Enchanted Rose Lounge Review
Enchanted Rose Lounge is the new Beauty and the Beast bar inside Grand Floridian Resort at Walt Disney World. This dining review features food photos, thoughts on the menu quality, our experience here, value for money, and how this stacks up to other restaurants and bars around Walt Disney World.
For starters, Enchanted Rose Lounge currently does not participate in the Disney Dining Plan (DDP). The DDP not being accepted here isn’t a big deal, as the food menu is small plates, meaning it’d be an atrocious value on the Disney Dining Plan. On the plus side, Enchanted Rose Lounge already accepts the Tables in Wonderland card for a 20% discount.
You’ll find Enchanted Rose Lounge on the monorail-level of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, tucked away into an expansive window-front area off of the main lobby (some seating outside the lounge overlooks the lobby). This Beauty and the Beast-inspired bar is open from 1 pm until midnight daily, with food served only from 5 until 10 pm.
Enchanted Rose replaces Mizner’s Lounge, an intimate and subdued bar that was popular with locals, resort guests, and restaurant patrons–but a venue that few Walt Disney World guests actively sought out. I’d stop short of calling Mizner’s more sophisticated (although you might)–it was dated and definitely in need of a refresh. Enchanted Rose gave it exactly that–and then some.
This new bar is an expansion and reimagining of Mizner’s, which is now the library section of the bar (and functions as overflow seating that isn’t actively serviced until the evening hours). Enchanted Rose Lounge also absorbed the Commander Porters men’s shop, an outdoor smoking terrace area, and the balcony overlooking the main lobby. This final location is where the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra used to perform. (They have relocated to the lobby level–see below.)
We’re going to forgo our normal discussion of theme and atmosphere here, as we already dedicated over 1,500 words and 20 photos to that in our First Impressions & Photos: Walt Disney World’s New Beauty and the Beast Bar post. You’ll definitely want to check that out if you’re not staying at the Grand Floridian and are uncertain of whether the style of this lounge will appeal to you.
Suffice to say, we view Enchanted Rose Lounge as a mixed bag in a variety of ways–some of which are hammered home there, with others touched upon in this review of the menu…
We were joined for ‘dinner’ at Enchanted Rose by Josh of easyWDW.com. He could barely contain his excitement for this new lounge–particularly its “formidable” teapot collection.
Few people know this, but Josh is a tremendous teapot enthusiast. Whenever we see him, it’s always Royal Doulton this and Brown Betty that.
We’re always open to learning new things, but 2 hours of Josh spilling the tea–in the second most literal sense of the term–might’ve been a bit much.
Then again, it’s still preferable to spending ~$150 on lounge food and drinks all by ourselves.
How much we spent on appetizers and drinks is not a typo.
Enchanted Rose Lounge raised some eyebrows among Walt Disney World fans when its menu prices leaked online.
Personally, I can’t say I’m shocked.
This is Walt Disney World’s flagship resort with nightly rates that would make Statler and Waldorf blush. Its pricing definitely minimizes Enchanted Rose’s long-term appeal as a destination bar, but resort guests and patrons of the adjacent restaurants shouldn’t bat an eye given what they’re already paying.
Let’s dig into the food, starting with my favorite item, the Mini Smoked Short-Rib Sliders topped with glacier blue cheese, onion marmalade, and served on split-top buns.
These are fantastic and highly recommended. The meat, cheese, and marmalade together coalesced for something rich and decadent that practically melts in your mouth. The high quality buns help balance all this glorious gooeyness, and their exterior crunch rounding out the texture.
The other item here that’s sure to be incredibly popular is the Truffle Fries with shaved black truffles, 18-month aged parmesan, and garlic aioli.
Truffle fries are always a crowd-pleaser, and I can’t think of the last time I’ve had a bad order of them. It should thus come as no surprise that this $14 plate was fantastic. I still have a really hard time with these; the portion is not that large, but the price is really high for a glorified plate of fries. With that said, they are addictively good, so if cost is no issue, we recommend them.
Next, the Crab and Gnocchetti Gratin, which consists of jumbo lump crab, gnocchetti sardi, robiola bosina mornay, and citrus breadcrumbs.
This dish is heavy and seafood-forward, which could be off-putting for some in your party who might be expecting something more akin to Walt Disney World’s standard and sparse seafood mac & cheese. I found this dish to be spectacular and ambitious–to the point that I’d recommend it over the more pedestrian truffle fries (as much as I love those!).
There’s a considerable drop-off between the top 3 and bottom 2 items. We’ll start the second-tier by looking at the House-Made Flatbread topped with charred broccolini, seasonal mushrooms, fennel sausage, ricotta salata, and tomato confit.
Perhaps you’ll have better success, but this fell flat for us. Nothing about it struck us as particularly fresh or high quality, from the vegetables to the sausage to the crust. We’ve had superior flatbreads–in all regards–downstairs at Gasparilla Island Grill.
Finally, the Espelette Pepper-spiced Shrimp with lime gelée, piquillo pepper purée, and serrano ham.
Individually, all of the items here are winners. The chilled shrimp are good, serrano ham is always delicious, and even the accompaniments are tasty. However, it melds in an unpleasant way, with an odd combination of textures and flavors. The natural crunch of the shrimp is undermined by the softness of the ham surrounding it, and the pepper/lime combo have a piquant quality that doesn’t work at all with the ham.
This appetizer works infinitely better when the ham is eaten separately from everything else. Even then, this was the lone dish that no one at our table was eager to finish. It’s also the most expensive item (not too surprising given that it’s a shrimp dish at Walt Disney World) with one of the smallest portion sizes.
Moving along to the drink menu, here’s the Seasonal Old Fashioned, which is made with Widow Jane 10yr Straight Bourbon Whiskey, house made seasonal syrup, and bitters.
It’s the most expensive featured cocktail and will set you back $25. This is actually more expensive than the Love & Envy signature cocktails that are prepared tableside, but if you’re not into the showy presentation, this is a superior pick thanks to the pricey bourbon. Nevertheless, it’s difficult-to-impossible to say this is “worth it” when looking at that $25 price tag.
We also visited Enchanted Rose Lounge with video-star Brian of TouringPlans.com, who was fresh off making the maintenance rounds at Gran Destino Tower.
Above is the Garden Daisy, which features Don Julio Reposado Tequila, Midori, lime, and cucumber. It’s a refreshing and zesty mix, with a margarita-esque bite. This is another solid choice from the drink menu.
Finally, Sarah ordered the Island Rose, which offers a mix of Ketel One Grapefruit and Rose, lime, orgeat (almond), pineapple, bitters, and rose water.
This was a bit too fruity and tropical, more befitting of a poolside bar. It’s not a bad drink and will probably appeal to a lot of vacationers or casual drinkers, but there are undoubtedly better options on the menu at Enchanted Rose.
Ultimately, Enchanted Rose Lounge did nothing to wow us, nor did it do anything to truly disappoint us. While we enjoyed some of the dishes, none blew us away, nor was the quality of anything commensurate with its pricing. There are numerous other bars at Walt Disney World–including along the monorail loop, at Crescent Lake, and Disney Springs–that surpass Enchanted Rose Lounge in every regard.
Accordingly, we recommend it only to the most-diehard Beauty and the Beast fans, guests staying at the Grand Floridian looking for convenience, or those wanting to pop in for a cocktail before dining at one of the resort’s Signature Restaurants. (That last example is actually the best use-case.)
We would not recommend Enchanted Rose to those looking for a destination bar where they’ll spend a lot of time, ordering multiple appetizers and drinks. This vaguely Beauty and the Beast-inspired bar is not offering anything sufficiently special or novel to justify its overpriced menu or the effort of making the special trip to Grand Floridian.
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Your Thoughts
Will you be visiting Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort specifically to experience Enchanted Rose Lounge? Is this Beauty and the Beast bar a spot you’d spot into for a round before heading off to a fancy dinner at Citricos, Narcoossee’s, or Victoria & Albert’s? Would you enjoy a nightcap here after a long day in Walt Disney World’s theme parks if you’re staying at the Grand Floridian? If you’ve already done Enchanted Rose, do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
It would be super-useful to include the date of review. With the frequency with which things change at WDW, that information is highly relevant.
Thank you for your detailed review, you included everything that I wanted to know. I am however saddened by the news. My husband and I for years would go to Mizners after dinner for a drink and to listen to the band play. Sounds like those days are over, but this is progress I suppose. We may end up hanging at the bar at Narcoossee’s
Very poor service had to ask 3 people who was our server after 15 min wait. Drinks worse prices than NY. Miss the old bar with the orchestra
Came on Monday 10/21 at 5:30. Very poor service waiting over 15 minutes and had to ask 3 people who had our table. Miss the old bar with the orchestra. Drink prices worse than NY.
Still trying to figure out how you managed to get easy dubz to break bread with anyone from TP. Now those are fireworks I would pay to see…
Mizners was a huge favorite of ours and I’m admittedly more than a little bitter. Being able to grab a drink and a slice of their amazing lemon cheesecake after dinner was a pleasure, but it was a singular, unique joy to grab a few drinks and a cigar on the outdoor smoking terrace area to relax and watch the boats go back and forth. I can’t say that our usual group of travelers is going to be enthused enough about the new decor to overlook the removal of a rare and unique adult experience like that. That menu couldn’t be more trite, cliché, nor pricey. Truffle fries, a seafood mac, and short rib sliders all read very “This is what middle America will think is sophisticated!” and feels like an insult. The chefs at the Grand Floridian are among the most creative and talented on property; flatbreads inferior to Gasparilla’s and mish-mash small plates with huge price tags are just making me hear something I won’t be able to hear in this lounge- a sad trombone.
Thanks Tom. I’m out. Those prices are insane for what you get. I would give it a go if they taped a $10 bill to the bottom of the signature cocktail glasses. For those prices I’ll happily “slum it” over at Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace or Geyser Point.
“I’ll happily ‘slum it’ over at Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace or Geyser Point.”
Haha–have fun. In my opinion, both of those bars are significantly better than Enchanted Rose!
During my stay at Bay Lake Tower next year, I plan to monorail over, have one drink, and then take the new walkway (if it’s opened) back to Magic Kingdom.
Normally I’d plan in commiting a couple hours to a newly imagined lounge at a major Disney hotel. But I’m kinda ho-hum here.
But I’m still happy it’s larger than Mizner’s.
I think I might just go for the widow Jane cocktail! Really nice bourbon!
I’m sure we’ll check it out on a date night. Our kids liked the band being on the first floor. They were excited to see the instruments and there was plenty of room for the kids to all dance. I’m sure they already have a plan in place for the Christmas tree and ginger bread house
Those first 3 appetizers look pretty great, but I’ll pass on the $14 fries.
One thing I’m always curious about is the difference in price between the “featured” specialty cocktails and a regular drink. If the featured cocktails are all $17-25, how much would it be for say a Tito’s and soda? That could make it more manageable.
Looking at where the orchestra has moved to gives me concern for the flow of the lobby when the tree and gingerbread house are put up…
My thoughts exactly
Maybe by then the next round of entertainment cuts will be announced and the orchestra will be gone (or at least “seasonal”)??
Only half joking.
Great review–we are going to the Poly in the near future so I was wondering if it was worth a stop and I think you are right that it is best as a quick cocktail rather than a full “event.” Did you happen to see anyone order the tableside drinks? I am wondering what it means that they are prepared tableside–not sure if it is just a shake and pour or if there is actually some “show” element to it.
Yikes those are some steep prices!!!
At 25 dollars for one drink it better come with souvenir glass!
I Thought the older design was better in my opinion. With these type of prices I find it hard to see anyone other than guests of the GF going here.
Did you guys decide to pass on the $95 caviar?