seat you in there (unless you like quiet and ambiance doesn’t matter so much to you). It is the over flow room, but they will try to make it sound better than the other rooms as they are taking you there and you can tell its overflow. I even asked the girl and she lied. Bottom line (for me) is that Disney food isn’t the best I’ve ever had, I ate here for the experience, not the amazing food. They crushed my heart ( I know that sounds dramatic, but I’ve been looking forward to eating in the ballroom since it opened). It was really important to me, and they dropped the ball. Other than being much quieter, the Rose room is a prep/ dish drop off room. It really does destroy the experience when there are clanking dishes while you dine.
Thanks for the info. What if people in my famity will not like the food? Do they make everyone order a whole meal or can we just order dessert?