Here’s good news for those whose favorite stories happen to be as old as time: A new Beauty and the Beast bar is opening at Disney World in fall 2019 — and the best part is, you don’t need to buy a park ticket to check out one time. You see, it won't be located at one of the many theme parks at the Orlando, Florida resort; Instead, it will be located at one of Walt Disney World's resort hotels: Beauty and the Beast Bar is coming to the Grand Floridian. We don't have a name for the location yet, but according to the official Disney Parks blog, it will feature "four unique spaces inspired by Belle and the Beast," from Belle's spectacular library inside the Beast's castle to the film's iconic ballroom. I don’t know about you, but to me, curling up in Bell’s library with a glass of wine sounds like an ideal night.
Rumors that a Beauty and the Beast- inspired lounge would be coming to the Grand Floridian began circulating in early April, when the hotel's upscale Mizner's Lounge appeared to unexpectedly close its doors. Now, Disney has confirmed the rumor, saying the "redesigned lounge" will occupy the space previously occupied by Mizner's Lounge and Commander Porter's, a nearby men's clothing store.
Let’s take a look at the concept art:
According to the Disney Parks Blog, each of the four areas of the spacious lounge will draw inspiration from different scenes from "Beauty and the Beast " : The main bar will be the unique style of the ballroom, inspired by the "ornate folding chandelier" rather than a faithful recreation of the room itself; the "formal library" will feature "classical Baroque design and Bella-inspired French furnishings with a touch of Beast A hint from a friend;" the garden room will be themed to the enchanted forest in which the Beast's castle is set; and the outdoor terrace will "evoke the romance of the Beast's Garden Terrace."
Notably, the new bar will be themed to the 2017 live-action version of the Disney classic, rather than the original 1991 animated hit: According to the Disney Parks Blog, “The enchanting lounge will celebrate the magic and romance of the popular Disney live-action show— — Action Movie." This move may confuse some people, but I think it actually makes some sense; after all, Disney World already has a hugely popular theme based on the animated Beauty and the Beast: Be Our Guest. A welcoming dining venue, the restaurant opened in 2012 at the Magic Kingdom.
The banquet hall and restaurant where Magic Kingdom is a "guest".
The new bar experience also sounds very different from that of Be Our Guest. Be Our Guest is primarily a restaurant with three dining areas designed to enliven the Ballroom, Castle West Wing and Castle Gallery, while the Grand Floridian's lounge will focus more on drinks (although bar snacks may be available ) Okay), the four spaces suggest rather than recreate the setting of the story. Additionally, "Be Our Guest" is known for its "order on your tablet and Magic Rose will deliver your food to you" approach, but it doesn't appear that this will be part of the Floridian Grand Hotel lounge deal.
Oh, and also, you can stop by and explore any Disney resort hotel even if you're not staying there or actually going to the park - meaning you can always visit a new bar once it opens. As WDW Prep points out, if you do this, certain areas may be off-limits to you - swimming pools, for example, are usually restricted to hotel guests - but you can shop, attend many activities, listen to any live music, and, yes , whether you're a hotel guest or a ticketed Disneyland visitor, you can eat and drink at the bars and restaurants. Lifestyle expert tips.
While the Grand Floridian isn't Disney World's oldest resort—that honor is also shared by Contemporary Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, all three of which opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971— But it 's been around longer than many other hotels: It originally opened in 1988, making it the fourth hotel in Disney World history to begin welcoming guests. Designed in a Victorian style reminiscent of the "Golden Age of Palm Beach," it is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, resort hotels on Walt Disney World property; room rates start at $597 per night and can range up to Up to $1,059 per night. It's also historically more "mature" than many Disney hotels, which houses the fine dining restaurant Victoria & Albert's, which is apparently the only restaurant in the entire state of Florida to receive both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five Star awards - only allowed Children 10 and older admitted.
Perhaps because of its age—or, if you prefer, its antiquity —the Grand Floridian has gone through a number of renovations over the past decade or so. All guest rooms, restaurants, retail shops and public areas have been updated since 2007, while the spa (now known as Senses) underwent an 18-year renovation in 2007, according to WDWInfo's two-part history of the resort. Major renovations in October. In 2011, the swimming pool was redesigned with the theme of "Alice in Wonderland" in 2012; in 2013, a Mary Poppins -themed fountain was added to the villa area; the new store of Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, famous for its children's character transformation, will be opened in 2019 Opening in the summer at Grand Floridian.
One of Disney's many Bibbidi Bobbidi boutiques; this ship is located on one of the cruise ships and features the iconic Rapunzel look.
Although some of the updates have been criticized for being thematically inconsistent - the mix of Victorian Palm Beach, Victorian England depicted in Alice in Wonderland and Edwardian England depicted in Mary Poppins Returns doesn't apply to Joy "Full of the World". Everyone – Ironically, keeping things current and updated can often prevent something from feeling outdated. So the changes to the Grand Floridian over time will likely keep the resort well into the future — and the Beauty and the Beast Bar is a big part of that.
The new location will open this fall. Stay tuned for more!
