During a recent visit to the Magic Kingdom, I made a point to visit a restaurant that I've always wanted to get the full dinner experience from. I wanted the romance, the food, the decor, and of course - the magic! If you couldn't guess which place I'm speaking about, then I'll give you another clue: there's lots of roses. And if you think the answer is Be Our Guest, you would be correct, mon amie!

I'm sure many of you are curious as to how I even grabbed a spot at this popular dining location. Well, I can tell you that it was a bit of a search, but when I finally got my party a 9:15pm time slot, everything seemed to go swimmingly. Of course this reservation was achieved months before I even made my plans for my Dapper Day vacation at Disney World, but trust me when I say that this advanced hard work was WELL worth it.

On the night of our reservation, the prior stormy clouds of Florida had seemed to disappear, and the beautiful night sky came out. We arrived to the front podium that is just a few steps from the door to Beast's castle (aka the entrance to the restaurant.) Once I told the cast member our party was present, we waited for my phone to receive a text, alerting us about the status of our table. There was a tad bit of confusion whether we could walk up to the doors once we received the text, or if we had to wait for a host to bring us from said podium to inside the restaurant. But once we got our text, we made our way to the front door, and were greeted by a lovely cast member named Gene!

From then on, the experience at Be Our Guest was one that rivals any other on Disney property, even the higher end places at the Deluxe Resorts! Why? Because this is Disney theming at its best. I'm sure you've read plenty of reviews for this place that speak on how excellent the decor is, and trust me, none of them are lying to you. This is one of those places that will make you gasp, as was sure the case with me upon my first visit.

Once we were seated, we then were served by another Jean (we joked about this quite often during the meal) who showed us all the lovely options on the menu for the evening. Then we made our various selections, and the true magic of Be Our Guest began.

Firstly, it is important to note that every 20 minutes or so, The Beast makes a grand entrance in and out of the restaurant, and meets guests in his study. You are allowed to partake in the special meet and greet once your meal is finished, as you have to use your "ticket" (receipt) to enter - smart going, Disney! Though it is important to note that if you are the sort that gets annoyed by loud announcements throughout your meal, than this sort of experience might not be for you. But if you are the obsessive Beauty and the Beast fan like myself, that adores hearing Alan Menken's music on repeat, you'll be in heaven here.

And now we come to the most important part of the experience - the main food!

Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops

For my main course, I went with the choice that was described as the best on the menu - and Jean was correct! The seafood offered here is fresh beyond compare, with juicy and perfectly cooked scallops and shrimp hidden in every corner. Seriously, that little cup might seem like it is just filled with a salad, but it is full of surprises. The garlic sauce was a delightful touch, and was not one bit overpowering. The stuffed puff pastry compliments the dish well, but in the future, having some sort of garlic flavor added to it could make this dish one for the books. Some might look at this meal and think it looks on the small side for the price ($28), yet I can assure you that I was quite full afterwards.

Below you can see the other main courses that were chosen for this meal by the other members of my party. All were given positive reviews, with some saying they were full after only a few bites, which should give those that are worried about the cost a sigh of relief that all of these are, indeed, worth the price.

Pan-Seared Salmon on Leek Fondue/Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop

Grilled Strip Steak

Now onto the thing you probably are the most excited to hear about - desserts!

My gang and I had been dreaming of this part of our meal for months, and we were certainly not disappointed in the slightest. Each member of our party, save for one, got two desserts each. Why? Well clearly the selections were too pretty to just get one treat.

I went with the famous Grey Stuff cake bar, and it was simply incredible. The frosting is definitely inspired by Oreos, and the cake is a chewy fudge brownie type. Some will say that this desert isn't as good as the cupcake version that is served during lunch, but I think each incarnation of Lumiere's beloved dessert is, as the song says, delicious! And trust me, I definitely checked with the dishes on that one.

My other dessert was the Chocolate Creme Puff, which was probably my least favorite aspect of my entire meal. It wasn't a bad dessert by any means, but the portion of the chocolate creme on the inside was very small and didn't have a ton of flavor. The whipped frosting on top was the best aspect of it, and would have been just as good if it had been in the center of the puff.

The other desserts - including the Chocolate Cupcake and Lemon Cupcake - were given high praise! But if you are only allowing yourself one treat to end your Be Our Guest experience, you clearly need to have the Grey Stuff.

Once our bellies were full, and our checks were paid, we made our way over to meet The Master himself - The Beast! The meet and greet was short but adorable, and from a personal point of view, gave me one of the most magical experiences of my Disney loving life: I got to dance with The Beast. Sadly there is no video recording of this moment (thanks Poor Planning Fairy) but it is still one of those examples that proves Disney knows what it is doing when it comes to making memories. And that is exactly what Be Our Guest is - a place to make incredible memories. The menu might not be for everyone, but for those that are looking for a quality upscale meal in Magic Kingdom, without the prices of places like Victoria and Albert's, this is the place to be.

Overall Summary