List of WDW restaurants from years past?

[DisGhost]

So my husband and I went to Disney World for our honeymoon in April of 2000. I did manage to prove to my husband that there was once a table service restaurant at POFQ, where we stayed - Bonfamille's. We were young and poor and mostly did counter service stuff otherwise. But, there are a couple of restaurants we went to that I am trying to figure out and I'm stumped and DH is not helpful in any way shape or form because he insists things are totally the opposite of what I recall.

One place was fancy, and French, and I recall it having a BatB theme. It may have been Chefs de France since I really feel like it was in Epcot, but I recall it being more open and "ballroom" like with a more blue and gold theme than what I find pictures online, so I am wondering if anyone knows what it was like back then? Was that place billed as a Beauty and the Beast theme? Because that's what I recall attracting me. I haven't been to Les Chefs in our more recent 2 trips (there was, um, a 13 year hiatus) so I have no idea.

The other one is bit more difficult. I remember it being a Lady and the Tramp themed restaurant but in MGM (aka Hollywood Studios) so that would make it probably Mama Melrose not Tony's Town Square. But more importantly the place 100% had an outdoor seating area, with trellises and very quiet and private, and we got a pitcher of sangria. I don't see any outdoor seating areas in any of the pictures of Mama Melrose but it sure does look familiar. Did it used to have outdoor seating (or, does it still?)

Let me just say I could absolutely be wrong about which parks things were in.. We have not been to either Chefs de France or MM since, so I cannot confirm.

Is there a list of restaurants from years past, that have closed? Anything with pictures? Anything to jog my memory?

 

[starrysky]

The only lady and tramp one was in MK and that’s Tony’s

 

[DisGhost]

Thanks. The theme is easily something I am wrong about, but I know it did have a nice outdoor area to one side, with trellises covered in vines and not a ton of tables. I see that Tony's does have outdoor seating, but it seems.... too big and bright for what I recall. And I'm relatively certain it was at MGM.

Does Mama Melrose have outdoor seating? Or, DID it, in 2000?

 

[starrysky]

Thanks. The theme is easily something I am wrong about, but I know it did have a nice outdoor area to one side, with trellises covered in vines and not a ton of tables. I see that Tony's does have outdoor seating, but it seems.... too big and bright for what I recall. And I'm relatively certain it was at MGM.

Does Mama Melrose have outdoor seating? Or, DID it, in 2000?

Tony’s has outdoor seating like that. Mama Melrose has never had out door seating

 

[DisGhost]

So I've been looking at pictures Tony's and I am almost completely sure that is NOT the place I'm thinking of. So the question becomes, are there, or were there, any other restaurants, probably Italian, with outdoor seating, that was around in 2000 and may have since closed?

 

[LadyRayado]

Was it Alfredo in EPCOT? It closed in 2007 and became Tutto Italia

https://www.yesterland.com/alfredo.html

 

[kiford]

Was it Alfredo in EPCOT? It closed in 2007 and became Tutto Italia

https://www.yesterland.com/alfredo.html

That's what I was thinking. The only other one I can come up with is what is now Trattoria al Forno but which was Spoodles in the Boardwalk but although there's outdoor seating, it's fairly small and I don't recall trellises. We were there in 2000 and we never ate outside there so I can't fully recall what it looked like outside at the time.

Could the French restaurant have been what is now M. Paul? It was originally Le Bistro or something like that. I can't say that I recall it being anything resembling Beauty and the Beast or what the colour was at the time but I may simply not have noted it. We did eat there in 2000 and it was definitely fancier than Les Chefs.

 

[ncc1701]

That's what I was thinking. The only other one I can come up with is what is now Trattoria al Forno but which was Spoodles in the Boardwalk but although there's outdoor seating, it's fairly small and I don't recall trellises. We were there in 2000 and we never ate outside there so I can't fully recall what it looked like outside at the time.

Could the French restaurant have been what is now M. Paul? It was originally Le Bistro or something like that. I can't say that I recall it being anything resembling Beauty and the Beast or what the colour was at the time but I may simply not have noted it. We did eat there in 2000 and it was definitely fancier than Les Chefs.

The restaurant upstairs that is now M Paul used to be called Bistro de Paris. It changed about 6 or 7 years ago. Never went but you should be able to search the web for old photos to see if that was the restaurant.

 

[DisGhost]

The restaurant upstairs that is now M Paul used to be called Bistro de Paris. It changed about 6 or 7 years ago. Never went but you should be able to search the web for old photos to see if that was the restaurant.

Oh man I just saw this! Thank you, I didn't know this. I don't think that's it though. I recall it being a lot less intimate. I think it might actually be Chefs de France but maybe they did a reno? Something about the size of the place feels right. I feel like the place had a lot more blue and gold.

I really wish there were some more blogs out there with historical restaurants! I have a picture of us in Bonfamille's. But no other pictures from the entire trip, aside from one of my husband teaching a girl how to use "jah sticks" at Epcot. I have no idea what they are called now. Two sticks with a third larger one that you use to toss them around. He was a hippy back then. I have noooooo idea where all the other pictures went!

 

[SamFaniam]

The site has lots of guide maps from various years, maybe that will help - http://www.florida-project.com/guidemaps

 

[Deb & Bill]

I think your memory has faded over the years. Or combined the restaurants with movies. Bonfamiles closed in Aug 2000, so you might have seen that right before it permanently closed. We stayed there in Aug 2000 and it was already closed.

 

[DisGhost]

I think your memory has faded over the years. Or combined the restaurants with movies. Bonfamiles closed in Aug 2000, so you might have seen that right before it permanently closed. We stayed there in Aug 2000 and it was already closed.

We were there in April 2000, and it was 100% Bonfamille's, I know that. It was at Port Orleans and a sit down Cajun/Creole place. I'm 50% Cajun, and very critical of such things lol.

As for the others, I'm sure I have a poor memory of the BatB themed one. It's very hazy and the only thing I think I'm sure of is that it was a largish place.

I am however 100% certain there was a restaurant with trellises and a (SMALL) outdoor seating area and we got sangria. Everything else is suspect lol. Alfredo sounds actually correct, I'm going to look into it. I remember them making a "thing" over the Alfredo sauce. So that's a very strong possibility.

 

[DisGhost]

The site has lots of guide maps from various years, maybe that will help

OMG thank you. I'm going to have to spend some time exploring, but how cool!

 

[DisGhost]

Nope, not Alfredo's, but my husband is certain we ate there, too, since he used to go there with his mom and liked it a lot. Off to look at old maps!

PS he thinks I'm insane and have memory issues.

 

[DisGhost]

Ok so I am starting to think it truly was Mama Melrose. They have sangria, they have the vines on the ceiling, pretty sure it was at MGM... just I remember it being MUCH lighter and sunnier, so maybe we were seated in one of the few areas with windows? Husband is 99% convinced that's it. There's a wall of old photos with a trellis of "grapes" that looks awfully familiar.

As for the French restaurant.... For that I could be losing my marbles.

Thank you all for your help!

 

[SamFaniam]

We were there in April 2000, and it was 100% Bonfamille's, I know that. It was at Port Orleans and a sit down Cajun/Creole place. I'm 50% Cajun, and very critical of such things lol.

As for the others, I'm sure I have a poor memory of the BatB themed one. It's very hazy and the only thing I think I'm sure of is that it was a largish place.

I am however 100% certain there was a restaurant with trellises and a (SMALL) outdoor seating area and we got sangria. Everything else is suspect lol. Alfredo sounds actually correct, I'm going to look into it. I remember them making a "thing" over the Alfredo sauce. So that's a very strong possibility.

We loved Bonfamilles and I was very sad when it closed. They had the best breakfast skillets there.

 

[DisGhost]

I think this was taken there, I remember handing the camera to the waitress.

 

[RAPstar]

That definitely looks like the sun room at Chefs de France

 

[ncc1701]

We loved Bonfamilles and I was very sad when it closed. They had the best breakfast skillets there.

We did dinner and breakfast there on our trip in 1998. Sad it was gone when we went back in 2001. Also miss breakfast at Boatwrights.

 

[DisGhost]

That definitely looks like the sun room at Chefs de France

Hmmmm.... well that kind of rewrites a bit of my memory! I know the waitress took a photo at Bonfamille's, I remember handing her the camera and she couldn't figure out the flash. But you're right, it does look like the sunroom. So now I have to go hunt down other pictures, but I have absolutely no idea where they could be!

But... that kind of solves the other part of the mystery lol.