The uber-popular restaurant, Be Our Guest, serves a quick service lunch and table service dinner at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. Sharing her dinner experience, guest author Rebecca Elliott takes us inside the Beast’s Castle!
Atmosphere
My family and I have always been big Beauty & the Beast fans. Which made it such a surprise that, prior to the grand opening of the new Fantasyland in 2012, Disney World didn’t have a whole lot of Beauty & the Beast attractions.
All that changed with the opening of Be Our Guest, a spectacularly themed restaurant set in the Beast’s castle. It’s almost as if Disney is trying to make up for its previous lack of Beauty & the Beast material by creating this over-the-top, lavish dining experience.
A View of the Castle from Across the Bridge
As you can imagine, dinner reservations are hard to come by. Guests staying on site are able to make advance dining reservations (ADR) 180 days in advance. Since our plans came together rather spur of the moment, we attempted to make a reservation about 60 days out. Of course, none were available. However, we kept trying several times over the next week and, unbelievably, someone must have cancelled and we got our reservation for 6:30pm.
Gargoyle Outside the Castle
Atmosphere
Hats off to the designers and Imagineers that brought the Beast’s castle to life. Every nook and cranny of this restaurant makes you feel like you’re in the movie. We checked in at the desk at the foot of the bridge outside of the restaurant, then crossed over and waited outside the castle until our buzzer went off.
It was fun to take in the details even the exterior of the building had to offer. Giant lion statues flanked heavy wooden doors with a tile mosaic above the threshold featuring the famous enchanted rose. (Roses became almost like Hidden Mickeys; they are featured consistently throughout the décor. It was fun to find them everywhere, from the napkins, to the chairs, to the sculptures and more).
The Entrance of Heavy Wooden Doors with Rose Tile Work
Even the Napkins Carry Out the Rose Theme
Entering the castle is truly like entering the movie. Theming in Disney restaurants has always been ambitious, but Be Our Guest is their best interpretation of a film in real form. Don’t rush to the restaurant – you’ll want to take a closer look at the gargoyles holding up the archway. Even more, you don’t want to miss the tile mosaic of Belle and the Beast dancing, which is a re-creation of the very last scene in the movie.
This Guy’s Got a Tough Gig – Holding Up the Castle
Belle and the Beast Tile Mosaic in the Entry
We were greeted by a cast member at the inside host desk who informed us we would be eating in the West Wing. I nearly fainted. I had no idea where our reservation would be, and I certainly didn’t think it would be in the West Wing. We were very, very excited!
It is perpetually evening in the castle, no matter what time of day you go. To get to the West Wing, the cast member guided us through the Ballroom. Holy smokes! Stepping in there was like stepping into the scene of Belle and the Beast dancing, with Mrs. Potts singing, “Beauty & the Beast” in the background. The ceiling is painted with cherubs and clouds, the crystal chandeliers let off a soft, warm glow, and when we looked out the windows overlooking the terrace, it was snowing! We had read about this, but until we saw it, we didn’t realize what a truly magical effect it was.
The Dramatic Ballroom
The Hand Painted Ceiling in the Ballroom Takes Your Breath Away!
Snow Falls Outside the Windows, Setting the Scene for an Enchanted Night in the Castle
We made our way to the West Wing, which was equally dramatic. The setting is a dark and stormy evening. Thunder and lightening can be heard and seen in the background. There is the painting of the Beast as a young man, complete with claw marks, just like in the movie. (Tip: Keep an eye on the portrait; it changes into the Beast himself with a flash of lightening!)
The Beast’s Portrait in the West Wing, Appropriately Scarred
The most dramatic element of the West Wing is the enchanted rose. It floats beneath a glass dome, its petals falling. I have no idea how they created this effect (hologram?), but again, it is just like the movie.
The Enchanted Rose in the West Wing Was Truly a Sight to See
My daughter and I decided to take in the Rose Gallery. Here is where things got a little confusing. The Rose Gallery is huge – not as big as the Ballroom, but certainly bigger than the West Wing. And it was empty. There were a couple of tables with guests, but the rest of the dining room remained unseated. This was perplexing, because reservations were so hard to come by. It looked as if the few tables that were seated were overflow from the main dining room. The rest of the tables weren’t even set. I understand this room is typically full at lunch. Why not utilize it at dinner? (Editor’s Note: At dinner, the Rose Gallery is often used as a food preparation area instead of a seating area.)
Belle and Beast Take Center Stage in the Rose Gallery
Tapestries Depicting Scenes from the Movie Hang in the Rose Gallery
More Tapestries
I should mention here another feature of the dining room. About every 15 minutes or so, a clock chimes and you can hear the Beast being introduced. Because we were seated in the West Wing, we saw him make his entrance into the dining room. He walked out, waved to the diners, and made his way to the picture taking spot at the other end of the restaurant, greeting guests along the way.
We thought this was a fun touch. The picture area is the quick service ordering spot during lunch. On our way out, we had our picture taken with him. He was very kind and accommodating.
Beast Making His Way Through the Dining Room
Guests exit the restaurant through a hallway lined with suits of armor. I was reminded of the scene in Beauty & the Beast when Cogsworth gives Belle a tour of the castle. They walk through a similar hallway. Make sure you listen closely – some of the suits of armor talk!
Suits of Armor Line the Exit Hallway
Some of the Suits of Armor Were a Little Chatty!
Eats
We were seated and promptly greeted by our server, who informed us that Be Our Guest offers beer and wine, the first restaurant ever to do so in the Magic Kingdom. We don’t drink, but noticed several guests were taking advantage of this new offering. Instead, all three of us ordered the all-natural lemonade sweetened with organic cane juice and topped with wildberry foam. It was delicious. (FYI, even though this drink is non-alcoholic and we didn’t order it in the commemorative chalice, there were no refills and it is not considered a fountain beverage.)
All Natural Lemonade with Wildberry Foam
The menu at Be Our Guest is French themed, thought not authentic French. Still, it was one of the better meals we experienced on our trip. We were participating in the Disney Deluxe Dining plan, so each of us ordered an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert.
To start, I selected the assorted cured meats and sausages. Please note, this dish serves two, but I made a pretty good dent in it all by myself! It is served with a whole loaf of bread, some delicious pate, cured meats (prosciutto, ham), sausages, mustard, cornichons, some tart jam, and cheese. I truly enjoyed this dish. A lot of Disney food tends to the mildly seasoned. This dish was bursting with savory flavors and a variety of textures. It was very satisfying, and could easily serve as an entrée.
Assorted Cured Meats and Sausages
My daughter tried the French onion soup, which was also very flavorful. Rich, beefy broth, with a toasted French bread crouton floating on top, smothered with ooey gooey cheese that had been browned under a broiler. It’s hearty and delicious dish.
French Onion Soup Topped with a Crouton and Gruyere Cheese
My husband chose the Mussels Provencal. White wine, tomatoes, garlic, onions, basil, and butter… mmm…. This is one of our favorite flavor profiles. If you like shellfish, give it a try. There’s plenty to share.
Mussels Provencal with White Wine, Tomato, Garlic, Onion, Basil, and Butter
If I have one complaint it’s this: we were still eating our appetizers when our entrees arrived. I was a server for many years, and this is a definite no no, especially with this meal. The appetizers are huge, and so are the entrees. We definitely needed a break between courses and unfortunately didn’t get one.
My daughter selected the sautéed shrimp and scallops in puff pastry as her entrée. I was impressed with the amount of seafood in the dish. Restaurants typically skimp on the seafood and load up on the vegetables, but this dish had the opposite proportions. The puff pastry was tender and flaky, and the sauce was rich and flavorful. She enjoyed it.
Sautéed Shrimp and Scallops with Seasonal Vegetables Served in Puff Pastry
I selected the thyme scented pork chop. I was stunned at the portion size. That’s a lot of pork! But I was impressed that they got the temperature right. There was a hint of pink towards the center of the chop. I also enjoyed the macaroni and cheese, (or as Disney calls it, au gratin macaroni) with its homey yumminess. French green beans rounded out the dish. It was served with red wine jus on the side. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.
Thyme Scented Pork Rack Chop wit Au Gratin Macaroni, Seasonal Vegetables and Red Wine Jus
My husband ordered the herb crusted lamb rack. If I thought the pork portion was big, the lamb was huge! It looked like something Fred Flintstone would eat. But again, I was impressed that they got the temperature right, and it was butchered beautifully.
The crust was savory and offered an interesting texture. The demi-glace was full of flavor and there was plenty of it. We love mashed celery root, so we all took a bite of this sweet, creamy side dish. Sautéed broccoli was also served on the side. This was another delicious plate that we all enjoyed.
Herb Crusted Lamb Rack with a Stone-Ground Mustard Demi-glace with Buttered Celery Root and Seasonal Vegetables
On to dessert! Because it’s perpetually evening in the West Wing, the room is rather dark, and when our server brought the dessert cart over, he had to use a flashlight to illuminate the treats. Still, who doesn’t love an old-fashioned dessert cart?
A Very Dark Dessert Cart
We couldn’t eat at Be Our Guest without trying the Grey Stuff. The line, “Try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!” sung by Lumiere in the movie has been belted out in my home many times, and I was dying to see how the Disney chefs would interpret it. I
t was tasty! A cake-like brownie base is topped with a whipped cookies-and-cream flavored panna cotta and sprinkled with what I call the “silver ball garnish.” (What is this? Freeze dried tapioca? Dried cake crumbs? I would love to find out!)
The Grey Stuff Really Was Delicious!
My husband enjoyed the triple chocolate cupcake for his dessert. It was rich and delicious, and as my husband said, “super chocolate-y.”
Overall
Be Our Guest Is Best! Be Our Guest pulls out all the stops and delivers at every turn. It is the most immersive experience I’ve had at the park – you truly feel like you’re a participant in the movie. I have no idea how they do it so consistently, but Disney definitely delivers on this four-dimensional experience. I highly recommend this dining experience to everyone!
Rebecca Elliott writes and hosts the food blog Home Cooks Unite! She is a dedicated foodie and Disney enthusiast whose latest trip to the Magic Kingdom included some incredible dining experiences.
Have you had the chance to dine at Be Our Guest? What’s your favorite menu item? Let us know in the comments below!
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When we were at Disney World in December we went for lunch at Be Our Guest and it was like a fairy tale. The food was amazing and I ordered a cupcake for desert that had the “grey stuff” on it. YUMMY!!! I can’t wait to go back but will book an ADR for dinner next time.
We ate both lunch & dinner here in May, and honestly, no dining experience could top it in my opinion. The theming is just totally unbelievable. We were sat in the Rose Gallery for dinner and it was just as quiet as mentioned. Although we appreciated it after having lunch in the ballroom a few days prior and it was quite noisy.
I had the leek & potato soup to start with the steak, and my fiancé went for the French onion soup and braised pork. Both appetisers and entrées were fabulous. I was actually considering just sticking with lunch on our next trip because dinner was pretty pricey (I think we paid $100 including tip) but this review has reminded me how much I loved it and now I’m reconsidering!
Yum! We have this planned for next week and your review has me really excited for it! Those meats and sausages look delish!
Rebecca, those little silver balls on the Grey Stuff are called Dragées. They are typically made from confectionery sugar. You can read a bit more about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragée.
Is the French Onion Soup at dinner different from what is served at lunch? I thought it was vegetarian, so the “beefy broth” description threw me a little.
The French Onion soup is made with a vegetable broth, and while hearty, is not truly beefy. It is delicious but vegetarian. And yes, those balls are large dragees as Jeff indicated.
I unfortunately did not have the same experience in regards to the food as you did.
My family and I ate here the last night of our recent stay, July 29th. While we were amazed of the beauty and details of the restaurant we were unimpressed with the food. As you had stated about the Rose room, we were seated there and with lines of people hoping for reservations and cast members telling them they were full, the room was MAYBE 1/4 full.
Another issue we encountered was the night of our reservation it had just rained. So instead of the usual wait outside until called we were stuffed into the hallway lined with the suits of armor, people knowing that room (it’s small) now imagine about 25-30 guests waiting to be seated.
The French onion soup was GREAT…However I ordered the Herb-Crusted Lamb Rack and it was NOT how yours looks, it was mostly gristle and small. My wife ordered the Chicken Breast Provencal and not knowing it was served with the skin on, she was upset. Desserts we fine as well but the main part, the dinner we really left wondering if we would return.
Theming is amazing, food I hope they were having a down night when we were there.
Dragees! Now I know! Thanks Jeff and Laura. Yes, the French onion soup is vegetarian. I meant to infer that even though there was no meat in the dish, it didn’t lack in flavor. Perhaps hearty is a better word.
We ate there last November. The atmosphere is awesome but there are way better food options in the world. I did get the assorted game and thought it was good not great. The meats were just ok – I have had better. I ordered the lamb and also thought it was a little on the tough side . I also tried someone’s steak and I also thought it was tough.
Compared to other pricier dinner options this is definitely not at the top of the list. Atmosphere is awesome; the food is good just not great
Those are minotaurs holding the pillars up, not gargoyles.
I wish I could have enjoyed the grey stuff, however we had a later dinner reservation and I think the desserts had decayed a bit by then. The pastry part was hard as a rock – literally when I would try to cut into it with a fork the piece would go flying across the table. They didn’t charge us for it, but it was still disappointing. But it is a beautiful restaurant and, other than the grey stuff, the food was good. Not amazing, but good. We went for the environment.
We were there for lunch last November. I think I would like the atmosphere at dinner better. I just don’t think the lunch diner feel is the same. However we will be back for lunch in October. I just don’t think paying twice as much for the same meal at dinner makes a lot of sense. We shared the Roasted Pork last year and this year will each have our own…it was so good.
We ate there for lunch before it was officially open and we absolutely LOVED this place. Our food was delicious and more than I could eat; I had the carved turkey sandwich. The theming is top notch and the service was incredible even though they were still working out some ‘kink’s. I will be disappointed if I ever visit and can’t eat here, but I’m satisfied with the lunch experience; we never once felt like we were in a QS restaurant. It was delightful. Thanks for bringing the memories back to me!
We ate there last year and were underwhelmed by the food, especially that they serve the same cupcakes/desserts as the counter service lunch. Come on WDW, you can do better than that – at least bring some things over from Boulangerie Patisserie.
We decided to give it another try since we have the free DDP and are going again on 9/4. Hopefully it will be better. I’m going to ask to sit in the West Wing; the ballroom was lovely but felt a bit like a cafeteria the way the tables are set up and with the noise level.
Lovely review and great pictures! That lamb dish is making me hungry!
This was fun to read and informative! I can’t wait for my trip in October (though I’ll probably only be having lunch there)
And speaking of which, can anyone inform me on how long the wait is to get into the restaurant? I’m going to be in the Magic Kingdom on October 12 and even hope to maybe wait in line a little earlier before it opens to not waste too much time; I want to do as much as possible that day.
I’m not particularly in a hurry, but considering that it has been my dream to dine there and it is very expensive for me to travel to WDW (I live in Brazil), this might be my one chance and I don’t want to blow it! haha
Thank you!
We booked our WDW trip 170 days before. I regret not booking at least a month before that. I’m still trying to get reservations, only 50-something days to go!
Clarissa, Disney just made changes to lunch they now do fast pass plus and give away seating tickets at park open with return times to keep people from waiting in line. Once those are gone no one else gets in for the day. Hope the info helps.
Clarissa, Disney just made changes to lunch they now do fast pass plus and give away seating tickets at park open with return times to keep people from waiting in line. Once those are gone no one else gets in for the day. Hope the info helps. Go as soon as the park opens to get a ticket or use one of your fpp.
^ This is SUPER helpful for me, I didn’t know about this new development! Thank you very much!
My husband and I had dinner in June 2013 and it was amazing. The atmosphere/decor was breathtaking and really done to the Disney standard, we enjoyed French Champagne and Beers as well and dinner and dessert. We didn’t feel rushed and we also had our photo taken with the Beast. I doubt we will go back because it is so hard to get a reservation. However, it is/was definitely an experience itself.
I want to try the assorted plate. A whole loaf of bread, that’s a lot for two people. So can you have leftovers packed to go?
Great one! I can’t wait to try it.
We have been fortunate to eat at this restaurant twice in the the past year on our semi-annual trips to “The World”. Once at lunch and once at dinner. The food was excellent in both instances however the noise in the main ballroom in both instances made the experience less than enjoyable. The discretion was forgivable at lunch when we would have been at Columbia. Harbor House otherwise but truly made for an unpleasant dinner accompanied by the proximity of adjacent tables. I am a registered architect and know better. Come on Imagineers…was the acoustical design of the space not considered?
I enjoyed the review! My husband and I will be eating dinner at Be Our Guest in 2 weeks, and we are very excited to try it out.
I’m not surprised to hear that your entree’s were brought out quickly after you started eating your appetizers. We have found that to be true at many Disney World restaurants. I just think with the sheer volume of people they have to serve, that’s why they rush meals.
One tip is to put in your order for the appetizer, and keep looking at the menu for a few minutes before putting in your entree order. This will help to add ‘lag’ time between courses.
Remember that empty tables do not mean a restaurant has room. If every table were filled, the kitchen and servers would be swamped. Dinner is different in that regard from lunch. I believe that’s why the restaurant generally planned to only use the Rose Gallery for lunchtime seating.
We have eaten there 4 times and everytime was a wonderful experience.I love the cheesy potatoes and the steak is consistently delicious. We had lunch there once and that was also terrific. When we go back we will certainly have reservations for at least once but probably twice during our stay.The servers are great there and so informative about all the things that you see but really don’t know what they are for sure.They explain everything all you have to do is ask.Can’t wait to go back.
We have done dinner at Be Our Guest twice, shortly after it opened in 2012 and again in the Fall of 2013. The experience and the ambiance of the place make it worth trying if you can get in. The food is good but there are better options, such as Yachtsman Steakhouse.
Ambiance gets a 10. The food gets a 4. We had two of the dishes reviewed here. The seafood puff pastry when we dined at BOG was on the short side when it came to everything. We thought one more scallop and some additional veggies would have improved the dish. The pastry was nice. I had the lamb chops and they were the toughest cuts of meat I have eaten at Disney and were undercooked, even for a rare side eater like myself.
If ambiance is your bag you will love BOG and I hope everybody gets a meal that was better than ours. We’re local and usually make many return visits to the great Disney eateries. This will be a one off for us.
My family and I have ate 3 times here for lunch in all 3 rooms. Main roon is very noisy, the other 2 rooms are great not as noisy. Food was nice. Next trip I shall go for dinner.
I’m lukewarm on Be Our Guest— I’ve been there for dinner twice and would say the food is mediocre at best and inedible at worst (the kids’ turkey meatloaf- not sure if it is still on the menu- was truly awful- reminiscent of a sponge :(.
Mussels were not that fresh and too salty. I had an eggplant dish that was pretty tasteless.
The desserts look great and I love the cart format for serving but they were also ho-hum.
The setting is worth seeing, though! I do agree with some of the other comments about the noise- the main ballroom is cavernous and does not absorb sound well. I found it uncomfortable.
I’d give it another try at lunch so I can see the rose room.
We loved our meal at BoG, despite a slightly overworked and forgetful server. The setting is stunning, and that mussel started was one of my top three dishes of the trip 🙂
We have been three times for lunch and once for dinner.
We enjoyed the lunch just as much as the dinner. My Granddaughter wanted to eat in the west wing for dinner which was nice and having the meet and greet with The Beast was fun. All five adults had the steak because we had heard such good things about it. We all were kind of disappointed in it, but will go back again because it was such a neat place to eat. Guess it may have been a down night for steak. Will go back for sure though. But you sure can’t beat the lunch there. Awesome
I tried 180 days before our WDW visit to book Be our Guest for dinner, and it was already fully booked. I kept trying for the next 6 months, and then 3 days before our trip a 6:15 pm reservation opened! This was perfect timing as we had tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom which started at 7pm. It was well worth it – the meal was delicious (adults had the steak, and our son had the “Beast casserole” (mac and cheese). A glass of wine was ideal after a day at the park, and the atmosphere in the ballroom was beautiful and peaceful. As a Beauty in the Beast fan, I was thrilled to have this work out for our first and possibly only WDW visit. My advice is keep on checking the reservations right up until your visit – you never know!
The steak is absolutely delicious. But more importantly- if you are one of the first ones there for dinner… There is a little ceremony before the doors open for dinner for the evening. The wait staff comes out in unison and one of them steps forward with a scroll proclamation… announcing the opening of the restaurant in a Lumiere style, and inviting everyone to “Be our Guest….” Then each host steps forward and announces a family’s name… “And now presenting the Smith Family!!!!” Or, something like that… This only lasts about five minutes or so… until the first group of people are seated… then the hosts come back to get their second party, third party etc and then its kind of like business as usual. So, if you can- try to get there for 4 PM. It only lasts a few minutes but it’s something new and really fun for the kids (and grown ups!) Our waiter was also really attentive and conversational. I know not everyone likes this… but after a long day of park chaos, it was so relaxing to just sit and have a nice little chat. Also, this could have just been something that happened the day I was there…. but maybe it happens every day!! Who knows! I wish I was there to find out!