Why we loved dinner at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom
When asking five-year-old Big Girl what had been her favourite meal during our Walt Disney World holiday where we ate our way through five character meals and two other memorable dining experiences, she chose the meal that was probably the most sought after reservation. It was the dinner in Beast’s castle in Magic Kingdom–the Be Our Guest Restaurant–that came up trumps.
Be Our Guest opened in 2012 as part of the new extension to Fantasyland and the themed restaurant features three rooms, including the Grand Ballroom, the Castle Gallery with a huge figure of Belle and Beast dancing as a centrepiece, and the darker West Wing where the enchanted rose is located.
The only way to get into the castle is by having a reservation, and breakfast and lunch are quick-service meals where guests place a food order in advance or on a touch-screen terminal in Beast’s study and find a free table –but dinner is different. For dinner, Be Our Guest turns into a table-service restaurant, and although Be Our Guest is not categorised as a character meal, Beast is known to typically make an appearance during dinner. When we visited the Beast’s arrival was announced at 5pm, and we were invited to go to his study and meet him after we had finished our meal.
This was definitely one of the reasons why Big Girl loved Be Our Guest, but I think the fact we got to dine in the West Wing was another highlight. When checking in with the host outside the restaurant, we requested a table in the West Wing and they were able to accommodate the request. This was in my opinion the most unique of the three rooms, as it has the rose with falling leaves and a portrait on the wall of the prince that briefly changes to the Beast around every ten minutes or so after sounds of thunder.
The room felt quite dark and loud with the rumbling noises, so some children may prefer the Grand Ballroom or Rose Gallery, which are both beautiful rooms, but our young ones were thrilled to be in the West Wing.
The food was also surprisingly good, and Daddy T and I both had the Grilled Strip Steak ($36) while Big Girl had a grilled salmon meal ($12).
The desserts were brought out on trolleys and looked delicious, but we were full after our meal and only had a taste of a triple chocolate cupcake and the “grey stuff”–a dessert the restaurant has become known for since there is a reference to “the grey stuff” in the song of the same name as the restaurant.
Although we didn’t have to rush to see the Beast after dinner, the children were eager to finish up and go to Beast’s study where a small line had formed by the time we got there. It was still only around 10 minutes to wait to meet the Beast and have our photos taken by a Photo Pass photographer.
It didn’t matter that the Beast couldn’t sign autograph books with his big hands–the meet and greet was more than enough to make this a truly magical moment for Big Girl and Big Boy.
The dinner reservation at this restaurant is in high demand and I would strongly recommend booking 180 days in advance. Be Our Guest was the first restaurant in Magic Kingdom to serve wine and beer. From 27 July, dinner will change to a prix fixe, 3-course menu.
(Photos of the hallway and the West Wing by David Roark and of the beast by Matt Stroshane)
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