New! Beak & Barrel Review

We had a chance to visit the Beak and Barrel and we wanted to share that total experience with you. We’ll check out the food and beverage, the logistics, but most of all we’ll talk about the incredible attention to detail that creates for the entire experience. And we’ll talk about its implications for not only all of Caribbean Bazaar at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, but what it might suggest for Disneyland and for the upcoming Disney Adventure. So join us as we review The Beak and Barrel.

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The Beak and Barrel

Perhaps for many the opportunity to visit the Beak and Barrel is to test all the new food and drink. I have some thoughts on that on our podcast, but being a Pirates of the Caribbean nerd, it’s really about the details in the setting. And the setting does not disappoint.

The setting here is largely the former space occupied by the Pirates League, a concept similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique where one could get dressed up and made up like a pirate or skeleton. It closed just prior to Covid and never re-opened. Originally the space was called House of Treasure, a separately entranced section which originally was where you would go to buy all things pirate-like, while the area most know as was Plaza del Sol: Caribe Bazaar and largely sold piñatas, pottery, straw bags and other Caribbean-style wares. Part of that bazaar section was further consumed into Beak and Barrel. Remember, that this space is probably the first space ever designed for guests to have to walk through after experiencing a Disney attraction. Now that happens all the time from Buzz Lightyear to Mission Space to Dinosaur. But that was a fairly novel thing at its time.

It has also taken up a space of a secluded courtyard once seen off of the courtyard portion of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue. From what I can best tell it is now the kitchen or backstage area of this lounge. Something to note is that I haven’t figured out how supplies such as food and drink product get to and from The Beak and Barrel other than going through public space. There’s no utilizer underneath this, and the facility is nestled between Pirates, the queue to Pirates and the gift shop for Pirates. Most will never realize what is missing here. In my Pirates of the Caribbean: A Disney Insights Interactive Journey I speak of this

Premise and Exterior

The following is a sort of layout to the establishment.

Captain Meridian “Merry” Goldwyn is the creator and proprietor of the pub. She was a legendary pirate rumrunner. This is a haven for all those who plunder the seven seas–minus Jack Sparrow, who apparently hasn’t paid up his tab.

Tavern Articles are listed at the entrance. There are seven:

Let’s talk about the different sections of this tavern. In some ways to me, it seemed bigger than I thought it would be. In other ways I found it small for all that it was supposed to hold. Still, there was a lot to see.

The Mess & Cursed Bar

Toward the entrance look up to see a ship’s bell. Rumor has it this bell was from Captain Redd’s first ship gifted to Merry at the tavern’s founding. Some say they’re close friends, or perhaps fierce rivals. The bell apparently rings from time to time but I may have missed that moment.

A Pirate foot hangs randomly from a hammock above. It’s random and a little bit like in Mary Poppins when they tell a joke about a man with a wooden leg named Smith. Elsewhere an entire anchor is hoisted above the crowd as a lighting fixture.

There is a mermaid window that were salvaged from the wreckage of a pirate ship.

The dark corner on the far end of the room is known as The Brig, and bears the bars and framework of its past life. It is said the walls remember every individual once imprisoned.

At the cursed bar, take note of the bottle of rum set aside. It is the Enchanted Rum Bottle. Captain Merry received this from a powerful enchantress, and this bottle of rum stays full all the time.

While the skull is a big hidden gem inside the back of the bar, it’s really Rummy that is the highlight of this section. He can be found offerings stories, jokes or songs. Note his little cot or bed in the corner. This parrot is based on a former barker bird, Peg-Leg Pete, that used to stand at the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. This animatronic was a descendent of another Barker Bird who stood originally at the entrance to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in the early days of Disneyland. He seems smaller on video than his predecessors, but he’s really pretty much the same size.

Another animal occupies this space. It is a sleeping black cat, who was a companion to Captain Merry.

Captain’s Quarters

We spoke about the Captains’ Booths. Along the side are intricately carved wooden panels with their end caps have a pirate theme to each:

• Adventure: Represented by Jack Sparrow’s battle with the Kraken
• Freedom: Symbolized by life aboard a ship that can sail as she pleases
• Fortune: Represented by plenty of riches
• Unity: Symbolized by the multiple pirate Lords

The fun detail are the ships on the mantle. They represent pirates from every corner of the world. They come alive and go into battle every few minutes.

The Gaming parlor is a private room that allows people to play games of skill and chance. Bottled is a part of the Kraken comes alive in one of the bottles.

The Mapmaker’s Room.

This is the territory of a crazed pirate cartographer who has embedded treasured secrets within the rolled up maps, and parchment. It seems like there is more to be unlocked here, but in the tight space, it was hard to really study it without interrupting the guest experience of others. And at no point did I see anything “magically” come to life. But there may be more I don’t know of.

Our Experience

Thanks to the generosity of a good friend I was able to secure a table for two for Beak and Barrel. It was for the evening. Our party ended up a little bigger than I anticipated and so I went ahead to The Beak and Barrel to see what we could do. Perhaps because it was much later in the evening, and perhaps rain had emptied the park, and perhaps because it is definitely an off season, they made accommodation for our party. And it was a great accommodation, perhaps the best table in the tavern, seated in front of the fireplace in the Captain’s Quarters but with a good solid view of the Mess and Cursed Bar area complete with a view of Rummy.

We were told not once, not twice but three times this is a 40 minute experience. And we left at around 40 minutes. But 30+ minutes the server came by asking if new wanted another round. We declined, and ultimately settled our tab. But if we had ordered another round we would have been there longer. And in fact, another party next to us was already there when we arrived and left after we did. They didn’t seem so hard on the time, but I have to say their ability to address the time frame requires timing on the servers part. Every server was focused, energized and competent. They were hustling and moving the room, all the while being part of the fun and banter of The Beak and Barrel.

So what about the food. For that, I invited my party of four to share their thoughts. For the evening my wife and I enjoyed being with John and Lori Scali, and together we shared our thoughts on the experience.

The one irony about this space is that so much time and attention was paid to this, that you wonder why they didn’t do the same with Tortuga Tavern. This is a lovely space and could be so much more–even if they did nothing more than improve on the menu and try to consistently keep it open. Not everyone has time to visit Beak and Barrel, nor get an appointment. It seems that this is just an obvious opportunity that needs addressing.

This much I will say about Tortuga Tavern. This is one of the most likely places you will find Captain Jack Sparrow, which currently is three times a day 11:25 AM, 12:35 PM and 2:40 PM. The app says you can find him outside of Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar, but I usually see him more often at Tortuga Tavern.

That said, Caribbean Plaza now has an offering that really competes with Disneyland’s offering. Yes, I’ve said a thousand times over that Disneyland’s Pirates is far superior than the one here, and in the setting of New Orlean’s Square. And there is the Pirate Lair on Tom Sawyer’s Island to consider. But I also think very highly of A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasure of the Seven Seas. There is a lot of fun, quirky nooks and details in the different hunts–more than you will find on Pirate’s Lair. And adding this new lounge to the entire experience? That makes it all the more fun to do Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom. It isn’t as big and unique as the one in Shanghai, but it’s a lot of fun. And it’s in a level of detail I usually find at Disneyland, not at Magic Kingdom. And that’s what attracted me so much to the experience.

More Pirates to Come!?

The reception of this makes me think one of these should and could come to Disneyland, but there is really no space in New Orlean’s Square of significance, and I would really hesitate to remove anything that removes the charm of this space. Still, the Disneyland Hotel has Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. There’s a so, so lounge called the Broken Spell that is based on Sleeping Beauty. But it’s kind of half-hearted compared to Sam’s or Beak and Barrel. I see this having a perfect home here.

Note that the Disney Adventure is supposed to have its own pirate themed space known as the Cask and Cannon, which will include a number of rare, specialty and vintage rums, plus some “bootlegged” brews. The rumor from Disney is that the savviest treasure-hunters may even uncover a mysterious trove of looted libations served in an actual treasure chest.

More to Come on Magic Kingdom

With D23 announcements we have more to share, but please check out the video I shared on Walt Disney joining the Carousel of Progress

More Magic Kingdom News to Come!

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David & Leah Zanolla

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Owner/Agents

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