Be Our Guest Restaurant is Open – But With Changes!

Be Our Guest is, in our opinion, one of the best dining locations in the Magic Kingdom. In fact, we’d even go so far as to say we like this dining experience better than a large number of other Disney dining experiences, even those outside of this particular park. There’s just something incredibly magical about walking into the Beast’s castle and feeling as though you’ve just stepped through your television screen and into the movie itself. Fortunately, for those who adore this restaurant as much as we do, the Beauty and the Beast-themed eatery reopened along with the rest of the Magic Kingdom back in July. This is fantastic because it means we can once again get that amazing feeling of stepping into our childhood daydreams. That said, the experience is a bit different from what we’ve been accustomed to. Are you planning to have a meal at Be Our Guest in the near future? Wondering what the experience might be like now? In this article, we will discuss the many changes to this favorite eatery so you can go in knowing exactly what to expect.

  

1. No More Breakfast

When Be Our Guest opened initially, it was a lunch and dinner eatery. However, demand to eat in this amazingly themed spot was so high that Disney saw a need to add more seating availability. Thus, Be Our Guest Breakfast was born, and it was the perfect solution to the problem. Unfortunately, since the parks reopened, breakfast has not been an option at Be Our Guest. We imagine this is due to low crowd levels—leading to lack of demand—but whatever the reason, we’re sure many will be missing those pre-park opening meals and photos with empty walkways in the background.

2. Table-Service Only

Another huge change since the parks reopened comes into play at lunch time. Whereas the restaurant was originally a quick-service spot during lunch hours and a table-service eatery in the evening, Be Our Guest is now table-service-only during both lunch and dinner. This might be an attempt to avoid having crowds lining up at the entryway to order like they used to, but whatever the reason, it’s a shame, as it prices a lot of people out of this fantastic experience.

3. Prix Fixe Menu

In addition to becoming a table service only location, Be Our Guest has also made the switch to a more limited, prix fixe menu which offers guests a drink, appetizer, entree, and dessert from a limited selection of items. No matter what you order, the cost is $62 for adults and $37 for children (ages 3–9), no matter what time you dine. Therefore, this is now a pretty pricy option, especially considering the relatively affordable lunch meals they used to serve here.

 

4. The Beast Is Less Approachable

Before the parks reopened, there was much speculation about whether or not the Beast would attend dinner at his restaurant as he always has. Fortunately, the answer is yes, he does. Not only does he appear at dinner, you can also catch him at lunch! This fact makes Be Our Guest one of the only character meal options right now. That said, dining with the Beast is much different than it once was. No longer does he stand in a separate room waiting to pose for photos. Instead, he wanders between tables throughout the meal. He won’t approach any tables, but he will stop briefly for guests to snap quick selfies, so be sure to have that camera ready.

5. Limited Seating

As is the case at all Disney restaurants—and many restaurants in “the real world”—seating is a bit limited. This is thanks to the fact that guests must be seated at least 6 feet from one another. You will want to keep this in mind and be sure to make your dining reservation at Be Our Guest as soon as your window opens up in order to snag one of those limited tables.

6. New Reservation Window

Wondering what exactly that reservation window is these days? Well, before the pandemic, Disney dining reservations could be made up to 180 days in advance. During the closure, all reservations were canceled, and for a while, no new ones could be made. Now, the dining reservation window is 60 days out, and guests who choose to stay onsite can make dining reservations for their entire stay starting 60 days out from their arrival day, giving them a slightly bigger window.

7. Check-In from a Distance

Finally, we must mention Mobile Dine Check-in. This option is actually available at a number of Disney dining locations and allows guests to check in for their meal without ever approaching a podium or making contact with a host or hostess. To use Mobile Dine Check-in, simply download the My Disney Experience app, set it to allow push notifications, and sync your reservations with the app (or make reservations through the app). When your window opens up, you will receive a push notification from the app, prompting you to begin the process. Follow the instructions on the screen and wait in the lobby for your table to be ready.