Be Our Guest... what am I missing?

[Accident]

I also like lunch but wouldn't do other meals unless there is some type of menu revamp for breakfast or dinner and it sounded interesting..

 

[amylock]

We've had great lunches there and a really nice dinner. However, it was slow at dinner and we had exceptional service. We are trying breakfast there in 2 weeks!!!!!!

I think, for QS, it can be a great value on the dining plan. I'm not sure about the TS option though. Without being allowed to sub dessert for an appetizer, it has little value for me (but I feel that way about the regular DDP. QSDP just does better for me).

 

[nicolej92]

We ate there on our last trip, and we did it solely for the atmosphere. It was a do once thing and I'm good for the next trip, though!

 

[leebee]

One and done for us, to see inside the castle, except I've been twice, lunch both times. First time, the roast beef was tough and there was so much garlic in the aioli that DD felt ill for hours. The second time, I guess the food was fine- mediocre, unimpressive- but later that night I became VERY ill. I am 99% sure it WASN'T the pork shank I'd had at BOG for lunch, but that's all I could think of as I was being sick. BTDT, no need to go back.

 

[bumbershoot]

The decor is pretty, but not enough to spend $40 on a meal. The food, IMO is just ok, there are much better restaurants at WDW. I've never had a great meal there, the food is mostly bland, and the restaurant so overlarge and overcrowded that the service is sub-par by default.

Am I seriously missing something here? Why the fuss? Is it the atmosphere, the food, the newness?

Well...

Not everyone spends $40.
Not everyone feels that their food is bland.
Not everyone feels that the size of the place makes it problematic.
Not everyone has had poor service there.

Lunch: potato leek soup for 5.49 and the vegetable quiche for 9.49, DONE. Delicious, all of it, and very filling. Had water to drink. Perfect. Sat in the room with the rose and it was perfectly fine.

Dinner: potato leek soup (DH had the french onion and declared it THE best FO soup he has had and he has had a lot, in very fine restaurants) for 6.99 and the garden salad with champagne vinaigrette for 5.99 (can't remember what DH had besides his soup), plus a Le Fin du Monde for me. Perfection. Sat in the main room, watching the snow falling. It was perfectly fine.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Why do people say this is the only option that isn't chicken fingers or burgers in MK? I know the menus and there are lots of options.

Anyway, after going back and forth between lunch and dinner we finally got a decent time and day for dinner. We were so wishy washy on this restaurant and I am sick of overthinking it. Glad we get to do it.

@bumbershoot I plan to order exactly what you did! Sounds delightful

 

[Crystal824]

I rather enjoyed BOG for lunch and dinner. I think with most restaurants, it depends on the menu (if it offers something you like) and can be hit or miss on service for TS. The menu at BOG is not typical theme park fare for lunch or dinner. The last time I went, I had the FO soup and a cupcake for lunch. It was great.

I've only been once for dinner, I had a steak and fries and the brownie. Service at dinner was wonderful, and the food was great. I'm glad we went, and we will probably go back in the future. I am a bit underwhelmed by the dessert selections though.

 

[lustergirl]

I think that it is a nice restaurant in a theme park. The Castle is pretty cool, and as an experience I think that it eally does meet most expectations. I think that as a CS option, it is a success. AS a TS option, well...that depends on what people actually thought it was going to be . This is a large theme park restaurant, so there is eally no way it is going to magically trun into fine dining. I think that some folks have made this restaurant a quest and in doing so they set expectations so high that they were doomed to be disappointed.

WE went to dinner there just as it opened and we thought that it was okay. We never felt the need to beat down doors to go back, although I will admit that I did try to get a dinne ADR for this next trip because I thought that my DDIl would enjoy it.

I agree. I dined there for lunch back in April, no rush to go back.

 

[Nancyg56]

I agree. I dined there for lunch back in April, no rush to go back.

In fairness, we last had dinner there when they first opened three years ago, and perhaps there were issues to iron out, but it was rushed. Very rushed. The food was "okay", not bad, not great. Just okay. I though that it was a shame really, because BOG is a lost opportunity, IMO> While Disney does not need to turn it into fine dining, I think that it would be a nice signature dining restaurant in the park for those folks who want a really nice meal, do not want to leave the park to do so, and who like me...want that glass of Pinot with my steak.

I would have liked to book dinner there this trip or even the last one we had in August. My DDIL would have enjoyed it, but she is happy with breakfast, as am I.

 

[Nancyg56]

I rather enjoyed BOG for lunch and dinner. I think with most restaurants, it depends on the menu (if it offers something you like) and can be hit or miss on service for TS. The menu at BOG is not typical theme park fare for lunch or dinner. The last time I went, I had the FO soup and a cupcake for lunch. It was great.

I've only been once for dinner, I had a steak and fries and the brownie. Service at dinner was wonderful, and the food was great. I'm glad we went, and we will probably go back in the future. I am a bit underwhelmed by the dessert selections though.

Yes, dessert is a complete let down. Cupcakes at dinner just do not cut the dessert mustard for me.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Good restaurant, but not great. Lunch is on a higher plane than most CS but dinner is not anything special. Haven't been to breakfast. The great draw of this restaurant is the theming and atmosphere. If not for that, you could probably get in anytime instead of having to book it ASAP or you don't get in.

 

[DoodlesMom]

Ok, I've now been dragged to BOG 4 different times by friends who "must" eat there on Disney trips. I honestly don't like the restaurant. The decor is pretty, but not enough to spend $40 on a meal. The food, IMO is just ok, there are much better restaurants at WDW. I've never had a great meal there, the food is mostly bland, and the restaurant so overlarge and overcrowded that the service is sub-par by default.

Am I seriously missing something here? Why the fuss? Is it the atmosphere, the food, the newness?

Please tell me where these much better restaurants are. We really enjoy BOG and the food mostly because I feel it's hard to get decent meals in the World. Where have we missed??

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Please tell me where these much better restaurants are.

Not in the Magic Kingdom.

The resorts, Epcot, Disney Springs.

I can give a list of monorail-accessible restaurants I'd choose ahead of Be Our Guest. The Wave, California Grill, Kona Café, Narcoosees, Citricos. Even throw in 'Ohana and Victoria & Alberts. Based only on the food of course. Slightly off the monorail is Artist Point. I'm not fond of Whispering Canyon.

 

[DoodlesMom]

Not in the Magic Kingdom.

The resorts, Epcot, Disney Springs.

I can give a list of monorail-accessible restaurants I'd choose ahead of Be Our Guest. The Wave, California Grill, Kona Café, Narcoosees, Citricos. Even throw in 'Ohana and Victoria & Alberts. Based only on the food of course. Slightly off the monorail is Artist Point. I'm not fond of Whispering Canyon.

I've been to 3 of those and wasn't really impressed but it's been years. Maybe they've upped their game. We'll have to check and see. Missed a ressie at AP last time and was so disappointed.

 

[Sargeant Tibbs]

I've noticed that most people who don't like BOG ordered one of the same few items that are consistently given poor reviews. I've never had a bad meal there, but I've also never ordered one of those items. The food is made to appeal to a wide range of palettes, as is all the food in the MK, and perhaps this is the turn off for some people with more discerning taste. The atmosphere is breathtaking, and come on, this is truly the draw. It's not every day I get to eat inside a castle from one of the most popular animated movies of all time. It's not signature dining, but I'll bet that most kids would prefer it over the view from California Grill any day.

 

[gmboy95]

Ok, I've now been dragged to BOG 4 different times by friends who "must" eat there on Disney trips. I honestly don't like the restaurant. The decor is pretty, but not enough to spend $40 on a meal. The food, IMO is just ok, there are much better restaurants at WDW. I've never had a great meal there, the food is mostly bland, and the restaurant so overlarge and overcrowded that the service is sub-par by default.

Am I seriously missing something here? Why the fuss? Is it the atmosphere, the food, the newness?

Totally agree....the place is as dark as a dungeon, dont get it

 

[k5thbeatle]

Ok, I've now been dragged to BOG 4 different times by friends who "must" eat there on Disney trips. I honestly don't like the restaurant. The decor is pretty, but not enough to spend $40 on a meal. The food, IMO is just ok, there are much better restaurants at WDW. I've never had a great meal there, the food is mostly bland, and the restaurant so overlarge and overcrowded that the service is sub-par by default.

Am I seriously missing something here? Why the fuss? Is it the atmosphere, the food, the newness?

Couldn't agree more. Take away the (still) relative newness and the atmosphere (which is generally good unless you're way at the front of the main room) then you have a mediocre restaurant at best. Not saying it's bad but definitely a dime a dozen average at best.

 

[kastoney]

You are missing absolutely nothing and hit the nail on the proverbial head

 

[mi*vida*loca]

We did dinner on our last day of the trip. The place is gorgeous. We loved meeting the beast. It was a huge hit for DD. Everyone liked their steaks but they weren't worth $40. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't great. It was mediocre at best.

If we go back we will do lunch. Breakfast menu and prices do nothing for me but I am interested in lunch.

 

[missbrooke06]

You missed nothing. Not your type of place.

I loved it and can't wait to go back!