So How Do We Feel About the Changes to Be Our Guest?

[0sw@ld]

for people who wanted a cupcake and water to meet Beast, well...

I have to agree with the changes. Something needed to be done for the people to find a loophole just to go in, order a cupcake and water just to meet the beast and enter the castle. If it is prix fixe, everyone shares their cost to enter. I hope the food and service improves, but I don't think it is worth the 2 TS credits.

 

[HopperFan]

I dont think that this needs to be a TS venue for breakfast but why the fixed prie menu was never enforced has always been beyond me. I am tired of my meal cost paying to feed the table filled with 6 guests sharing plates of pastry, free beverages, and one entree.

It is long overdue. If the management does make changes in their policy, you may find that there are suddenly openings available. I have sat through dinner watching a family enjoy water and a few cupcakes. They took up that table but never intended to order dinner. I don't blame them, they were well within the policy, but you can undertand why ADR's were difficult: you did nto need to order in order to enter.

Most restaurants are not suffering from the identity crisis that BOG suffers. This restaurant is more of an attraction, centered in the middle of Fantasyland, and rather than a ticket, all you need to enter is an ADR. You do nto even need to eat, just order a cupcake for the table and you are good. I don't know any other restaurant that has removed the expectation of ordering a meal, or at least enough food and cocktails to justify the seat.

I agree. If they won't make it TS, then enforce the prix fixe. They have the ability to open/close two of the rooms if need be but I bet even with a room closed, they'd still make way more than what they do now.

I'm even okay with lunch staying QS, but again, find a common price point and make it prix fixe. Same routine as dinner but with lighter, more common offerings, and keep the price down.

But like you am tired of spending so much time fighting to get an ADR to actually eat, and to watch the scenario around the room. As someone invested in Disney beyond my AP, it makes me crazy this restaurant is so poorly run from a bean counter point of view.

 

[Lilsia]

I've never been and this completely killed any desire to go. That said, unfortunately our next trip is with first timers who insist on going. So I'll be working over $110 for food I am not excited about. Im already irritated! Lol!

You should probably try for lunch. It will still give your first timers the opportunity to eat in the "castle" while saving you the expense of a meal you may not enjoy.

 

[Lilsia]

I think this is HUGE!!!!!!! This is the perfect place to try these adventurous foods. Don’t like it? Okay. But you can say you tried it and there are still tamer items on the menu like a filet or onion soup. You have to order the appetizer anyways so why not try a different app and a safer meal? No harm no foul same price regardless.

The Disney cruise has been a great place for our kids to try new things. One of the main reasons they love it so much now is because of the food.

 

[HopperFan]

I’m in a dilemma really. We’ve only been to WDW in 2013 and had dinner back then at BOG. Back then The Grey Stuff was something they brought out complimentary as a way to celebrate a special occasion (they gave it to my daughter for her 16th birthday). We sat in the ballroom right by the windows with the snow and had a beautiful meal - it all felt very special.

Fast forward to this year and August when we go again. We are taking a newbie with us so, if course, we want to take her to BOG for dinner. Our 180 day mark hit us last week and we couldn’t make reservations at all for our trip because they weren’t available so we made a lunchtime reservation just in case.

Now that Disney have announced the new menu and 2 TS credits I’m not sure what to do. We managed to get free DDP and won’t really have time to use the extra credits if we pay for BOG dinner OOP but everyone keeps saying it would be such a waste of 2 TS credits.

Should I risk it, hoping that Disney will dazzle us with Belle and the Beast circling the tables, dancing in the ballroom or something wonderful like that? Problems, problems...

This is what I would do -

- Keep your lunch ADR, you don't even have to cancel until the day before so don't lose it.
- Make the dinner ADR for your group, does not have to be paid in advance, can cancel right up to day before.
- Come end of July start reading reviews of food, atmosphere, any extras we don't have now.
- Pick the meal which sounds like you will enjoy it the most. Or keep them both.
- Yes, it's a waste of credits, but a few years ago when I knew I just couldn't use them all up I used them for CRT and at that time that was a waste of credits. If you think you might not use credits then any use is better than not.
- Or you look at your schedule and maybe book some overpriced meals like a character breakfast before park opens or on your last day before you leave.

Make your plans to be flexible once the reviews come out. Don't make a decision now and have no way to get an ADR back. Right now those lunch ADRs are priceless.

 

[loves to dive]

We have done breakfast (way to expensive and way too much food) lunch (way too expensive for QS and way to busy) but haven't done dinner. We, frankly, haven't been interested in it but looking at the new menu, we just might give it a try. We don't do the dining plan so the changing of credits is no big deal for us.

 

[smcabee]

My opinion. It was decent food in an amazing atmosphere. Come this summer it will be higher priced decent food in an amazing atmosphere.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

I have to agree with the changes. Something needed to be done for the people to find a loophole just to go in, order a cupcake and water just to meet the beast and enter the castle.

We always joke that you always get seated on time there for dinner because so many people go in, order their dessert to share, meet the Beast and move on.

We won’t do BoG dinner anymore due to the change. We love variety and different offerings but the sample menu doesn’t really sound appealing to us plus the kids meal price is too high IMO. If it was a more traditional character meal, I wouldn’t mind the kids price as much. We only do 2-3 TS per trip so this makes our dinner decisions much easier BoG is now out of the running.

 

[VikingInMouseEars]

I expect that dinner ADRs will be easier to get now. Lunch will be even harder.

 

[robinb]

I agree. If they won't make it TS, then enforce the prix fixe. They have the ability to open/close two of the rooms if need be but I bet even with a room closed, they'd still make way more than what they do now.

I'm even okay with lunch staying QS, but again, find a common price point and make it prix fixe. Same routine as dinner but with lighter, more common offerings, and keep the price down.

But like you am tired of spending so much time fighting to get an ADR to actually eat, and to watch the scenario around the room. As someone invested in Disney beyond my AP, it makes me crazy this restaurant is so poorly run from a bean counter point of view.

I personally know someone who books PPO BOG and orders a breakfast kids meal for his DD and coffee for him and his wife. I would like to see them enforce that but I would also like to see the price come down to a reasonable amount. I think that many (obviously not all) people would consider paying for a full breakfast if it were more reasonable. I wouldn't mind a prix fixe lunch, but if they're charging $24 for breakfast, I don't think I'll like the lunch price much. I literally buy the most expensive item on the menu and my portion of the bill is about 25 for three courses. I wouldn't be surprised if they jacked that up to $30-$35 for the same food if they went prix fixe.

 

[William Ades]

Where are you all seeing the new menu?

On the DIS website as well as Disney Parks Blog website.

 

[goodeats]

I don't mind the changes per se, but with two kids I'm not sure we will go. For DH and I it would be fine, but to pay $70 for my kids not to eat is not going to happen. Will need to see the kid menu before I decide.

 

[PuppyPrincess]

Would like to see the shrimp and scallops back on the menu! Especially with the puff pastry, that was awesome

 

[gharter]

We haven't eaten there in over a year as we just weren't that impressed with the food (previously had really enjoyed it).
I think this change will do exactly what they want. Make dinner ADRs easier to get, get rid of the just coming for a cupcake and meet the beast crowd.
The new menu looks good enough, if done right, we would return. The OOP cost doesn't look too bad. Definintely would not use 2 TS credits.

 

[pmurph]

We've been to BOG dinner twice. We enjoyed the experience and the food. But I'm not too crazy about a fixed menu set up. (And we haven't done the DDP in years).
If that's what they had to do to keep people from ordering just a water and a cupcake for dinner then I totally understand the change. I am now more interested in reservations for lunch or breakfast, but always thought it was weird to have to make a reservation for a quick service that won't have even the ambiance of the dinner. Oh well, I guess my best wish would be for them to make the lunch and breakfast table service, but I wouldn't be opposed to making an ADR for quick service there (I guess???).

 

[Emmafleur]

This is what I would do -

- Keep your lunch ADR, you don't even have to cancel until the day before so don't lose it.
- Make the dinner ADR for your group, does not have to be paid in advance, can cancel right up to day before.
- Come end of July start reading reviews of food, atmosphere, any extras we don't have now.
- Pick the meal which sounds like you will enjoy it the most. Or keep them both.
- Yes, it's a waste of credits, but a few years ago when I knew I just couldn't use them all up I used them for CRT and at that time that was a waste of credits. If you think you might not use credits then any use is better than not.
- Or you look at your schedule and maybe book some overpriced meals like a character breakfast before park opens or on your last day before you leave.

Make your plans to be flexible once the reviews come out. Don't make a decision now and have no way to get an ADR back. Right now those lunch ADRs are priceless.

Thank you. Funny enough, we’ve had a chat tonight and decided on exactly the same plan as you suggest. Thanks for the advice

 

[_auroraborealis_]

I guess it'd be a challenge to have it be a true prix fixe AND a Quick Service at breakfast.

 

[GillianP1301]

I'm not a fan of BOG to begin with, so I'm a bit indifferent to the change. I do think it is going to make getting lunch ADRs even harder to get for those who want to experience the restaurant but don't want the price point of the dinner. I would be surprised to see lunch and maybe even breakfast turn into TS as well.

 

[rpb718]

I get that the menu may be a turn-off for many, but I was drooling over most of those items. Unfortunately, DW is NOT an adventurous eater and there's almost nothing here she would tolerate. For my part, if we were to go, I'd have an extremely hard time narrowing down what to have. I'm envious of larger groups going, ordering a number of different items from the menu, and doing their own tasting/sampling sessions.

 

[Bob Dolewhip]

I’m on board for the food, but I hate 2 TS credits. I feel like if you buy the dining plan everything should be one credit. I know it hasn’t been that way for years, but in my idealistic mind...