Eating Dinner at Disney Is About to Get More Expensive
Entering the Magic Kingdom just got more expensive, and spending time within the park is about to do the same. Walt Disney World announced yesterday morning that Be Our Guest will convert to a prix-fixe menu starting July 27. Perennially a guest favorite — reservations must be booked months out for the “Beauty and the Beast”-themed eatery within Beast’s Castle — the three-course dinner will now replace a la carte menu options and cost $55 for adults (ages 10 and up) and $35 for children.
Favorites like French onion soup and roasted lamb chops will remain on the menu as new entrees and appetizers come on board, while the third course, a personal dessert platter, will likely include the film’s famed “grey stuff.”
Following the news, it appears that Pinocchio Village Haus, a counter service restaurant also located in Fantasyland, may too be converting its dinner service to a set-price meal. Gepetto’s Village Haus Buffet will offer Italian fare including pastas, salads, flatbreads, and desserts for $22 per adult and $12 per child, according to WDW News Today. Details have not been confirmed by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.
The changes aren’t likely to inhibit one’s experience at either restaurant, but converting two Magic Kingdom restaurants into price-per-person venues at dinnertime is a trend that will undoubtedly cost guests more in the long run.
Be Our Guest’s transition now means that a family of four will have to spend at least $180 — before tax and tip — to have dinner within Beast’s castle. Previously, a la carte kids meals cost up to $13, with adult entrees ranging from $22 for layered ratatouille up to $36 for grilled strip steak. Desserts, including the “grey stuff,” cost $5. Pinocchio Village Haus’ change, if it goes as rumored, will cause a slight uptick in spending as well. Adult entrees previously ranged between $7.29 and $12.99 with kid’s meals averaging around $7 and sides up to $5.
Guests using the Disney Dining Plan will also feel the weight of the changes, as Be Our Guest will increase from one Table Service credit to two. The shift in cost balances out for the new menu, but the trend of converting dining locations to larger meals serving more food at a higher price is notable. Following Be Our Guest’s changes, only three a la carte table service restaurants serving dinner within the park remain: Tony’s Town Square and The Plaza Restaurant in Main Street, U.S.A. and Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Adventureland.