Tour Beast's Castle without eating there?

[HopperFan]

My dd was really surprised that they didn't create a library room instead of the rose room/gallery room. She is an avid reader and kept saying it would make way more sense...and I agree!

Well they did .... not well. That is the room where the ordering kiosks (books) are located and at dinner, Beast meets. #fail

I agree with you that it would have been awesome but then again, how do you work in them dancing ... guess that was a must for restaurant.

 

[CarrieR]

Put a figurine on the balcony? Lol

I refuse to accept any room as "the library" unless it is floor to ceiling books with those awesome ladders on wheels.

Guessing it's not there because it couldn't be both in BoG & ETWB?

 

[Mickey's Best Girl]

Before the restaurant was open and serving guests we happened upon what I would call an "open house".

CMs we're allowing folks to wander into the foyer and a few the dining rooms to see the gorgeous decor and setup. There were ropes, it wasn't a free for all. But what we saw blew my mind.

The open ballroom with no guests in it was beyond breathtaking - although I can certainly see how it would lose some of its appeal stuffed to the rafters with vacationing families, clanking cutlery and screaming kids

We haven't returned to BOG as the menu isn't really our speed and now after reading a few of these posts I'm glad we are left with our initial impression.

 

[wendow]

I've had lunch there, and we loved the roast beef sandwich. It's a generous portion, so DH & I split the meal. They also have French Onion soup that looks good.

The French Onion soup is good. DH & I share a sandwich and this soup. It's plenty for us.

 

[KrazeeK120]

The French Onion soup is good. DH & I share a sandwich and this soup. It's plenty for us.

I always get soup and a cupcake as my meal! Delicious!

 

[glocon]

I rather enjoyed the Croque Monsiur (sp?) and heard really good things about the pork sandwich.
For theme park food it is quite well done!

 

[North of Mouse]

We've had lunch there a couple of times. Other than the rose room I wasn't all that impressed with the rest of the decor/theming, and the dining experience was just a couple of clicks better than a high school cafeteria.

There isn't much to see once inside. The West Wing is neat, but gets old with everyone using their flash to take pictures. The ballroom is neat to see, but it's just a dining room. Like Cindy's, you can only enter with a reservation.

For real??? Must take a lot to impress!!

We love it, and always sit in the West Wing. The braised pork and french onion soup is delicious!

 

[Micca]

For real??? Must take a lot to impress!!

We love it, and always sit in the West Wing. The braised pork and french onion soup is delicious!

I guess I didn't order the right thing. Whatever I had was fine but not exceptional.

Before the restaurant was open and serving guests we happened upon what I would call an "open house".

CMs we're allowing folks to wander into the foyer and a few the dining rooms to see the gorgeous decor and setup. There were ropes, it wasn't a free for all. But what we saw blew my mind.

Your point is well-taken- I might like it better without all the people in it!

 

[amberpi]

As others have stated. No tours. You can't even enter the building at all without an ADR. Walk ups are rare and shouldn't be counted on. But as others said ... Disney (dumb bean counters) allow you to enter with an ADR and then buy as little as a cupcake or drink.

But the rose room is the afterthought room that isn't even in the movie

I keep waiting for it go to set pricing.

 

[Shanti]

It's a lovely restaurant, but you need a reservation to get in.

 

[magical-me]

I don't think they do tours. Get an ADR and they'll let you walk around wherever.

 

[amberpi]

I guess I didn't order the right thing. Whatever I had was fine but not exceptional.

Your point is well-taken- I might like it better without all the people in it!

I found it a lot like you did @Micca - it seemed like an insanely noisy, chaotic cafeteria. I've had the tuna salad every time I've been and enjoyed it though. Some of the other selections have looked far less appealing though. I've had both soups and they were both serviceable to very good, depending on the day and how hot they were (luke warm soup sucks, but for this type of eatery, it's gonna happen). Based on lunch though, I won't waste an evening meal there. I wish they sold wine at lunch as a really cold white would be super nice in the middle of the day. There are simply far better options at other places in the MK and a quick hop to Epcot. The portions are very large though and the salad and a soup are definitely shareable.

 

[umichigan10]

I found it a lot like you did @Micca - it seemed like an insanely noisy, chaotic cafeteria. I've had the tuna salad every time I've been and enjoyed it though. Some of the other selections have looked far less appealing though. I've had both soups and they were both serviceable to very good, depending on the day and how hot they were (luke warm soup sucks, but for this type of eatery, it's gonna happen). Based on lunch though, I won't waste an evening meal there. I wish they sold wine at lunch as a really cold white would be super nice in the middle of the day. There are simply far better options at other places in the MK and a quick hop to Epcot. The portions are very large though and the salad and a soup are definitely shareable.

Dinner is really good there. Lunch is expensive as hell and the food was fine but not worth basically paying table service prices to eat in a dressed up quick service.

I don't get why they don't go full service for both meals honestly, the quick serve lunch kills the ambiance imo

 

[amberpi]

Dinner is really good there. Lunch is expensive as hell and the food was fine but not worth basically paying table service prices to eat in a dressed up quick service.

I don't get why they don't go full service for both meals honestly, the quick serve lunch kills the ambiance imo

That may be my issue with it - I hate loud and I hate chaos. I haven't been willing to give up bluezoo or flying fish or similar dinners for bog. And let's be honest, there have been long weakened trips I've only eaten at the swolphin. I found bog very reasonable in price, a soup and the salad is definitely shareable and like $20? For 2 people, that's cheap. I don't have a huge appetite though, especially in the heat of the day, so that may reflect on that.

 

[umichigan10]

That may be my issue with it - I hate loud and I hate chaos. I haven't been willing to give up bluezoo or flying fish or similar dinners for bog. And let's be honest, there have been long weakened trips I've only eaten at the swolphin. I found bog very reasonable in price, a soup and the salad is definitely shareable and like $20? For 2 people, that's cheap. I don't have a huge appetite though, especially in the heat of the day, so that may reflect on that.

I don't remember specifically what we ordered but it was more expensive for us than a normal counter service. Depends on how you approach it I'm sure.

My mom is a huge beauty and the beast fan so I've had dinner there a lot. I've really enjoyed those meals there id at least try it once (although it's so hard to get a resi I can see why you'd go with a different option)

 

[robl45]

I saw a few people last week get turned away that wanted to just go inside and look around. We were having dinner and the server mentioned that I needed my receipt to get my photo taken with the beast, which suggests that people are "sneaking in" just to get a character M&G.

Its interesting that you say that as I've eaten there multiple times for dinner and I was going to say that honestly you check in and they send you up to the entrance when it is almost your time to seat, but honestly I don't remember anyone actually checking anything and I really can't imagine that if you walked up there and just walked in the door that anyone would stop you. I know for sure no one ever asked us for a receipt to get a picture with the beast.

 

[Spacepest]

The few times I've gone, you definately need an ADR for the cast members to even let you past the bridge area just before the restaurant (especially for dinner), you would have needed to be a ninja to sneak past them.

Honestly, I'm waiting for the bean counters at Disney to put 2 and 2 together and just start doing a set pricing on the meal. I've noticed alot of people go in and just order one cupcake each or a soup and sit around for a long time (which, if you ask your server, they will confirm seeing the same thing) while people who want to order a full meal can't even get into the restaurant due to the ADR system. One solution to this problem might be for a cast member to do free guided tours of the place without having to buy a meal, that might actually free up some tables for people who want to eat a full meal.

And wow, we need to keep and show our receipt to take our picture with the Beast afterwards? People must be really desperate to get into this restaurant just to take pictures.

 

[Moliphino]

Put a figurine on the balcony? Lol

I refuse to accept any room as "the library" unless it is floor to ceiling books with those awesome ladders on wheels.

Guessing it's not there because it couldn't be both in BoG & ETWB?

They put the library in Enchanted Tales With Belle, I guess they didn't want to duplicate it in the restaurant.

 

[marcyleecorgan]

I am NOT interested in eating here at all, mostly due to the influence of these message boards. *shudders*

I do not want random people milling all around my table, taking pics of decor and "checking the place out". Sit down and eat your cupcake, look with your eyes. Getting up and wandering off to a different seating area "to see the rose" or any of the other things in the restaurant just sounds unbelievably weird to me. I mean, I don't crawl all over other people's seating areas at Cracker Barrel to check out the antiques on their side of the wall, though I LOVE to look at the decor!

It would be SOOOOOO uncomfortable for me to know that while I'm sitting there, shoving food in my mouth and wiping my sticky child, that we are inadvertently photobombing others. I do not want to be in your pictures!

 

[umichigan10]

I am NOT interested in eating here at all, mostly due to the influence of these message boards. *shudders*

I do not want random people milling all around my table, taking pics of decor and "checking the place out". Sit down and eat your cupcake, look with your eyes. Getting up and wandering off to a different seating area "to see the rose" or any of the other things in the restaurant just sounds unbelievably weird to me. I mean, I don't crawl all over other people's seating areas at Cracker Barrel to check out the antiques on their side of the wall, though I LOVE to look at the decor!

It would be SOOOOOO uncomfortable for me to know that while I'm sitting there, shoving food in my mouth and wiping my sticky child, that we are inadvertently photobombing others. I do not want to be in your pictures!

To be fair you've undoubtedly photobombed other people dozens of times during your vacation. It's Disney afterall