The Mighty McDonald’s Moves Out for Obscure Chicken Chain

WDWNT on February 4, 2010

Both of these articles from the Orlando Sentinel published today tell an interesting story, the story of an obscure fast food chain replacing McDonald’s in the Downtown Disney Marketplace:

Pollo Campero, an international Latin chicken quick-service restaurant chain, has partnered with Levy Campero to deliver a new restaurant concept in Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World Resort. The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in late 2010, will feature Pollo Campero’s signature Latin cusine, as well as fresh, and healthful foods. Menu items will include Latin chicken, yuca fries, sweet plantains, and Latin drinks including horchata and tamarindo.

Pollo Campero, the world’s largest Latin chicken restaurant chain, serves more than 85 million customers each year at more than 300 restaurants in 12 countries around the globe. This includes more than 50 locations already open in the United States, with additional stores scheduled to open this year.

Fast-food giant McDonald’s is leaving Downtown Disney.

The McDonald’s restaurant at Walt Disney World’s shopping-and-dining district will close April 30, Disney said this afternoon. It will be replaced by Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food chain.

Pollo Campero says it serves more than 85 million customers a year. McDonald’s says it serves more than 47 million customers a day.

Representatives for Disney World and McDonald’s said the exit stems from a 2004 decision to end a 10-year exclusive sponsorship agreement between McDonald’s Corp. and Walt Disney Co. The Downtown Disney restaurant was included in that agreement.

“Our alliance partners are ever-changing and this shift in our relationship with McDonald’s reflects the dynamic nature of the sponsorship business,” Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.

McDonald’s said all of its employees at the Downtown Disney were offered transfers to other McDonald’s locations and that no one would lose their job as a result of the closure.

McDonald’s will continue to operate its restaurant near the entrance to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.

“We will continue to work with Disney on mutually beneficial opportunities,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said.

Disney Confirms New Restaurant for Italy Pavilion at Epcot

WDWNT on January 25, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Great news – especially if you share my passion for amazing pizza. An authentic pizzeria will be opening at Italy Pavilion at Epcot later this year and it’s an attention-grabber.

The new 300-seat restaurant will have traditional Florentine architecture, vaulted-ceilings and outside dining. And the food will be authentic — Italian dishes (complimenting the offerings at Tutto Italia) and pizza from wood-burning ovens.

The pizzeria will be the newest flagship restaurant in the Patina Restaurant Group’s portfolio. And one of the special touches at the Epcot location will be the water. It’ll be imported from a source where the composition most resembles water used in Naples, Italy, to make the authentic Italian dough.

A name for the family-style pizzeria has not been finalized but we wanted to share this information with you first on the Disney Parks Blog. Construction is currently underway and the restaurant is scheduled to open in fall 2010. Check back for more updates.

This announcement confirms the WDWNT report from last week. There is no word yet on if the restaurant will carry the Naples name as originally reported.

Naples Comes to Italy at Epcot

WDWNT on January 20, 2010

We can confirm that the construction taking place in the very back of the Italy pavilion at Epcot is for the addition of Patina Restaurant Group’s “Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria”, a restaurant that already exists in Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. While we don’t know if this particular location will be table service like its west coast counterpart, here is a look at the menu for the California version of Naples (note that the bottom of the menu says Walt Disney World):

“Curtains Up and Napkins Out” by Chuck Mirarchi

WDWNT on January 6, 2010

When people make their plans to visit Walt Disney World®, one of the first things they look forward to is making their dining reservations. Currently you are able to make your reservations 180 days from your arrival.

The first thing many people do is book reservations at the character buffets and at some of the more upscale restaurants including Le Cellier (Epcot), California Grill (Disney’s Contemporary Resort), and Coral Reef Restaurant (Epcot), etc.

One dining experience that typically is forgotten is the Disney dinner shows. It’s not that they are not popular, but they are typically not a priority booking.

There are three main dinner shows at the Walt Disney World Resort: Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue, Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Show, and Mickey’s Backyard B.B.Q.

There are some general rules for each of the three dinner shows. These three dinner shows are all-you-care-to-eat and are served family-style. You can ask your server to continue to bring out as much of everything or of something specific as you wish.

Each show does require reservations. It’s best to book them in advance so you can not only get the seating time you desire, but also – in the case of the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue and Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Show – your preferred seating category. These two shows offer three pricing categories for adults and children. You can book any of these dinner shows through Disney Dining reservations, online, or at your Disney resort. It’s best to book your reservation early as tables are assigned in the order of when reservations are made.

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