Disney Dining Disney Dining Tips, News, and Reviews
It’s so exciting that Disney World has reopened. Many things are just as they were before the pandemic, and some things have changed with the park’s reopening. Then there are some experiences at the parks that are not available for Guests at this time because of Disney’s dedication to the health and safety of each Guest and Cast Member. Dining in the parks even looks a bit different. One of our favorite restaurants, Be Our Guest, is open, but there are definitely some differences between the pre-COVID experience and the experience offered at this time (don’t worry—it’s still magical!) Here are a few of those differences.
1. Scoring a reservation is different.
Before the pandemic, dining reservations at Disney World could be made up to 180 days in advance. In fact, Guests were encouraged to book restaurants as soon as possible within that window—the sooner the better. Now, however, Disney World is only accepting reservations 60 days in advance, so it’s more important than ever to book as soon as you know you’ll be visiting.
2. No more breakfast.
As Disney World continues with its phased reopening, breakfast is one thing you won’t find on the menu at Be Our Guest. (So much for the excuse to enter the park early before opening!) At this time, there’s no word on when breakfast will return, but for now, you’ll want to grab something on the way to Magic Kingdom if you’re visiting in the morning.
3. No more quick service for lunch.
Before the pandemic, lunch at Be Our Guest was a quick service experience. Guests stood in line and proceeded to the kiosk or to a Cast Member at a podium where they could place their orders and then be seated and wait for lunch to arrive at the table. Today, lunch is table service just like dinner.
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4. Lunch and dinner are both “Signature.”
Since the reopening of Magic Kingdom and the other parks at Walt Disney World, both meals served at Be Our Guest are now considered “Signature Table Service” experiences. While this sounds exciting (and it is), “Signature Service” also means that meals at Be Our Guest are one of the highest-priced dining experiences in the parks. Lunch is usually less expensive than dinner in the parks, but at this time, both meals are priced similarly.
5. No more Disney Dining Plan
At this time, the Disney Dining Plan is suspended. Guests who usually purchase the Dining Plan are eager for it to return. Other Guests who don’t make use of the plan probably didn’t know about the suspension of the plan. When the Dining Plan was offered, dinner at Be Our Guest was a pretty good deal as it only required the use of 1 Table Service credit. Now that the restaurant is considered a Signature Table Service experience, once the plan resumes, it’s safe to assume that meals at Be Our Guest will require 2 Table Service credits.
6. Prix Fixe = fixed pricing.
Both lunch and dinner at Be Our Guest are prix fixe meals. Each meal comes with three courses—appetizer, entrée and dessert. At $62 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $37 for kids (ages 3 to 9)—a splurge by many standards—the meal is pricey, but the experience is unforgettable, especially if you’ve never been, you get to sit in the Grand Ballroom, or if you have a mini-Belle in your traveling party.
7. See Beast at both meals, but not up close and personally.
The pre-pandemic experience at Be Our Guest meant you could only catch Beast at dinnertime but not at lunchtime. After dinner, Guests could wait in the queue to meet Beast and have their pictures made with him. Now, Beast is not posing for photos and you can’t wait in line to greet him, but you can see him as he makes his way through the dining areas—physically-distanced, of course—during both lunch and dinner.
