Be Our Guest restaurant review
Have you ever wanted to step inside the ballroom dance scene from the hit movie Beauty and the Beast? For sixty years, Disney parks around the world have given guests the opportunity to step into the movies and experience the memories of our favorite characters. Every year, Walt Disney Imagineering pushes the limit of what they can do, creating a familiar world for their guests that seems to have brought them their by magic.
The Be Our Guest restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is a prime example of the lengths that Imagineering has gone to in order to expand the film world into our own. From the decor to the deliciously crafted meals, you will have no problem believing that you are Belle and the Beast’s guest.
The Restaurant’s Development
Back in 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced at the D23 Expo that there was to be an expansion in the Magic Kingdom in Florida. The expansion would be called “New Fantasyland” and would open in late 2012. It replaced Mickey’s Toontown Fair in order to feature some new Walt Disney World attractions.
As an attachment to the current Fantasyland at the time, there would be a new land discovered beyond Cinderella’s castle walls: an Enchanted Forest. On this new land, you could see an old mine train rushing in and out of a mountain’s mine shaft. Beyond that would be a village where you could get a drink and a snack at Gaston’s Tavern.
You could also find yourself walking into a cottage inhabited by Maurice and his workshop. Inside of there would also be a magic mirror that would bring you into Belle’s library. Once you would be done with that, and before you would visit Ariel, her pals, and the circus that rolled into town, there would be the famous Beast’s castle calling you to be its guest.
This castle would be a restaurant called Be Our Guest, a riff off of the Alan Menken and Howard Ashman song of the same name. The restaurant would allow you to come into it’s doors and know exactly what it’s like to visit the same castle from the 1991 Beauty and the Beast animated film. Once inside, you could quickly see your favorite settings from the movie before your eyes like the forbidden West Wing and the famous rose that inhabits it.
You would also enjoy French inspired cuisine in both Quick and Full Service options. It would seat up to 550 people in the entire restaurant as well. After it opened along with the rest of New Fantasyland on December 6th, 2012, the restaurant was a smash hit, leaving dinner reservations to be scarce among guests.
Decor and Atmosphere
In the Disney company, there is nothing more important than story. Imagineers have a job of expanding the film world into our own, and planning every detail is important. Like I said, it won’t be hard for you to point out your favorite scenes and settings from the movie. Let’s dive deeper into what decor and atmosphere you will be expecting when you visit the Be Our Guests restaurant:
Right before you enter the Beast’s castle, you will see that it has not transformed it’s cursed and disheveled appearance into the beautiful palace it was at the end of the movie. No, Imagineers want you to see the castle still in it’s enchanted form, and that means you’ll see brick and stone from the castle walls peeling right in front of you.
Fearlessly as Belle was when she first came to the castle, you walk inside to find yourself in a hallway where suits of armor are lined up with weapons in hand. As intimidating as it might sound, if you lean in close enough, you might be able to hear them spit funny lines to each other in a French accent.
Afterward, you will find yourself in the Beast’s study where you will make your order on touch-screens for breakfast and lunch quick service. Once you are done with that, you are led to one of three dining rooms: The Ballroom, The Rose Gallery, and the West Wing.
The Ballroom is just as you would expect it to be from the film. Being the largest dining room in the restaurant, you will find your jaw dropping at the details around you. If you look up towards the ceiling, you will see three chandeliers with the same painting of cherubs from the movie over top of them.
If you look toward the large windows at the back of the restaurant, you will see snow falling down outdoors on a mountainous backdrop. Remember, Walt Disney World is in Florida, and snow simply doesn’t happen down there! The mood lighting in the room will also make you want to get up and dance to the romantic “Beauty and the Beast” tune.
In the Rose or Castle Gallery, you will find portraits of Belle, the Beast, and all of their friends from memorable scenes from the movie. At the room’s center, you will notice a sculpture of Belle and the Beast rotating on top of a giant music box player. It is a calmer space compared to the final room, The West Wing.
As you may know from the movie, The West Wing is a forbidden room in the castle, and it definitely looks that way. If you are familiar with Beauty and the Beast, you will notice the same torn tapestry on the ceilings and the walls. There is even a portrait of the Beast before he was cursed that was ripped into from the Beast’s rage.
A final, yet important, piece to the room is the enchanted rose by the window. It floats under glass as petals slowly wilt to the ground. It’s quite the scene in there. It’s very dark and intimate, and lightening strikes from outside, which sometimes frightened me when I was in there. You might even believe the Beast will barge in and yell at you to get out at any moment! All in all, the style of the castle’s interior is fantastic. From the Gothic statues to the straight from the movie stained glass window, you’ll appreciate the work that Imagineers have put into the restaurant’s architecture.
Be Our Guest Restaurant Breakfast
When deciding to join Be Our Guest for breakfast or lunch, you get the chance to use their quick service option. Unlike other quick service restaurants, you won’t simply get the normal paper plates experience.
If you place a reservation for breakfast during the hours of 8 AM and 10AM, or lunch during the hours of 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM, you will enter the Beast’s study to place your order on the touch-screens. For breakfast, you may want to try a mixture of French pastries like the croissant doughnut, or for kids, the crepes with fruit or yogurt. There’s also a delicious Vegetable Quiche for all you fellow vegetarians out there, or the classic Open-Faced Bacon and Egg Sandwich for all you meat lovers.
Be Our Guest Restaurant Lunch
For lunch, you can order meals from Braised Pork to French Onion Soup (another vegetarian option on the menu). Some kid meals that the lunch menu provides are Whole-Grain Macaroni, Grilled Cheese and Turkey Noodle Soup, Slow-cooked Pork, and Pommes Frites (french fries). There are also assorted juices sodas, and other beverages that you can order as well. Prices for breakfast range from $14 – $25, while lunch prices may range from $6 – $18.
If you’re looking for affordable prices from Be Our Guest, breakfast and lunch are the best times to go. Another tip for you is that you can also order your meal ahead of time online. You can do this up to 30 days in advance. This is not available for guests with dinner reservations.
Once you decide on what to eat, you can use your MagicBand to tap the Mickey at the bottom of the screen. It saves your order so that the cast members know where to bring your meal. If you don’t have a MagicBand, you will be given a “rose” to do the same. Bring that rose to a table in any of the three dining rooms you would like to eat in.
Just like that, in a matter of minutes, your food will appear with the help of a cast member as if by magic! You’ll be able to enjoy your meal at your own leisure, so don’t rush! Live out your childhood Beauty and the Beast dreams!
Be Our Guest Restaurant Dinner
If you want to experience a full service meal at Disney’s finest, dinnertime at Be Our Guest is for you. If you come for dinner, you’ll have a lot of great options to choose from. If you’re 21 and over, they even have alcohol available for purchase.
This is definitely something special, because Be Our Guests is part of a handful of restaurants in the Magic Kingdom that serves alcohol. Unlike in other Disney park on property, the Magic Kingdom doesn’t have alcoholic beverages at multiple quick service carts. So if you’re dying for drink in MK, this is your chance! Let’s take a look at what meals are favorites on the Be Our Guest Menu for dinner and dessert options:
- Layered Ratatouille
- Roasted Pork Tenderloin
- A Garden Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
- A Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake
- And you can try the “Grey Stuff”! (Don’t worry, it’s delicious)
Be Our Guest Restaurant Grey Stuff
If you’re wondering what the “Grey Stuff” is actually made out of, wonder no more! It’s a cookies and cream panna cotta whipped at the top of a chocolate cupcake. It’s about five dollars with your breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it’s definitely a fan favorite. Prices for the main meals range from $25 – $35, or $10 – $13 for kids.
A great addition to dinner is that you get the chance to meet the Beast. The Be Our Guest restaurant is the only place in all of Walt Disney World where you can actually meet the Beast for yourself. And for good reason too, the guy is huge! And the only reasonable place you’d really want to meet him would be in his own home, don’t ya think?
While you enjoy your meal in one of the three dining areas, the Beast may make an appearance to say hello. However, if you would like a picture with the Beast, the best place to catch him would be in his study where quick service meals were placed earlier in the day.
Because of this limited meeting time, I wish that the Beast was able to come out during the day for breakfast and lunch as well. Since dinner reservations are hard to come by, it would be a treat to see the Beast in person without staying for the evening. My argument is that we would still be paying to see him, unlike other meet and greets in the park, and that anyone who eats in the restaurant should have the same perks.
Be Our Guest Reservations
To make any Disney World dinner reservations, you can either call Disney Dining (407-939-3463), or you can use the My Disney Experience app on your phone. You can also use these services for breakfast and lunch as well, but know this: getting a dinner reservation for Be Our Guest is no joke.
It’s a little easier to get a reservation for breakfast and lunch, but it’s important to plan when you’re going to make your dinner reservation. All restaurants in Walt Disney World make it possible for you to reserve your spot 180 days before the start of your trip. That’s six months in advance. This perk is only available to guests who stay on Disney property, which I recommend you do. There’s a lot of advantages to staying in a Disney hotel, including early access to Fastpass+ and free transportation to and from the airport.
Some people have recommended that you book your reservation at 6am, 180 days before the start of your trip. Availability for dinner might also depend on the time of the year. Off-season is a great time to get a table for dinner, meaning during the fall or winter.
If you end up getting a dinner reservation, congratulations! You’ll have a blast and you’ve earned it. Whenever you choose to visit Be Our Guests, you won’t be disappointed! Whether you come for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you’ll be glad you came.
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