But before we get to Be Our Guest, there are some other meals at Magic Kingdom that I would like to share with you.
Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen
We booked our Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party dinner at the restaurant most commonly known as Skipper Canteen. This is another of those options that is a bit more adventurous so be sure to check out the menu before snagging a reservation.
Schweitzer Slush
There are two specialty non-alcoholic drinks on the menu; the Schweitzer Slush is frozen apple and passionfruit juice topped with green apple boba balls. Not pictured is the Punch Line Punch, which is comprised of tropical fruit juices and mango puree. We ordered both and really enjoyed these options. I am a huge fan of boba (bubble tea) so this was an especially enjoyable find.
Falls Family Falafel
We settled on the Falls Family Falafel for an appetizer (please excuse the two missing falafel that were hungrily devoured before the picture was taken.) I have to warn you that I'm a bit of a falafel snob and this dish didn't quite satisfy my picky palate. The falafel was extra dry and missed some of the distinctive herbs and spices that make it such a unique offering.
Dr. Falls Signature Grilled Steak
Skip's Beefy Baked Pasta
Our entrees couldn't have been further from each other in both portion size and flavor. Dr. Falls Signature Steak was a fairly standard cut of meat with average flavor, but the yucca planks were delicious and really brought this dish together. Skip's Beefy Baked Pasta was enormous; honestly, they could have omitted the green beans and I still wouldn't have been able to finish my meal. But I'm glad the green beans were on the plate because they offered a taste break from the fairly monotonous experience of eating this meat-and-pasta monstrosity. There is very little sauce in the pasta and the meat is pretty dry. The whole thing was reminiscent of leftover noodle bake from grandma's house - you know it probably tasted great at one point but the flavor is gone.
Overall, we weren't amazed by Skipper Canteen but we'll probably give it another shot on a future trip. It's a fairly new location at Magic Kingdom and they still have some things to work on.
Be Our Guest
We love Be Our Guest so much that we booked both breakfast and dinner reservations on the same day. The perks of a pre-park-opening breakfast reservation is that you can get pictures of most park sites without many people around and you'll have first dibs on rides before the crowd is released at the front gate. While we enjoy these advantages, we also really like the breakfast offered at Be Our Guest.
Open-Faced Bacon and Egg Sandwich
We both ordered the Open-Faced Bacon and Egg Sandwich, which is served with brie cheese and tomatoes on a toasted baguette. The dish arrives with assorted fruit and a pastry plate to share. We really enjoyed this offering because the flavors work perfectly together, although the baguette presents a bit of a challenge to eat with fork and knife. The pastries are incredibly fresh and there is so much food that it was actually quite difficult to finish everything. The price is not great - currently $24 per plate - but it's a wonderful way to experience Be Our Guest in a casual atmosphere.
Potato Leek and French Onion Soups
I rarely order soup as an appetizer but the Potato Leek Soup at Be Our Guest is a must-order item on every visit! The consistency of the soup and depth of flavor make this a dish that I crave year-round. We also ordered the French Onion Soup, which was very similar to soups that we've had elsewhere. It was still a solid choice.
Grilled Strip Steak
Braised Beef
My apologies for the dark pictures, the lighting is quite low during dinner hours. Our entrees were the Grilled Strip Steak and Braised Beef, both very popular options at dinner. I always order my steak medium-well (go ahead, make fun of me) and was very surprised that this steak turned out extremely juicy! The green beans beneath the steak tasted really great because they had their own seasoning and then mixed with the juice from the cut of meat on top. But the star of this dish is the garlic-herb butter served with the fries (pommes frites). The fries are great on their own but the butter adds the WOW factor! The Braised Beef was served with broccolini and mashed cauliflower; Patrick really enjoyed the meat and broccolini but was not super impressed with the cauliflower. It was completely mashed as you might expect with potatoes but the flavor was still very much cauliflower and didn't pair well with the other items on the plate.
Be Our Guest did not disappoint and continues to be the premier dinner location at Magic Kingdom. Definitely check it out if you can get a reservation for your trip!
Honorable Mentions
We didn't get any pictures but we enjoyed a late-night meal at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe. Patrick ordered the Taco Burger and I had the Beef Nachos; both were pretty average and quite bland by typical Tex-Mex standards. The most appalling detail of this restaurant is that it was incredibly dirty. We cleaned our own table before taking a seat and watched as many tables nearby remained filthy for the entirety of our meal.
Gaston's Tavern is another quick-service stop that we often frequent for its huge cinnamon rolls and signature drink, LeFou's Brew. It's not often crowded during the day and is a wonderful place to escape the heat and sun.
And finally, no trip to Magic Kingdom is complete without a Dole Whip! Aloha Isle serves up the Dole Whip and Float concoctions although it is usually quite busy and may require a wait.
I would love to see more delicious table service options available at Magic Kingdom to spread out the Be Our Guest crowd, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. It's popular for good reason and I know that we will continue to make reservations there as long as it's open. There are a few other meals from this trip that earned equal respect from us and will be added to the 'must visit' list for every vacation but you'll have to stick around to find out more!
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