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magic kingdom restaurant

Magic Kingdom Restaurant Changes I Would Like to See

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While the Magic Kingdom has some nice table service restaurants, and the recent editions have been on the right track. Be Our Guest was a home run while Skipper Canteen had the best food in the park by far, many found the food too adventuresome so it never because super popular, so the food is about to be changed. Some of the restaurants in the parks need an update, and there still needs to be a few more additions to the park. With the number of people on the Disney Dining plans in the parks now, most days it is nearly impossible to even find a time to eat any of the Magic Kingdom restaurants unless you plan well in advance. A few more restaurants would really help.

Changes to the Magic Kingdom Restaurants I would like to see

Personally, I think all Disney restaurants could use a small change or two, but the following four in the Magic Kingdom need a bit of a reboot:

  • Crystal Palace – While Winnie the Pooh is great and all, many kids have no idea who he is. The Crystal Palace building is down right beautiful, but I think it could be better used with a character change. Disney has not done a great job using the Pixar characters in restaurants. Crystal Palace would be a fantastic location for a Toy Story character meal. Imagine seeing Woody, Buzz or Rex walking around the Crystal Palace, it would be impossible to get a table.
  • Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen – Uggh, where to start. This was a fantastic idea with unique, wonderful food. Disney handicapped it from the beginning, making it impossible to get dining reservations in advance, and then wondered why it wasn’t full like the other restaurants. While the food is unique, it never had a chance to gain a following. With the upcoming food change, it will be a standard theme park restaurant with mediocre food and corny jokes. Stick with the menu Disney, give it a chance.
  • Liberty Tree Tavern – Liberty Tree has lost it’s way. Everyone associated the Liberty Tree Tavern with characters. Did you know characters were removed from Liberty Tree Tavern in 2008? Let’s remodel the restaurant so the characters can get around, stick with the family style menu, and bring back revolutionary Goofy and friends.
  • Tony’s Town Square Restaurant – Some people love eating at Tony’s, most would disagree. Easily the worst food available at any Disney restaurant. Turn over the kitchen to the people who run Tutto Italia and Via Napoli in Epcot, update the decor and you will have yourself a fantastic, winning restaurant.

Additions to the Magic Kingdom Restaurants I would like to see

I think you could go crazy with additions, but let’s be honest, it would be stupid to add 15 new restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, there just isn’t the demand. I will focus on two that I think need to be added that would be a huge hit.

  • Pirates of the Caribbean character meal – There isn’t one “boy” themed character meal in all of Disney. Girls have princesses, boys have nothing. Think about a restaurants built adjacent to the Pirates of the Caribbean, completely pirate themed! Include a ride on the Pirates of the Caribbean immediately after, some pirates including Jack Sparrow walking around. It would be a hit! The other option here would be to make this a signature style restaurant, similar to Blue Bayou in Disneyland, and put the boy themed character meal in Tomorrowland.
  • Tomorrowland Restaurant – There isn’t one table service restaurant in Tomorrowland, or one even close. There are so many themed options you could go with in Tomorrowland. This could be similar to Be Our Guest where you offer a nice quick-service meal for breakfast and lunch and table service for dinner. No characters needed. Meals can be delivered by drones, it would be awesome.

What changes or additions would you like to see to the restaurants in the Magic Kingdom?

 

 

2016 Disney Free Dining

2016 Disney Free Dining Predictions – A Follow Up

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A few weeks ago, I wrote an article with predictions about the hopefully upcoming 2016 Disney Free Dining Discount: 2016 Disney Free Dining – My Predictions

Since the 2016 Disney Free Dining discount was released this morning, I felt it was time to follow up on my predictions and see how I did.

Did I expect to see Disney Free Dining for 2016?

Original Prediction: Yes, I expected to see it, just like we have seen it for the last 10+ years.

Actual Results: Yes, 2016 Disney Free Dining has been released.

This was a fairly easy one, but one year, I do expect Disney to completely abandoned Free Dining. 2016 wasn’t the year though, but 2017 may be.

When do you expect to see 2016 Disney Free Dining Released?

Original Prediction: May 2, 2016

Actual Results: Today, April 25, 2016

I was a week off. I got the Monday part right, but I was expecting Disney to wait a bit longer until early May.

Available Free Dining Travel Dates

Original Prediction: August 26 – September 30, 2016

Actual Travel Dates: August 23 – October 1, November 15 – 21, November 26 – 28 and December 10 – 21, 2016

I did not expect to see Fall dates at all this year, and obviously, I was wrong. However, there is very little availability for any of the Fall dates, even less than last year. Disney made the dates available, but didn’t make very many rooms available. On the big set of dates in September, Disney added a few days at the beginning, and an extra day at the end, I was close, but not quite.

Disney Resorts Included and Excluded from 2016 Disney Free Dining

Original Prediction: I predicted that the list would be identical to 2016, no French Quarter, Little Mermaid rooms, limited Riverside.

Actual Results: Exactly the same list as 2015, no difference.

I nailed this one, no change at all. Riverside is available for the September dates, but nothing after, and the same resorts that were excluded in 2015 were excluded in 2016.

Requirements changes for 2016 Disney Free Dining

Original Prediction: I predicted that Disney World would extend the stay and ticket requirements to 4 nights and 3 day park passes.

Actual Results: Disney did not extend the requirements, and stuck with a minimum 3 night stay and a minimum 2 day park pass with hopping or water park options added.

I am a bit surprised by this one. I fully expected Disney to force people to stay a little bit longer and spend a little bit more money in order to qualify for Free Dining. Wrong.

Will the 2016 Disney Free Dining Discount change for 2016?

Original Prediction: I predicted that Disney would give away the quick-service dining plan at the value and moderate resorts and the Disney Dining Plan at the Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts.

Actual Results: No change at all for 2016, Value resort stays get the quick-service plan, Moderate, Deluxe and Deluxe Villa resorts get the Disney Dining Plan

I was expecting Disney to cut back the discount a little bit by giving away less unless you were to spend the cash and stay in a deluxe resort. Wrong again.

As you can see, I was very pessimistic in my predictions for 2016 Disney Free Dining. The predictions I missed were all changes I expected to see from the Disney Free Dining discount that were more harsh than in 2015 and earlier years. I expected Disney making fewer dates available with more requirements and giving away less. In fact, they barely changed the offer from 2015 other than shifting a few dates around. I would have been better off predicting no changes at all, but where is the fun in that?

Of note, when the discount was released early this morning, availability was basically zero if you were traveling after September 15. Value and Moderate resorts are nearly impossible to find for any dates, and very few Deluxe resorts can be found. While Free Dining was technically released, so few rooms are available that very few people will be able to take advantage. Look for 2016 to be the last year of Free Dining.

Well, Disney Free Dining is out, I hope you all were able to get in on the deal, it really is a fantastic offer. If you haven’t yet, feel free to contact Mouseketrips to check on pricing for your next Disney vacation.

 

Kona Cafe versus ‘Ohana

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In Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World, there are two table service restaurants available for your Disney dining pleasure. Located basically next to each other on the second floor overlooking the lobby are Kona Cafe and ‘Ohana. These two restaurants are nearly complete opposites, but which one is the best for your family?

Kona Cafe

tonga toast kona cafe

Kona Cafe serves all three meals each day, breakfast, lunch and dinner, all three meals are a la carte, and are available with one table service credit on the Disney Dining Plans.

  • Breakfast is home to the world famous Tonga Toast, banana-stuffed sourdough french toast rolled in cinnamon sugar. If you haven’t had Tonga Toast, you haven’t been to Disney. In addition to Tonga Toast, it also serves other Polynesian inspired entrees such as Macadamia-Pineapple Pancakes, the Big Kahuna (French Toast and Pancakes topped with Pineapple Sauce and Macadamia Nut Butter, Eggs, Home-fried Potatoes, Ham, Bacon, and Sausage) and my favorite, The Samoan (Poached Eggs with Hollandaise served over Smoked Pulled Pork Hash). If your mouth isn’t watering right now, there is seriously something wrong with you. Oh, and don’t miss the “Liliko’i Juice”, I wish I could bathe in that stuff.
  • Lunch features Asian and Polynesian inspired appetizers and entrees. My favorite appetizer is the Steamed Pork Buns, crazy good. Entrees include a Grilled Ahi Tuna Sandwich, Barbecue Pork Tacos and Polynesian Plate Lunch with either pan fried chicken or teriyaki steak. Don’t forget dessert, so many delectable options.
  • Dinner is the hidden gem of Kona Cafe. Appetizer options are similar to lunch, but with the addition of Sushi to the many. Entrees are much more dinner like, and feature Pan-seared Duck Breast, Grilled Curry-crusted Lamb Chops and Kona Coffee-rubbed Pork Chops. I dream of the Banana-Chocolate Crème Brûlée dessert.

Kona Cafe is a fantastic, hidden gem of a restaurant. The food is top notch, and it makes for a great break from the Magic Kingdom.

‘Ohana

ohana mickey waffles

‘Ohana serves both breakfast and dinner, and is one of the more popular non-theme park restaurants at Disney, both breakfast and dinner are available with one table service credit on the Disney Dining Plans. Reservations are very hard to come by for both breakfast and dinner

  • Breakfast is an all you can eat, pre-plated meal that includes scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes and some magical bread that you just can’t get enough of. This is not a buffet, but is all you can eat. Just ask for more of whatever it is you want, and they will keep bring it to you. Along with the food, you also get Disney characters! Lilo and Stitch host you for breakfast, and even stop by your table to say Aloha. Please note, if you are crunched for time, DO NOT plan on breakfast at ‘Ohana. For some reason, they always seem to be behind, and wait times can be 60 – 90 minutes, even if you are on time for your reservation.
  • Dinner is also all you can eat, and like breakfast, is brought to your table. I have never had to ask for more of anything, but you always can. Dinner starts with an amazing pineapple-coconut bread that would suffice me for my entire meal. Whoever makes the bread for ‘Ohana must be using dark magic. Appetizers feature Pork Dumplings and Wings, followed by skewers of Sweet-n-Sour Chicken, Spicy Grilled Peel-n-Eat Shrimp and Szechuan Sirloin Steak. You better leave room for dessert, because it is the highlight. The Bread Pudding à la mode with Bananas-Caramel Sauce is world famous, and not to be missed. While there aren’t any characters at dinner, there is some nightly entertainment that usually involves kids walking around the restaurant to music.

‘Ohana is a great place to eat where you will get a wonderful experience with your family, not have to make too many choices and you will get some of the best bread and desserts known to man.

Kona Cafe versus ‘Ohana

While ‘Ohana is without a doubt more popular, Kona Cafe is the better restaurant.

  • Much wider choice of food – Kona Cafe offers quite a few options for all three meals each day, and everyone in your party can choose exactly what they want rather than everyone at the table having to eat exactly the same thing. We do that at home every night, this is vacation!
  • Better food – Since ‘Ohana serves everyone the exact same thing, they obviously make everything in super large batches, while Kona Cafe hand makes your meals, and you can tell.
  • Tonga Toast – While the Mickey Waffles at ‘Ohana are ok, they are nothing compared to the Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe. They are a right of passage for all Disney fans, and for many, a MUST EAT every single trip.
  • Easier reservations – ‘Ohana is quite hard to get in, unless you want to take your little kids over to the Polynesian at 9:45 at night for dinner. No one wants that.
  • In and Out – I have rarely waited to get into Kona Cafe, and service is usually very quick. ‘Ohana on the other hand always has a lengthly wait, and meals there seem to take forever.

Well, there you go, Kona Cafe is my winner. Which restaurant do you choose and why?