Be Our Guest Restaurant has been one of the most popular restaurant choices in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom since its opening in 2012.

Be Our Guest Restaurant has undergone some changes in the past few years and, since the July 2020 reopening of Disney World, it offers a prix fixe menu now for BOTH lunch and dinner. We reviewed dinner in 2020, and now we’re back with a lunch review!

Almost 10 years later (wow, can you believe this restaurant is almost a decade old?? Feels like just yesterday!) this spot is still one of the most popular in all of Disney World. You get to basically step INTO the animated Beauty and the Beast film’s most iconic scene AND get to eat some pretty tasty food while you do it! So how was our most recent experience?

Atmosphere

Be Our Guest Restaurant has an incredible setting, from the outside of the restaurant to all throughout the inside. You can find a full tour of Be Our Guest here, and it’s no secret that being able to dine inside the Beast’s castle is a major draw to this restaurant.

Usually, Be Our Guest Restaurant check-in is located outside at the end of the Castle Bridge. On this rainy day, check-in was moved inside.

There was a QR code for checking in, and we waited to be directed to our table.

Be Our Guest Restaurant is filled with beautiful details, even on the outside. The entrance to Be Our Guest is adorned with statues and stained glass above the doors.

The stained glass features a rose (of course) and artwork from Beauty and the Beast.

Once you step inside, the details are stunning.

You may be greeted by a knight…

…and you can spot Beast details everywhere!

Inside Be Our Guest Restaurant is the iconic mosaic of Belle and the Prince (err…the Beast).

The Grand Ballroom is the signature room and one of three rooms you may be seated in. The Ballroom is, of course, where Belle and the Beast had their first dance.

The large floor-to-ceiling windows showcase snow falling outside…

…and the ceiling is adorned with chandeliers and a painting of tiny cherubs in the clouds (many of the faces are the children of Imagineers that contributed to the restaurant. It’s a little too lifelike in some cases, but just remember…they’re always watching you while you eat!

One of the other rooms open for dining is the Rose Gallery, in which you can find Belle and the Beast dancing on a giant music box, along with portraits from Belle and the Beast’s life. Fun fact, the story is that the music box was a wedding gift from Maurice, Belle’s father, to celebrate their love story.

The portraits feature beloved Beauty and the Beast characters, from Belle and the Beast to Mrs. Potts and Chip!

The moodier and smallest third room is the West Wing, which was forbidden to Belle in Beauty and the Beast. The West Wing sets a mysterious tone with shredded draperies and darkness that is, in fact, so dark you may need your phone’s flashlight!

The Prince’s clawed portrait is the centerpiece of the room, and loud thunder and lightning add to the foreboding setting (so take note if you aren’t a fan of loud sounds!). This room tends to be a liiiiiiittle on the spooky side and we’ve seen some kids prefer to NOT sit in here. If you’ve got little ones with you, decide if this room is OK for your family. If not, just let the hostess know. If you keep your eye on the Prince’s portrait in here, you might spot it change!

You can also find the iconic rose from Beauty and the Beast, reminding us that the Beast must find his true love before time runs out. This is really neat to check out but heads up — if you’re seated right by this back corner, expect a lot of foot traffic with other diners heading over to snap photos your entire meal. Not a dealbreaker (it’s cool to sit near!) but just know you might have folks coming by while you eat.

In the Grand Ballroom, you will find a sign that addresses the Beast’s “quick surprise stop” in Be Our Guest Restaurant.

Previously, guests could line up to meet and take photos with the Beast in his study near the entrance and, because he’s a rare character to find in Disney World, this was a perk of dining at Be Our Guest Restaurant. Now, the interaction with Beast is limited to him walking through the dining rooms. But we were able to see the Beast three times during our meal and again as we were leaving! Be aware that the location of your table could impact how well you can see the Beast. He tends to stick to the main walkway through the space.

Now, where’s Lumiere so he can “proudly present” our dinner?!

Eats

Our table was inside the Grand Ballroom, and the table was set with red cloth napkins and utensils.

The prix fixe lunch/dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant allows adult guests a choice of an appetizer, entree, and dessert, for $62. Children under 10 are $37. The lunch menu was available via QR code.

Did you know that Be Our Guest was the first restaurant inside Magic Kingdom to offer alcoholic beverages? We received a paper menu for the Wine List…

…along with the Beer and Cider and non-alcoholic drink menu. Soda, milk, or other non-alcoholic drink options are included in the meal, whereas alcoholic beverages are not.

If you’re looking to get extra fancy, the Private Label Champagne and Wines list an Enchantée Champagne Brut, L’ombre de la Bete Chardonnay, Enchantée Rose, and L’ombre de la Bete Vin Rouge, as well as the Be Our Guest Private Label Wine Sampler.

The appetizers include the favorite French Onion Soup, Mixed Field Greens, Assorted Meats and Artisanal Cheese, and Maine Lobster Bisque.

The entree list features Herb-salted Pork Tenderloin, Vadouvan Spice Vegetables, Center-cut Filet Mignon, Pan-seared Sea Scallops. and Poulet Rouge Chicken.

The Dessert Trio is served to each guest. It includes a Lemon Jam Macaron, a White Chocolate “Chip” Cup filled with Grey Stuff, and a Dark Chocolate Truffle. There is also a plant-based Vanilla Cake with Lemon Curd available.

The Kids’ Menu is available to children nine and younger for $37 and the appetizers include Iceberg Wedge Salad, Fruit and Cheese Plate, and House-made Peach Applesauce.

Kids’ menu entrees feature Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Pan-seared Chicken Breast, and House-made Macaroni & Cheese.

The desserts available to kids are either Seasonal Fruit or the Dessert Trio.

Your dinner begins with a sliced French bread basket, which is served alongside…

…Mickey Butter! Did this butter taste better just because of the Mickey shape? Why yes. Yes it did.

We chose to try the Be Our Guest Private Label Wine Sampler for $24. The sampler offers smaller offerings of three wines, including the Enchantée Rose, L’ombre de la Bete Chardonnay, and L’ombre de la Bete Vin Rouge, which provided a nice taste to pair with each course. They were out of the Enchanteé Rose, so it was substituted with Enchantée Champagne Brut.

The L’ombre de la Bete Chardonnay paired well with our soup appetizer and gave us a slightly fruity taste with hints of lime and apple. It was not as dry as many Chardonnays can be.

The L’ombre de la Bete Vin Rouge was our favorite, as it was smooth, full-bodied, and slightly fruity. It would have paired great with red meat, but it was nice and rich with the chicken entree we chose.

The Enchantée Champagne Brut was a nice substitution as it’s actually more expensive than the Enchantée Rose, and we saved it to go alongside the desserts. The Champagne was dry, flavorful, and not super sweet, which complemented and balanced the sweetness of the desserts.

For the appetizer, we selected the Maine Lobster Bisque. It was served in a huge bowl, but the portion isn’t actually that large. The lobster portion was a very small amount on top, and the creamy, savory soup had a slightly spicy aftertaste, with the small portion of poached lobster and creme fraiche on top.

The soup was okay, but it would have been better served with more lobster or in a larger portion. It was warm and did taste fine overall, so maybe it would be more ideal on a cooler day. The flavors were what you would expect from a lobster bisque — rich, creamy with a hint of sherry. If you really love lobster bisque you can give it a try, but the small portion was a bit of a  disappointment.

For our entree, we chose the Poulet Rouge Chicken, which was served with Savory Bread Pudding and Seasonal Vegetables with a Chicken Glace. It’s a very pretty presentation on the plate!

We loved the summery Seasonal Vegetables, which were summer sautéed grape tomatoes, squash, zucchini, and pickled onions. They were seasoned well and fork-tender, with a slight crunch. The pickled onions were a fun flavor that we enjoyed! Sometimes sauteed vegetables can be hit or miss. We’ve had some that were cooked to mush, and we’ve had some that were barely warmed up and essentially still raw — but these were perfection!

The Savory Bread Pudding was three squares of French bread, with a Mornay cheese sauce on top. The French bread was seasoned with herbs and had an interesting texture that wasn’t quite as moist as some bread puddings, but quite dense for such a small serving. It was closer to a soft crouton than a true bread pudding, really. We enjoyed trying this but it’s not something we need to have again. And considering the serving size we received, it really felt more like a garnish than a side dish.

The Poulet Rouge Chicken was the highlight of the meal (besides the bread service if we’re being honest!). It was a delicious mix of white and dark meat, with the dark meat being juicier, but the white meat still had good flavor. Unlike the soup, this was a very generous portion of chicken!

We loved that they left the skin on to give it added flavor and crispiness on the outside while still tender and juicy on the inside.

It was seasoned well, and all of the flavors were perfectly balanced. We also loved the glace, though we would have enjoyed more sauce underneath the main dish since there was so much chicken.

And finally, it was time for the Dessert Trio (and Enchantee Champagne!). The Dessert Trio includes a Lemon Jam Macaron, a White Chocolate “Chip” Cup, and a Dark Chocolate Truffle. Last time we ate this, it was served on edible sugar “paper” printed with a pretty stained glass rose design. We were sad to see that missing this time!

The Lemon Jam Macaron with raspberry filling and was delicious and fresh. The lemon macaron was the best part, as the cookies were fresh tasting and a good size! The raspberry filling was a nice pairing with the lemon macaron, and nestled in the raspberry filling was a dab of lemon jelly that gave it a tartness that balanced the sweetness of the raspberry filling.

Chip was an edible white chocolate cup full of the deliciously famous grey stuff (AKA cookies and cream mousse), crisp pearls on top, and a white chocolate square with the famous Beauty and the Beast lyrics “tale as old as time” written on it. We know that Chip is adorable and a classic, but we’d prefer a bigger serving of the grey stuff and a little less white chocolate. We’ve seen him painted in the past, but he was just a solid white chocolate chip cup this visit. But kiddos and Beauty and the Beast will love this cute enough-to-eat dessert. Plus, if you go to Be Our Guest and DON’T eat Grey Stuff, did you really even go to Be Our Guest??

The Dark Chocolate Truffle was heavenly. You might wish you could eat several of these, but be careful because it was super-rich. It had a raspberry filling as well and it was sprinkled with chopped hazelnuts. It was nice to get a taste of a few different desserts and we enjoyed all of them.

The Dessert Trio is a great way to get a taste of a few different desserts and we enjoyed all of them. Fun tip for kiddos in your crew — they’re served essentially the same trio but, honestly, BETTER. It usually comes with a small squirt of the 3 primary colors of edible “paint” with a paintbrush so kids can paint their Chip cup with the Grey Stuff served on the side! This is REALLY fun (c’mon, Disney. Adults like to play with their food too )!

Nosh or not?

You may want to “tie a napkin ’round your neck” at Be Our Guest if:

• You’re a Beauty and the Beast fan or have one in your travel party. The details in every room and the chance to catch a glimpse of the elusive Beast make this a memorable dining experience!
• You’re looking for an upscale, leisurely meal to get a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks.
• You MUST dine in a castle to get that complete Disney vacation experience. Magic Kingdom boasts two castle dining experiences with this and Cinderella’s Royal Table.

You may want to “stay out of the West Wing” for lunch if:

• You’re in park-commando mode and want to spend your Disney World time experiencing attractions.  This meal is slower-paced and you’ll end up using that precious attraction time sitting here for your meal.
• You’re looking for a budget-friendly meal. $62 per person can be a hefty price for lunch and can add up quickly for a larger party.
• If you’re ordering all plant-based options. Again, the cost is set regardless of what you order and $62 may not deliver the best value for only plant-based options. That’s PRICEY for just a plate of sauteed veggies.

Overall

Be Our Guest has been one of the most popular restaurants at Disney World for almost a decade and it has maintained that reputation for good reason. But that doesn’t mean that those same reasons are good for you. The atmosphere, attention to detail, and in-depth storytelling really bring this favorite fairytale to life. Guests truly feel like they’re dining in Beast’s castle — straight out of the movie! And the service is dependably good. The staff here is attentive and helpful and just as charming as if they stepped out of the movie, themselves. And you can’t forget the Beast! Though he’s not currently meeting guests individually, he does make regular appearances so you can easily wave, capture some video, or snap a few pictures of this rare character sighting.

However, for the price, the meal quality feels a bit underwhelming. From our experience, the main standouts were the complimentary bread service at the beginning of the meal and the hearty portion of chicken for our entree. Though nothing was “bad,” we definitely wished that our lobster bisque had some larger pieces of lobster and that there was just more of it. The sides served with our chicken were tasty, but the savory bread pudding was small and the veggies, though cooked perfectly, were nothing special. For the price, you’re definitely paying more for the atmosphere than for the food. So keep that in mind as you decide if Be Our Guest is right for you. This spot is one of those that, if you choose to dine here, it really comes down to if your family wants to pay for the experience. We’ve done a huge breakdown of all the pros and cons of eating here if you’re still on the fence you can check out below.

Click here to see if Be Our Guest is worth it for your family!

We’ll definitely be back to Be Our Guest and keep tabs on if this high-demand spot keeps earning its reputation!

Check out our review of Be Our Guest Restaurant prix fixe dinner here!

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Would you eat at Be Our Guest? Let us know in the comments!

The post Review: Is Disney World’s OTHER Castle Dining Option Still Worth Your $$? first appeared on the disney food blog.