BoG Lunch vs Dinner?

[Araminta18]

My husband and I just booked our Disney trip (just the two of us!), and BoG is one of two places I definitely want to eat at. I was lucky enough to score a reservation for lunch, but I'm curious what the difference is between the quick service lunch and the table service dinner--are we missing anything neat or cool by eating at lunch instead of dinner?

 

[Disneylover99]

It's a different menu. You are seated at dinner instead of finding your own table. You can get your picture taken with the Beast after dinner. You can order wine at dinner.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

It's not a mob scene at dinner. Lunch is chaotic cafeteria.

 

[bucky1023]

If you do a search there are plenty of reviews for both meals... that might help you make a better decision for the two of you

 

[Araminta18]

Thanks! I've done some searches, but I was curious if anyone had eaten at lunch and at dinner, and could offer some first hand comparison.

 

[ariane37]

Well, lunch is QS so you order yourself at a "counter" (or before you arrive in WDW, online) and then seat yourself. A server DOES bring you your food though. You can pick which room you sit in provided there's seating available in said room. The menu is different from the dinner one, as you've probably seen, and you can only meet the Beast at dinner. It's pretty noisy at lunch and usually, people roam around to look at the different rooms and snap pictures.

For dinner you are shown to your table by a host/hostess and someone in your party is given "Lumiere" to carry to the table. At least they do this if there are children in your party; when DH and I ate there by ourselves we weren't given Lumiere lol, so not sure if that was a mistake or they only give him to kids! You don't choose your room for dinner and I've heard mostly reports that you can't request, although I've read a couple that you can. We've had dinner there 6x and never requested a specific room. Since dinner is TS you're served by a waiter/waitress like a regular restaurant; it's quieter and calmer although not quiet quiet, and the Ballroom, in my opinion, is still rather loud and cavernous feeling due to the size and the fact that some of the tables are close together. The Beast is "announced" every.......20 or 30 minutes during dinner? and walks through each room into his library where he meets guests; he doesn't sign autographs but you can have your picture taken with him. One other difference is that for lunch, you can get the "Master's Cupcake" which has the grey stuff frosting. For dinner, it's more of a grey stuff brownie-bar thing. Finally, I feel that people don't roam around as much during dinner. They still do to a point, but they don't seem to get as close to other diners while looking around as they do at lunch.

I think that's about it! We LOVE dinner and weren't that impressed with lunch but there are tons of people who prefer lunch.

 

[dachsie]

I enjoyed both. Depending on where you sit, both will be noisy. Lunch is more affordable and my favorite dish is served at both so I have a lunch ADR for this trip. I did love the Grey stuff at dinner tho.

 

[bbak30]

Different menu, and the beast is there for dinner. I haven't ever done lunch, but we have enjoyed dinner there twice. The steak is yummy!

 

[Araminta18]

Thanks for the info, everyone! I really appreciate it Sounds like for us trying to get a dinner ADR may be worth it.

 

[cmarsh31]

We've done both - lunch with DH, DS, DD, and my mom - on her birthday, dinner with my aunts & mom (super-secret one night MVMCP trip that I will take to my grave before admitting to my children that I went to WDW without them). My mom & I enjoyed both of them - for lunch it was definitely chaotic but a nice change from the other QS lunches we did. Everyone really enjoyed the food. Dinner was the full experience - we all loved our food and the Beast was great (my Aunt and I got our picture taken with him - two "old" ladies it was great and her first trip to Disney ever!).

I think, with kids, I probably would choose lunch over dinner but on an adults-only trip, it was the perfect experience.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I've heard mostly reports that you can't request, although I've read a couple that you can.

It's like anywhere else at Disney. You can make a request, but it won't always be fulfilled, and you can't offer to wait for it.

 

[ariane37]

It's like anywhere else at Disney. You can make a request, but it won't always be fulfilled, and you can't offer to wait for it.

Exactly. Which is why we've never requested a specific room for dinner. I've heard folks checking in around us ask for a specific room and be told no, or ask to be moved when told what room they're going to and be told it's not possible. However every once in awhile, someone on here says they were told they were to be seated in one room, asked to be switched to another, and were accommodated. Which is the only reason I did NOT say you cannot request a certain room at dinner

 

[marchingstar]

I much prefer dinner. like others have said, lunch is like an over-packed cafeteria. the lunch menu is fine, but I prefer other QS places in MK. dinner is still busy, but not as bad.

we've requested a specific room each time we've had dinner at BOG. I'm sure they've told us we might wait a bit longer and/or that they couldn't guarantee a specific room, but we've had our request met before (not every time though). there's no harm in asking, but be prepared to be told they can't guarantee anything or that you might wait.