“Does Biergarten Take Reservations?”

There are what seem to be an infinite number restaurant choices at Epcot, making it sometimes difficult to know everything about each one. Biergarten happens to be one of the most popular options for lunch and for dinner. Biergarten does take reservations, and reservations are almost always required to dine at the restaurant.

Dinner at Biergarten is always a good idea, but you also have some other options inside of Epcot’s Germany Pavilion if you miss out on a Biergarten reservation. We’ll give you the information and advice you need to make the most out of your trip to Germany via Epcot.

Making Reservations at Biergarten

First things first, reservations are almost always required in order to dine at the Biergarten restaurant. The restaurant is quite popular and many guests book their reservation well in advance of their vacations to the Walt Disney World Resort.

Our advice is to make your reservation as early as possible. Most importantly, making a reservation early will ensure that you are guaranteed a spot at Biergarten. Secondly, this will ensure that you have an array of potential reservation times available to you on any given day.

Use the official Disney World App called “My Disney Experience” or the Walt Disney World Resort website to make the reservation. If you don’t already have a Disney World account, you’ll need to create one. You’ll also need to add a credit card to your account, as a credit card guarantee is a requirement for making reservations at all Disney World restaurants.

You can always cancel dining reservations within 24 hours with no penalty unless stated otherwise by the individual Disney World restaurant.

Your other option for reservations is to use the walk up list at Biergarten. Sometimes openings will be available for Biergarten on the day of your trip. You can find them on the My Disney Experience app by searching for dining reservations and selecting the “Now” option. This will show you all the restaurants available via walk-up list. This list is helpful for those looking to get a restaurant reservation in a pinch.

Is Biergarten Worth It?

In our opinion, Biergarten is definitely worth a reservation, though it can be pricey. It is one of the most unique restaurants, not only at Epcot but at Disney World in general.

Biergarten has a fairly vast menu. Most offerings can be categorized as traditional German. Bratwurst, schnitzel, sauerkraut, and spaetzle are a few of the most popular items. We can’t say that we’ve ever had a bad meal here.

The food is always good and, as typical for German fare, is very filling. Bavarian cheesecake and hand-pulled apple strudel are two of the must-have desserts available.

Arguably the most important feature of Biergarten is the selection of adult beverages. The beer and wine choices are outstanding, especially the German beer.

The interior of Biergarten is extremely impressive. As soon as you walk through the doors, you’ll be whisked away to an Epcot recreation of a charming Bavarian village, complete with foliage, streetlights, and even a watermill.

Though the entire restaurant is indoors, it’s designed to feel like an outdoor town center at night. It realizes that design perfectly and you’ll quickly forget that you aren’t actually outdoors.

One of Biergarten’s main draws is its live entertainment, featuring a German polka band playing on the restaurant’s central stage. The music is always bright and makes for great lighthearted fun. There is a dance floor in front of the stage, giving you the opportunity to bust out your best polka moves if the urge strikes.

Seating is also unique at Biergarten. Rather than sitting alone with your party, you’ll be paired up with other guests at “communal” tables unless your party is particularly large. This makes for a fun event that recreates what you might experience in a true German biergarten.

Chances are good that you’ll quickly make friends with the fellow vacationers at your table. It’s hard for anyone to be in a bad mood when the music is playing and the beer is flowing.

Our Recommendation

We recommend Biergarten for anyone who enjoys a large, hearty meal accompanied by a large, hearty brew. We do recommend dinner over lunch, simply due to the large quantity of food and drink available here. A Biergarten lunch is still a great choice, but can be daunting for those who’d prefer a smaller meal as they walk the park in the midday sun.

As for your meal itself, you’ll have a massive amount of food available in buffet form. You can’t go wrong here, but definitely do try the schnitzel and the bratwurst.

For your beverage, we have three recommendations:

• If you are unsure or want some variety, order a flight of German beers to try. This will include all of the best Biergarten brews.
• Our favorite is the Warsteiner Dunkel, which we highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a darker beer.
• For those that prefer a medium, lighter beer, the Konig Ludwig Weissbier is very good.

The outstanding beer is one of the many reasons we rank Biergarten highly on our list of Best Epcot Restaurants for Adults

Try a bit of everything for your dessert, but save extra room for the Bavarian cheesecake and the apple strudel.

The polka band plays all throughout the afternoon and evening. Check the showtimes within the Disney app or on the Disney website to be sure you are familiar with them. It’s typical for the band to play every hour from around 1:00 PM til about an hour before park closure. Times can vary, so don’t forget to check them ahead of your visit!

Biergarten Alternatives

Sommerfest

There are a few options for those who want to experience some of the Germany Pavilion’s food and drink without making a Biergarten reservation.

We highly recommend Sommerfest, a quick-service walk-up restaurant. Sommerfest serves a handful of quintessential German foods. If you’re in the mood for a sandwich, the Bratwurst and Frankfurter Sandwiches come on a roll and are delicious. Pretzels are available for those who are looking for a more simple snack.

One of our favorite items here is the Nudel Gratin, a baked macaroni and cheese dish made with cheese custard. Sommerfest desserts include Bavarian Apple Strudel and German Black Forest Cake. There is also a decent selection of beer and wine.

Beer Cart

There is a full-time beer cart in the German Pavilion and it serves several of the best German beers you can find. The Warsteiner Dunkel is always our choice, but lighter options are available as well. You can easily pop into the pavilion for a beer on the go.

The cart serves drinks draught style in plastic cups, making mobile some of the best beer at Disney world.

Karamell-Kuche

It’s very likely that one of the first things you’ll notice upon entering the Germany Pavilion is the heavenly scent of caramel popcorn. You can quickly trace that scent to a store called Karamell-Kuche. Technically a shop and not a “restaurant”, Karamell-Kuche is the perfect stop for anyone who wants dessert only.

It serves up a variety of baked goods, but the undisputed, defining snack is the Caramel Popcorn. As the name implies, Karamell-Kuche has caramel treats in as many forms as you could possibly imagine.

It’s also hard to resist buying a bag of Werther’s Originals on the way out.

Event Food Kiosks

Epcot will be decked out with decorations, events and food kiosks for different themed events, depending on the time of year. Whether it’s the Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden Festival, or the Festival of the Arts, it’s very likely that you’ll find a special kiosk in the German Pavilion. These kiosks will generally offer food and drink that accompanies the current festival’s theme.

Keep an eye out for these, as they always have some unique and tasty items.

If you have room after dinner…

Just in case you’re still wanting something sweet after all of the tasty German food, take a look at our Ultimate Guide to Epcot Ice Cream.