Review: Dinner at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland

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At a recent passholder preview of New Fantasyland, my family and I were thrilled to discover Be Our Guest was open for dinner that evening. Reservations were being accepted outside the restaurant for that night only.

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Cast members were accommodating when we asked to be seated in the West Wing. Because it’s such a small dining room compared to the Ballroom, there are no promises made that guests will get a table there, but the hostess will take a request when you check in and are given a pager. The Ballroom and the West Wing are the only two dining rooms open for dinner.

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Entering Be Our Guest for dinner was an entirely different experience than when we queued up for lunch. Our host led us directly through the great hall, where cast members lined the entrance to the Ballroom and wished us “Bon Appetit!” As we entered the Ballroom, it was obvious the lights had been dimmed, and the atmosphere was a little more formal. Tables were set with electric candles and red cloth napkins folded into the shape of roses. As we were led to the West Wing, we noticed that the food trolleys now lined the walls and were filled with desserts.

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We chose the West Wing because we wanted to experience the thunderstorm and its effects on the Enchanted Rose and Beast portrait. (See my previous post for more details about the entertainment in the West Wing.) This, coupled with the fact that the doors to the kitchen exit into the West Wing, make this dining room louder than the Ballroom. That didn’t bother us at all, but please be aware if you have young children or someone with hearing issues, this might not be the best spot for you to dine. (When my son was a toddler, the thunder at Rainforest Cafe really scared him.)

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Once we were seated and perusing the menu, my husband and I were having difficulty narrowing our selections because everything sounded so delicious. My eight-year-old daughter, however, was struggling because she didn’t see any of the traditional kid favorites and she can, at times, be a picky eater. (See the kids’ dinner menu here.)

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And there is the dilemma for some parents: Their little girls may be excited to step into Belle’s world but disappointed when they can’t fully enjoy the experience because the kids’ menu is a little more grown-up than their palates. Our server handled the situation beautifully, though, when we explained the situation. She asked a chef to come to our table, and he was very helpful about finding a solution. In my daughter’s case, he offered the baked au gratin macaroni that is usually served with the adult pork chop and paired it with French fries. My daughter was satisfied, and we were pleased about the restaurant’s flexibility.

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My son chose the thyme-scented pork rack chop with au gratin macaroni and seasonal vegetables and raved about it. My husband and I found it to be quite tasty, too, when we sampled the portion he was unable to finish. One caution: The pork was heavily seasoned with pepper.

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My husband tried the pan-seared salmon on leek fondue, which was served with creamy saffron-crushed potatoes. The salmon was a moist and meaty serving of fish that flaked nicely on the fork. I had the grilled strip steak with garlic-herb butter, which was very flavorful and tender, and pommes frites. The portion was so large that I ended up sharing quite a bit with my husband, who certainly was not complaining. (See the full dinner menu here.)

Be Our Guest has an extensive wine list, which you can see here. Several imported beers are available as well. My husband tried a dark belgian strong ale, Chimay Blue, and said it had a subtle hint of fruit that paired well with the salmon. Beast’s castle also serves two signature non-alcoholic drinks: All-Natural Fruit Punch and All-Natural Lemonade. If you choose a light-up castle-themed souvenir goblet for the foamy drinks, the price quadruples. Almost $20 for a drink without alcohol — ouch!

Although Be Our Guest is expensive, the pricing is in line with other table-service restaurants at Walt Disney World. In fact, it costs less overall than dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table, which does not offer alcohol but does include a photo package. The only price that really stunned me was the non-alcoholic drink. We saw plenty of diners, including children, sipping away, though.

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Still, our dinner experience at Be Our Guest was outstanding. Our server was attentive to our needs, keeping our drinks and bread basket filled and plates cleared. She was knowledgeable about the menu, too. Of course, our favorite part of her service was when she rolled the dessert trolley to our table. Guests can choose a cupcake — strawberry cream cheese, triple chocolate or lemon meringue (Belle’s favorite) — or a cream puff — chocolate, passion fruit or lemon-raspberry. We all tried the triple chocolate cupcake, which was quite a sweet ending to an excellent dinner.

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3 Replies to “Review: Dinner at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland”

  1. I dined at be our guests in October 2014 and had the steak sandwich meal and enjoyed it very much, the atmosphere and cast member’s were great, I give it a thumbs up

  2. Kristin, Thanks for the great information about Be Our Guest! The photos are very helpful too. My daughter and I have reservations for dinner in January! Decisions, decisions! It all looks so good! It will be hard to decide!

  3. Looking forward to trying this restaurant next month. I have to say, though, I was excited to see that the kids’ menu offered healthier proteins for a change. I’m lucky that my kids are very adventurous eaters, but they get bored with the nuggets, pizza, mac & cheese, etc. pretty early in our trip. We’ve stopped using the meal plan because of this to enable our kids to order from the adult menu. I’m glad to see the staff worked with you to find a meal your daughter liked. We’ll definitely try asking more in the future when our kids want to try something different!