IGN was invited to get a sneak peek at the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed Beak and Barrel tavern, which is set to open at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on August 29, and we thought it was a labor of love that honors the iconic attraction in a wonderful way.
As soon as you enter The Beak and Barrel, you feel as though you've entered the world of Pirates of the Caribbean. Much like the Haunted Mansion Parlor aboard the Disney Treasure (and soon the Disney Destiny!), these spaces feel like an extension of the attraction in the best ways.
Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate's Life For Me
And all the little details! Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean - both the attraction and the movies - will want to be on the lookout for plentiful Easter Eggs, callbacks, and even props from the films. While you won't see him in the tavern yet, as he is in debt to the owner of Beak and Barrel and doesn't want to get caught, Jack Sparrow can be seen on one of the four Captains' Booths, which regale tales of pirates' past via carved wooden panels.
Speaking of the owner, her name is Captain Meridian "Merry" Goldwyn, and she has left her first mate, a parrot Audio-Animatronic named Rummy, who is serving as the tavern's quartermaster while she is gone. What makes Rummy special is that he was inspired very much by the original Barker Bird that appeared in both Disneyland and Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean attractions.
Rummy will appear from time to time above the Cursed Bar and will add context to the events that happen every 10 minutes or so. When we were there, we got to see both a musical attack of sorts by Mermaids/Sirens that lit up the room in cool colors, and Rummy and the cast members instructed us to cover our ears so we would not be persuaded by their song.
He'll also bicker with Kat the Black Cat, who has quickly become a favorite of mine. This adorable feline is sleeping above the door and comes complete with gold hoops in her ears. She doesn't move much as she is in a very cozy bed and loves to sleep, but you can see her breathing and her tail moving every once in a while. In a word: perfection.
The Cursed Bar itself is a sight to behold, as part of it is shaped like a skull. There are secrets to be found inside that skull as well, as Tia Dalma (Who was played by Naomi Harris in the films), gifted the tavern an ornate and enchanted bottle of Rum that is said to ensure the tavern's barrels and the pirates' cheer will never run dry as long as it stays full. In another one of the activations, the rum did disappear (In my mind, all I heard was Jack Sparrow screaming "Why's the rum gone?!") and panic ensued. Fortunately, the crew was able to bring it back.
Right in front of the bar is The Mess, which was named that way because it used to be a mess hall for Spanish soldiers before the pirates came in and took over the place. A few cool details to notice in The Mess are the bell above the door by the cat that was a gift given to Merry from Captain Redd's first ship and the anchor above the table that serves as a fitting chandelier.
To the right as you enter the Beak and Barrel is the Captains' Quarters, which is where the booths we talked about earlier are. This used to be the residence of the Spanish Comandante, so it has a bit of a fancier feel than the other rooms with its grand artwork and such. Oh, and it also has a cozy fireplace with miniature ships in bottles that are said to engage in battles from time to time.
Tucked in the corner of the Captains' Quarters is a private-ish sitting room where pirates love to play games of skill and chance. You can see some of the games pirates played alongside a warning to those who may try to cheat.
This is where we were seated for the 45-minute preview we had, and it's a really great area if you don't care too much about missing some of the fun happening in the main area. It is behind some walls and tucked in a corner, and it looks to be a great place for friends and family who want a quieter place as it can get loud in The Beak and Barrel with the fantastic cast members playing up their roles as rowdy pirates.
The Beak and Barrel is a big space, and I do think your experience may vary a bit depending on where you sit, so I think it's important to go in with that in mind! Don't worry though, as you can obviously get up and see things as they are happening, and there are plenty of cues to tell you when something is about to go down.
The last main area is the Mapmaker's Room, and this features a massive table that now serves as a shared standing table for guests. The prior mapmaker was said to be a bit crazed, and the other pirates even needed to shoot down a wall with a canon to get in once he locked everyone else out. In fact, the canon ball is still stuck in the wall for all to see!
Another small detail I love in that room is that there is a treasure map on the wall, and the X on the map seemingly points to a pretty magical place in Florida.
Food and Drink
Considering this is a tavern, there obviously needs to be themed food and drinks, and the team behind The Bark and Barrel took that challenge to heart. We were able to speak to Stephanie Dold, Beverage Director at Walt Disney World, and Bobby Rivera, Chef De Cuisine, and they shared how their teams kept the story going in their creations.
"From the beverage perspective, we really leaned in on the spice trade and different things that you would find throughout the different areas that pirates may have sailed," Dold said. "We wanted to bring that to life, and I think that you'll find that we did through the different beverages that we have on the menu."
"Our mission was to match the beverage programming with international flavors, while also staying true to the themeing and where the story takes place in the world," Rivera said. "We really worked on honing in on those flavors, that's why you have the plantains, coconut, chipotle, and the octopus. Those are very familiar flavors for where we are and we think the exciting flavors will be a hit for our guests."
I asked them which menu items we should be on the lookout for, and Dold said hers was the Siren's Whisper. This drink has a "captivating blue color and promises of eternal youth" and it combines Pot & Column Still White Rum with citrus and spice. The drink, which was inspired by the Fountain of Youth, is also topped with a special siren tear.
"The Siren's Whisper is not something that we've done previously, and you probably wouldn't expect to find it at the Beak and Barrel," Dold said. "However, the elegance of the glassware and where the story came from and how they acquired that piece is just tremendous."
On the food side, Rivera recommended the Kraken's Catch, which very well may be the most notable item to come from the preview of the food offerings as it has an octopus tentacle sticking out of it. Accompanying that tentacle that's marinated in lemon and lime juice are olives, bell peppers, avocado, and Piquillo pepper-almond foam.
"There's an iconic scene in Pirates of the Caribbean lore where the Kraken comes out of the deep sea and does some Kraken stuff, so we really tried to represent that in the dish," Rivera said.
We weren't able to try these, but we did get to try the Cursed Treasure, the Island Provisions, and the Treasure Trove.
The Cursed Treasure is a non-alcholoic beverage that is a blend of coconut milk and cookie crumbs, and it is topped with vanilla foam and a Pirate's Gold cookie thing. Now, this is where we get to my favorite part of The Beak and Barrel and I'm not even kidding - the cups were SO COLD. I don't know what kind of pirate magic was going on in that place, but I've never had such a chilled cup and it was honestly life changing.
Ok, anyway. The drink itself was refreshing, if a bit boring! It kind of tasted like water with a hint of cookies and cream!
Next up were the Island Provisions, which is a combo of plantain chips, blue corn tortillas, toasted flatbread, and Mango Chutney, Garlic Chimichurri, Spiced Guava, and Zesty Culantro Cream Dips. This was a fun dish to share and the Mango Chutney with the plantains were definitely my favorite, but they were all good!
Lastly, we ended with the Treasure Trove, which was a Vanilla Cake Plank, Chocolate Cannonball, and Golden Caramel Popcorn. This was served with a "mysterious Ube, Lemon, and Coconut concoction" in the immaculate chilled cups and was a really fun end to our adventure that honors pirates in a great way.
The Beak and Barrel Is a Space For Pirates of All Ages
Alongside all the themeing and fun food and drinks on offer at The Beak and Barrel, what the team also went out of their way to stress to me is how much this experience is for pirates of all ages. Sure, it may seem like a rough and rowdy tavern fit for ne'er-do-wells, but in reality it's meant for the whole family to come and enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean in a whole new way.
"I think what's important for us is that entire families are able to experience our stories so you're not just riding through an attraction in a passive way, but you get to spend some actual time in this world as well," Ken Ricci, Executive Creative Development at Walt Disney Imagineering told me. "And again, it's great for adults, but it's really wonderful for kids too. We wanted to make sure it was something that was inclusive of everyone."
Sure, it may seem like a rough and rowdy tavern fit for ne'er-do-wells, but in reality, it's meant for the whole family to come and enjoy Pirates of the Caribbean in a whole new way.This place is also meant to be a space guests return to time and time again, as the team specifically created "moments that extend beyond the amount of time you're going to be here." The team hopes you will take something new with you each time you enter The Beak and Barrel's doors.
Time will tell how easy it will be to visit The Beak and Barrel once its open on August 29, as it is sure to be a very popular space. Guests are limited to just 45 minutes in the tavern, so hopefully that will help in getting as many people as possible in.
I'm just so, so happy places like the Haunted Mansion Parlor and Beak and Barrel exist because they are such a great way to immerse ourselves in the stories we love so much. I hope this trend continues, as Beak and Barrel is another example of treasure worth searching for.
For more, check out everything you need to know about Walt Disney World's Cool Kid Summer (which is returning next year!) and our trip to Germany to see how the Disney Destiny was built.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst, Instagram, and TikTok, and listen to his show, Talking Disney Magic.
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