Hi there, Heidi!
What an AWESOME time October will be for a Walt Disney World vacation, as the 50th Anniversary celebrations will have just begun!
The World's Most Magical Celebration begins October 1, with all four parks joining in to commemorate the golden anniversary. There will be brand new offerings for Guests, including
Beacons of Magic, the
Disney Fab 50 Character Collection, two new Nighttime Spectaculars,
Disney Kite Tails, and a brand new attraction in Epcot -
Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. I can't wait to experience all of the magic, and I'm so happy you'll be there to experience it too!
It's awesome that you were able to snag TWO reservations at
Be Our Guest Restaurant! It's such a wonderful dining experience - just like stepping into the classic Disney animated film, Beauty and the Beast. The restaurant has three rooms: The Grand Ballroom, The Castle Gallery, and The West Wing. Each room is designed to bring to life moments from the film, and there are so many details to enjoy. Moms Panel Tip: In the Grand Ballroom, if you look up at the mural on the ceiling, you'll see paintings of cherubs. The cherubs have faces of Disney Imagineers' babies, faces of the Imagineers when they were babies, and a few have adult Imagineer faces on baby bodies. See if you can spot them! When dining in the West Wing, keep your eyes on the portrait on the wall - when lightning strikes, you may see it change! You'll also get a glimpse at the enchanted rose and might be able to see a petal drop. No matter where you're seated, you can ask your server if it's ok for you to take a peek into the other areas to see the entire castle.
While the 3-course, prix fixe lunch and dinner offerings are identical, and you might want a lighter fare for a midday meal, my advice would be to dine during the 1:30 time slot so you won't miss the new
Disney Enchantment Nighttime Spectacular. (There's no indication that they will be changing the lunch menu any time soon.) Maybe you could try to have dinner early the evening before and have a very light breakfast on the morning of your Be Our Guest lunch. You'll be surprised how big of an appetite you can build up when exploring the theme park! While you probably won't be hungry for a big dinner that night, sometimes a Mickey Pretzel can hit the spot right before the fireworks. (My family did just that when we visited last weekend!) If you want a sweet treat to end your evening,
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor recently reopened and stays open until after the fireworks conclude. There's nothing like a scoop of delicious ice cream (with mouse ears!) as a late-night snack.
I hope this helps with your planning! Please come back and visit us here at planDisney if you have more questions before your October vacation. We love sharing tips and advice from our personal experiences on our own Walt Disney World vacations to help add a bit of extra pixie dust to yours.
Diane W.