Walt Disney World just lately overhauled the menu at Pecos Invoice Tall Story Inn and Cafe, which we thought-about an enormous win even previous to consuming any of the brand new dishes. It’s apparent simply from the images and descriptions that they’re way more formidable than the previous menu, which prompted us to pen “The Loss of life of Pecos Invoice.” Suffice to say, that isn’t a puff piece about how a lot we cherished the previous menu.
Someway, Pecos Invoice was not the worst counter service restaurant in all of Magic Kingdom even when it was “lifeless to us.” That’s actually saying one thing…and never a superb factor. Somewhat, Pecos Invoice was the eating spot with probably the most squandered potential. A high-capacity venue that might’ve been good and, at one time within the not-too-distant previous, really was the #1 counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom. We ate there typically.
The reader feedback to that put up had been a superb reminder of why Magic Kingdom’s eating scene is subpar. Whereas the sentiment was principally constructive, there was a higher-than-expected variety of feedback lamenting the modifications. Paradoxically sufficient, Walt Disney World followers had been principally saying that Pecos Invoice was now lifeless to them as a result of it’s too adventurous and doesn’t provide something for the choosy eaters of their households.
Whereas I can sympathize to an extent with this attitude, I can also’t assist however suppose that actually each different counter service restaurant in Magic Kingdom (save for possibly Columbia Harbour Home?) caters particularly to choosy eaters, and just about solely choosy eaters. It doesn’t look like an excessive amount of to ask to get one restaurant with a mildly formidable menu of meals that isn’t bland and boring.
However this was a superb reminder that Walt Disney World’s culinary crew has to deal with precise visitor preferences and conduct. If the response amongst higher-knowledge Walt Disney World followers is disappointment (fairly than pondering, “I’ll simply go to one of many different dozen spots serving customary theme park fare”) then it’s probably even worse amongst common visitor demographics.
This might clarify why Magic Kingdom can’t get Disneyland or EPCOT-caliber delicacies–as a result of it’s merely not what the overwhelming majority of visitors need. Anyway, I’d love for that to be incorrect–and for the precise rationalization to be that it’s a vocal minority of followers complaining in regards to the new menu at Pecos Invoice–however concern that menus is likely to be mediocre in Magic Kingdom as a result of that’s what “regular” visitors need. Just a few meals for thought.
Additionally as beforehand coated in our overview of the brand new Be Our Visitor Restaurant menu for Halloween, the seasonal choices there are markedly higher–and there’s extra selection–than the common prix fixe menu.
The all-day prix fixe menu at Be Our Visitor Restaurant has grow to be a bit drained. It’s additionally extremely lazy given the costs they’re charging, in addition to its standing as a 2-credit Signature Restaurant on the Disney Eating Plan. We’ve had usually constructive experiences at Be Our Visitor Restaurant, but it surely must be extra formidable given the price.
My hope is that there’s a repeat of this for Christmas, and that these new seasonal menus show so standard that Be Our Visitor Restaurant sees everlasting modifications in early 2025. It’s not that standard anymore and can’t proceed resting on its laurels that had been established again in ~2012 to 2017. It hasn’t been that restaurant for some time now…and has gotten much more costly in the course of the intervening years!
Transferring alongside, we now have extra constructive meals information from round Magic Kingdom…
The highest replace comes courtesy of one other menu tweak (not a fully-fledged change) at Sleepy Hole Refreshments.
As you would possibly recall, there was a Scandal at Sleepy Hole over the summer time. In case you missed it, some brainiac at Walt Disney World determined to mess with the one (and doubtless solely!) Magic Kingdom menu that didn’t want any modifications, and determined to make some main ones.
Out went the waffle sandwiches, in got here Mickey Mouse formed waffles. However that wasn’t all. The Contemporary Fruit Waffle Sandwich got here with bananas, berries, and chocolate-hazelnut unfold, whereas it was changed by two separate Mickey Mouse waffles: one with the berries, and one with the don’t-call-it-Nutella and bananas. It was either-or, not each. And that was an actual drawback, as a result of what’s even the purpose of consuming fruit if it’s not slathered in Nutella?!
The actual answer to this was merely hitting the “undo” button and going again to the previous handheld waffle menu at Sleepy Hole. Don’t repair what isn’t damaged and all that. If Walt Disney World had been actually listening to visitor suggestions, that’s what they’d’ve performed, as a result of subsequent to nobody was pleased with that change.
As an alternative, they made two successive half-measures. First, they added a Cellular Order choice to purchase a facet of berries for the Nutella waffle, thereby making a ‘construct your personal’ waffle like they one they took from us. Extra just lately, they simply made this a standalone menu choice, presumably as a result of visitor complaints and/or as a result of so many individuals had been ordering the facet. (Both method, that ought to’ve informed them the whole lot they wanted to know in regards to the menu change and the way it was being obtained by visitors!)
The top result’s a waffle similar to what they took with us, besides formed like Mickey Mouse.
Actually, the Mickey Waffle with Chocolate-Hazelnut Unfold, Bananas, Berries, and Whipped Cream is okay. Downright scrumptious, even!
If I by no means had the previous waffle sandwich and this Mickey Mouse Waffle had been merely added to the menu at a funnel cake stand, I’d really be enthusiastic about it. The mixture of fruit and Nutella is ideal, as-always, and including a Mickey Waffle to the combination makes it subsequent stage. And possibly that is what Walt Disney World is relying on–first timers making an attempt and loving this extra photogenic snack. (Is it extra photogenic, although?!)
The issue is that I’ve the burden of data, so to talk.
This isn’t my first waffle rodeo. I ate dozens (and dozens) of the previous waffle sandwiches.
If this new Mickey Mouse Waffle is an 8/10, these had been each 10/10 snacks. Don’t get me incorrect, 8/10 is magnificent by Magic Kingdom requirements, the place all meals is graded on a curve and the whole lot above 5/10 is nice. (Grade inflation is an epidemic, and sadly sufficient, the world’s hottest theme park is just not immune.)
The large drawback right here is that batter or one thing in regards to the waffle has modified. The sandwiches had been way more sturdy, and had a chewy high quality (in a great way–it jogged my memory of ube minus the flavour) completely befitting of a handheld snack. The brand new Mickey Mouse Waffles don’t have any springiness. I’m unsure what’s up with them, however they get soggy and collapse rapidly. They’re not even just like the crispier mini-Mickey Waffles served on the breakfast buffets, which might be higher for this as they’d face up to the toppings higher.
The underside line is that you must nonetheless give this Mickey Mouse Waffle a shot, because it’s nicely above-average by Magic Kingdom snack requirements. Simply don’t go in anticipating the previous waffle, however within the form of Mickey Mouse. It’s not that–at the very least, not but. Right here’s hoping extra tweaks to the recipe or preparation are on the best way.
For the following choice, we head again to Most important Avenue to cease at Casey’s Nook.
Casey’s Nook has added a couple of new gadgets which might be all comparable (there are additionally scorching canines and french fries). Above is the Chipotle Barbeque Pork and Avenue Corn Mini Corn Canine Mini Corn Canine topped with Hearth-roasted Corn, Queso Fresco, Jalapeño Ranch, and Cilantro.
I really like elote, and the toppings right here approximate it fairly properly. With that mentioned, there’s merely an excessive amount of happening with all of this added to the corn canines. They’re nonetheless good, don’t get me incorrect, however this isn’t the optimum order.
As an alternative, I’d advocate doing the recent canine or french fry varieties.
I discovered the foot lengthy scorching canine model to be a lot better. The Chipotle Barbecue Pork was nonetheless pointless and there was an excessive amount of happening, however not as a lot because the corn canines. (Disneyland did an elote scorching canine a couple of years in the past that was incredible–I’d like to see that less complicated choice come to Casey’s Nook.)
I didn’t order the french fry variant, however I did find yourself scooping up a few of the toppings with the fries. That was additionally incredible. I used to be additionally higher capable of management the BBQ pork bites and the elote bites with fries, which I discovered to be the superior choice.
On a associated be aware, it’s been some time since I’ve “plugged” Casey’s Nook at park closing.
Like the remainder of Most important Avenue, Casey’s Nook is open after park closing. Formally, that is half-hour most nights, however I’ve seen them shut the door barely later now and again.
Certainly one of my favourite pastimes is heading to Casey’s Nook proper round final name after driving Seven Dwarfs Mine Practice on the finish of the evening (which I suppose shall be TRON Lightcycle Run going ahead), ordering some corn canine nuggets, and having fun with my fourth meal (or fifth…or sixth…) whereas gazing at Cinderella Citadel and ready for the crowds to filter out for empty park images.
That is one among my all-time favourite Magic Kingdom experiences. It’s such a satisfying option to decompress on the finish of an extended day and take in the late evening ambiance, and I swear these nuggets style higher late at evening. Phrases can not do it justice.
Whereas on Most important Avenue, let’s head throughout the walkway to the newly-refurbished Plaza Restaurant.
Right here we’ll begin with the Graveyard Milk Shake: Chocolate Milk Shake with a Dipped Graveyard Jelly Doughnut, White Chocolate Tombstone, Gummy Sweet, and a Haunted Mansion Straw.
Look, I’ll stage with you: I don’t know what I used to be pondering in ordering this. A kind of inconsiderate “when the cat’s away, the mice will play” dangerous consuming selections. It’s not a part of the titular “uncommon wins” for Magic Kingdom. It wasn’t dangerous or something–simply precisely what you’d anticipate. A really indulgent, candy-laden, high-sugar drink aimed toward youngsters. I regretted ordering it instantly upon seeing it…and proceeded to eat all of it.
The actual purpose I used to be eating on my own at Plaza Restaurant was for the Ghoulishly Gourmand Burger: Two All-Beef Patties with Pepper Jack and Swiss Cheese, Candied Bacon, Balsamic-glazed Mushrooms, Onion Ring, and Truffle-Buffalo Aïoli served on a Black Bun.
That is an absolute monstrosity of a burger, and is totally wonderful. Oozing with tacky goodness, the truffle buffalo aioli is the actual star right here, giving it an ever-so-mild kick because the mushrooms, bacon, and onion ring add much more stuff to the double burger.
About the one factor these images do convey is simply how messy of a burger that is. In any other case, they promote it brief. I’d extremely advocate this for those who like heavy and wealthy indulgences, and don’t thoughts getting your arms coated in grease, sauce, cheese, and many others. (Additionally, there have been a number of events round me asking if the bun tastes humorous–it doesn’t; it’s a traditional bun.)
Additional accolades for this burger in all probability gained’t transfer the needle someway, so I’m going to wrap this put up up on a distinct be aware, ‘disclosing’ the underlying motivation for penning this put up within the first place. As you’ve in all probability seen talked about, I do a number of consuming on the parks for the sake of “Very Necessary Analysis.”
Very often, the consuming a part of that analysis occurs, however the writing half is skipped. Different issues come up, I neglect, don’t really feel like I’ve something compelling to say, and many others. Effectively, going ahead, my questionable meals selections are going to be, ahem, scrutinized a bit extra. So once I do eat poorly, I’ve to justify it.
It is because I just lately had my annual bodily and the LDL ldl cholesterol stage was, nicely, let’s simply say…not good! I do know what you’re pondering: “nicely yeah, dummy, for this reason you shouldn’t get annual physicals!” Honest level. I additionally ought to’ve been smarter than to schedule the factor proper after the beginning of the EPCOT Meals & Wine Competition and a bunch of different menu modifications at Walt Disney World. I really made a really comparable mistake again in 2018, and it price me a few yr within the culinary doghouse.
The physician appeared considerably shocked by the outcomes, as all of my different stats had been stable. Like, I’m clearly no Olympian or something, however my numbers are “glorious” for a center aged dude who works on a pc. Particularly since, once I defined my food regimen, I solely initially included particulars in regards to the meals Sarah prepares for us at residence. That ldl cholesterol quantity didn’t add up, until it was genetics.
Then I made the error of opening the can of worms that’s theme park running a blog. Do you wish to know the way a 60-70 yr previous physician will have a look at you if you clarify that it could possibly be an anomaly since you “had” to eat 8 scorching canines final week, professionally, for the sake of analysis? Heck, for that matter, if you say you’re a theme park blogger, as if that’s an actual factor and never simply one thing you made up on the spot to justify the aforementioned consuming of that many scorching canines?! Such as you’re loopy.
Because it seems, what you simply witnessed on this put up might need one thing to do with my excessive LDL stage. Or possibly it’s genetics. Who’s to say? However anyway, that is all a long-winded method of claiming that the steak, burger and scorching canine opinions is likely to be scaled again a bit sooner or later, with extra of an emphasis on salads and stuff. Or on the very least, there shall be extra restaurant opinions and eating posts, and little or no purely leisure consuming for love of the sport at Walt Disney World or Disneyland going ahead. Additionally, don’t do that at residence, I suppose. This sort of consuming ought to solely be carried out by a practice skilled.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you concentrate on the current menu updates at Magic Kingdom? Are you excited for these modifications and additions? Ideas on any of the brand new or modified dishes mentioned right here? Do you agree or disagree with my evaluation? Any questions we can assist you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even if you disagree with us–is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas beneath within the feedback!