Each of the four Disney Parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios) hosts a character meal at one of their table service restaurants. The Magic Kingdom, being the largest park, has several options. Since 2012, Be Our Guest has been offering diners an exclusive character meet, delicious dishes, and intricate theming pulled straight from the classic film. There is a reason it is one of the hardest reservations to get.
For character dining newbies: you must have park admission if you plan to eat a meal in the parks. Park Hopper tickets will allow you to bounce around as you please, but if you have a base ticket, your reservation must be for the park you’ve spent the day in. So if you’re wanting to dine with Cinderella and her princess pals, you must have admission to the Magic Kingdom.
No park tickets? No problem. There are some great character meals at many of the Disney Resorts as well.
Unlike the other character meals in the Magic Kingdom, you can only meet the Beast at dinner. Breakfast and lunch at BOG are served quick service style, with no characters.
A few quick tips:
- These meals are in demand so it is highly recommend that you take advantage of the 180 reservation day window and make your reservations as soon as possible.
- Characters are subject to change. While it’s pretty certain you will get the character whose name is in the meal description (Ie Cinderella’s Royal Table) the rotating secondary characters may alternate.
- You can meet characters at breakfast, lunch, and dinner at character meals in the Disney parks.
- The prices of meals will vary by time of the year (peak vs regular vs value season) and by day of the week (weekends tend to be a little pricier than weekdays) and also just cuz Disney’s gonna do Disney. The prices listed are an estimate based on recent menus. These prices do not included gratuity, though an automatic gratuity of 18% will be added for a table of 6 or more.
- Times for the meals may vary depending on opening and closing times for the parks. Be sure to look into park hours before you make your reservation.
Be Our Guest
- Fantasyland
- Unique/Themed Dining
- Dinner-Adult: $55-$60, Child: $30-$35
- 2 Table Service Credits on the Disney Dining Plan
- Characters: The Beast
We invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair, as the dining room proudly presents your dinner. Dine on French inspired Fare in one of three rooms at the Beast’s Castle: the Grand Ballroom, the West Wing, or the Castle Gallery. No matter which room you end up in, try the Grey Stuff. It’s delicious.
My Take: So many takes on this one, so buckle in, we’re going for a ride. First, the ONLY character that meets here is the Beast. If you want Belle, you’ll have to catch her at Enchanted Tales, or over at Akershus in Epcot. You only meet the Beast at Be Our Guest. Second, the Beast ONLY meets at dinner. Breakfast and lunch are quick service meals at BOG, which means no characters. Only dinner. Third, you can ONLY meet the Beast in his receiving room. He does not make rounds to all the tables. You have to go to him, so make sure you plan how you’re going to do that, end of meal, mid meal, etc.
Recap: The only character you meet at Be Our Guest is the Beast, you can only meet him at dinner, and you have to go to him, he does not come to you. Got it?
It may seem like I am beating a rug here, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard something like: “We made reservations for Be Our Guest for breakfast, but there were no characters”, or “We waiting at our table for an hour but the Beast never came.” Know before you go, friends.
Here’s my deal with BOG. A few years ago, it was a B Family fave. We went as often as we could, and it was the culinary highlight for us. But then, an enchantress put a curse on the restaurant so that it was a fixe prix (fixed price), which changed the menu and moved it from a 1 table service credit to 2. Disney did this because people were taking up hard to get reservations and only ordering a cupcake, all so they could see the Beast. With the fixed price system, you have to order a full meal in order to be seated. I get why the change happened, but in my humble opinion, the new menu isn’t as delectable.
Which doesn’t mean it’s not good. It is good! We enjoyed it. But we ENJOYED the old menu. Like, looked forward to it for 18 months enjoyed the old menu. The restaurant itself is still gorgeous. It’s still a kick to eat in the Grand Ballroom and look up at the ceiling and wish an enchanted tea pot was singing to you. The West Wing still has the rose and the torn portrait and some spooky lighting. The service is still excellent. There is still Grey Stuff.
Meeting the Beast is always a thrill, and his receiving area is gorgeously themed and one of the nicer photo op spots for a character meal. The Beast is a fur character, so doesn’t speak. Also, he’s kind of top heavy, so there’s a more limited range of movement than, say, Tigger. It is dark in there, so make sure you use your flash. Which we forget every single time.
Be Our Guest is a gorgeously appointed spot, and even waiting for your reservation makes you feel transported. I mean, check out that entrance. At 2 Table Service credits and a fixed price menu it might not be one you go back to every single trip, but it’s definitely worth checking out at least once.
Is Be Our Guest one of your favorites? What do you love most about it? Do you miss the old menu or is the new menu your cup of tea? Tell me in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!