Be Our Guest restaurant is somewhat of an anomaly, and very confusing for the Disney novice. It’s even a little befuddling to a seasoned Disney traveler at first glance. That’s because it is technically, for dining plan purposes, a Quick Service Restaurant (during breakfast and lunch.) That means that you shouldn’t have to make an advanced dining reservation, right? Wrong. Be Our Guest is so popular, that despite the large seating areas, across three different themed areas, reservations are highly recommended, if not required. There are many factors at play here, but it’s mostly due to its new-ness at the Magic Kingdom, its access to air conditioning and its proximity to Fantasy Land. Within just one year, I dined at BOG (affectionate nickname) for breakfast in 2018 and then for lunch in 2019.
But first, breakfast. I made my reservation based on recommendations and with the hope of getting into the park earlier than other guests, as we were visiting during Spring Break, which is considered peak time at WDW. I was able to get a reservation early, but not quite early enough to enter the park prior to opening. That is one of the reasons why BOG is so popular. If you plan far enough in advance, and know your family’s plans soon enough, you can sometimes grab a breakfast reservation before park opening, and there will be a special cast member with a sign, waiting for you at the first round of gates. That cast member will scan your magic band or check your reservation to make sure you’re authorized for this privilege. I will warn you that even at the 180 day mark for advanced dining reservations this is not an easy task. Having a dedicated travel agent could definitely increase your chances though. As I was new to all this I secured my reservation for 8:15am; 15 minutes after official park opening. I did check with the nice cast member with the sign, but they assured me we would get in on time to make it to our reservation. In fact, we were even able to get pictures taken with fewer guests than usual behind us, watch the opening show and loiter about the castle before we had to check in for breakfast. Even though it was Spring, it was a chilly morning before the sun came out and we were still wearing our track jackets and hoodies as the morning began. It was however, a beautiful morning, (when isn’t it at the Magic Kingdom?) despite the clouds, and after we watched the Rope Drop show, still fresh with magic and nostalgia, we headed towards Be Our Guest.
As first time park guests, it took a little while to find it, mostly due to incredible theming, as the entrance door is built right in to the Beast’s castle in new Fantasy Land. It’s to the right of Pinocchio Village Haus, and Enchanted Tales with Belle. It has a long walkway, right up to the large castle doors. When you walk in you will be greeted by the Suits of Armor, whispering and wondering who has entered their castle, and you will see the beautiful stained glass windows. The imagineers replicated the scenes from the movie perfectly, and I truly felt like I was in the Beast’s Castle.
(entrance after the long bridge)
We waited in line to place our order with a cashier, but there are copies of the menu to peruse while you’re waiting and now there are digital screens where you can place your family’s order yourself. It’s not recommended if you haven’t dined there before. We placed our order for breakfast and drinks and were told to find a seat where we preferred, and my daughter chose the Grand Ballroom. There is also the West Wing and the Castle Gallery, which looks like Belle’s own library.
Now, we only received cups for our fountain drinks or coffee at this point, as it is technically quick service and you are required to get your own drinks and silverware. But, since we were told to sit in any of the three very large dining areas, how do you suppose we will receive our food? Well, if you do not wear a magic band, you will be given an enchanted rose to take to your table. A fairly short time later, your food will magically arrive at your table! Prior to your food arriving, your party will be presented with a rolling tray table of assorted pastries- beautiful and delicious.
For breakfast I chose the Feast a la Gaston, a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, roasted potatoes and fruit. My husband chose the croque madame, an open faced ham sandwich topped with fried egg, gruyere and béchamel with fresh fruit. My daughter chose the croissant doughnut, complete with banana caramel sauce , pastry crème, chocolate ganache and fresh fruit. I am so very thankful we did NOT have another reservation for food until 4:00pm that day. The portions of our breakfast items, along with the pastry selection were quite filling and we were definitely ready for a long day in Magic Kingdom. Our food arrived magically, as promised. After eating we were able to wander through the other dining rooms and I’m so glad that we did. The detail and that was put into designing this restaurant is nothing short of amazing.
When I visited BOG again in 2019, it was June, and there was nothing chilly about our day. We didn’t even rope drop but we were still quite eager to get to our 12:15pm reservation. It was a lot busier for lunch at that time frame than it was for breakfast when we were there the year prior. It was then that I saw the outside check in station opened up, with friendly cast members who will check you in at exactly 5 minutes before your reservation time, and not a minute sooner. While waiting for our check in time frame to arrive, we found some shade under nearby trees and it was then I realized why there was a such a long footbridge to the entrance, so many people walking in! When we were finally able to walk towards the entrance, another cast member greeted us on the bridge to make sure we were properly checked. Once we got in the main doors, we were in another que line, actually there were two que lines, separated by those who had ordered their meal using My Disney Experience or who planned to order there. As we did NOT order via MDE (huge regrets) we waited for an automatic cashier. We were directed there by another cast member, as we had dined there previously (one year previously) and apparently we looked like intelligent people who knew what we were doing. Allowing for the fact that we were tired, hungry, HOT and slightly frustrated, I would say our collective intelligence quotient was down a bit. The automated kiosk system was fairly easy to use, but if you had never reviewed the menu, didn’t know what you wanted, or how the sides/drinks worked out, I would suggest waiting for the cast member to assist you, while you look at the paper menu, especially if you have questions about the food. One perk of the automated order kiosk was the ability to pay, with your magic band, and go on your merry way to your desired wing of the restaurant. This time, we chose the West Wing, where there is a perpetual storm, its rather dark, and honestly, not a lot of small children as it’s a tiny bit scary, by Disney standards anyway. We were able to sit quickly at a table for four, and waited for our magical food arrival. Magic bands truly are incredible devices.
Despite the heat and humidity, my daughter chose the French onion soup. My friend who was with us, who has been to France and recently traveled in Europe said it was the best French onion soup she has ever eaten within the US. I tasted it as well, and it was delightful. The onions were tender, the salt was perfectly balanced and the melty cheese was just divine. My friend and I both chose the carved turkey sandwich with pommes frites, and honestly, we could have shared one between us. The toasted bread was piled high with turkey and a very generous portion of fries. In fact, I ‘m glad my daughter didn’t order anything in addition to her soup, because she was very helpful with the fries. I couldn’t resist adding the Master’s Cupcake and the lemon raspberry cream puff to our order. Both were outstanding and worth every single calorie! I chose to compliment my lunch with the Peach Bellini, but I will say, it was a bit much sugar for my stomach after having been so hot in the Orlando sunshine. My husband chose the croque monsieur, carved ham and gruyere sandwich with béchamel and of course, pommes frites. He complimented that with the French beer, Kronenbourg 1664.
( Master's Cupcake - with the gray stuff its' delicious!!! & Peach Bellini- sugar overload!)
Overall, I think I enjoyed my breakfast experience at Be Our Guest more, because in the early morning it seemed slightly more peaceful, although that could have just been the rope drop magic clouding our perspective. If going for lunch, I highly recommend using My Disney Experience and ordering ahead, as that line moved faster. In fact, it would have given us something to do while we were waiting to get checked in outside. I also enjoyed the included assortment of pastries during breakfast, and that is not an option at lunch. However, if your only option is a lunchtime reservation, I would still take it. There are several great things going for it, as even though it is quick service, it is an indoor restaurant with an escape from the heat with the all important air conditioning, or a respite from the afternoon rain showers, with delightful ambiance. It is also the only quick service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom that offers alcoholic beverages, meaning you can sit, sip, enjoy your meal without the same price tag as Cinderella’s Royal Table or the Chrystal Palace.
If you are interested in experiencing all that Disney has to offer, including Be Our Guest, please contact me for a free quote today!