PlutosRHM55
Currently: No HHN Depression
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2010
Bon Appetit! Enter Master of the Castle and Cue Heart Attack
June 23rd, 2014
Our reservation was at 6:50pm so you have your bearings. We arrived at about 6:40pm if I remember correctly.
And where was this reservation at?
Why...
BE OUR GUEST
Of course!
I'm sure those who read my ADR know that I had booked this for the first night and had booked this the day I was able to book dining reservations so I was super excited to eat here. But who wouldn't? You get to eat in BEAST'S CASTLE! That's pretty cool and pretty much every DISer I've come in contact with has gone so it was necessary.
When we arrived at the Castle, we weren't really sure to check-in since you don't actually do it INSIDE the Castle, but somewhere before you go over the Bridge. Nate asked a Cast Member standing in front of the gates where the check-in desk was and she directed us towards the opposite of the gates where there was conveniently a booth to check in at. We went up, gave them our name and after answering questions like "Are you on the Dining Plan?" (which we were) and others, she handed us a beeper and told us we could head down the bridge and a Cast Member (I forget what they called them here) would come get us when our table was ready.
Likewise, that is what we did!
On our way down, we had to say hi to some gargoyle friends.
I think my pose made up for whatever happened at Gaston's fountain. And I think Nate's made us even.
We continued down to the door where there was water and lemon water all set up for our hydrating needs. Nate and I both grabbed a cup to rehydrate ourselves once more. It wasn't long before a nice lady CM called out our names and we were brought before this:
You can see Nate and the Cast Member, whose name I don't recall, in front of me. You also might notice that Nate is doing a sort of victory pose because our host CM was a DCPer from Penn State. Nate is going to be a freshman there next year so he was very excited to be able to talk someone about it. Of course, this led into a quick discussion about the DCP which brought me into the conversation. She was a Junior and said she was loving it so I had a prime example of why I should do it right there.
Anyways, back to that door shown above, those doors opened towards us. I should be used to do this with attractions like PhilharMagic and ITTBAB, but I would've never expected at a restaurant and they opened in the same manner as if a person had pushed these heavy doors open. I had been to some awesome Disney restaurants in the past, but they never made a big deal about the entryway. Disney was making all the stops at BOG and they didn't end here.
Next, we were given the grand tour. I wish I could tell you all that she said, it was a bit hard to hear her over the dining room din, not only that, I was quite mesmerized by this:
Gorgeous! Just... gorgeous. It looked EXACTLY like the movie and the music was pumped in everywhere. Loving it already! And guess what?
WE WERE SEATED IN THE BALLROOM!
Yup, our host left us right in the midst of the ballroom. I was still longing for my West Wing, but Ballroom life was pretty nice. I mean, we were sitting in the place where Belle danced the night away with the Beast. You can't beat that.
"Certain as the sun, rising in the east, tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast..."
I was starting to get a bit nostalgic since Beauty & the Beast is one of the only Disney musicals I've performed in. I only had a small part, but to this date it's one of my all-time favorite shows I've been in. The personal connection and having watched the movie quite a bit, this was too unreal. This was the turning point where I really felt I was in a dream and hoped and prayed I never EVER woke up.
Getting back to "real life"...
Now, I had seen photos of all the rooms beforehand (though no photo could truly capture the true majesty and brilliance of the ballroom), but I hadn't of what had to be the most perfect place setting ever. Or maybe it was just this:
Someone needs to teach me how to do this. IT'S A NAPKIN WRAPPED LIKE A ROSE!!! What even? I told you Disney was making all the stops. To add to the napkin, our table was very ornate along with our chairs, instead of saying 'Hi' or 'Hello' all the Cast Members here said 'Bonjour' to which I would always reply likewise, roses were imbedded in everything and... yeah, this place was pretty dang perfect.
Let's not forget our adorable menu!
Anyways, somewhere in the midst of all my ogling at everything, our waitress had arrived. Her name was Awilda. She was very sweet and attentive. No complaints. I was drawing blanks on how the DDP works so Nate and I asked her about all of that to which she was very gracious about answering (we were on the basic Dining Plan so it was one non-alcoholic drink, one entree and one dessert for each person in the party if anyone's curious). After getting that squared away, we quickly placed our drink orders. Nate seemed already ready to place an order for our entrees, but I still barely looked at the menu so she went off to get our drinks and I took a gander at the entrees:
I was pretty quick in my decision and she came back with our drinks just in time to take our orders. For my drink, I got...
THE ALL NATURAL LEMONADE!!!!!!!
Description: All-Natural Lemonade sweetened with Organic Cane Juice and topped with Wildberry Foam.
Lemme tell you, this was probably the best thing I drank all trip! I like to think of myself as a lemonade connoisseur. I've tasted some pretty zany sounding ones, but this... takes the cake. It was the perfect amount of sweet and sour and it wasn't watery... EVER, which is rare in lemonade since when the ice melts it's just gross but this never did. The Wildberry Foam was probably the best part... Ohhhh, I wish this wasn't a non-refill drink because I could've probably downed three of these. PER-FEC-TION.
I don't remember what Nate got, I think it was either a water or a soda, the general fare. Nothing to report about or take a photo of.
The lovely Awilda made a quick round then was back with a basket of some bread and butter, all nice and warm. Be Our Guest was raising the bar REALLY high tonight, I can tell you that.
We enjoyed our bread and just chatted away about whatever. I don't remember, but eventually our entrees arrived in style. And if you have caught on, you know I am NOT kidding about this. Awilda came over with two other servers who served us our entrees complete with word-for-word descriptions. First, there was mine:
"Here we have 'Layered Ratatouille with Oven-Baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions all sliced and layered on Quinoa served with Bell Pepper Sauce and topped with an edible garnish.'"
Then, we have Nate's:
"And over here we have 'Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic Butter Spread and Pommes Frittes served on the side.'"
"Enjoy!"
Don't mind if we do!
I apologize again for my eyes in the photo. I promise this will be the last of those. And I get sunburns on my nose all the time so it's not a big deal.
Anyways, I LOVED my Ratatouille! It was divine. LOTS of flavors, a bit overwhelming, but they really balanced each other out. My favorite part was probably the actual ratatouille part with the onions, mushrooms and eggplant. They all complimented one other perfectly I actually managed to finish the whole thing, which is a rare instance for me. It all definitely hit the spot.
Nate was not entirely pleased with his steak. He said it was very tough and didn't seem cooked as well as he liked. I tried some of his and agreed it was tough, but I liked the flavor. I think the star of his dish were definitely the Pommes Frittes and the Garlic Butter Spread (which I thought was a Bearnaise). They were on point. I actually started taking Pommes Frittes from him and just dipping them right into it. He was having issues with the steak so he didn't mind even though he really liked it too.
The mother from the table next to us heard Nate and mine's conversation (the tables here are really close so if you plan on releasing any highly confidential secrets about Area 51, I suggest you not do it at Be Our Guest). They asked about the steak and Nate let them know just as Awilda decided to come back. I kinda gave her a weird look because I was trying to tell Nate to stop talking. Although it wasn't her fault and Nate did end up telling her about his issue with the steak (he didn't send it back), I don't like to do that all that often. My parents never did it when I was younger and we really still don't. I just feel some waiters, waitresses and chefs are sensitive to it and I don't like doing it. Whatever, I was loving everything about my meal and Nate managed to make the best of his meal.
Then...
*TRUMPETS BLARE*
*TIMMY SHUDDERS AND CONTINUES TO SHAKE*
*TIMMY HAS A HEART ATTACK*
*NATE'S ALREADY DEAD FROM HEART ATTACK*
*TIMMY FALLS OVER DEAD*
*THE WHOLE BALLROOM FALLS OVER DEAD*
*DRUMS*
*THE APOCALYPSE*
*LIFE GOES ON*
Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic. If you don't know what was going on, this was the part of the night where they announced the arrival of the "Master of the Castle" aka "The Beast". It is SUPER LOUD and abrupt. It only happened two or three times while we were there, but it scared Nate and I initially. The table next to us was a bit startled too. We both laughed about it, checking to see if we all were breathing again lol
After that, we were waiting around a bit, just picking at our food (I was pretty much finished, but Nate still had some left) before Awilda came back. She picked up our plates and we waited again another while. This was definitely where things slowed down for us, but dessert comes as dessert comes as it does. Except this is Be Our Guest and it comes IN A ROLLING GLASS AND MAHOGANY DISPLAY CASE! WHAT?! I already knew what I was getting, but I was not one to stop dear Awilda from telling us what was in the case. Nate made his decision fairly quickly and this is what we got.
Mine, first (always) :
Say it with me now, "Try the grey stuff, it's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!"
Yup, the famed Grey Stuff was my dessert of choice and boy were those dishes right. It was delicious! The brownie part was strange at first since it was soft on the outside, but very hard. Once I managed to bite through, the Hallelujah chorus appeared and I was in Disney food heaven. It was so light, moist and flavorful. Of course, I was already heading towards that food wall so I never got to finish, but I so wish I did now.
Then, there was Nate's:
This is called the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake. He seemed to really enjoy it! We were honestly all over these desserts, but were we full. These desserts also came off a bit on the richer side, which isn't bad, but it's really filling even for smaller portions. We both wish we could've finished, but our tummies were satisfied and the Magic Kingdom was calling us so it was time for the bill.
The Beast came by once more before Awilda came over with the bill and I managed to get a decent photo of him:
Once Awilda came over with the bill, we asked her if she would take a photo with the both of us to commemorate our first meal and a successful one (at least for me) at that:
Very, very white.
We had another little shock since I totally forgot that tips were not included with the Dining Plan. Well, I didn't really, I just was a bit caught off-guard since I never planned to bring cash. Nate luckily had some, albeit very few, which resulted in a little... under-tipping shall we say. Luckily, we managed to get by all this by using our cards for tips later, but if Awilda is reading this I would like to formally apologize for a low tip. You were a FAB waitress and we were unprepared. Thank you for a wonderful dinner!
And after Nate oh-so-nicely signed the check and everything was set, we were off. Of course, we had to stop by and say hi to the Beast first. It's only courteous to thank the host for the meal. I don't remember if Nate did, but I did of course and got a nice bow in response. Then, we took the photo:
A bit awkward, but I'm not sure we could've done better. I didn't prepare too well to pose with a Beast that night. Oh well.
We passed by some Knights, who were being quite unruly, but I guess it gets boring just standing there all night. Too bad we were all too ready to head out the door to take a moment to chat. I got a photo instead, of course:
We were back out in the main entryway where a particular stained glass window caught my attention...
Nate offered to take a photo of me with it, which I was only too happy to oblige for:
I offered to return the favor and Nate was all 'What have I got to lose?'
With that, we made our grand exit.
My final consensus on Be Our Guest: I want to go back. It is hands down one of my new favorite meals in Disney. Disney outdid themselves BIG TIME with this one creating not only a pleasant dining experience, but an actual experience that you usually only get in Disney attractions, not to mention a nice little character experience too. I think it might not have been the best move to come here with Nate since he is the type who goes to restaurants for the food, but I just couldn't pass up this place. If I come back with my family or on a solo trip or with a fellow DISer/Disney Lover, this would be the place I'd reserve FIRST. I highly recommend it to anyone and that to try the Ratatouille. I haven't seen many reviews of it so I felt it only necessary to really urge you try it, especially if you had a bad experience with another item. In general, if you haven't gone to BOG yet, you need to! Now. Sprint your Disney loving butt to the Disney website and make a reservation. Or better yet, just beg and plead for a walk up. Pretend you are dying and this could be your last meal so they'll have to let you in... I don't know, just git 'er done so you can go back again and again and again. Seriously.
Harry Potter Novel Length review aside and a great dining experience left in the dust, Nate and I were once again back out in the glorious Magic Kingdom with so much to do. The big question now: Where do we go from here?
Continued Here
June 23rd, 2014
Our reservation was at 6:50pm so you have your bearings. We arrived at about 6:40pm if I remember correctly.
And where was this reservation at?
Why...
BE OUR GUEST
Of course!
I'm sure those who read my ADR know that I had booked this for the first night and had booked this the day I was able to book dining reservations so I was super excited to eat here. But who wouldn't? You get to eat in BEAST'S CASTLE! That's pretty cool and pretty much every DISer I've come in contact with has gone so it was necessary.
When we arrived at the Castle, we weren't really sure to check-in since you don't actually do it INSIDE the Castle, but somewhere before you go over the Bridge. Nate asked a Cast Member standing in front of the gates where the check-in desk was and she directed us towards the opposite of the gates where there was conveniently a booth to check in at. We went up, gave them our name and after answering questions like "Are you on the Dining Plan?" (which we were) and others, she handed us a beeper and told us we could head down the bridge and a Cast Member (I forget what they called them here) would come get us when our table was ready.
Likewise, that is what we did!
On our way down, we had to say hi to some gargoyle friends.
I think my pose made up for whatever happened at Gaston's fountain. And I think Nate's made us even.
We continued down to the door where there was water and lemon water all set up for our hydrating needs. Nate and I both grabbed a cup to rehydrate ourselves once more. It wasn't long before a nice lady CM called out our names and we were brought before this:
You can see Nate and the Cast Member, whose name I don't recall, in front of me. You also might notice that Nate is doing a sort of victory pose because our host CM was a DCPer from Penn State. Nate is going to be a freshman there next year so he was very excited to be able to talk someone about it. Of course, this led into a quick discussion about the DCP which brought me into the conversation. She was a Junior and said she was loving it so I had a prime example of why I should do it right there.
Anyways, back to that door shown above, those doors opened towards us. I should be used to do this with attractions like PhilharMagic and ITTBAB, but I would've never expected at a restaurant and they opened in the same manner as if a person had pushed these heavy doors open. I had been to some awesome Disney restaurants in the past, but they never made a big deal about the entryway. Disney was making all the stops at BOG and they didn't end here.
Next, we were given the grand tour. I wish I could tell you all that she said, it was a bit hard to hear her over the dining room din, not only that, I was quite mesmerized by this:
Gorgeous! Just... gorgeous. It looked EXACTLY like the movie and the music was pumped in everywhere. Loving it already! And guess what?
WE WERE SEATED IN THE BALLROOM!
Yup, our host left us right in the midst of the ballroom. I was still longing for my West Wing, but Ballroom life was pretty nice. I mean, we were sitting in the place where Belle danced the night away with the Beast. You can't beat that.
"Certain as the sun, rising in the east, tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, beauty and the beast..."
I was starting to get a bit nostalgic since Beauty & the Beast is one of the only Disney musicals I've performed in. I only had a small part, but to this date it's one of my all-time favorite shows I've been in. The personal connection and having watched the movie quite a bit, this was too unreal. This was the turning point where I really felt I was in a dream and hoped and prayed I never EVER woke up.
Getting back to "real life"...
Now, I had seen photos of all the rooms beforehand (though no photo could truly capture the true majesty and brilliance of the ballroom), but I hadn't of what had to be the most perfect place setting ever. Or maybe it was just this:
Someone needs to teach me how to do this. IT'S A NAPKIN WRAPPED LIKE A ROSE!!! What even? I told you Disney was making all the stops. To add to the napkin, our table was very ornate along with our chairs, instead of saying 'Hi' or 'Hello' all the Cast Members here said 'Bonjour' to which I would always reply likewise, roses were imbedded in everything and... yeah, this place was pretty dang perfect.
Let's not forget our adorable menu!
Anyways, somewhere in the midst of all my ogling at everything, our waitress had arrived. Her name was Awilda. She was very sweet and attentive. No complaints. I was drawing blanks on how the DDP works so Nate and I asked her about all of that to which she was very gracious about answering (we were on the basic Dining Plan so it was one non-alcoholic drink, one entree and one dessert for each person in the party if anyone's curious). After getting that squared away, we quickly placed our drink orders. Nate seemed already ready to place an order for our entrees, but I still barely looked at the menu so she went off to get our drinks and I took a gander at the entrees:
I was pretty quick in my decision and she came back with our drinks just in time to take our orders. For my drink, I got...
THE ALL NATURAL LEMONADE!!!!!!!
Description: All-Natural Lemonade sweetened with Organic Cane Juice and topped with Wildberry Foam.
Lemme tell you, this was probably the best thing I drank all trip! I like to think of myself as a lemonade connoisseur. I've tasted some pretty zany sounding ones, but this... takes the cake. It was the perfect amount of sweet and sour and it wasn't watery... EVER, which is rare in lemonade since when the ice melts it's just gross but this never did. The Wildberry Foam was probably the best part... Ohhhh, I wish this wasn't a non-refill drink because I could've probably downed three of these. PER-FEC-TION.
I don't remember what Nate got, I think it was either a water or a soda, the general fare. Nothing to report about or take a photo of.
The lovely Awilda made a quick round then was back with a basket of some bread and butter, all nice and warm. Be Our Guest was raising the bar REALLY high tonight, I can tell you that.
We enjoyed our bread and just chatted away about whatever. I don't remember, but eventually our entrees arrived in style. And if you have caught on, you know I am NOT kidding about this. Awilda came over with two other servers who served us our entrees complete with word-for-word descriptions. First, there was mine:
"Here we have 'Layered Ratatouille with Oven-Baked Zucchini, Eggplant, Mushrooms, and Caramelized Onions all sliced and layered on Quinoa served with Bell Pepper Sauce and topped with an edible garnish.'"
Then, we have Nate's:
"And over here we have 'Grilled Strip Steak with Garlic Butter Spread and Pommes Frittes served on the side.'"
"Enjoy!"
Don't mind if we do!
I apologize again for my eyes in the photo. I promise this will be the last of those. And I get sunburns on my nose all the time so it's not a big deal.
Anyways, I LOVED my Ratatouille! It was divine. LOTS of flavors, a bit overwhelming, but they really balanced each other out. My favorite part was probably the actual ratatouille part with the onions, mushrooms and eggplant. They all complimented one other perfectly I actually managed to finish the whole thing, which is a rare instance for me. It all definitely hit the spot.
Nate was not entirely pleased with his steak. He said it was very tough and didn't seem cooked as well as he liked. I tried some of his and agreed it was tough, but I liked the flavor. I think the star of his dish were definitely the Pommes Frittes and the Garlic Butter Spread (which I thought was a Bearnaise). They were on point. I actually started taking Pommes Frittes from him and just dipping them right into it. He was having issues with the steak so he didn't mind even though he really liked it too.
The mother from the table next to us heard Nate and mine's conversation (the tables here are really close so if you plan on releasing any highly confidential secrets about Area 51, I suggest you not do it at Be Our Guest). They asked about the steak and Nate let them know just as Awilda decided to come back. I kinda gave her a weird look because I was trying to tell Nate to stop talking. Although it wasn't her fault and Nate did end up telling her about his issue with the steak (he didn't send it back), I don't like to do that all that often. My parents never did it when I was younger and we really still don't. I just feel some waiters, waitresses and chefs are sensitive to it and I don't like doing it. Whatever, I was loving everything about my meal and Nate managed to make the best of his meal.
Then...
*TRUMPETS BLARE*
*TIMMY SHUDDERS AND CONTINUES TO SHAKE*
*TIMMY HAS A HEART ATTACK*
*NATE'S ALREADY DEAD FROM HEART ATTACK*
*TIMMY FALLS OVER DEAD*
*THE WHOLE BALLROOM FALLS OVER DEAD*
*DRUMS*
*THE APOCALYPSE*
*LIFE GOES ON*
Okay, maybe that was a bit dramatic. If you don't know what was going on, this was the part of the night where they announced the arrival of the "Master of the Castle" aka "The Beast". It is SUPER LOUD and abrupt. It only happened two or three times while we were there, but it scared Nate and I initially. The table next to us was a bit startled too. We both laughed about it, checking to see if we all were breathing again lol
After that, we were waiting around a bit, just picking at our food (I was pretty much finished, but Nate still had some left) before Awilda came back. She picked up our plates and we waited again another while. This was definitely where things slowed down for us, but dessert comes as dessert comes as it does. Except this is Be Our Guest and it comes IN A ROLLING GLASS AND MAHOGANY DISPLAY CASE! WHAT?! I already knew what I was getting, but I was not one to stop dear Awilda from telling us what was in the case. Nate made his decision fairly quickly and this is what we got.
Mine, first (always) :
Say it with me now, "Try the grey stuff, it's delicious! Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!"
Yup, the famed Grey Stuff was my dessert of choice and boy were those dishes right. It was delicious! The brownie part was strange at first since it was soft on the outside, but very hard. Once I managed to bite through, the Hallelujah chorus appeared and I was in Disney food heaven. It was so light, moist and flavorful. Of course, I was already heading towards that food wall so I never got to finish, but I so wish I did now.
Then, there was Nate's:
This is called the Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcake. He seemed to really enjoy it! We were honestly all over these desserts, but were we full. These desserts also came off a bit on the richer side, which isn't bad, but it's really filling even for smaller portions. We both wish we could've finished, but our tummies were satisfied and the Magic Kingdom was calling us so it was time for the bill.
The Beast came by once more before Awilda came over with the bill and I managed to get a decent photo of him:
Once Awilda came over with the bill, we asked her if she would take a photo with the both of us to commemorate our first meal and a successful one (at least for me) at that:
Very, very white.
We had another little shock since I totally forgot that tips were not included with the Dining Plan. Well, I didn't really, I just was a bit caught off-guard since I never planned to bring cash. Nate luckily had some, albeit very few, which resulted in a little... under-tipping shall we say. Luckily, we managed to get by all this by using our cards for tips later, but if Awilda is reading this I would like to formally apologize for a low tip. You were a FAB waitress and we were unprepared. Thank you for a wonderful dinner!
And after Nate oh-so-nicely signed the check and everything was set, we were off. Of course, we had to stop by and say hi to the Beast first. It's only courteous to thank the host for the meal. I don't remember if Nate did, but I did of course and got a nice bow in response. Then, we took the photo:
A bit awkward, but I'm not sure we could've done better. I didn't prepare too well to pose with a Beast that night. Oh well.
We passed by some Knights, who were being quite unruly, but I guess it gets boring just standing there all night. Too bad we were all too ready to head out the door to take a moment to chat. I got a photo instead, of course:
We were back out in the main entryway where a particular stained glass window caught my attention...
Nate offered to take a photo of me with it, which I was only too happy to oblige for:
I offered to return the favor and Nate was all 'What have I got to lose?'
With that, we made our grand exit.
My final consensus on Be Our Guest: I want to go back. It is hands down one of my new favorite meals in Disney. Disney outdid themselves BIG TIME with this one creating not only a pleasant dining experience, but an actual experience that you usually only get in Disney attractions, not to mention a nice little character experience too. I think it might not have been the best move to come here with Nate since he is the type who goes to restaurants for the food, but I just couldn't pass up this place. If I come back with my family or on a solo trip or with a fellow DISer/Disney Lover, this would be the place I'd reserve FIRST. I highly recommend it to anyone and that to try the Ratatouille. I haven't seen many reviews of it so I felt it only necessary to really urge you try it, especially if you had a bad experience with another item. In general, if you haven't gone to BOG yet, you need to! Now. Sprint your Disney loving butt to the Disney website and make a reservation. Or better yet, just beg and plead for a walk up. Pretend you are dying and this could be your last meal so they'll have to let you in... I don't know, just git 'er done so you can go back again and again and again. Seriously.
Harry Potter Novel Length review aside and a great dining experience left in the dust, Nate and I were once again back out in the glorious Magic Kingdom with so much to do. The big question now: Where do we go from here?
Continued Here
that garlic butter spread though. It's life-giving.
). 
So glad you enjoyed the Lemonade too. It is THE BEST! 
I'll be excited to read more of your comments! Thanks for taking a moment to write one for me! Oh and 
And yeah, Grey Stuff is the best stuff on Earth.
We were hardcore twinning.
CELEBRATE THE MAGIC! 
Food:
AoA
JUNGLE CRUISE!!!! 
First time??
cannot wait!
