Official reservations for dinner at Be Our Guest restaurant begin on November 17th but this evening I was able to dine inside and “put the service to the test”.
I have, of course, been following all the footage about New Fantasyland but even the webinar hosted by Disney Parks Blog and Disney Imagineering didn’t prepare me for what the Beasts Castle held.
The experience of Be Our Guests starts long before you’re seated at your table.
The entrance to the restaurant itself is staged brilliantly and the sense of foreboding builds as you wait. A remnant of a castle wall on the left hand side (as you approach the castle) serves as a handy greeting place for reservations and check in. Well themed and almost hidden these are the guards of the castle in royal attire.
When you check in for your reservation you’re handed a pager that will light up when your table is ready, until then you’re welcome on the bridge but not inside the castle. The doors to the castle are kept closed and you are left among the trees, the water and the gargoyles, to ponder what lies ahead.
The harshness of the rock structure, the power of the water rushing down the mountainside and the grey atmosphere provide a sense of isolation and despair. Anticipation and curiosity are the first course of your meal.
The inside is more enchanting than can be expressed. The main ball room is exactly like a scene out of the movie, including the snow falling “outside”. The chandeliers are ornate and elegant and the decorative marble walls and floors are sophisticated but cold. The hard and soft textures throughout the ballroom are exactly what you’d expect the Beasts ballroom was meant to be, a strong structure with surprising soft spots and lush elegant spaces inside.
The West Wing was full so we were seated in the large oval ballroom but were able to tour the West Wing after dinner. The atmosphere in this room is entirely different than the grand ballroom. You get a sense of foreboding the minute you walk in the forbidden part of the castle.
The menu is easily situated on a bi-fold with a variety of items to choose from. The menu does have a French flair but isn't pretentious and I don't feel it will turn guests away. A pork chop and strip steak are offered as well as a seafood option and Ratatouille for vegetarians.
Beer and wine are available but can only be purchased and consumed while in the restaurant, no to-go cups on alcohol! There is a Lasseter Family wine offered and we chose a red that paired deliciously with dinner.
The food is good but the atmosphere is truly magical. Your eyes just can't stop looking around the room trying to take it all in. We were able to tour the West Wing after our meal and it's very dark and foreboding. The mood in this section of the castle is quite different than what you'll experience elsewhere. The drapes appear to have been victims to one of the Beasts temper tantrums and the room is dark with only a few "lit" candles to illuminate your space. The enchanted rose sits in its case and there are enchantments all around the room as the petals fall.
The only thing I didn't like about the restaurant is that it was extremely difficult to photograph. The extreme darkness in the West Wing and the muted chandelier lighting in the ballroom make it virtually impossible to grab a quick snapshot but I suppose that's for the best as you'll have to experience it for yourself! Come on unfold your menu, take a glance and then you'll be our guest, be our guest, be our guest!
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