Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom

Be Our Guest Restaurant is top-of-mind for a lot of guests, both because of its immersive theming and because of its expense. How can you be sure it's a must-do culinary stop on your Walt Disney World Resort rounds? Are there any comparable experiences that are easier to land for your family? And after the COVID-19 changes, is it still worth all your time and money?

Luckily for you, we have all the answers you need to decide whether Be Our Guest is right for you and your vacation. Click on the links below to jump straight to your most pressing question:

• Is Be Our Guest worth the price?
• Are there any discounts?
• Any comparable recommendations?
• Where is the restaurant located?
• What is its setting and atmosphere?
• Is it counter-service in 2021?
• Do I need to make reservations?
• How expensive is the restaurant?
• Do the characters come out?
• What is so special about Be Our Guest?
• Is the food any good?
• What about the Grey Stuff?

Is Be Our Guest Restaurant Worth the Price?

Because we get asked this specific question a lot, we wanted to address it right away (and besides – if the restaurant isn't worth your hard-earned dollars, all of the other info about it really isn't that important, right?).

Is Be Our Guest worth the price? Our best answer is mostly no, it's not.

There is no denying that eating here represents something of an experience, especially if you have kids who are ready and able to get swept up in the cinematic-esque atmosphere. (Plus, the restaurant still remains one of the few [more or less] reliable locations to meet Beast.) With all that said, however, the venue has suffered from declining food quality, high prices, and difficult-to-get reservations, all of which have certainly taken their toll; in fact, our reader ratings have dropped steeply over the past few years, and this was even before all of the (controversial) COVID alterations were put into place.

And then there's those changes. Whereas before there was a counter-service prix-fixe breakfast, a counter-service a la carte lunch, and a table-service prix-fixe dinner, breakfast has been completely done away with, and lunch has been switched to the fixed-price category. This makes the restaurant decidedly more expensive – $62 for adults, and $37 for children (ages three to nine), whether for lunch or dinner. When put up against comparable dining locations at Walt Disney World, our survey results conclude that Be Our Guest is below-average.

Are There Any Discounts for Be Our Guest Restaurant?

Yes. All Disney World annual passholders get 10% off their meals.

Any Other Recommendations to Replace Be Our Guest Restaurant?

Has the price tag deterred you from Be Our Guest? Not to worry – we have a few quick suggestions for some other venues for you.

If you're looking for better food at comparable prices, try Liberty Tree Tavern. If you're in Magic Kingdom and want an inexpensive breakfast, shoot for Main Street Bakery. If you're looking for lunch, Columbia Harbour House is the highest-rated restaurant in the theme park and makes a great stop for a quick meal. So, too, does the Liberty Square Market food stand, which has tasty, freshly grilled hot dogs.

Where Is Be Our Guest Restaurant Located?

At Magic Kingdom, in Fantasyland.

What Is Be Our Guest Restaurant's Setting and Atmosphere?

Be Our Guest re-creates Beast’s Castle from Beauty and the Beast with three themed rooms: the Grand Ballroom, the mysterious West Wing, and the pretty Castle Gallery. The rooms fill up fast, with a noise level to match the hordes (space for up to 550 seats). The lights are dimmed at lunch and dinner, which offers table service and a tad more serenity than breakfast.

Is Be Our Guest Restaurant Counter-Service in 2021?

Unfortunately, no – the counter-service breakfast and lunch have been done away with since the restaurant reopened on July 11, 2021. And while the midday meal was replaced with a prix-fixe version, with the same set price tag as Be Our Guest's dinner, Disney has opted to leave breakfast indefinitely suspended. It's unknown at this time whether this is a permanent state of affairs or just a temporary situation.

Do I Need to Make Reservations at Be Our Guest Restaurant?

If you still want to dine at Be Our Guest, you'll want to make reservations as soon as possible (currently, 60 days in advance) for both lunch and dinner. You'll need to use a credit card to guarantee your reservation, and there's a $10 per-person fee if you don't show up or cancel within 24 hours.

Please be aware that Be Our Guest still remains one of the hardest Disney Advanced Dining Reservations to get.

How Expensive Is Be Our Guest Restaurant?

Pretty expensive, we have to say. As we mentioned before, there is a set price for both lunch and dinner: $62 for adults and $37 for children (ages three to nine). This makes Be Our Guest pretty comparable to other higher-end eateries at Disney World, though with a level of food quality that – according to our staff and to our reader surveys – doesn't hold up to what you'd find at, say, California Grill, another premium, much-sought-after dining destination.

To break down that price a little more for you, the prix-fixe menu includes set options for an appetizer, entree, and dessert – though that last category is a bit of a misnomer, given that everyone is given the same selection of three items (typically, a dark chocolate truffle, a raspberry macaroon, and the [in]famous Grey Stuff, which is an edible, white chocolate "cup" holding cookies-and-cream mousse).

Do Characters Come out at Be Our Guest Restaurant During COVID-19?

Beast does appear, wandering from table to table as patrons dine, swishing his cape dramatically as he moves from room to room.

What Is So Special about Be Our Guest Restaurant?

A couple of things make Be Our Guest special. First, it was the first Magic Kingdom restaurant to offer beer and wine (including champagne) at dinner. Second, ... you get to eat inside Beast's castle!

Is the Food Good at Be Our Guest Restaurant?

Our favorite appetizer is the French onion soup. Other good appetizer choices include a charcuterie plate with cured meats and sausages, and a lobster bisque.

The best main course is the spice-dusted lamb chops with charred tomatoes and trumpet mushrooms, but it may not be available in 2021 and beyond. Safe choices for picky eaters include the filet mignon with mashed potatoes and grilled root vegetables, or the roasted pork tenderloin with asparagus and Brussel sprouts and sprinkled with bacon.

You can order alcohol with your dinner. The wines are from France and California and can be ordered by the glass or bottle. If you're feeling festive, champagne is available, too (by the bottle only). Beers are from Belgium and France.

For kids at lunch or dinner, it's grilled steak, macaroni and cheese, or grilled chicken breast.

Is the Grey Stuff at Be Our Guest Restaurant Any Good?

The Grey Stuff is, by far, the most-talked-about dish at Be Our Guest and one of the biggest reasons that guests want to dine here – think of it as the Disney equivalent to Universal's Butterbeer over at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Unfortunately, in our experience, the fabled dessert is love-it-or-hate-it. Essentially a cookies-and-cream mousse, it hits the spot for some but leaves others with the feeling that it was a waste of money (and that's a lot of money to be spending to be disappointed!). Our recommendation is to head elsewhere in Fantasyland, to Gaston's Tavern, and try it first in the form of the Grey Stuff Cupcake – that's a far cheaper (and less time-intensive) way to see whether you and your family like the concoction or not. Your traveling party can then decide whether to keep your Be Our Guest reservation from there.

Menus

• Lunch
• Dinner

Details

Requires Credit Card to Reserve: Yes
Requires Pre-payment in Full: No

Discounts

Photos