Gaston's Tavern
Gaston's Tavern is a quick-service restaurant in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, Florida. It recreates the tavern from Walt Disney Animation Studios' Beauty and the Beast (1991), the drinking place of the film's antagonist, Gaston, and it opened as part of the New Fantasyland expansion, entering previews in October 2012 ahead of the expansion's grand opening on December 6, 2012. Its signature products are a frozen apple drink called LeFou's Brew and a large warm cinnamon roll.
Development and opening
Gaston's Tavern was built as one element of the Beauty and the Beast area of New Fantasyland, alongside Be Our Guest Restaurant inside the Beast's castle and the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction at Maurice's cottage. Together these formed "Belle's Village", a small settlement at the edge of the Enchanted Forest section of the expanded land. The tavern began serving guests during unannounced previews in mid-October 2012, operated through the expansion's preview period from November 19, and was formally opened with the rest of New Fantasyland on December 6, 2012.
Outside the building stands the area's centrepiece fountain, which shows Gaston standing triumphantly on the shoulders of his companion LeFou, who is struggling under the weight while holding up mugs. A statue-like figure of Gaston also appears in the village, where the character is presented for photographs.
Setting and theme
The interior reproduces the tavern as it appears in the film's musical number "Gaston", in which the patrons sing the character's praises. A large portrait of Gaston hangs over a stone fireplace, antlers are used throughout the decoration — a detail taken directly from the song's lyrics — and the walls carry hunting trophies, barrels, and Gaston's outsized chair set by the fire, in which guests commonly pose for photographs. Seating is at rough wooden tables indoors, with further tables outside, and the scale and furnishing are intended to make ordinary guests feel small in a room furnished for the film's exaggeratedly large villain.
Despite the tavern setting, no alcohol is served. In place of beer, Disney developed a signature drink designed to look the part: LeFou's Brew, named for Gaston's sidekick.
Menu
LeFou's Brew is a no-sugar-added frozen apple juice drink flavoured with toasted marshmallow and finished with a passion fruit and mango foam, which gives it the appearance of a frothing ale. It is sold in a regular cup or in souvenir steins and goblets decorated with characters from the film. The recipe is the same one served at Disney California Adventure as Red's Apple Freeze at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land.
The other signature item is the warm cinnamon roll, a large iced roll that had previously been associated with the Main Street Bakery and moved to the tavern when the bakery changed format. At opening, the heartiest item was a roasted pork shank, which was widely discussed as the menu's one substantial savoury dish before being discontinued. The remaining menu consists of pastries, snacks and soft drinks, and the tavern supports mobile ordering.