Month: July 2016

I love The Plaza Restaurant. Wait, let me rephrase that… I loved the Plaza Restaurant. For many years I have enjoyed a soup, a turkey sandwich and some ice cream on a pretty consistent basis from this Magic Kingdom establishment, beloved for its fairly inexpensive table service options, good sandwiches, and stellar ice cream creations. When a new menu went into effect a few weeks ago, I decided a trip back was necessary to see what had been done to the menu. What I found was pretty disappointing…

Gone is the Turkey Sandwich I’ve enjoyed here most of my life (among other items). Newly added are the Loaded Fries, a Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, and Honey BBQ Beef Brisket Burger.

Plaza Loaded Fries ($8) – Meant to emulate the old Figaro Fries once served at Pinocchio’s Village Haus many years ago, this new representation leaves much to be desired. First off, Plaza changed from thick steak fries to what are essentially the fries found at most Disney counter service locations, which is a bad start. The toppings also didn’t taste fresh. I would’t eat fries at Plaza anymore and I certainly wouldn’t order these again. SCORE: 0 out of 7.

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich ($16) – This too was awful. The counter service version at Hollywood Studios is significantly better than this offering at the Plaza. The bun had no flavor, the tomato itself was way too greasy, to the point where it was slipping out of the breading it was in, and the toppings tasted a bit off. SCORE: 0 out of 7.

Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($17) – This was more of what I expect from Plaza, solid and satisfying. Nothing crazy about this, but there didn’t need to be. If you are going to get a side with your entree here, stick with the chips for sure. SCORE: 3.5 out of 7.

Honey BBQ Beef Brisket Burger ($19) – This was just OK. The BBQ sauce was just alright, it was honestly no different than getting the BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich from Flame Tree BBQ (which I’m not a big fan of either though) with a burger in it. SCORE: 2 out of 7.

Overall, I was massively disappointed with Plaza Restaurant. This was a place I often visited once a trip and the experience we had food-wise was pretty awful. Our server was amazing, but the cuisine just wasn’t as good as it had been in years past. The change in fries and the new dishes are all changes for the worse, and I honestly would not recommend this place for anything more than dessert anymore. We would have had dessert on this visit, but everyone was pretty uninterested in eating more after getting through the entrees.

The prices are significantly higher than they have ever been and the value just wasn’t there. I would rather spend $10-20 more a person just to eat at a different table service in the park (or even hit a good counter service location like Pecos Bill’s or Tomorrowland Terrace) than eat an entree or appetizer here again. As I said before, this is really a shame because Plaza was often a favorite of mine, and to see the menu tank so rapidly is hard to stomach, almost as hard to stomach as the loaded fries were…

There are still a few valid entree options here, but not enough for me to recommend this restaurant to anyone.

OVERALL RATING FOR PLAZA RESTAURANT – 1.5 OUT OF 7.

The Tomorrowland Terrace has had a tumultuous history at the Magic Kingdom. It has typically been closed seasonally for most of the last 20 years, reopening for filler table service a few times, or as the often despised “noodle station” which infamously served nearly inedible fast-food Asian cuisine that would make Panda Express seem like Victoria and Albert’s. In more recent years, it has reopened with a fairly forgettable menu, with options that could only be viewed as a minor improvement over half-cooked noodles. Recently, the venue reopened for counter service dining with a very different menu, so we decided to go check it out.

Spicy Chicken Sandwich ($9.99) – This was pretty solid. The patty itself had a nice flavor, complimented well by the spicy sauce. The bun could have been a little fresher, but otherwise a fine option here. SCORE: 5 out of 7.

Dipped Chicken Strips with Buffalo Sauce ($10.99) – These were everything I wanted them to be. I have been pretty sad since the removal of the buffalo chicken breast nuggets at Backlot Express at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but these are just as good if not better. Sometimes you just want something simple and cheap, and these deliver on a good quantity of food and good flavor from the sauce. I just wish I liked the fries more… SCORE: 7 out of 7.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake ($4.59) – I was pleasantly surprised how good this was. A nice lighter option to follow the strong flavors from some of the spicy entrees here. SCORE: 6 out of 7.

Rocky Road Brownie ($4.59) – Don’t buy this. It’s so chalky and bland that it is nearly inedible. It tasted what I imagine 5-year-expired chocolate frosting tastes like. SCORE: 0 out of 7

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this experience (outside of the brownie). The service was quick and the food was actually fantastic for what I would call a run-of-the-mill counter service. I would much prefer to eat here than fight the crowds at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, plus the options here are just much, much, much better. It may not be Be Our Guest, but Tomorrowland Terrace is a fine choice for a quick bite this summer when you visit the Magic Kingdom.

OVERALL RATING FOR TOMORROWLAND TERRACE (Summer ’16 Tour) – 6 OUT OF 7