Thanks to my colleague Zanna DiMarzio from Zannaland, for sharing her lunchtime counter-service experience at Be our Guest Restaurant. We love her honest take on things at the Magic Kingdom’s newest restaurant. To read a Be Our Guest Restaurant Dinner Review, click here.
I have been lucky enough to walk through the Beauty and the Beast-themed Be Our Guest Restaurant a few times since “Dress Rehearsals” first began for New Fantasyland. Although with each visit, even though I saw a bit more of the space, I was still missing out on seeing the two additional dining rooms as well as actually eating there.
That all changed today, when I got to enjoy the Be Our Guest Restaurant Quick Service lunch and venture into the West Wing and the Rose Gallery dining rooms. I was just a little bit excited!
Before we get to the food, however, let’s discuss exactly how things work at Be Our Guest for lunch.
Atmosphere and Mechanics
When you walk in to the restaurant, you are directed down the hallway to the right, flanked by three suits of armor on each side. These suits of armor are, of course, enchanted, and actually speak to each other, sing a little, snore a little, and sneeze every now and then.
For the time I was standing in there, the knights ribbing each other and talking back and forth reminded me of the main Tiki Birds joking with each other. It was really fun.
As you wait, menu screens in the center of the hallway switch to show you photos of the food you are about to order, making it much easier to decide.
Check-In and Ordering
Soon, you are at the check-in area, and a Cast Member asks how many people are in your party.
This room is themed after the parlor in Beauty and the Beast, with the fireplace and huge wing chair that Beast sits in.
The Cast Member then gives you a magical “rose”, which tells Cast Members where to bring your food, and is activated by a Mickey head on the side of the check-in desk. This will come in handy later…
You proceed to a register and place your order. There are some self-service kiosks for ordering, and some stations with Cast Members to take your order.
We were sent to a Cast Member, who patiently took our order.
It was a little frustrating trying to decide, because the menu screen in front of you kept changing every few seconds to the kids menu.
There is a menu board on the wall behind you, but it’s harder to see.
Definitely pay attention in that hallway room and try to decide what you want from the pictures on the screen, so you’re ready to go.
The cast member made sure our info was sent to the rose, and gave it back to us.
We were told to put the rose in the center of our table. Well, since this is a new establishment and experience, we kind of wandered for a while. We decided where we wanted to sit (it was a tough choice between the West Wing and the Rose Gallery!) and we were stopping to take photos and just admire the details.
As a result, we ended up being tracked down by a Cast Member who asked to see our receipt. We soon realized it was because our food was actually already trying to find us and by not setting our rose down, we were wreaking havoc with their system.
So, if you plan to take photos or just wander, make sure you find a table first and have someone in your party stay with your rose.
Choosing a Dining Room
As mentioned, there are the West Wing (to the left) and Rose Gallery (to the right), in addition to the vast main ballroom area to choose from when you pick your table. During the Be Our Guest Restaurant Table-Service dinner, only the West Wing and main Ballroom will be opened. The Rose Gallery is a lunch-exclusive space.
Rose Gallery
The Rose Gallery is so named because is is actually a gallery of lovely painted portraits and scenes from Belle and Beast’s adventures.
The centerpiece of the room is a giant wooden music box figure of Belle and Beast, a gift from Belle’s father, Maurice, on their wedding day. The figures turn and dance around while music-box versions of the soundtrack you hear throughout the restaurant play. Be sure to walk around the whole display, each side has a different front detail.
The portraits within the gallery are fun, too, some displaying familiar scenes from the movie, while others show characters in ways we may not have seen them before, like a dozing Lumière.
It’s a bright, warm room, and we loved dining here. Definitely a good choice for those who may be a little frightened of the West Wing, or who need better lighting for food photos!
West Wing
The West Wing is truly an amazing setting. You walk in and you know it’s unlike any other dining area.
The lights are dim, the tapestries and walls are shredded and clawed (surely you remember that scene in the movie!), and you’ll see a familiar portrait on the wall and a shimmering rose under a glass jar. Lightening and thunder flash and crash around you. You are in the West Wing!
For those who have visited the Sorcerer’s Workshop in Disney California Adventure and seen Beast’s library, you’ll remember how his portrait and the room changes when the last petal falls from the enchanted rose on display there.
Similarly, the Prince’s portrait also changes to Beast here in the West Wing, however it is roughly every 20-30 minutes, and as of now, when it changes, it is for just seconds.
Since it happens very quickly, it’s more like a fun treat for those actually dining in the West Wing, versus a constant novelty as it is in California. It really is a wonderfully themed space.
Food Delivery, Drinks, and More
So we chose to dine in the Rose Gallery, and this brings us to our next stage — bringing the food out. It is done in an absolutely adorable fashion, wheeled out in fancy glass-covered rolling carts. The hot food is under glass, and cold items are on the next shelf down. (Remember, the servers find you based on your magic rose!)
It is really special, but we couldn’t help but wonder how that experience will be in the midst of a crowded summer day, with tables being served right and left, carts filling the aisles, and cast members trying to get by guests stopping to take photos.
I’m confident these are things Disney has taken into consideration, but they are just what crossed our minds as we appreciated the attention to detail we received.
Another thing we noticed was how the beverage stations worked. There are two stations that we could see, one in the main ballroom area and one in the Rose Gallery. It was entirely self-service, with the cups, hot and cold, left out for guests to take, fill and refill.
These stations are also where you get your real silverware, napkins, straws, and condiments.
And in addition to the “rose” telling Cast Members where to bring your food, Cast Members also use a special phone-like device to see which tables need clearing and other communication. It’s a little disconcerting at first, because it looks like the Cast Members are texting on the job, but you soon realize it’s official enchanted castle business.
It certainly is unlike any other counter service option in Walt Disney World, and perhaps the menu options will ensure that the lunchtime scene is not the same that you’d find at Pecos Bills or Cosmic Ray’s. I hope the unique service can continue.
Eats
And now, the food!
Being a newly initiated vegetarian (six months and counting), I was looking forward to the Be Our Guest lunch menu because of the TWO vegetarian options — one of which is quiche, which I’ve always loved even before switching to no meat. I had a guest with me to sample the carnivore choices as well as my four year-old, who tested out the unique kids’ options.
I tried the French Onion Soup and Vegetable Quiche, while my guest had the Braised Pork.
The French Onion Soup did not seem like a Quick Service option. Actually, none of the food did. The soup had a perfect melted crust of cheese with bread underneath, full of onions and a nice broth; not too salty.
The quiche was moist and flavorful, with a flaky crust. I loved it. The salad of field greens with Champagne vinaigrette dressing was a perfect complement.
My guest thoroughly enjoyed the braised pork, which is served in a bowl, like you’d expect a hearty provincial meal to be.
The mashed potatoes and side of green beans, caramelized onions, and red peppers sort of all mix together, with a brown mushroom gravy covering all. The braised pork is fork tender, no knives necessary.
Friends who also dined there that day enjoyed the Carved Turkey Sandwich and the Grilled Steak Sandwich, and both got great reviews.
The kids’ menu item we chose was the Carved Turkey Sandwich. My son is a verrrry picky eater and will rarely, if ever, venture outside of his favorites of plain pasta, hot dogs, pizza, and chicken fingers. He does eat turkey at home, but hasn’t made the connection that thick-sliced turkey is the same basic thing as the thin-sliced kind he has at home. I thought I could broaden his culinary horizons, but no such luck (I’ll keep trying of course).
The turkey sandwich looked lovely with visibly whole-grain bread, grilled with tomatoes and warm turkey inside. The sides for this item were roasted sweet potatoes and peach applesauce. My son loves applesauce, but the peach somehow rendered it evil and inedible for him. (It was pretty good, I tried it.)
The roasted sweet potatoes were rather strange. I’m not sure if this was because of testing mode for the restaurant, but the three huge wedges were almost cold, and a very odd, mushy texture. I love sweet potatoes, and I was not a fan of them in this fashion.
We asked about getting the pasta dish plain, but it is a batch-made casserole style dish where the sauce and cheese are already added. I’m sure other little townsfolk will love the options here, but for a picky eater, it was a challenge.
Now, did somebody say dessert? Well, there are some fun ones here. They are all a nice, small size, so you don’t feel too bad trying more than one.
We had the Chocolate Cream Puff and the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake. They were almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
I am a huge chocolate fan, but I actually preferred the Strawberry Cupcake. It was so sweet and so delicious. Unlike a typical gigantic Disney cupcake, this is more manageable, yet still satisfies the sweet tooth. The cream cheese filling is more of a yogurt or custard consistency and not over-powering at all.
Other options include a Triple Chocolate Cupcake (on my list for next time!), a Lemon Meringue Cupcake, and a Passion Fruit Cream Puff. (The grey stuff is served at dinner!)
Restrooms
C’mon, everyone wants to know what the restrooms in a castle look like, don’t they? I snapped a couple of photos for you!
Overall
Overall, the Be Our Guest lunch service was nicer than any other theme park Quick Service I’ve ever experienced. Similar to the rave reviews Art of Animation’s Landscape of Flavors has received, Be Our Guest will no doubt be in a class by itself as far as lunch time options go.
The location itself is the perfect complement and you could really spend hours in there just exploring, discovering and enjoying your meal. I cannot wait to go back again, and just knowing that I can walk a few hundred feet from a Quick Serve burger to enjoy a nice quiche or a quinoa salad makes me very happy to be their guest in Be Our Guest.
Have you had lunch at Be Our Guest? Go ahead and make us jealous! Tell us about your experience in the comments below. And if you haven’t been there yet, what would you order?
Want to know what DINNER is like at Be Our Guest Restaurant? Read our first Be Our Guest Restaurant Dinner Review here.
Colette says
Excellent review! 🙂 I can’t wait to go and take loads of pictures lol
Amanda says
Great review, I’ll be there in a few weeks for opening day!
PS- hate to be the bearer of bad news but its likely that your French onion soup was not vegetarian
Amy says
Excellent review! I almost felt like I was actually there. (And three weeks from today, I will be!) Seeing the photos makes it even harder to wait, but also gives me a lot to look forward to. 🙂
Galloping Gourmand says
The slashed Unicorn Tapestry is a reproduction of the famous 1495 “Unicorn im Captivity” from the Unicorn Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts’ Cloisters location in NYC. its sidely considered to be the masterpiece of art form. Can’t wait to eat here, amazing!
Summer says
Looks great, I can’t wait to try it! We just booked a last minute Thanksgiving trip (this morning!), so I’m hoping we’ll get to test it out for lunch in just a few weeks! Although, I don’t know how I’m going to decide what to eat…it all looks so good for QS. I may have to go back a couple of times just to try all the desserts 🙂 We’re scheduled here for a dinner in February too!
Logan Johnson says
Looks awesome! I hope they have a soft opening while we’re there next week!
Also, most french onion soup is made with beef broth, so be careful! I try not eat any soups out, unless they can tell me they’re specifically vegetarian.
Dana says
You had told us how great the lunch menu would be, but I was still shocked when I saw your pictures! That didn’t even look like quick service food! I am literally counting down the days until I can eat there…
Victoria says
Great review! Everything looks really delicious! But am I the only one confused about a vegetarian ordering the French onion soup? It usually contains meat broth. Is their version vegetarian?
Tiffani W. says
We were lucky enough to get in there on Saturday for lunch…we both had that steak sandwich which I was really impressed with. My husband had the onion soup, which was his favorite, though the cream puff was mine.
However, you’re review of the turkey was spot on! I liked the peach, but my son found it inedible (maybe it shouldn’t be called applesauce?) and the sweet potatoes were flat out gross, cold and mushy. Hoping its because they are so new and its better next time (and there will be a next time for sure!)
Kelly D says
Great review! Our favorite thing about Disneyland was the hybrid counter/full service restaurants. We can’t wait to try this lunch option in 19 days!!
Sarah says
I love that Unicorn Tapestry! It’s also in Dumbledore’s Wing at the WWoHP Castle ride, as well. lol I love that it unites the two parks.
We’ve been calling him Dumblecorn. 😛
But this all looks so GOOD! I want to go there so badly!
Brooke says
Great review! It really gives insight to how different and wonderful this spot will be (once they finetune everything.) Thanks so much for sharing the experience with us.
Sandra says
What a helpful review! This really lets us know what to expect, particularly important for me as I have one person riding a scooter and one with autism. I guess by now enough people have mentioned that French onion soup normally is made with beef broth. 😉 But thanks for the great photos and comments; I’m looking forward to my veg lunch options there in November!
ALCA says
Thanks for the great information! How did you decide between the dining rooms?
Darleen says
Ate there Saturday, great overall experience. There is a drink center in the West Wing… to the left as you walk in near the changing portrait of the Prince/Beast
Tracy Antonioli says
Thank you for this review! I’ve now read both the dinner and lunch reviews in preparation for my (way too far away in time) next trip (May 2013). I think I’ll be visiting for lunch. And I think I’ll be sitting in the West Wing. And I’ll be ordering the strawberry cupcake for dessert!
Side note–while I’m excited that they offer French Onion Soup (soup is my favorite food and French Onion soup is my favorite soup) please know that it is always, always made with beef or veal stock. So, uh, not vegetarian. Trust me–I’ve tried to make it with veggie stock (I was a vegetarian for years) and I actually had a veggie version at a vegetarian restaurant in Paris–it was the single worst thing I’ve ever eaten. So yeah–if it was any good, it was not vegetarian. Sorry!
Kelly says
What an amazing review! Thank you so much for sharing. I think I’ll have the steak sandwich please…lol.
Greg says
They have already raised the lunch prices by 25% across the board. That sure didn’t take long!
tdurberville says
I find it terribly sad that park patrons are admitted to the lovely dining rooms to feast on upscale cuisine dressed in tank tops, t-shirts, cargo shorts, jeans, caps, etc. There is something wrong about the fact that the staff are nicely attired and the customers look like peasants. It seems as if this attraction should have been inside of one of the resort’s hotels or on one of the ships where there are dress codes and thank heaven for that.
Becca G says
Thank you so much for this great review! We were not able to get reservations for dinner here for our trip in late Jan so I was worried that lunch wouldn’t be very exciting. It looks like lunch is as lovely as can be! I’m so excited that all the special effects are operating at lunch time. Thank you for all the food pictures, they all looked delicious! I have some picky eaters too so thanks for the heads-up. The special experience are worth the risk. 🙂
Becca G says
Regarding the photo of the self service beverage area. I’m curious as to what the “rose” dispenser at the self serve drinks area is for? All the drinks are labeled, including water and there is a dispenser that is just a plain rose. Any guesses?
Brian says
To those asking about the French Onion Soup, I have read two different reviews now where CMs have told diners that it was, in fact, vegetarian. If that is indeed the case, then I will be enjoying it in a couple of weeks!
Becky says
Lunch looks great! I’m going in February and April, but both times we’re having dinner there… I really want to try and get in a lunch sometime as well!
Kristi says
Love the review…I’d really like to try lunch, but with my 8 year old I’m not sure it is a possibility. She too is a picky eater and the kids menu is a little too far out of the comfort zone. I wish they offered plain turkey or ham sandwiches, even a nice salad would do! However the adult options look amazing and the restaurant looks beautiful…looking forward to our dinner ADRs in April.
Kimberly says
anyone know if I can bring in a meal from a different disney restaurant into here for my son? he will never eat any of those choices; and to be honest, I don’t know of many young children who would (but believe me, I wish mine would!)
Bill says
Both soups served at Be Our Guest are made without animal stocks and are vegetarian.
love2travel says
The reviewer and some commenters hit on my fear… it’s a really nice restaurant – for grown ups or those with slightly older kids. While my kids don’t need to eat their chicken in the form of a nugget, the kids menu choices here seem a little too offbeat for most tiny patrons. I’m all for exposing them to new and different things and the pricing is reasonable, but at the end of the day I want them to eat and be satisfied. I’ll save the foodie lessons for home.
oogieboogie says
” While my kids don’t need to eat their chicken in the form of a nugget, the kids menu choices here seem a little too offbeat for most tiny patrons.”
” he will never eat any of those choices; and to be honest, I don’t know of many young children who would”
Seriously? Meatloaf? Turkey sandwich? Fish? Macaroni and red sauce? Pulled pork? These are exotic dishes? If your child can’t find something to eat here, then someone is being coddled a bit too much. I’m excited there’s finally something other than burgers, hot dogs and nuggets.
Nikki says
We were lucky enough to get a last minute reservation and have dinner at Be Our Guest last night. Your review notes that the Grey Stuff is available at dinner, but I wanted to let you know that it’s not on the dinner menu. We inquired about it, and were told that it is only for guests who are celebrating a special occasion (like a birthday or anniversary). It’s sort of like the complimentary tiny cupcake, or mini ice cream you’d get free for your birthday at other table service restaurants. I wish we’d been celebrating something. I would have loved to have tried it (and I can’t think of anything we’ll be legitimately celebrating for our reservation in February either).
Paty2k says
Great review! Have read that you can get the french onion soup for a snack ticket and wondering if you could tell me if this was so?
Catherine says
As a note I just had lunch there yesterday. Prices have already increased substantially from those shown here. Quinoa salad is up to $9.99 and the tuna is over $13. Cupcakes are up by $1.
Karen says
Just had lunch there today. Tried the croque monsieur (grilled ham and swiss) on thin-sliced multi-grain bread, with pommes frites (french fries). Although this sandwich is typically made with gruyere cheese, the swiss tasted perfectly good as did the ham–not too salty or dry. The bread is chock-full of nuts, seeds, whole grains, etc. The fries seem to be fresh-cut and tasted pretty good. Ketchup is brought in a small ramekin–no squeeze bottles or packets here! My only complaint is that despite the covered serving carts, the food did not arrive hot enough for my taste–a grilled sandwich with melted cheese should still be gooey on arrival. Also, the server could not say “croque monsieur” — it sounded like “crook mon-sur.” Since CMs are very busy greeting guests with “bonjour” and sending them off with “au revoir,” servers ought to get training in how to say French words properly when needed. Price was $10.99–still a decent value for the portion size.
tdurberville says
@ Karen – Sadly, I would not be surprised if most of the people ordering the croque monsieur are pronouncing it exactly the same way. Consider the source.
Teresa M. says
@ Becca G – The Rose must dispense ice.
Claire says
I just wanted to clarify that for the quick service lunch you do not need reservations?
Carolyn says
Love the review and pictures. We have a dinner reservation on Christmas. Can’t wait!!
Darleen says
@ Claire, NO you do NOT need reservations for lunch at this restaurant at this time!
Amanda says
I would love to have lunch here during our trip in early Feb. I am concerned about the wait times tho from beginning until we are seated. When my kids are hungry we can’t wait a long period of time.
Zanna says
Hello all and thank you for the wonderful feedback on the review! I just wanted to clarify/note a few things:
I was told, and have been twice more since returning, that the French Onion Soup is, in fact, vegetarian, made with veggie broth vs. beef. 🙂
I did neglect to mention that yes, there is another beverage station in the West Wing. It was not in use when I was in there, so it completely slipped my mind to mention.
The rose in the center of the drink dispensers is, as mentioned above, the option for ice. 🙂
Lastly, the prices noted in my photos for this review were specially rated Cast Member pricing, with discounts built into the prices. That is why the increase has already happened, the current prices are regular guest pricing.
Thanks again for the comments and enjoy being their guest! 😉
Amber Costa says
My husband and I will be celebrating 20 years of marriage in 2013. Although the month is later in the year, we are taking our “anniversary trip” in Feb. Have been trying to get a dinner reservation for 2 for a couple of weeks now, searching all dinner times 2/12-2/15 but no luck. Not giving up yet, but as last resort we will do lunch…. Now for my question, since we are celebrating our 20 year anniversary, is “The Grey Stuff” available during lunch hours?
Thank you!
Oh, and I too have now read both your lunch and dinner reviews… if the restaurant is as special and spectacular as your reviews, Disney has got a big winner! 😉
AJ says
Amber Costa — Congrats on your 20th! I haven’t heard about the Grey Stuff being available at lunch, but it’s always worth wearing your anniversary buttons and asking!
Barbara says
I just returned home from Disney last night, and I was lucky enough to score 2 dinner reservations last week! I am a vegetarian as well, and I must say, the soups were both my favorite thing! I even made them send the chef out to tell me that they are vegetarian, as I have been mislead by serving staff before. Delicious! I tried to get the recipes, but they are not yet available (WDW will print out just about any recipe for guests).
We dined with 7 people the first night, and 8 the second night. Several people were of the small variety, and a couple were “picky” eaters. They found something to eat, with no problem. I cannot see them allowing you to bring in something else for a finicky eater.
I would love to go back and try lunch, next time! That quiche looks great!
Barbara says
Oh, and the first night (11/20), we all got “The Grey Stuff”, without even asking. The second night (11/23), we had to ask for it, but received it, no problem.
Angelique says
Great review!! We also had lunch there (big surprise we were able to already lunch there as it was not officially open when we were in MK 😉 ) I didn’t know about the painting in the West Wing, that is awesome, def gonna eat there the next time. We sat in the ballroom and it was really georgeos, but loud (the rose gallery was closed at that time).
We loved, LOVED the whole experience though, amazing it is also a QS restaurant at lunchtime, hope they keep it that way.
I had the quinoa salad and loved it.
Looking forward having dinner there next year 🙂
Shawn says
We are here for the grand opening weekend and waited patiently in line to have quick service at be our guest restaurant. Here are some thoughts/ideas we had. We traveled with our 2 and half year old daughter as belle is her favorite! We ordered the whole grain pasta for her. We found it to be a little “lean cuisine” esqe. This being a French theme restaurant it seems like the perfect opportunity for macoroni in bechamel sauce or perhaps the ultimate grilled cheese with gruyere. Just a little disappointed by the kids menu. Anyone know where they may be taking suggestions or had a similar experience?
Mike R. says
We dined during the first week of opening, were so impressed with the food we returned twice more during our week long stay. First, the line moves fast! Seating capacity allows you to move from the end of the line (usually the walkway before crossing the bridge) to actually sitting at your table in less than 30 minutes. Seating was always easy to locate. We found the food better than anywhere in the park! The braised pork upon mashed potatoes with beans is fabulous! Some of our steak in the sandwich was slightly tough but still very flavorful. the quiche was great! Never found a desert we didn’t like! Some tips: decide what you wish to eat while in the outer hallway, and if you choose to eat in the rose room, remember, the table adjacent to the rose display (seating for 7) will have photographers clambering bumping into you. Didn’t bother us though, goes with the program!
Tracy says
Yes my favorite movie and NOW my favorite restaurant most definitely. I have had lunch there two times and dinner once. The food or overall experience has yet to disappoint.
The first time around for dinner I had the ratatouille and it was wonderful. I also had the french onion soup because “Lumiere toasts the cheese himself” and it was very, very good. My companion had the scallops (Belle’s favorite we are told) and he thought it was amazing.
I had the strawberry cream cheese cupcake – YUMMY – and he had the lemon raspberry cupcake and again – awesome.
For lunches, we had the turkey sandwich which was amazing! I chose the green beans over fries and he had the braised pork which again was fabulous. The second time, I had the steak sandwich which was very good but I liked the turkey better. I can’t wait to return on every WDW visit in the future.
Rachel says
Is the ballroom open for lunch? This is the main reason I wanted to go to disney world, but 120 days out it is booked for dinner.
AJ says
Rachel — Yep, you can dine in the ballroom for llunch.
June says
I saw a comment from earlier that asked whether “The Grey Stuff” was available during lunch. I was also curious about this and talked to the manager while I was there for lunch. He explained that unfortunately “The Grey Stuff” only lasts about 4 hours after they make it, so they only make it for dinner.