The Beak and Barrel is the hottest new spot at Walt Disney World. It’s a lounge, not a full restaurant, but you still need to make a reservation. Those reservations are snatched up quickly, but I was able to get a “dinner” reservation for my daughter and myself a few days out for September 9. The Beak and Barrel did not disappoint.
When we arrived, we checked in online. A Cast Member at the entrance wanted to double check, they were having a problem with the system. Sure enough, our check in hadn’t registered. She checked us in and my name was called a few moments later. They called my last name, then asked my first to make sure it was me. I have a feeling that they’ve had a problem with people lying about the reservation, just to get inside. After all, you can’t trust pirates…
Once inside The Beak and Barrel, you might not have a seat. If you do, you could share your table with others. We were led to the bar, where we stood. This wasn’t a problem for us. In fact, I liked it because there were so many details right in front of us! We chatted with two women from Canada who were having a fantastic trip.
Our server was Jimbo, and he was hilarious. He played the role of pirate bartender well, but also was on top of everything. He seemed to be having as much fun as we were having. Jimbo showed us the mug that comes with Plunderer’s Punch. If you order it, they’ll give you a clean one to take home.
The Beak and Barrel is the only place at the Magic Kingdom where you can purchase drinks that are made with spirits. There’s a two drink per person limit. You’re given 45 minutes inside, although I didn’t see them timing anyone.
Unlike GEO-82 at Epcot, kids are allowed in The Beak and Barrel. Honestly, though, I can’t imagine taking a young child in there. It was packed and noisy, and the menu was not designed with kids in mind. I don’t know a lot of five-year-olds who want to try octopus tentacles.
I do think that the menu is a bit limited. Neither my daughter nor I drink, so the fun options were limited. My daughter also has a dairy allergy. I had the non-alcoholic Cursed Treasure. It was very good, but not the easiest to drink. There was a “pirate’s gold” cookie on top, which Jimbo told me may or may not be cursed. When the credit card machine didn’t want to work, I said that maybe the machine was what ended up with the curse, not me.
As far as food goes, my daughter and I split the Island Provisions. They modified it for her allergy. This was a dish that I would order again, and it was big enough for us to share. Remember, The Beak and Barrel isn’t a full restaurant, so we weren’t looking for a meal.
After we finished, we were encouraged to walk through the rest of the restaurant. There are two rooms, and every inch is packed. Don’t expect to see everything! You could go every day for a month and still only take in a small percentage of the details.
Reservations are hard to get for The Beak and Barrel, but getting one isn’t impossible. As I said, I grabbed ours a few days before. I’ve seen other random spots come up fairly often, some of them for that day. Don’t expect to be able to walk up, though. I doubt that there will be many walkups available in the foreseeable future.
While there’s room for improvement in the menu, I highly recommend making The Beak and Barrel part of your Walt Disney World vacation. It’s fun! The staff is incredible, the food is good, and the drinks are unique. But it’s the atmosphere that will keep you talking. Since there’s a 45 minute limit, The Beak and Barrel won’t take up too much time from your Magic Kingdom day. If you’ve ever wanted to live a pirate’s life, this is the place to do it! Yo ho, yo ho…