UPDATE: Read about the Opening Date for Be Our Guest Restaurant and Reservations Info!
The rumors from this summer are true! By now, many of you have heard about the incredible re-vamp in store for Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Fantasyland. You’ve heard about Dumbo expanding, the Ariel attraction, and dancing lessons with Cinderella. But what WE like to hear about is the FOOD! And Disney has happily included some new dining establishments in its Fantasyland plans: Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern!
Be Our Guest Restaurant:
Be Our Guest Restaurant Concept Art, Beast's Castle
Both dining spots will be in the new Beauty and the Beast area of Fantasyland, and we know for certain that Be Our Guest Restaurant will be a three-room, themed, table-service restaurant in the “Beast’s Castle.” Speculation is that this may be the re-emergence of a restaurant slated for Disneyland Paris’ fantasyland a while back.
Michael, over at Progress City, U.S.A., hypothesized even more for the restaurant in his July 16th, 2009, blog post. This came soon after the initial blueprints for the fantasyland plans were leaked earlier this summer:
What’s really mysterious is the “Be Our Guest Restaurant.” … Could this new restaurant be a revived version of the unrealized dining concept for Disneyland Paris’s Fantasyland, which would feature an animatronic dinner show based on Beauty and the Beast? In that attraction, guests would dine while the Beast’s castle slowly came to life around them; it would be as if they had combined the Enchanted Tiki Room with an actual restaurant. It would certainly be a nice addition to the park.
This sounds like an amazing dining experience. My fingers are crossed!
Gaston’s Tavern:
Gaston's Tavern Concept Art
Also new on the scene is Gaston’s Tavern, which looks like it might be a counter-service or less-expensive table service location. You can see, as Jay Rasulo quipped in his description, Gaston said he likes to decorate with antlers…
From The Source
Here’s the YouTube video of Jay Rasulo’s speech on the subject! Enjoy!
Other info welcome!
If you were at the Expo or know anything more about these two dining spots, let us know. I can’t wait to hear more.
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I was there, too, for the big reveal! Such exciting news. Can’t wait to see how it develops!
MK is in need another table-service restaurant. Oh, I like the idea of a show with the characters. The concept art does include a little Lumiere. Maybe something along the lines of Remy visiting Chefs de France over the summer.
From what I heard while watching Lou Mongello’s live stream of the D23 Expo, the Be our Guest restaurant is going to be a Quick Service establishment during the day and and a table service restaurant at night.
Also, Lumiere is supposed to be implimented simularly to Remy at Chefs de France
Ray: Interesting. Thank you for the info. Trying to think of other WDW restaurants that function that way (quick service by day, table service by night).
Scott and Ray: Very exciting news about Lumiere! I wonder who will do the voice!
Allison: You’re a lucky girl! I need to scoot over to your blog to check out the posts!
I attended Jay Rasulo’s presentation on Saturday, and these 2 restaurants were the most exciting pieces of news for me! Beauty and the Beast is my favorite of the “princess stories”, and being able to be a guest in Beast’s castle ballroom will just be incredible. I do hope though, that they don’t make it an actual character meal (to meet Beast and Belle etc), though the animatronics show would be very cool. It does seem that the food quality suffers at character dining locations, and the food is the most important thing for us readers of this blog. 🙂
I’ve also heard that the villains are going to be part of the restaurant(s) somehow. I don’t know how, but the idea thrills me.
Liberty Tree Tavern operates as an a la carte lunch and then switches to an evening character meal with family-style dining. I don’t believe there’s a dining location in the US parks that change from counter service by day to table service by night.
I think I like the sound of the villains being apart of the restaurant. The villains are always so intriguing. I can not wait to see the Beauty and the Beast restaurant! I know it is just going to be ridiculously beautiful 🙂
Maybe the villians will be on certain nights, etc.. (i know that is a stretch)
But i do like the idea of the QS for lunch and TS for dinner, but i heard that only one of the rooms will be open for lunch, while for dinner all 3 rooms will be open…
I totally cant wait for 2012.. i want this now.. 🙂
I think they wont just have Lumiere as a Living CHaracter, but also i think Clogsworth should be one as well
Madoka: Thanks for your comment! I think dining in the Beast’s castle will be so interesting. I wonder how much “castle” there will be to tour!
Kelly and Jackey: Villians? Really? Hmm…they could do such incredible lighting effects with a villain meal…
Scott and Cody: Thanks for the further clarification on the plans. I’m intrigued to see how they change over the next couple of years.
do you know if the full expansion will be finished by June 2012? We are planning a trip, as we go every year, and we just cant wait to see the whole thing done!
This is wonderful news!!! Thanks for sharing.
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