What kinds of restaurants would like to see at Disneyland or Disney World?

I would like to see more food variety at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom in general. I feel like Animal Kingdom and Epcot have a wide range of selections for guests with palates both adventurous and not.

I feel like HS and MK, aside from Skipper Canteen, is a lot of variations on boring white people food. There’s 50s American and 60s American and old school Italian and theoretical French. It’s all super western.
 
Ok, here are some I can suggest:
  • Disneyland
    • Tianna's Place, complete with music and all
  • DCA
    • Something along the lines of Sci-Fi, but cars themed in Radiator Springs
    • Muppets themed restaurant and a new Muppets themed show nearby
  • Magic Kingdom
    • To replace Village Haus with a sit down restaurant that has different food from allaofothe countries represented in small world. I would envision these as smaller plates that you pick two or three of to make up your entree to taste food from different countries
  • Hollywood Studios
    • Again, a Muppet themed sit down restaurant would be nice
    • A rotating restaurant (think Garden Grill) that takes you through a progression of movie tech and styles through the years, starting with silent films in black and white and by the end of the meal you are in the present day.
  • EPCOT
    • This first part isn't the restaurant, but is important to the concept, reimagine the imagination pavilion to include Phineas and Ferb and bring back Dreamfinder (keeping Figment of course). Then Phineas and Ferb open an imagination themed restaurant where everything is unique and creative.
  • Animal Kingdom
    • Build an Australian/New Zealand section of the park and have an Australian/New Zealand themed restaurant
    • Build a South American section fo the park and have appropriate restaurants (be sure to include Up in this section of the park of course)
Just a few ideas off the top of my head and I wouldn't mind if Disney used any or all of them, lol.
 
Change Hollywood & Vine from a 1930s-ish looking place with a very lackluster buffet to a 1930s authentic Jewish deli. Model it after LA's famous Canter's Deli (which is pretty close to the actual Hollywood & Vine intersection). I think people would love giant pastrami sandwiches, really good bagels and lox, chicken-in-a-pot, etc
Nope. If you're going to do a deli - and they should - it needs to be a genuine New York style deli.
 


Nope. If you're going to do a deli - and they should - it needs to be a genuine New York style deli.

That was my initial thinking, too, but the park is named Disney HOLLYWOOD Studios and the specific area is themed to 1930s LA. Plus, Canter's is a real Jewish deli located in what was LA's main Jewish neighborhood...within spitting distance of movie studios. It would also add some realism in the same vein as Brown Derby and DCA's Carthay Circle.

So, "nope" right back to you.
 
The food at WDW always seems very industrial to me. We were at the Houston Rodeo (HR) yesterday where they serve about 150,000/day (so about the same as MK) and the food was much better in my estimation. I believe the difference is that at HR you have a lot of small restaurants that have eating areas while at WDW you primarily have a Disney monopoly. I know it will never change at WDW and we love WDW so no big deal but the food could definitely improve.
 
The food at WDW always seems very industrial to me. We were at the Houston Rodeo (HR) yesterday where they serve about 150,000/day (so about the same as MK) and the food was much better in my estimation. I believe the difference is that at HR you have a lot of small restaurants that have eating areas while at WDW you primarily have a Disney monopoly. I know it will never change at WDW and we love WDW so no big deal but the food could definitely improve.
Overall I think the food is good, but HS counter service has some major downfalls.
 


I would just like to see Disney allow their restaurants to be unique from each other with their menus. While the theming of the restaurants are very unique, over the past several years the menu's are losing their uniqueness and diversity and are becoming more and more the same. I'm not saying the food is bad; It's just becoming so predictable and indistinguishable between the Disney restaurants.
 
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Yes-like at the Starlite Diner they have a horrifying excuse for a hamburger and french fries.
Starlite diner? Not familiar with which one that is, I know Backlot Express, ABC Comisary and the ones by Tower and such.

Most everything else I know of is TS.
 
I would like to see more food variety at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom in general. I feel like Animal Kingdom and Epcot have a wide range of selections for guests with palates both adventurous and not.

I feel like HS and MK, aside from Skipper Canteen, is a lot of variations on boring white people food. There’s 50s American and 60s American and old school Italian and theoretical French. It’s all super western.
What color people’s food would you like to see? Do you have a really adventurous palate?
 
Starlite diner? Not familiar with which one that is, I know Backlot Express, ABC Comisary and the ones by Tower and such.

Most everything else I know of is TS.
I guess now it is Cosmic Ray’s Starlite Cafe.

We ate at Garden Grill a couple years ago and not impressed. In addition it was our twins fourth birthday and I called from outside the US and ordered a cake. During the telecom it seemed murky and then the cake didn’t show so that may have colored my opinion.

What sit down restaurant do you recommend in particular?
 
I would like to see more food variety at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom in general. I feel like Animal Kingdom and Epcot have a wide range of selections for guests with palates both adventurous and not.

I feel like HS and MK, aside from Skipper Canteen, is a lot of variations on boring white people food. There’s 50s American and 60s American and old school Italian and theoretical French. It’s all super western.

Wow. So what do you think of Ohana, Tiffins, Jiko, Sanaa, Boma, Nine Dragons, Tokyo Dining, San Angel Inn, La Hacienda de San Angel, Marrakesh, Spice Road Table, Yak & Yeti, Maya Grill, Kona Cafe, Kimono's & Bongo's Cuban Cafe? I know it's not MK or HS, but still, WOW!
 
Wow. So what do you think of Ohana, Tiffins, Jiko, Sanaa, Boma, Nine Dragons, Tokyo Dining, San Angel Inn, La Hacienda San Angel Inn, Marrakesh, Spice Road Table, Yak & Yeti, Maya Grill, Kona Cafe, Kimono's & Bongo's Cuban Cafe? I know it's not MK or HS, but still, WOW!

You missed my point. I was saying that I wish HS and MK had the kind of wonderful variety that can be found at AK, EPCOT, and several of the resorts. I wasn’t saying there was a lack of diversity on property overall, just in those two parks.

I freely admit that I am not Disney’s target customer. I typically visit with other adults and none of us have kids. We are mostly from the NYC area and are used to a wider range of options wherever we go.

I very much agree with your other comment about the menus becoming more homogenous. I noticed this with Jiko specifically.

I was shocked during my last visit when I visited Sanaa for the first time. It’s supposed to be an Indian restaurant, but there was a steak on the menu.

Beef? At an Indian restaurant? I mean come on!
 
You missed my point. I was saying that I wish HS and MK had the kind of wonderful variety that can be found at AK, EPCOT, and several of the resorts. I wasn’t saying there was a lack of diversity on property overall, just in those two parks.

I freely admit that I am not Disney’s target customer. I typically visit with other adults and none of us have kids. We are mostly from the NYC area and are used to a wider range of options wherever we go.

I very much agree with your other comment about the menus becoming more homogenous. I noticed this with Jiko specifically.

I was shocked during my last visit when I visited Sanaa for the first time. It’s supposed to be an Indian restaurant, but there was a steak on the menu.

Beef? At an Indian restaurant? I mean come on!


Fair enough. I guess I became focused on the "Boring White People Food" comment. While I would agree that HS & MK are rather boring and the reason I rarely eat in either of these parks, the word usage to an otherwise valid point was a bit of a shock factor.
 
Fair enough. I guess I became focused on the "Boring White People Food" comment. While I would agree that HS & MK are rather boring and the reason I rarely eat in either of these parks, the word usage to an otherwise valid point was a bit of a shock factor.

Haha sorry. I honestly didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just some of that New York City attitude that people either love us or hate us for. :)

That’s one of the reasons I enjoy the podcast so much. Listening to Pete talk about Disney with an attitude I can recognize.
 
Personally I would love to see more food from South American countries represented in the parks.
 
I guess now it is Cosmic Ray’s Starlite Cafe.

We ate at Garden Grill a couple years ago and not impressed. In addition it was our twins fourth birthday and I called from outside the US and ordered a cake. During the telecom it seemed murky and then the cake didn’t show so that may have colored my opinion.

What sit down restaurant do you recommend in particular?
At EPCOT, I love most of the TS. As for Garden Grill, I have liked it when I have eaten there in the past and honestly I wouldn't ever order a birthday cake, especially at an all you care to enjoy location like Garden Grill.

Cosmic Ray's is at MK, I was specifically referring to HS not having decent counter service.
 
It’s just some of that New York City attitude that people either love us or hate us for. :)

I still have to remember to try and tone it down in certain circles. I'm sure many ppl think of me as this :mic:

And also - for anyone who thinks beef at an "Indian" restaurant is weird - yes, it is weird, but we're talking WDW, here. But, American Indian restaurants usually have a decent selection of Pakistani offerings on their menu, and here in Chicago, many of them use beef for their Haleem and Nihari.
 
I would love an all-natural restaurant. Someplace with no artificial ingredients of any kind. And if it leaned heavily towards healthier foods (with perhaps more plant-based options than typically found in Disney restaurants) as well, that would be a bonus. Of course, I know I'm sitting on a pretty lonely bench with that wish! :)
 

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