food IS a theme park
Disney World is making some changes, y’all.
Gaston’s Tavern
The 50th anniversary JUST ended, but EVERYTHING seems different now. Park maps have changed, a store got a huge update, and Magician Mickey has made a big comeback. Something else has ALSO made a comeback and we’re checking it out!
Bonjour, ma chère and mon cher! “It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you” to Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom!
From the day it opened as part of New Fantasyland in November 2012, Be Our Guest Restaurant has been and remains one of the most in-demand dining experiences in Disney World. From the onset, it was unlike any other restaurant in Disney World, offering a variety of dining experiences (based on the time of day: breakfast, lunch, or dinner) in a setting plucked straight out of one of the most beloved Disney animated films, Beauty and the Beast.
The demand for Be Our Guest is rivaled, in fact, only by a meal at that other Castle in Magic Kingdom 😉 — Cinderella’s Royal Table. And much like we did when we discussed Cinderella’s Royal Table recently, we asked our readers to share some of the struggles (or “fails”) that they’ve experienced at Be Our Guest Restaurant in the hopes of helping future visitors feel better prepared for what to expect and consider if this is truly the best option for their vacation dining choices.
So grab your enchanted mirror — since I know you keep one handy! — and gaze with us into this remarkable setting… [Read more…]
The first quarter of 2019 is complete, and it’s time to get down to business. Of course, we mean cupcakes and the business of our 2019 Cupcake Crawl! But let’s address the buttercream in the room: with only three months under our (cupcake-filled) belts, we’re going to need to come back in a few months with a some new additions — so be on the lookout for the summer’s updated crawl! 😉
Come along as we list cupcakes you’ve got to try (so far!!) in 2019!
Firework Cupcake at Contempo Cafe
Our first entry in the Cupcake Crawl is a little loaded, and that’s because it’s an old favorite with a slightly new look (and taste!). The Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake (a/k/a the Butterfinger Cupcake) has been a DFB favorite for years. The chocolate cake filled with dense chocolate ganache and topped with peanut butter frosting and crushed Butterfinger really worked for our PB&C obsession. But in January of this year… the Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake disappeared from Trolley Car Cafe! (Read more about that here!) And when it returned recently, the cupcake had a whole new look.
Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake
Gone is the massive mountain of frosting covered in plentiful Butterfinger bits, replaced by a moderately sized pile of frosting covered in Butterfinger bits. Gone (maybe?) is the dense chocolate filling — now it’s more of a chocolate sauce filling. [Read more…]
Bonjour from the Beast’s castle in New Fantasyland! Upon a recent visit to Magic Kingdom, a most magical surprise popped up on My Disney Experience — a last minute reservation to Be Our Guest Restaurant!! Dreams come true, indeed. Let this serve as a reminder to not only book your dining reservations as early as possible, but to also keep checking because you never know what can happen 🙂
Be Our Guest Restaurant
Be Our Guest Restaurant is a part of New Fantasyland, and is one of the hardest reservations to book in all of Walt Disney World! No matter how many times you’ve been — and especially on your first visit — it’s always so magical to walk into the Beast’s castle.
Rose Gold Ears Cupcake
YAY!!! Our Cute Food Art friend Donna Yan has a whole new series… and this one is dedicated to Disney World snacks!
If you’ve been following along with the Cute Food Art series, then you’ve already enjoyed seeing Donna’s adorable, playful artwork featuring iconic Disney snacks. While you can find a lot of these snacks in both Disney World and Disneyland, there are many west coast-specific prints to check out in honor of some Disneyland favorites.
The Disney World series likewise features some snacks you can only find in Disney World, starting with the Master’s Cupcake and Lemon-Raspberry Cream Puff — exclusive treats at Be Our Guest Restaurant!
Belle’s books, Mrs. Potts, and Chip make cameo appearances, along with what I can only assume is an Enchanted Rose.
Corn Dog Nuggets from Casey’s Corner are diving in to little teeny dishes of ketchup and mustard! [Read more…]
Though we still have a week or so left, it’s definitely safe to say that 2015 has been another big year for the ever-popular Be Our Guest Restaurant in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
Looking back over the past year… February brought the announcement that lunch at Be Our Guest was ending its FastPass+ test for Disney Resort guests and opening up Advance Dining Reservations to anyone who wished to dine there. In March, we received word that breakfast would be coming to this spot that had only previously offered lunch and dinner. It was also announced that Advance Dining Reservations would be accepted for this new meal as well, even though — like lunch — breakfast is considered a Counter Service meal.
In the weeks and months to follow came a flurry of Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) made by guests focused on their Disney World vacation plans. Perhaps you have even made one in the time since, which might mean that you may be — at this very moment — getting ready to depart shortly for your Disney World vacation! (LUCKY YOU!!)
Be Our Guest Restaurant sign
If your dining time is for breakfast or lunch at Be Our Guest you have the option to pre-order your meal within 30 days of your reservation, and today we’re going to look at how that process works. (The pre-order process does not apply to dinner at Be Our Guest, which, as always, is considered a Table Service meal.) [Read more…]
in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was an overnight sensation, and has stayed at the top of every Disney fans’ must-get-a-reservation list.
The crazy to get a table has reached epic proportions and has resulted in an unprecedented move: this counter-service-at-lunch spot now offers Advance Dining Reservations. (Previously, Be Our Guest tested lunch Fast Passes. See more information on the move to ADRs here.) Dinner, which continues to be table service, also requires ADRs just as soon as your 180-day window opens.
And now, after hearing rumors forever, Be Our Guest just started testing Breakfast Service. We had a chance to try it for ourselves the very first morning it was served!
Be Our Guest Restaurant sign
I’ve enjoyed all three meals here. The food has been good to great, and the impeccable themeing make this a must-do experience at least once.
Scenery Begins Before You Ever Enter the Castle: Gargoyle Light Post and Waterfall
But I never like to assume a place continues to be awesome — especially a spot as busy as this. It’s very easy for busy restaurants to nose dive in the quality department, and to trade on their fame alone. And so, it’s become pretty important to me to check in with Be Our Guest periodically to see if I’d still recommend that you fight the good fight to get a table here. And that’s just what I did on a recent lunch visit.
Join me, won’t you?
Be Our Guest has taken a hybrid approach to service since day one. While dinner is a table service meal, lunch continues to be…not so much counter service, as upscale quick service. But now there’s officially a twist to lunch — you can (and totally, totally should) book an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR for short). So you’ll check in for lunch much the same as you do for dinner.
Check In for Be Our Guest Restaurant
My, how things have changed. Thanks to ADRs (and the fact that standby waiting often isn’t even available), the routinely crazy-long line for lunch doesn’t start up at the crack of 10AM anymore.
Be Our Guest Entrance
Wanna see what I mean? Here’s a view from the pre-ADR lunch days. Yikes!
Lunch Line at Be Our Guest Restaurant
But don’t get any ideas that you’re just going to stroll in for a quick look-see. Nearly the only ticket that will gain you access to Beast’s Castle is an ADR.
Entrance
Once you’re through the entrance (woo! You made it!), be sure to take in every detail. Be Our Guest is truly a gem, and a stunning example of Disney’s ability to imagine and bring to real life the animated worlds that they’ve created.
To your left, you can see just what I mean. Fans of the film will remember the backstory of Beauty and the Beast at the beginning of the film, told through a series of stained glass windows. And in the final scenes of the film, a new window is shown — with Belle and her Prince. You’ll find the scene immortalized in a mosaic at Be Our Guest.
Belle and Prince Stained Glass Window
But to get your lunch party started, you’ll actually head to your right, down the Gallery. The narrow passageway is lined with shining suits of armor standing at attention — and it’s one of my favorite spots in the restaurant.
Enchanted Suits of Armour
These Enchanted Suits of Armour whisper, crack jokes, and generally just have a good time.
More Enchanted Suits of Armour
I’m going to take you a little out of the normal DFB sequence here so that we keep the order of how things work at Be Our Guest. Once you leave the Gallery, you enter the ordering area. And this is why I don’t call Be Our Guest a counter service spot. Here, you can see to the right the Digital Menu Boards that feature lunch items.
Digital Menu Boards
And directly ahead, there are kiosks. Some are manned with Cast Members who can take your order, and others are available for guests to enter their information directly. I chose the self serve option.
Instructions for Ordering
From there, the detailed menu took me through each stage of ordering. Here are the adult options. A “1” over the item indicates that it is part of our order. Because I had a FastPass to dine at Be Our Guest (this was before the restaurant changed to ADRs), I pre-ordered, making the ordering process slightly faster once I got there. It was just a matter of confirming our choices.
Digital Touchscreen Kiosk Menu — Entrees
And here’s a screen which shows you Kids’ Meal options. We had pre-selected a meal for the child in our party as well.
Digital Touchscreen Kiosk Menu — Kids’ Meals
An additional pop-up menu for the Kids’ Meal gave us the opportunity to change up any beverages or side dishes.
Digital Touchscreen Kiosk Menu — Kids’ Picks Options
Digital Touchscreen Kiosk Menu — Kids’ Picks Options
It’s at this point that you pay. Once payment is taken care of, you either receive a [Read more…]
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