Okay, you may have read that title and thought, “Ouch!” — seems a little harsh, no? But lately, “Be our guest” has taken on a whole new meaning; Disney is practically begging people to be their guests and dine at the Beauty and the Beast-inspired restaurant.

The truth is, Be Our Guest Restaurant was once one of the hardest reservations to get in Disney World. Now, most days, it’s pretty easy to get a table at Be Our Guest. Why? Well, in the words of Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts, “There’s something there that wasn’t there before.”

The good old days

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. When Be Our Guest first opened in 2012, the restaurant was well-regarded as one of the most stunning, immersive restaurants in the Magic Kingdom. In fact, we were among the first to dine at the restaurant way back in 2012!

Back in the day, this restaurant served a Counter-Service (fast-casual) Breakfast and Lunch, then switched to a Table Service (sit-down) meal for Dinner. Despite the fact that this spot only served Counter-Service meals at breakfast and lunch, guests still had to make Advanced Dining Reservations. It was that popular!

Not only that, but guests pre-ordered their meals using My Disney Experience before their dining date. It was a TOTALLY different dining experience — but we loved it. The food was delicious, and the meal felt like a good value considering the stunning setting, quality entrees, and overall popularity.

What went wrong

Unfortunately, Disney decided to change things up. In 2018, Disney changed its service. Now, the restaurant is regarded as a Signature meal with a prix fixe menu. Translation: MAJOR price increase.

Previously, the Table Service Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant offered an a la carte menu, but starting on July 27th, 2018, Dinner became a prix fixe, 3-course affair. Back in 2018, the meal was $55 for adults and $35 for children; today, it costs $67 for adults and $39 for kids. That fan-favorite Counter-Service breakfast is gone, and two heavy full-course lunch and dinner options have taken over.

Not only that, but dining reviewers started souring on the food. Thanks to that nearly $70 per-person price tag, guests are expecting some quality food (as they should!). Unfortunately, many feel that the atmosphere is the best part of the dining experience. We just can’t stomach those prices — or those heavy meals at 1:00 in the afternoon in the dead of summer.

Need more proof that the restaurant isn’t as popular as it used to be? We’ve seen Be Our Guest Cast Members walk around Fantasyland and advertise the restaurant’s open availability. In fact, we were once approached by a Cast Member one evening, and they offered us a table at Be Our Guest. Of course, this doesn’t happen all the time, but we have seen it happen in the past.

The truth is, many Disney guests just don’t want to pay a premium on top of an already high-cost vacation. If the Star Wars hotel was any proof, it seems like guest demand just isn’t there for those ultra-pricey experiences. Who knows, maybe Disney will change the menu someday to restore Be Our Guest to its former glory. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more!

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Have you dined at Be Our Guest recently? Let us know in the comments!

The post How Be Our Guest Restaurant Lunch Slowly Declined From Perfect to Pathetic first appeared on the disney food blog.