-By Darlin’ Diva
Choosing where to eat at Walt Disney World can be difficult, and with a restaurant like Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest (Fantasyland), it’s even more challenging because of the added choice of what time of day is best to dine there! Having enjoyed several meals at this very special and amazing place, I’m here to help. I’ll give you the scoop on the best (and perhaps not-so-great) aspects of Be Our Guest at different times of day – hopefully this will help you decide…
Each meal allows you to see the incredible theming in Be Our Guest, but each experience is just a bit different than the others. Guests can dine in one of three different dining rooms: The Castle Gallery is Belle’s library and is packed with lots of sweet, whimsical details including larger-than-life figures of Belle and Beast dancing. The Grand Ballroom is huge and exactly as it appears in Beauty and the Beast – complete with snow falling outside the window and cherubs on the ceiling. 
The West Wing is dark (very) and mysterious with exactly the kind of details you’d expect. All meals are relatively expensive if you’re not on a Dining Plan (so beware of sticker shock). If you ARE on the dining plan, breakfast and lunch require one Quick Service credit for each meal and dinner takes one Table Service credit…makes Be Our Guest one of the best Dining Plan values!
Breakfast – This is an excellent choice if you like to get a jump on the day. You can either book first thing in the morning or you can choose to get to Magic Kingdom and catch a few rides and attractions right after park-opening before sitting down for a breakfast break. There are advantages to both of these options. When your reservation is at 8:00 am and the park opens at 8:00 am, you can get in a little early so you can reach Be Our Guest on time. This provides amazing photo ops in a nearly-empty Magic Kingdom. Breakfast doesn’t take long and by the time you’re finished, you’ll be able to get right out there and start having fun. If you (like me) prefer to use an early arrival to walk on to your favorite attractions and knock off a few “must-dos” bright and early, Be Our Guest is a fantastic option for a late breakfast (and a little rest). You’ll have your choice about where you’d like to sit (depending on the crowds) and you can pre-order your breakfast choices if you’d like. We found this to be very time-saving and convenient! You’re given a “rose” (more like a fancy hockey puck) that helps servers find your table (wherever you sit) when your food is ready. Pretty cool!
Lunch – Very similar to Breakfast in that you can pre-order your meal selections online after you book your ADR (Advance Dining Reservation). To us, lunch seemed more crowded than breakfast, and it took a minute to find a place to sit in the Castle Gallery. It also took a bit longer to receive our food than it did at breakfast. The fairly broad lunch menu offers something for everyone. If you’re a meat-and-potatoes person, I highly recommend the Braised Pork which I found to be incredibly delicious!!! Lunch is a great option if a mid-day break is a part of your touring plan – eat here before heading back to your resort for nap or pool-time. If you prefer open-to-close touring where you squeeze in all the rides and attractions, then consider…
Dinner – This is a table service meal complete with excellent wait-staff and adult beverage choices on a much fancier menu. Unlike breakfast and lunch, you can request the room you’d like to sit in upon arrival, but a host/hostess will seat you (we did not request a particular dining room, but will in the future). This is the only meal where the Master will greet guests – and he appears at intervals, coming and going regularly throughout the evening. His arrival will be announced with the request that guests meet him only after they’ve finished dining. To do this, you wait in line in a designated area (a photographer will be there). 
Unlike other character dining experiences, Beast does not move around the restaurant for photo ops. We found the service to be wonderful, but were seated in the West Wing close to the doorway where Beast makes his entrance and exit. Two things we didn’t like about this particular table – the coming and going of the Beast got old fast and the West Wing is DARK! Ripped curtains and other signs of “decay” (or Beast’s anger?) within the gloomy darkness made this our least favorite room in the castle. We could barely see each other and our food. Otherwise, we very much enjoyed the ability to have a nice meal with wine right in the heart of Fantasyland.
You can’t go wrong with Be Our Guest – whenever you can fit it into your schedule. The magical Disney details and wonderful theming should be seen in Beast’s Castle at least once. The food’s a good value if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan.
Until Next Time… Darlin’ Diva
I have ADRs for lunch for our upcoming September trip, but I am wondering about splitting meals. Do I need to make the reservation for all of us or just the ones that will be getting meals? My daughter (6) does not eat much and I would hate to waste a quick serve meal for her to not eat it.
Hi Karyn! You will love your lunch at Be Our Guest! There should be no problem sharing with your daughter. When my kids were little they ate snacks, but the hot weather and excitement of Disney World left them with little appetites at mealtime. Have a wonderful trip- Darlin’ Diva (Lisa)