Reviews

Restaurant Review: Be Our Guest Restaurant

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WDW Park Planners Rating:

Location: Magic Kingdom

Who wouldn’t want to dine in Belle and the Beast’s castle? Because at Be Our Guest, that’s exactly what you get – an exquisite French meal alongside the Beast himself.

Dining is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Be Our Guest – and reservations are highly recommended for all three meals. We’ve had the opportunity to dine here for lunch and dinner, and enjoyed both tremendously.

Breakfast and lunch are considered quick-service meals, so you order at a kiosk and then your food is brought out to you on a cart by your waiter. For dinner, the menu has recently changed to a pre-fixe, 3-course dining experience. Dinner is much pricier than the other meals, and for us, lunch was just as enjoyable as the much fancier dinner.

The food is good for a Disney park, but you’re really coming to this spot for the full experience. Upon entering, you walk into the Grand Ballroom – which looks exactly like the original movie! It’s absolutely breathtaking and magical. There are two other rooms as well: the West Wing (where the forbidden rose is kept) and the Castle Gallery, which is Belle’s library. You’re able to dine in any of the three rooms, all of which are great.

Beast comes around and greets guests in each of the three rooms. After your meal, you will have the opportunity to get a picture with the Beast. This is always one of my favorite Disney pictures and one of the best characters to see, so definitely don’t pass this up!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

As with anything in Disney, ask and you shall receive (most of the time!). If you want to sit in a specific room in Beast’s castle, make that known upon arrival. You may have to wait a bit longer, but this one is worth the wait. Personally, I love the Grand Ballroom – watching the snow fall outside of the (fake) windows is so beautiful.

Reservations are so difficult to get for this spot, so make sure you book extra far in advance!

Reviews

Restaurant Review: Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant

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Location: Disney Springs

Raglan Road is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World. I might be a little biased because I’ve been an Irish Dancer for over twenty years, but I also think that gives some credibility to review the restaurant’s talent 😉

I’ve been to Raglan Road more times than I can count over the years, and each visit is as great as the last. The service is outstanding and the food is delicious. They serve traditional Irish fare, but there’s something on the menu for everyone (we have some picky eaters in our clan). I’ve typically been for dinner in the past, but this last trip my husband and I went for brunch on the weekend and it did not disappoint.

As an experienced traveler to Ireland from my years of Irish Dance competitions, I can confidently say that Raglan Road is as close as it gets to actually being in Dublin. The pub has such an authentic feel to it, and the live entertainment is some of the best Disney has to offer. The caliber of the musicians is incredible – they’re not just musically talented, but are world class entertainers.

The Irish Dancers are some of the best in the world, too. They come fresh off of tours with some of the biggest shows Irish Dance has to offer – Lord of the Dance and Riverdance, to name a few. The music and dancing goes on all night, and now they have it for the weekend brunch as well.

Add this Disney Must-Do to your list for your next WDW trip!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

Raglan Road is great for any type and size of group – big groups, families with kids of all ages, or even just adults. You’ll want to book your reservation in advance for this hotspot, though! After you check in for your reservation, you will likely have to wait for a little bit. There’s outdoor seating with separate live music at night, so grab a drink and say “Slainte!”

Reviews

Restaurant Review: ‘Ohana

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WDW Park Planners Rating:

Location: Polynesian Village Resort

Dad and the girls, 2015

“‘Ohana means family, and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.” This famous Lilo & Stitch quote is one of our family’s favorite lines, and couldn’t be more true. For us, Disney is about family, and our WDW vacations hold some of our best family memories, especially at ‘Ohana.

The ‘Ohana restaurant is a very family-friendly spot, and one of our go-tos in WDW. The atmosphere is fun and engaging, with games for the kids and live island music throughout the night. You definitely want to come hungry to this meal – the Polynesian-inspired cuisine is delicious – and never ending!

The meal is primarily family style; your server will bring big portions to the table for the appetizers, sides and dessert. For the entree, they come around with meat and shrimp skewers and serve you individually. Pace yourself for this one, since each course is better than the last!

This restaurant is always jam-packed, so be sure to make your reservation far in advance (we would not recommend just walking up and putting your name in). Even with a reservation we always end up waiting a while for our table. But while we wait, we always like to order fun tropical drinks – they have options for the whole family!

WDW Park Planners Tip:

The Polynesian is directly across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom, so you can see the fireworks show from many locations at the resort, including inside ‘Ohana. The restaurant plays the music for the show, so if you time your dinner correctly, you will get an awesome viewing of the fireworks.

Check the times guide on Disney’s website and try to coordinate your reservation around that – it makes the evening even more magical. Tables by the window have the best view, but you can always just get up from your table to go watch, too!