'Be Our Guest Restaurant' testing new advance online ordering for lunch

[Patricia Melton]

I like food. A LOT! But the lining up at park opening is a little insane.

On the bright side those folks aren't taking up space at SM

I'm not going to be able to go to MK until May of next year but I will probably rush right over and line up, too. My family's tradition is always to have breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table and I want to have dinner at Be Our Guest but I really think I am going to switch things up and also try to do lunch at Be Our Guest, just to experience it. I am very, very excited to experience this and I want to eat in two different rooms (one at lunch, one at dinner).

I will have to do Cinderella's Royal Table the second day in the park for breakfast, but I want that first day to be about getting into Be Our Guest.

For me it's about having followed this project for the last three years and now finally seeing it open...and since we only get down there once a year it's a big deal for me to eat there. Also, there's professional curiosity as my family was in the restaurant business for many years and what they are doing at Be Our Guest is so novel in terms of the ordering screens and the RFD roses and all that...I really want to see what this is like because I've never even heard of a setup like this anywhere else. The closest I have ever come to experiencing anything like this was at the Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland many years ago when I was there...and they had RFD bracelets you wore that let you charge things, open your locker, open doors, etc. and that was so amazing. This is the first time I have ever seen anything like this in the US and I am excited to try it out.

I don't mind lining up for hours to experience something magical I have been waiting to try for three years now!

 

[Patricia Melton]

It is hard to say. The BoG kiosks are miles ahead of anything else that has come before it. They offer so much information that guests are traditionally asking the cast members about (allergy, nutrition, options). Hard to say if replacing with a human would change that. Factor in language issues etc and the kiosks look attractive.

Regardless of the ordering process, from what I can see, the actual dining room is running at 100% during all of this, so the orders are certainly getting through. Without adding more physical capacity (which is not going to happen), I cant really see a way out of this. BUT is is clear that we are approaching some kind of reservation system for lunch at this location.

I have to say that I am a little intimidated by the kiosks, but fascinated by them too. At the grocery store I sometimes get scared to use the automated checkouts because they seem to lock up for me and I have to call a manager over anyway. I don't want to be embarrassed like that or feel like i am holding up a line so sometimes I freeze up and don't put the items in the bags fast enough and then the computer locks up on me because I was so worried about it locking up on me...which is a vicious cycle of self-fulfilling prophecies.

I bet the whole time I would be in line at Be Our Guest for lunch I'd be terrified of messing up on the kiosk. And then when I'd actually be in front of it to do it, it would be so much easier than I thought. But I am intimidated doing it for the first time.

I do think people are getting more used to using touch screens. Don't forget that the iPhones and the Android phones out there are becoming second nature now, whereas just three years ago they were all very intimidating to people over the age of 30. There is a big cultural generation gap in terms of technology. My son and daughter have no trouble picking up on this stuff but I struggle with it and my husband won't even touch an automated checkout screen or whatever.

Interestingly, my daughter is two and a half years older than my son but in just that short gap there is a difference between them and their friends: my daughter is considered "Generation X" and my son is "Generation Y" and my son and his friends (male and female) just intuitively learn anything electronic better than my daughter and her friends (male and female).

Those kiosks are the wave of the future and I would not be surprised if fast food restaurants started using them in the next few years instead of having someone taking orders via intercom at the drive through.

 

[Patricia Melton]

Lining up for lunch at park opening? I'm sorry but there is nothing fantastic enough to ever even make me think about doing something like that. I thought the whole idea of going to amusement parks was to enjoy attractions, not eat. To me, food is just something you stop for to give you energy and to recharge so you can continue on enjoying attractions. When did it become a main event with rides and attractions being an afterthought? To each his own, I suppose...

YOUR enjoyment of the parks might be different from other people's.

Personally, I have no problem lining up. My family can go and do a few things and meet up with me. We have our phones and can communicate instantly like that. I would be totally happy being in that line, talking to my line-neighbors, enjoying the scenery, looking at all the details. Look at that photo above...it's a gorgeous day...I'd feel like I was spending time in the Beauty and the Beast movie. I'd be taking pictures like crazy and emailing my friends. I would be having a nice time waiting to get in.

I know a lot of people seem to want a theme park experience where they can race around quickly from one ride to the next and ride everything they want with no wait. I've experienced that on more than a few occasions, either through luck in being there on a "dead day" or by being invited to parties and other events where the park was very uncrowded due to it being closed off for that private thing.

I know I am not in the majority here, but I actually prefer being in the parks when there's a little bit of a wait for things. Waiting in line is part of the theme park experience I am used to. I use the time in line to people watch, to think about what I want to do next, to anticipate what I am about to experience after the line ends, to talk to my line-neighbors, etc.

But, I'm also someone who spends 6 nights at WDW for my family's annual trip so I never feel rushed to experience "everything" in one day and because we go every year I do understand that there is not as much pressure to go on things again and again as there is for someone who might never be back in the park again.

As I said at the top, the theme park experience and enjoyment of the parks is different for all of us.

 

[NewfieFan]

I just returned from WDW and was very disappointed I didn't get to eat here... but you couldn't get near the place! I entered NFL before 9am one morning and there was already a line for lunch! By 10:30 it was stretching into the walkway and by 11:30 is was almost in Belle's village area (near Gaston's). If I was given the option to secure a dining time here for lunch I would have done it (even if it meant picking out my food in advance). I think dining and eating is just as much the WDW experience as attractions but there's no way I would wait in a line that long or that early in the day.

I think part of it is the newness of it all but folks are also craving a nice themed dining experience in the MK. They could throw one of these up in every land and I suspect similar lines would exist. Someday Disney will catch on...

 

[disneyeater]

I just returned from WDW and was very disappointed I didn't get to eat here... but you couldn't get near the place! I entered NFL before 9am one morning and there was already a line for lunch! By 10:30 it was stretching into the walkway and by 11:30 is was almost in Belle's village area (near Gaston's). If I was given the option to secure a dining time here for lunch I would have done it (even if it meant picking out my food in advance). I think dining and eating is just as much the WDW experience as attractions but there's no way I would wait in a line that long or that early in the day.

I think part of it is the newness of it all but folks are also craving a nice themed dining experience in the MK. They could throw one of these up in every land and I suspect similar lines would exist. Someday Disney will catch on...

What was the line like for Gastons?

 

[wdwmagic]

What was the line like for Gastons?

Gastons doesn't seem the be a problem, sometimes out the door, but not crazy.

 

[Master Yoda]

Gastons doesn't seem the be a problem, sometimes out the door, but not crazy.

So far that has been my experience as well. The menu at Gaston's is fairly small and everything is pretty much ready to go. It is about equivalent to one of the QS carts that have fountain drinks in terms of service time per guest vs a QS location like Pecos bills.

 

[stlbobby]

98% of Walt Disney World guests are NOT readers of this forum. The percentage used is for comparison, not an exact number. Guests want the easiest and carefree trip they can get, and if that means planning a few things out beforehand, then they will jump on it. The less a guest has to worry about when they are actually on property for their vacation, the happier the guest will normally be. EVERYTHING that Disney has on its way regarding Fastpass+, pre-ordered food, and RFID is based on making the guest experience quicker and more efficient once the guest arrives on property. If a person planning a WDW vacation doesn't completely understand the steps, Disney offers plenty of help, just call them. Of course, a travel agent could also be used, and they will make sure everything is taken care of or at least they should. This isn't going to be a huge inconvenience that everyone on these boards seems make it out to be.

The biggest complaint the average guest, not the average forum poster, has at WDW is the lines are too long, yet every time WDW introduces something to keep people out of lines the boards go nuts with complaints. I do not understand it.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Food is a BIG deal for a lot of guests, and is as much a part of the park experience as the rides, for some even more so. Disney are creating some amazing dining experience, some of which are eclipsing some of the attraction offerings.

You can just look around the park and tell that food is REALLY, REALLY, REALLY important to a LOT of WDW's guests.

 

[Ignohippo]

Ah, Steve, but isn't the larger issue the kiosks themselves?

I watch it at Pecos Bill's and Captain Cook's ... many folks don't have a clue how to operate the things. It's not so much they don't know whether they want the burger or the chicken salad.

I remember when they first tried those out at DCA's Taste Pilot's Grill almost a decade ago and got rid of them quickly as they just slowed down everything. People are used to placing orders by talking to another human being.But think of the labor savings if they can get this system in use everywhere.

Many companies have tried this from supermarkets to the Home Depot with very mixed results.

^^^This. When we were there, the line was across the bridge. Luckily, it only seemed to take about 30 minutes until we were able to order.

The problem I noticed was with the ordering system. It was taking families 10+ minutes to order. We went to a cashier and it still took forever. It easily took us 10 minutes for just my son and I to order – and we knew what we wanted ahead of time. When we got to the dining room, it was only 70% full (at the most).

I don't know if it's the kiosks or the roses that are slowing everything down but whatever it is, Disney really needs to figure it out.

 

[NewfieFan]

What was the line like for Gastons?

Not too bad at all (and I did eat there at three different times). At the most we had 5 or 6 people in front of us. It seemed that they had every cash open and the line moves fairly quickly... b/c it's only a couple of items on the menu!

 

[COProgressFan]

The biggest complaint the average guest, not the average forum poster, has at WDW is the lines are too long, yet every time WDW introduces something to keep people out of lines the boards go nuts with complaints. I do not understand it.

I think its because the "things that keep people out of lines" don't actually do so overall....Fastpass merely shifts people around (ride capacity doesn't change), and Fastpass Plus will do the same, with the added bonus of a caste system...

 

[COProgressFan]

Not too bad at all (and I did eat there at three different times). At the most we had 5 or 6 people in front of us. It seemed that they had every cash open and the line moves fairly quickly... b/c it's only a couple of items on the menu!

Completely off topic, but anyone else disappointed in the $4.39 "chips and hummus" at Gaston's which is the exact same Sabra pretzels & hummus single serve snack pack you can get at any grocery store for less than a buck? Was hoping for something better when we ordered it recently.

 

[stlbobby]

I think its because the "things that keep people out of lines" don't actually do so overall....Fastpass merely shifts people around (ride capacity doesn't change), and Fastpass Plus will do the same, with the added bonus of a caste system...

The contention that FastPass only moves people around has been stated on here before, but I just got back from WDW and by using FastPass I didn't stand a single line over five minutes, but if I'd waited in the stand-by lines I would have had several waits over 45 minutes. I understand it does not change overall capacity, but instead of standing in a line I'm enjoying the atmosphere, catching a show, shopping, and eating so it is less time standing in-line.

As far as FastPass Plus, no one is clear on the final implementation. I think it is fair to say no one at WDW knows exactly how it is going to all shake out. They have ideas and plans, but the absolute final decisions and tweaks are still not set, so to judge the system at this point and decide there is going to be a caste system is really unfair.

Finally, if there is a caste system involved with the FastPass I would put my money on it breaking down as on-property guest and off-property guest as this has been WDW's preferred division in the past. And if that is how it is finally implemented I am fine with that. I enjoy staying on-property and I am OK with WDW offering their on-property guests a few in-park perks, especially when they have Value resort rooms that are extremely competitive with the lowest hotel rates in the area.

 

[TRONorail10]

Or if the line is that long at opening, maybe just start serving lunch at 9:00am. I'm sure there are enough guests that want to see the restaurant that would be willing to eat that early.

During Christmas week, the restaurant is opening at 10am for lunch, which is 30 mins ahead of the usual 10:30 am openings. Although, the official opening time is actually 11am. The restaurant has been opening early based on high demand and turnover ratios. Keep in mind, reservations start at 4pm for dinner. This means that at least an hour is needed to set up and convert the restaurant from QSR to TSR, so the only way to increase lunch time is to start earlier.

 

[TRONorail10]

There is going to be at check-in for your resort? That's ridiculous.

The way this is a beneficial technology is if you can place a food order from your phone and pick it up at the restaurant 15-30 minutes later. You pay on your phone and then you just go and pick up your food when it's ready. Otherwise you've turned this into a Table Service Restaurant for lunch.

You guys are all missing the point on this. It's more about incorporating FastPass+ into BOG Restaurant due to the popularity of it, but most importantly, BOG was built for NextGen. The technology utilized in BOG is so advanced that there is no other restaurant that can utilize the system for the same purpose... yet.

 

[TRONorail10]

Well said Master Yoda.
After people realize this, having tried it once after waiting said hour, they will likely not push themselves to line up again.
It is a new place...everyone wants to try it out to be *first* in their little circle of friends and have *bragging rights*. Once that luster wears off it will be like any other location and wait times will be reasonable.

For the most part I do agree with your statement. It's new. Everyone wants to try it. After that, some will return, others will wait or never eat there again. However, most guests have been extremely satisfied with the restaurant, the food and the service, that many will likely return. There have already been a large amount of guests returning to the restaurant for 2nd and 3rd trips within this first month of opening.

 

[backinaction]

I enjoy staying on-property and I am OK with WDW offering their on-property guests a few in-park perks, especially when they have Value resort rooms that are extremely competitive with the lowest hotel rates in the area.

Really? When was the last time you paid 23 dollars a night at any Disney hotel?

 

[nytimez]

I think part of it is the newness of it all but folks are also craving a nice themed dining experience in the MK. They could throw one of these up in every land and I suspect similar lines would exist. Someday Disney will catch on...

Shame they don't have a place for a sit-down meal in Frontierland. Would be a great place for a dinner with a show...

 

[puntagordabob]

Really? When was the last time you paid 23 dollars a night at any Disney hotel?

lol 1970s