Dear, departed WDW restaurants ...

[webray]

The restaurant our entire family misses most is the Fireworks Factory...our trips have never been the same since..lol.

Hubby and I miss Seasons food and the show you got with dinner in the theatre.

Harry's Safari was always a blast, Ariel's always wonderful...and the not to be forgotten cheese bread from The Land.


And who mentioned the gold key card...how wonderful was that...we had that on our honeymoon. Breakfast at Tangora Terrace (banana stuffed french toast, of course and the pink drinks)...what could be better!

 

[epcotfan]

Althought this was only a counter service restaurant I desperately miss The Adventureland Veranda. They had the best Polynesian Burger and Lo Mein Noodle salad. Great Key Lime Pie as well!

I also miss the Fireworks Factory at PI and when Le Cellier was a Cafeteria.

 

[Bildmouse]

Tangaora Terrace at the Poly was a great breakfast spot and our kids fell in love with it our first trip. I think we had breakfast there 3 out of 5 days. It was just steps from our room that trip. Next trip it was gone but we discovered Tony's and fell in love. And then there was the Soundstage at MGM - gone again!!

 

[Uncleromulus]

Lots of places on this list-some of which I forgot to add to my own list!!

Picture this: It's Sept. 18, 1975 and your very first nite at WDW ever. You made the mistake of not staying on property, and are now faced with the prospect of eating at the motel dining room. You suddenly decide that it would be "neat" to eat at a WDW restaurant so you grab the phone book and call Papette Bay Verandah (you call them direct-no WDW-DINE in those days).
Dinner is at 8:00-you arrive at the Poly and are immediately impressed with the entrance, the lobby, etc--sure dosen't look like the Ramada Inn!! Then you go to the restaurant. You're greeted with an "Aloha" and a lei for Mrs. Uncleromulus. Inside, there is a three peice Hawaiian combo playing, and a lovely hula dancer performing. The menu includes scallops in lime and coconut cream, "Pigs n' Prawns, and lots of other good stuff. You can see the castle all lit up across the seven seas lagoon and you order the "Seven Seas" cocktail (served in a souvenier glass which I still have today). Then at 9:00 comes the water pagent "parade" (which we didn't really know about, so it was a real treat).
Wow!!
We decide that WDW is really a pretty neat place and maybe we'll come back again someday

 

[JudithM]

WOW! Memories for sure ...! We definitely miss Bonfamille's. We don't know what Disney was thinking when they closed this restaurant. We ate many breakfasts & dinners there.

We had a very nice breakfast at Tangaora Terrace on one of our first trips. Then they closed it.

I believe Pampano Grill was at the Lake Buena Vista golf course. We had a few delicious dinners at Season's, too. I don't think Disney promoted Season's enough to non-Disney Institute guests.

 

[AllisonG]

I gotta say how much I miss the Soundstage Character Meal in MGM. My first trip back to WDW after a hiatus, 1997. It's raining like crazy. There's me, DH, DS (only 9 months old), Mom, Dad, Sister and neice. We had PS at Soundstage for lunch. Had a short wait for a table. Once seated we were impressed with the size of the 'warehouse'. We went up to the buffet and the selection was great. Nice hot food to warm us from the rain outside. Then came the characters! Wow. Every color of the rainbow! Genie, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Quasi, Esmarelda, Aladdin, Meeko, Belle and Beast. It was unbelieveable. There were more characters, I just can't think of all of them. But they were everywhere.
Sure wish we could go back there. Now that my DS is 5 he could enjoy all of those characters!

 

[Halle]

Uncler.............forgot how to spell the rest.......sorry. You should never have divulged the info that you ate there in 1975, all this time I'm thinking you two are youngsters, now I know we're probably about the same age!! Stayed offsite at the Sheraton Lakeside 12/75 for our honeymoon, who could afford $21.00 per night Xmas week at the Contemporary!! Just yesterday my DH was telling our kids about riding the shoulder to edge out others because they'd close the MK by 9:30 ( I think) due to the crowds!!
We too are DVC members ('93) best thing we ever did!

 

[kt-scarlett]

Originally posted by Kermit
Minnie Mouse had a restaurant in DD, back when it was the Village Marketplace or whatever they called it. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, but my mom, sister, aunt, and I had a really fun lunch there one day. It was a full service place, but I think we all had sandwiches, so it wasn't really fine dining. It was very good, though, and had great service. In fact, after my mom had eaten half of her sandwich, she realized that they hadn't made it the way she requested. The waitress overheard and brought another one made correctly and didn't charge for either.

Was it Minnie Mia's Pizzeria? Or something like that?

Love this thread, btw! Thanks for sharing your memories, everyone!

 

[disneysue]

Does anyone remember the Bake Shop on Main Street with Sara Lee products('70's) before it started carrying Nestle Toll House stuff? I used to love those Sara Lee brownies!

 

[sotoalf]

I'm still lookign for guests who've eaten at the Gulf Coast Room at the Contemporary. My parents swear they dined there in the mid '80s, but they can't remember their dinner. I think someone posted that the GCR served duck. is this true? Wasn't it the only place in WDW at the time which required men to wear jackets?

 

[Maleficent13]

My family really misses the Trophy Room at the then Golf Resort. The name changed to something like the Garden Room when the hotel changed names to the Disney Inn. Our most repeated family memory there was when my mom tried to crack a crab claw and it flew across the room into some gentleman's soup! She actually got up, walked across the room, said "excuse me, that's mine" and picked it up. We were laughing so hard we couldn't finish anything!

 

[spagheddie]

Originally posted by leahannpen
I LOVED the Empress Room and Steerman's Quarters. Way back when we could do (okay, afford...LOL) an all-inclusive type of program that included 3 meals a day. Gold Key or something it was called. Boy did we eat like pigs. We'd go to those two places every time and have steak and lobster.

Those were the days. Not only could you eat like pig's, but could play golf, rent boats as often as you'd like. We'd take the water sprites out every day at the Poly. I remember my family eating at the Empress Lilly and running up a bill of close to $400.
We were only in our 5th day of a 10day trip. After that meal my dad got up from the table and declared, "Well, we're using Walt's money now!" When we went back to our room we looked at all of our charges and he was right.

 

[sotoalf]

When was the Gold Key discontinued?

You know, there was something to be said about the coziness of WDW before the Expansion of '88-'89. You could visit EPCOT Center (to revert to its traditionalist spelling!) and MK in three or four days, and then have time to relax by your pool - if you were lucky enough to get a room onsite in those days - golf, play tennis, or head out to the Village Marketplace.

Does anyone remember how hard was it to get a room in a Disney resort in the '70s and '80's? Did you have to call often? Were there waiting lists? I was too young to remember

 

[mbw12]

I miss the Old Chef Mickeys that used to be located where the Rainforest Cafe is. My husband and I use to eat here before we were married and on our honeymoon....we loved it!!!!

 

[Franky4fingers]

I miss the Tangora Terrance. When I was a little kid and my folks stayed at offsite hotels we would always eat at the Tangora Terrance. Of course I ate the Mickey's suprise there which was pancakes with M&Ms in them. Lets just say that was not a good mix and I never ate that again.

Since they closed that I don't think we have ate breakfast at any table service resturant since then for breakfast.

 

[arizonacolbys]

This one is a little newer - but, we really miss Hollywood & Vine at MGM for lunch. We loved seeing the characters in their great outfits & getting a nice hot buffet lunch after spending the morning on TOT & R&RC.

I really wish they would bring this lunch back, or replace it with a different theme/different characters & serve lunch here again.

 

[sotoalf]

I miss the Tangaroa Terrace too. At our first stay at the Polynesian in 1987 we breakfasted there twice. I liked that the longhouses on the far end of the resort had their own sit-down restaurant option without huffing it to the Great Ceremonial House.

Does anyone know why it closed in 1996? Lack of popularity? Too many other dining options?

 

[Buzzfanmom]

I remember way back in 1976 ( I was 3) eating dinner at King Stefan's in the Castle. I don't know why this sticks in my head since I was so young but I had some kind of chocolate mint dessert that was delicious. I think my Dad may have ordered it and I decided that I would finish it. Anyway, everytime we eat at CRT I always remember that minty green dessert at King Stefan's!!

 

[madalex]

Originally posted by eeyore0062

The Yacht Club Galley closed last year, much to the disappointment of many guests. No word on when or if it will ever open, much like the sister restaurant in the Beach Club by the name of Ariel's, that still sits there lonely and desolate.

I believe that the Yacht Club Galley is open, but only for breakfast and lunch.

I have always wondered about Ariel's - it was there the very first trip we made in Feb 97, but closed shortly thereafter. It is curious that space has been left empty for so long.

 

[mbw12]

Originally posted by arizonacolbys
This one is a little newer - but, we really miss Hollywood & Vine at MGM for lunch. We loved seeing the characters in their great outfits & getting a nice hot buffet lunch after spending the morning on TOT & R&RC.

I really wish they would bring this lunch back, or replace it with a different theme/different characters & serve lunch here again.

I forget....did they get rid of the characters altogether....none at dinner either???