The Beak and Barrel: Everything You Need to Know About Disney World’s Newest Lounge

Captain Jack Sparrow may be banned from The Beak and Barrel in Magic Kingdom, but ye be welcome, Mateys and Scallywags—assuming you can get a reservation, that is.

The Beak and Barrel is the newest dining establishment to open in Walt Disney World. Debuting on Aug. 29, the hotly anticipated new pirate-themed lounge is conveniently located in Adventureland, just steps from the famous “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride.

Travel Market Report was invited to experience the new establishment as part of the Play ‘n’ Preview event at Walt Disney World. Here’s everything travel advisors need to know about The Beak and Barrel, including the best way to make sure your clients get to experience it.

Food & Drink with a Spirit of Adventure

The Beak and Barrel has a specially curated menu that draws inspiration from Caribbean influences and pirate lore. There are four food items on offer, two of which are corn griddle cake sandwiches: Island Provisions (an assortment of plantain chips, tortilla chips, and toasted flatbread served with four distinct dips); Kraken’s Catch (an octopus ceviche); and Cook’s Corn Griddle Cakes with either chipotle chicken or roasted corn and poblano peppers. All four are available on the allergy menu.

The drinks menu features more choices, offering a mix of specialty cocktails, wine, beer, and reserve rum (fitting the pirate theme). Specialty cocktails have names like “Siren’s Call” and “Salty Seas mARRRgarita,” and feature exotic-leaning flavors like banana, coconut, lime, ube, and cinnamon.

Aiming to be a family-friendly establishment, The Beak and Barrel also has two non-alcoholic specialty drinks, both of which lean towards dessert territory. Cursed Treasure is a sweet coconut-forward drink that is topped with a chocolate coin wafer, and Treasure Trove is a refreshing tropical beverage that comes with a vanilla cakepop, a dense chocolate cannonball, and caramel popcorn.

Evan Rosenthal, food and beverage concept development manager at Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, told TMR the non-alcoholic specialty drinks were designed to make The Beak and Barrel appealing to children as well as adults.

“Our younger buccaneers [are] going to say, ‘wow, I can eat this cannonball and have this Treasure Trove drink,'” he said. “[Or] an edible gold coin that a child could have and love and say, ‘this is so much fun, I’m eating gold.'”

Chef James Kleinschmidt explained that the food offerings were developed to pay homage to the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies while also satisfying the changing tastes of travelers.

“We took inspiration from the movies and our pirate rides from over the years, how the story has evolved,” he explained. “I’m super proud of the Kraken’s catch. It’s pushing the boundaries, but we think our guest palates have evolved over time, and we think this will fit in great for someone who’s adventurous and looking for a really light, refreshing dish.”

On the drinks side, Rosenthal said that his earliest conversations with the Imagineering partners were about marrying the story of The Beak and Barrel with international flavors and ingredients. He told TMR that he believes the true appeal of the space is the complete package: the decor, the servers, and the menu.

“The cast engagement is what makes this space so beautiful,” said Rosenthal. “The food and the drink are just as much a part of a story as any of the decorations or interactive moments.”

The Beak and Barrel Experience: Immersive Theming with Special Effects

The Beak and Barrel was created to be an immersive, themed experience from start to finish. The pirate servers will tell you all about the bar’s founder, infamous rumrunner Captain Meridian “Merry” Goldwyn, whose pirate, Rummy, is perched behind the bar.

The thoughtfully designed space is filled with various narrative elements that tell its story—from the Mapmaker’s corner room, which features a cannonball (from when the crazed cartographer barricaded himself in the room and the pirates had to blast down the door), to the damaged wall hangings like paintings and drapes, which hint at rowdy rum-fueled brawls.

All of the servers at The Beak and Barrel are in costumes and stay in character throughout the dining experience. Seating comes in various shapes and forms at The Beak and Barrel: One might be in a booth, in armchairs by a fireplace, or at a counter on a stool.

The Imagineers at Disney went above and beyond to really sell the swashbuckling experience at The Beak and Barrel. Various audio-visual effects cycle throughout a typical stay: Rummy the parrot is an animatronic behind the bar who has multiple bits; there is a storm experience with lightning and thunder special effects; and there is even a moment when the bottled ships on the fireplace “come to life” and “battle.”

The Beak and Barrel Details and Tips

The Beak and Barrel is an all-ages establishment. Children are allowed, and adults are limited to two alcoholic drinks per visit.

The Beak and Barrel is moderately priced for a Walt Disney World world eating establishment. The food ranges from $12 to $18 for pub-style appetizers, and the drinks range from under $8 to $55. Plunderer’s Punch (pictured above), the flagship drink, comes in at $46 and includes a souvenir pirate mug.

While the menu pricing is on the lower end for a specialty dining experience at Magic Kingdom, the lounge currently cannot be used with the Disney Dining Plan.

The Beak and Barrel also requires reservations with no possibility of walk-ups. Each visit is limited to 45 minutes, so guests need to arrive on time. As of writing, the lounge is fully booked right until October; however, people do cancel, so guests can regularly check the My Disney Experience app for availability.