The Mickeyphile Podcast: Walt Disney World, Disney Cruises & Park Tips
The Mickeyphile Podcast is a Walt Disney World podcast covering Disney parks, Disney Cruise Line, trip planning tips, dining reviews, and the latest Disney news.
Each week, we share honest opinions, real experiences from the parks, and practical advice to help you plan a better Disney vacation—whether you're visiting Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or setting sail on a Disney cruise.
From in-depth trip reports and restaurant reviews to park strategies, Lightning Lane tips, and breaking Disney updates, we cover what matters most to Disney fans and travelers.
If you're planning a Walt Disney World vacation, looking for Disney tips, or just want real talk about what Disney gets right (and what it doesn’t), you’re in the right place.
🎙️ What You’ll Hear on The Mickeyphile Podcast:
- Walt Disney World trip planning tips and strategies
- Disney dining reviews (quick service and signature restaurants)
- Disney Cruise Line reviews and experiences
- Park updates, construction news, and changes
- Honest takes on Disney pricing, value, and guest experience
🎧 Perfect For:
- First-time Disney visitors
- Repeat Disney fans and Annual Passholders
- Disney Cruise Line travelers
- Anyone planning a Disney World vacation
📢 Follow & Connect:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mickeyphilepodcast
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/946434275769168
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickeyphile_podcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mickeyphile_podcast
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mickeyphilepodcast
🎵 Music Credit:
Cân thema (Mickeyphile Podcast Theme)
© 2024 Scott Daves
The Mickeyphile Podcast: Walt Disney World, Disney Cruises & Park Tips
Walt Disney World Quick Service Restaurants
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Mickeyphile Podcast Episode 181 - Disney World Quick Service Restaurants
This is episode 181 of the Mickeyphile Podcast. A beloved ride is permanently closing at Disney World, as some would say. The mystery building at Hollywood Studios has opened. And a new family member makes her first appearance at Animal Kingdom. And we will discuss quick-service restaurants in the parks. All on this week’s episode.
Highlights include:
Soarin’ over California end date
Ice Cold Hydraulics
Easter Displays
Flower and Garden Festival coming soon
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/946434275769168/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickeyphile_podcast/
Music: “Cân thema (Mickeyphile Podcast Theme)” copyright Scott Daves 2023
Disney World Updates and Changes
Speaker 1This is episode 181 of the McPheeFile podcast. A beloved ride is permanently closing at Disney World, as some would say. The mystery building at Hollywood Studios has opened and a new family member makes her first appearance at Animal Kingdom. And we'll discuss Quick Service Restaurants in the Parks all on this week's episode.
Speaker 2Welcome back everyone to another episode of the McPheeFile podcast. I'm Scott, and with me, as always, is my lovely wife Karen, Hello everybody. So Festival of the Arts is over. Yes, we're in Diet Upcott.
Speaker 1We are Diet Upcott.
Speaker 2For like a week.
Speaker 1Yes, a week from a festival. Ten days or whatever. Yeah, from a festival of the art club.
Speaker 2Yes, it closed like Sunday, right Monday, oh, President's Day. So yeah, leave it on.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And then the new one opens. Wednesday, next Wednesday so nine days, whatever it is. Yeah, it hasn't seemed to affect attendance any. No, it's absurd over there. Uh-huh Like it's absurd over there right now.
Speaker 1It really is. I don't know what's worth the attendance or the traffic.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm kind of dreading going over there this weekend, I know.
Speaker 1I'd love not to just take forever to get over in the drive. That's the worst part for me. I can handle the crowds. You can go another way or go chill out somewhere.
Speaker 2Well, and we have alternative routes. Yes, but kind of not really, because we have to go drop the dogs off, right?
Speaker 1We have alternative routes after we drop the dogs off.
Speaker 2Well, we do before. But yeah, Before isn't where the traffic is.
Speaker 1Right, first world problems, right, I know.
Speaker 2But you know.
Speaker 1That is always the part I dread is driving over.
Speaker 2It took me An hour and a half to go 55 miles yesterday, and I wasn't going to Disney, right. So like I'm not in the mood for traffic today, yeah, tomorrow, friday, whenever it is, we go over there.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2But anyway we are going, it's race weekend it is race weekend we have friends doing stuff, you see, A friend Tony Ann is going to do her first 5K.
Speaker 1No, I'm very proud of her and that's tomorrow morning. I'm sorry that would be Friday morning, yeah.
Speaker 2So super cool I know and other friends, but I'm honestly not Because they've done them before in the loop, so I don't know actually who's even here.
Speaker 1Yeah, the other friends have already done them at the January. So I just think this is a big thing for Tony Ann yeah it is.
Speaker 2Good for her. Hopefully it won't be 38 in rainy Right.
Speaker 1God, that was miserable.
Speaker 2This is the same race, right? I feel like it was earlier when we did it.
Speaker 1No about the same time.
Speaker 2Maybe not, then.
Speaker 1Because it showed up in my memories yesterday on Facebook.
Speaker 2Okay, Cool deal then. Yeah, yeah, so we'll get to do whatever. Yeah. So there's all the chit chat out of the way. Yep, why don't you start news Okay?
Speaker 1Soren over California is ending at Epcot on February 27th and Soren around the world will return on February 28th.
Speaker 2You didn't do that right. A beloved attraction is permanently closing at Disney World.
Speaker 1I don't know if this is going to happen.
Speaker 2I don't know if it's going to happen. No, I don't know if it's going to happen, I don't know.
Speaker 1I don't know what it would happen. I don't know what it would happen. Yeah, I think you got one more question.
Speaker 2I think there are at least two sides.
Speaker 1I can tell you that would have right the headline that way.
Speaker 2Yes, I have to honestly say I don't care one way or another.
Speaker 1No, the transitions were very rough on the original.
Speaker 2Yeah, like it was good. I'm glad I've seen it. Dan Austin was right the memories of that show are much better than the show.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Like, the transitions were nowhere near as good. Right and I also don't. California's fine Right Like but world makes more sense. I think around the world, especially at Epcot, is more applicable. Yeah, it makes a lot more sense. Yes, and they're such cool, you know, flying over the Great Wall and that castle and I know it's just so. Yeah, and honestly I don't think there were less crooked buildings in the California one.
Speaker 1Correct.
Speaker 2So I don't really care. It's a fun ride.
Speaker 1It doesn't really matter what the Right, but I'm glad we had the opportunity to see it, because I never saw the original.
Speaker 2Yeah, I'm glad we saw it Right Again. I did see the original, but I don't.
Speaker 1I may have, but I don't remember it.
Speaker 2I'm sure you did. Yeah, I'm sure we saw it together. I mean honestly that ride.
Speaker 1I don't care if it's the old version of the new version.
Speaker 2I don't care if they, if you sat in it and they showed a movie of Guardians of the Galaxy or something like that would be cool. I mean, the ride is, it's a neat ride. It doesn't really matter what's on screen. It'd be cool if they could get the Eiffel Tower not to lean and drunk elephants and stuff. But you know, anyway it's going away and round the world is coming back. Yep, I wonder if there's any like unannounced changes to them around the world or if it's just gonna be the same movie.
Speaker 1Oh, I don't know, Maybe you know, who knows? Nothing was really said.
Speaker 2I mean we discussed it at the time Epcot is wrong. Now yes, so maybe, maybe it'll have an updated Epcot ending.
Speaker 1Maybe, maybe that's why they did that, so they could fix it.
Speaker 2They conveniently did it very close to the opening, of you know.
Speaker 1World celebration right, yeah Right.
Speaker 2So there's our speculation. Yep, I mean, I don't think it's like huge speculation, no, especially because, I'm. I don't think like I don't think the Epcot video is necessarily a drone flying over Epcot. No, I don't think so. It looks more CGI.
Speaker 1Artist conception to me I could be wrong, but and they've gotten really good at that CGI artist conception stuff.
Speaker 2I don't know, you didn't see She-Hulk. Oh no. And every other Marvel thing they've put out that's full of CGI, that's awful. Oh, okay, the the opinions expressed. Do not reflect. Do reflect that of those of the host, management and staff of the Mickey file podcast.
Speaker 1Okay, disney's Hollywood studio has changed how hotel guests enter the park. During early entry, which is beginning 30 minutes before the park opens to regular guests, disney has switched up with more lanes for hotel guests to check in between all of the ticket booths and then the regular guests are being sent to the right at the turnstiles.
Speaker 2Good, Because we haven't. We've done that like once. Right. Because of for Moana. She's the only time we actually did early entry.
Speaker 1But it just, it was very unorganized. She spent 15, 20 minutes just trying to get in.
Speaker 2Right, right, right. The early entry people couldn't get in because all the regular people were In the way, in the way, right, you know.
Speaker 2So, I think it's good Now put in, like, put in an annual pass holder gate for people who are A actually annual pass holders, mm-hmm and B on the right they're on the right day, Mm-hmm and also figure out how to get the people out of the way when you have to scan them in on the Mac and all that. Don't make them stand there. I know I complain about this all the time, right, but it just keeps happening. Yes, people come up, whatever it's their first time coming in on their annual pass, whatever, right, it's not working. The plaid has to come over with the iPad and scan them in, right, but get them out of the way.
Speaker 2Don't hold up two lines of traffic which is what they do, mm-hmm by standing them right there at the tap styles to do it Right, like, take them four feet away so that everybody else can continue to try to get into the park. Right, do what you have to do. If you have to have them come back and tap again, then that's fine. Have them come back and tap again, right, but it's absurd. Yeah, all right, off my soapbox.
Speaker 1Okay, the new ice cold hydraulic stand has opened on Grand Avenue at Hollywood Studios. They're offering Coke infused bites and beverages.
Speaker 2So that's the place across from baseline tap house, right before you go into Muppets. Muppets or Galaxy's Edge, right, that was clearly going to be a concession stand from the time they closed it Right, or put the walls up, but cool, it looks neat.
Speaker 1I've seen pictures of it. Yeah, it does look neat and apparently I think, one of the things that they have churros, but they're like churro bites. Apparently they are pretty good, from what I've seen.
Speaker 2They still fear Disney churros.
Speaker 1Yes, you mean Walt Disney World churros.
Speaker 2Yes, I don't relate it. Now it's sunshine, churros.
Speaker 1Yes, very good.
Speaker 2I still don't understand how three bridges and I like St Gregory University at three bridges. I've had a horrible experience there for dinner, but St Gregory University is cool. I still don't understand how you could have churros that were undercooked inside.
Speaker 1Yeah, that I don't get. I don't understand that.
Speaker 2Also better than the ones in Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2So there's that Great Sunshine churros, however, multiple locations at Disney Springs and not a sponsor. No, not a sponsor at all, but if you follow them on Instagram, 10% off. Found that out.
Speaker 1I didn't know that.
Speaker 2Yeah, Because they don't do discounts Like you can't. You know it's a booth, so you can't get annual pass or whatever. But if you show them that you follow them on Instagram, you get 10%. You get 10% off.
Speaker 1That's pretty cool yeah.
Speaker 2Brilliant.
Speaker 1It really is A plus. Disney is now outsourcing DVD, blu-ray production and distributions to Sony.
Speaker 2Announced like the same day that they announced that the Disney Movie Club is gone.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Anybody still buying DVDs and Blu-rays?
Speaker 1I don't know, I know we don't.
Speaker 2The last one I bought. Yeah, I bought the three prequel trilogy movies like way before COVID.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2And I got them only because it was the same price as getting the digital versions of the movies, but they came with the digital version. Oh right, so we basically got digital and the actual disc and I was like, oh cool, then I can have a hard copy or do the digital. Then I bought a Mac that doesn't have a DVD player anyway, so they haven't been looked at in like five years.
Speaker 1Yeah, that sounds about right.
Speaker 2At least five years. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1But we have them.
Speaker 2I do have them Along with VHS versions of the original trilogy, yes, and DVD and Blu-ray yes, which means I have three different, completely different versions of those movies, because George Lucas could not stop screwing with them and had to change something on every release.
Speaker 1Well, you know.
Speaker 2You know what I don't have the actual original one that I fell in love with in 1977 with the crappy explosion for the Death Star, oh really, and didn't have the do-backs walking through boss-isley, but Ha, ha, ha, ha ha. Vhs copies. No VHS player, right, but I got VHS copies of those movies.
Speaker 1Well, when we had them, we had a VHS player. You know, I still remember the one that had VHS on one side and DVD on the other. Those are the best ones, the players.
Speaker 2Oh yeah, you had that TV for a while. Mm-hmm. But it was the CRT, so it's gone. Yeah, the way of VHS, uh-huh.
Speaker 1Easter displays are returning to Disney's contemporary yacht club and beach club resorts, as well as the Easter display and grand cottage returning to Grand Floridian. They've been putting up the Easter eggs, just not the cottage at Grand Floridian, the big yeah for the last couple of years yeah, so be excited to go see that.
Speaker 2I'm just trying to remember. I know we spent a lot of time at Grand Floridian, I think twice, mm-hmm, I don't remember going to any of the other ones.
Speaker 1No, I don't either, because I think they were only at Grand Floridian for.
Speaker 2Yeah, maybe that's why. Yeah, that's cool, those eggs are awesome.
Speaker 1Yeah, and then they have the person sitting there painting another one, remember.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, which was cast member sitting there doing it, which was really neat, mm-hmm. So the detail on them are amazing, right? So baby elephant Cora debuts at Disney's Animal Kingdom Savanna, I'm sorry, she's flipping adorable. I showed you, because I showed you last night, the little video of her running out like mom, gotta catch up, gotta catch up.
Speaker 2It's literally just like the little baby in the jungle book. It is, it's just adorable, like if she just had her her snout wrapped around her mom's tail, it would be perfect.
Speaker 1Yep and her mom, nadira Probably Nadira Nadira. She was also born at Disney's Animal Kingdom, making Cora the first second generation elephant born at Animal Kingdom. That's pretty neat.
Animal Longevity and Disney Updates
Speaker 2That is really cool. Mm-hmm. Kinda hit you how long Animal Kingdom's been there. Yeah, yeah, because I mean Nadira had to reach maturity and then it's what is it?
Speaker 1It's a 40 months or something.
Speaker 2What is it? 18 to 22 months for an Asian elephant? African Bush elephant 22 months, wow, so two years? Yeah, I love when you Google stuff and as people always ask, okay, which animal has the longest pregnancy? That's an interesting stat. And it is Pachyderm elephants, which is funny because I thought elephants were just Pachyderms. It's like elephant elephants. It's like a bow bun. It totally unrelated. Get to that in a second. All right, but the second question under people also ask why does it take elephants? Why does it take two years for elephants pregnant? And the BBC's answer is the mystery of the elephants long pregnancy has been unraveled by scientists. They are huge, yes, and it takes a long time for the family friendly version of this. Scientifically, it's going to take a long time for two cells to become an elephant big enough to be born Like. There's the answer. Didn't need a BBC article for that, right? Okay, back to Pachyderm elephants and bow buns. So I've been listening to this podcast about the history of England. Yes, we talked about this last night.
Speaker 1Yes, I know. That's why I knew you're good to go there with that.
Speaker 2There is a town in England called Breeden on the Hill. Okay so Bre is Celtic for Hill, gun is Old English for Hill, so the name of this town is Hill Hill on the Hill, and the host of the show was like so apparently the Hill has a lot to do with this town. Hill Hill on the Hill, I swear Like pretty awesome though. Yeah, and our friend Kevin Curtis Allen likes to make fun of us for reusing British names. Yeah. Hill Hill on the Hill buddy.
Speaker 1All right moving on. Moving on. So Ron Disney has announced the themes for the 2024 Disney's Wine and Dine Half Marathon weekend. The 5K is gonna be hosted by the Swedish chef, which is just. I love it. That's kind of groovy yeah.
Speaker 2Especially as they kind of move away from them up. It's at least on Disney Plus right now.
Speaker 1All right, the 10K is hosted by Tiana and friends, the half marathon is hosted by Chef Remy in Linguini, and then the two course challenge is hosted by Chef Mickey. I think, yeah, that's cool. Yeah, then the Golden Platinum run Disney members will be able to register on March 5th. General registration opens March 12th.
Speaker 2All right, groovy.
Speaker 1Yeah, I just love that they're putting the Swedish chef Burke Burke Burke. Yeah, that's pretty cool. I don't know why it made me giggle, so I'm strange right now. And then, as we know, the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival begins on February 28th and for 90 days ending May 27th, so they got a lot of the topiaries out there already.
Speaker 2Yeah, it looks like it's pretty much there.
Speaker 1Yeah, they didn't have the front done. I think that one they wait till the night before to do Like the one right at the entrance.
Speaker 2All right. So you were there what Tuesday? Yes, and you said that the Encanto one is already at the end of the walkway going towards like World showcase.
Speaker 1Yeah, so port of entry and whatever the other store Right right, that was already up.
Speaker 2So that was at the front last year, so I wonder what the front one's gonna be.
Speaker 1I think I'm thinking Wish, Because they were including Spaceship Earth in all of the music and the Wish. That was a big thing in December on the opening of it. So I have a feeling it's Wish. If not, I could be wrong. That's just my own speculation.
Speaker 2It might be Like Encanto was already on Disney Plus and people were already excited about it, cause it didn't I mean you know, different time. It was still when theaters weren't really open, right, and it didn't do like anything in movie theaters Cause everybody had watched it on at home.
Speaker 1Well, no, it became big when it went to Disney Plus, Right right, I don't know, yeah, so I guess we'll just get to be surprised.
Speaker 2Yeah, because it might be out this weekend. It kind of feels like I don't think they're gonna drop it on us Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning, whatever it opens, Probably I think it'll be out before that yeah.
Speaker 1Bull deal, mm-hmm. So they have all. The booths are scheduled to open and haven't even looked at the menus yet. Wanna get excited about those.
Speaker 2Yeah, but we're not gonna go, for at least we won't be there opening day. I don't think. Yes, we are. Yeah, crap, that's why we're staying open. Oh, cause it's 28th, cause it's the night after moonlight, day after moonlight magic. Right, right, right.
Speaker 1Cause that's the orange bird festival. Well yeah, orange bird, inspect the bee.
Speaker 2so Okay, uh, dvc news. Disney's Riviera resort and the village at Disneyland hotel saw sales improve, helping overall direct sales register its best since January, best January since 2020.
Speaker 1That's good.
Speaker 2So 2020 was right, like a month after Riviera started going on sale? Mm, hmm, I think. Or maybe a month after it opened.
Speaker 1Month after it opened, because I think it went on sale before it opened.
Speaker 2Yeah, but it opened in December, I think.
Speaker 1Yeah, because it, because that's right when COVID hit.
Disney Quick Service Restaurant Favorites
Speaker 2Right, like sick, like middle of. March right when everything shut down? Mm, hmm, so that's cool. Yeah, um, there is a new Disney produced video taking viewers inside a cabin for the look at the newest Disney Vacation Club destination. Mm, hmm, what are people excited about? A stool?
Speaker 1Yes, so the kids can step up and use the sink.
Speaker 2So that is very cool. Mm hmm, why did he take them 15 resorts to figure out to put one of those in there? I don't know. Like right, yeah, like 50 years ago we had a stool in our bathroom at the house. Mm hmm, not a new thing. The Austins apparently bring their own, yep.
Speaker 1I bring one when I go to wash my car because I can't reach the antenna to take it off, so it doesn't ruin my antenna topper.
Speaker 2Well, I mean right, but not in the bathroom, saying that short.
Speaker 1No, I'm not that short.
Speaker 2So anyway, very cool.
Speaker 1And they showed some of the little artwork and little things more detailed inside the video as well.
Speaker 2Yeah, so that's going to do it for news, yes. So yeah, we're going to talk favorite fast food restaurants, quick service, quick service restaurants. Fast food restaurants, yeah, at the parks and some honorable benches at Disney Springs. Yes, because there's some pretty good quick service over there. There really are. Let's start with the hardest one first.
Speaker 1Okay, which is what magic, magic?
Speaker 2kingdom. Magic kingdom is not a foodie park. No, it's not. The quick service is probably better than the table service for the role.
Speaker 1Right.
Speaker 2What's yours at magic kingdom?
Speaker 1Mine is Pekos Bill Tavern or whatever it's called Pekos Bill Tall tail in and cafe. Yeah, that it's pretty good. I really like the pork. What is the carnitas nachos?
Speaker 2Yeah, those are good. We had those. I usually just get like the fajitas or tacos.
Speaker 1I mean, their portions are good.
Speaker 2Wish the condiment bar was open back up.
Speaker 1I know I miss that Because you don't ever get enough sour cream, you don't ever get enough guacamole.
Speaker 2We haven't been in there in a while.
Speaker 1No, we haven't.
Speaker 2I mean, you know, it's a lot bigger than I've realized.
Speaker 1Yeah, I for some reason only remember it having like five items, but apparently they've changed it up.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's where we went when we did the keys of the kingdom tour. We had lunch there.
Speaker 1Yeah, and we had to pick. Yeah, and they only gave us like four items to choose from.
Speaker 2Well, I mean remember they were doing it for however many people were. I mean but it's pretty good, it's good.
Speaker 1It is.
Speaker 2For magic.
Speaker 1Right, and actually the prices aren't bad either.
Speaker 2No most expensive thing on the menu is 1549 for either the fajita platter or double bacon barbecue cheeseburger Right. So everything else is 1011, 1213. And there's tables and stools inside and outside and if you're lucky, you can get a table outside and see the parade come by Exactly. It doesn't seem to happen often, but no, you can.
Speaker 1So what's your favorite quick service at Magic Kingdom.
Speaker 2Sleepy hollow. Okay, it used to be Columbia Harbor House, okay, but the chicken tenders have started to get dry. Yes, sleepy hollow, sleepy hollow has. Well, they have the Nutella waffle Sorry, the hazelnut spread waffle sandwich with fruit. Right, nutella, yes, but they also have that we just had for the first time, because I always just get the fruit one. The chicken one was good. Chicken one was better than I expected it to be. It was very messy though it was, because it had, like I don't know, a honey glaze or whatever it was on the chicken.
Speaker 1Yeah, but.
Speaker 2And the Nutella waffle sandwich is like available all the time now, right, you know, it used to be like it was only breakfast, right, and it's like all day now.
Speaker 1Well, and I mean, they're already making the waffle. Why can't you put the hazelnut spread and fruit on it Right Any time of the day? So, and for the size of it, it's easily shareable.
Speaker 2Yeah, we, it was plenty for us.
Speaker 1Yeah, the.
Speaker 2Now it's not even available for breakfast. Yeah, about that? Oh there, it is fresh fruit waffle sandwich, right, 849? Yeah, right, that's a big sandwich for 849. Right, the chicken one 1159, mm-hmm, but it's got chicken right.
Speaker 1And then it comes with the homemade chips and I mean it, it's plenty of, it's plenty of food, easy, easily shareable yeah, and broccoli slaw. It didn't say broccolini slaw, did it broccoli?
Speaker 2slaw, but it was good. I don't like broccoli but it was actually okay. On the sandwich, yeah.
Speaker 1Do you have an honorable mention there for a magic?
Speaker 2I had a couple flatbreads from Pinocchio Village house that were okay. Mm-hmm. You know some of these other ones, like Fryer's nook. I more consider that like a snack place. Yeah right, we've eaten a lot at Cosmic Rays, especially like at parties and stuff, right. I mean it's not great usually. Like their seasonal Stuff is okay, like the one they do for the Halloween party or the Christmas party is okay, right. I think, other than that.
Speaker 1It's it's not great right and I think, because it's something different, that's how it ends up being a little bit more fresh. Yeah, because it's something different.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1So, there you go, that's our.
Speaker 2Unique choice is that's magic kingdom. It gets better as you move to other parks, right, right, um, when do up cop?
Speaker 1All right, you go ahead for a cop.
Speaker 2Quick service at a cop, the. The answer Is sunshine seasons quick service. I know.
Speaker 1It's really good, and especially if you get there right when they open and they have a variety.
Speaker 2You know it's kind of food courtee, right? So there are a lot of options. It's funny the picture they show on the website for the For it is not. It's not even like what I would get when I go there.
Speaker 1No.
Speaker 2You know they have a roast beef sandwich. They've got Mongolian beef with vegetable fried rice, rotisserie chicken and it's all good. It's all really good. A million seats.
Speaker 1Yes, right, because it's in the land.
Speaker 2Pavilion, yeah, so it was really Good place to go while you're waiting for your soren, uh-huh.
Speaker 1And the food is very fresh because, like when we got there, basically right when it was opening for lunch, but it was, they were just putting it out and it was delicious?
Speaker 2Yeah, no, it's excellent. I enjoy that place. It's air conditioned, right. It's been my favorite pavilion. Mm-hmm, what else you got?
Speaker 1That's really my. That's for Epcot Connection Zee Dairy. It was pretty good. The portions are good. The pizza was really good at the connection Zee Dairy. The pizza's really good.
Speaker 2The burger's okay too. It's not gray like Cosmic Reyes.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2You know, the burger. There is better, for sure.
Speaker 1Yeah, but yeah, the pizza was huge for the price, but it was two pieces and it was like what, 11 bucks or something.
Speaker 2Yeah, I think so. I think it's 11. It might be 14, but I think it's 11.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2For two big slices, right. The other one that we kind of forget about is the Lotus Blossom Cafe. Oh yeah, back there. Uh-huh, got a quick service Chinese. Yeah, has not been as busy as other places, but it's very good, you know, and like Cantina de San Angel. What's nice about that is that they've opened up seating inside the restaurant during the day, which is really nice, so you can get in there, get something to eat, actually get a seat, because the restaurant's open and it's in air conditioning.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2So that's been good.
Speaker 1Yeah, and their portions on that were pretty good too. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 2People are gonna get upset that we don't say regal-egal, it's just Disney barbecue. Yeah, like I.
Speaker 1I know, I agree, it's Disney barbecue which is.
Speaker 2Which is pre-cooked stuff with liquid smoke, Right, you know, and it's fine. I mean it's reasonably priced and decent portions. The chicken is pretty good there.
Speaker 1But yes, just we prefer other locations.
Speaker 2Yeah, yeah, I prefer food truck barbecue. Yeah, that's some. I want the guy on the side of the road with a smoker and a smoker Chartered up all day.
Speaker 1Oh man, that's the good stuff. We get that a lot around here too.
Speaker 2Yeah, pro-mans, right up the road. Yep, hollywood Studios.
Speaker 1Yeah, there's actually a lot of options there and it's hard for me to pick my favorite.
Speaker 2So I combine Ducking Bay 7 and Ronto Roasters. Ronto Roasters, yes, because when Ronto Roasters closes at I don't know three o'clock or whatever it is, then their menu is still available at Ducking Bay 7. Right, ducking Bay 7 is good for breakfast. Oh, it's really good for breakfast, and I think it's underrated. Yes, you get lost in the theming and don't realize how good the food is. Yes, you know.
Speaker 1It really is good and it tastes very fresh. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2Yeah, no, it's a good quick service. A little more expensive than some of the others, right, you know? Cheapest thing there is a roasted and Dorian chicken salad for $14.79. Mm-hmm. And it goes up to $18.99 for stir fry. Right, but it's good, though it's good food, mm-hmm. And you can later in the day get the Ronto Wrap, mm-hmm. $13.99,. Best sandwich in the park.
Speaker 1That is a really good sandwich and it's sausage, not hot dogs. Yes, ha, ha, ha, ha ha.
Speaker 2Some people don't like hot dogs, true, true, it's very good, mm-hmm.
Speaker 1So I am torn on my other favorites. On favorites is because I think ABC Commissary is very good. Yeah, it's gotten.
Speaker 2They've gotten very good, much improved.
Speaker 1Yes, and there they had. What was it? The chicken sandwich, the Buffalo chicken grilled cheese, yes, which was very good. Mm-hmm. And they have just good food there. They definitely stepped up their game up there. Yeah, they have Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2That entire park, that entire park has gotten better. It really has.
Speaker 1Yeah, very much. So Then I like Woody's Lunchbox For the Tatchas. Yes, they're so good. I think it's all we've ever had there so good. I think I had a grilled cheese too. So I think Jen and I split the grill tree sandwich. I don't know if this is company policy.
Speaker 2But If you have a quick service order of those tachos from Woody's Right and you have a late ogas reservation, uh-huh, they have let people into ogas with the tachos.
Speaker 1With a tray full of food from Woody's. That was pretty cool. That was very cool, cause we're like, oh, we'll just eat it Even though. No, bring it on in, it's fine. Yeah, but it was a very late ogas.
Speaker 2Yeah, it was at or after close up park, right? Uh, I know that we were rushing to get to Woody's before they closed, yes, so, but they did. Let us take the whole tray of tachos into ogas, which was kind of cool.
Speaker 1It was very cool and that was very good.
Speaker 2The other thing, even though ogas is not considered a quick service, cause they really don't have food- Well, they've actually changed out some of their food now. Okay.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2But uh, they don't seem to enforce the 45 minute rule. So much after close.
Speaker 1No, but if you're sitting there enjoying yourselves and you're still getting drinks, why would they not want you to stay, If you're?
Speaker 2Well, as a general rule, I would agree with that, but that's not how it works during the day, right? So I've noticed that one is becoming a lot easier to get reservations for.
Quick-Service Dining Favorites at Disney
Speaker 1Yes, I agree. Yes, a lot easier.
Speaker 2You got anything else at Hollywood?
Speaker 1No, I mean, there's things I like periodically, but it's not like oh, I really want to go there, think about it every time that we go.
Speaker 2Yeah, like your safety, right, like pizza riso, I didn't, I didn't hate pizza riso when we went. We also haven't been in like three years, right, you know? Right, I mean I haven't popped into my head.
Speaker 1Exactly.
Speaker 2Okay, so here's an easy one Animal kingdom theme park.
Speaker 1Satouli, satouli canteen.
Speaker 2Yeah, for sure, so good, for sure. It's like real food.
Speaker 1Yes, and it's really so very good.
Speaker 2Really true? 1499 and under? I believe so. Oh no, and the first thing on the menu is 1749. Right, I don't understand Disney.
Speaker 1Yeah, I know.
Speaker 2So the answer is it's 1749, 1799 and under for adults Right, not 1499.
Speaker 1But it's all so good. The bowls are so, so good, so good, and I like that you can customize them too. And the cheeseburger steampods.
Speaker 2Mm-hmm, the bun buns are so good. Bun buns. Bow means bun. Right, it's a bun bun. It's breeding on the hill.
Speaker 1I'm sorry, it's just funny. I'm easily humored today, apparently so. But sattuli is delicious and I again, I like that you can customize it. I mean, I know you can customize, but this actually gives you the option, when you mobile order, to really customize right there which I think is nice, right, 100%.
Speaker 2What's your base? What's your meat Exactly?
Speaker 1Your protein.
Speaker 2I like that. Yeah, it's excellent, it's so good.
Speaker 1And it tastes so fresh because it's real food, yeah, so that's. Do you have another one that you like? Ish yeah.
Speaker 2So if honestly only been there the one time, I would be smiling crocodile.
Speaker 1Oh yeah.
Speaker 2But that was recent Mm-hmm. The pulled pork street tacos are pretty good, mm-hmm. They also had that sandwich. It was like a, you know, limited time. The sandwich on a doughnut, right, holy cow. So yeah, if you catch it at the right time, that's on the list, right? But it's not a standard, so no, right, so the other one which we ate at I think twice before we ever actually ate at the restaurant was the Yak and Yeti local cafe. Mm-hmm, that Korean fried chicken sandwich, right, that's what Tori had.
Speaker 1Yes, and she was the one that she was walking and eating or something Right, and Glenn was carrying the tray, right yeah.
Speaker 2So good that one was. That sandwich is very good. I've heard the American Kobe cheeseburger is excellent. Mm-hmm, I think that family next to us was having those.
Speaker 1I think. So, yeah, bonus points because they have breakfast.
Speaker 2Yes, and it's not just sandwiches. A breakfast bowl, mm-hmm, yeah, so I think that's a good one. A bowl, you know, two breakfast bowls.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2So bonus points for that, yes, okay, that's the parks. I'm gonna skip hotels because you know what they're all okay, yeah, you know, they are Artist's palette good, captain Cook's good.
Speaker 1Mara, good, yeah, you know, they're all good.
Speaker 2Right, they're, it's a little different deal. You know, it's the hotel, it's kind of the one place you get to eat. Yes, but Disney Springs, mm-hmm. I'm gonna start with Pizza Ponte. Yes, that, it only took Tony Ann like 30 years to finally get there and she was happy when she was on the show, and she was happy when she finally did. Yeah, you know. Take a look at the pizza. Some is better than others, yes, but it's all pizza. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2You know it was good. I'm not sure there's bad pizza. There's pizza, I won't eat again. Right, you know Right, but in a pinch I might. Mm-hmm, I ain't gonna lie. Sometimes a Tostino's pizza for $1.99 is it's the spot. You know what I mean when you're starving.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2Pizza Ponte is good pizza for Disney. Mm-hmm. Something that Disney doesn't particularly do. Well, but I agree, this is our second pizza we've talked about. Mm-hmm so maybe that's changing. Yeah, pizza Ponte is very good and quick. You go through, you pick out what you want and, yep, move on, go find a table. Exactly so I very much enjoyed that. A couple of times we've been there, I would agree. What do you got?
Speaker 1Well, I'm actually gonna do a pizza, one as well, blaze Pizza.
Speaker 2See, I wouldn't consider that personally quick service, but Disney does. Yeah, Some dining plans accepted.
Speaker 1Right, it's not the first time I've seen that, so I'd like to know what some dining plans accounts for, but that's okay.
Speaker 2Also, didn't we order online and go pick it up? We tried to, oh, but they-.
Speaker 1Because they don't take they take they don't take gift cards. They take gift cards in store, not online, but not on the website.
Speaker 2Right. But you can, if you're staying at, say, Saratoga order online, go over and get it, even if you're in the park. That's mobile order, babe. Yep. So as long as you're not paying with a gift card or probably dining plan, Right.
Speaker 1So I enjoyed the pizza because we ended up having it at home, because I liked it. We had ordered it at home before I had kind of a lot of that blaze pizza since then.
Speaker 2Pepe by Jose Andreas. It's got a variety of things, but it does have a few things off of the regular Jose Andreas menu, like the chicken croquettes for $9. So I have fallen in love with Haleo.
Speaker 1Yes, they really have.
Speaker 2So in fact, we're gonna have to get over there for same gray hour this weekend.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2But I'm gonna put that on the list.
Speaker 1One other one I wanna add is the cooks of Dublin.
Speaker 2I knew that was coming.
Speaker 1Yep, and the reason is their fish and chips are the fish and chips from Raglan Road. They are the same fish and chips, yeah, 100%. And they are considerably less expensive. On the quick service you don't get quite as much, but I love the Raglan.
Speaker 2Road fish and chips and you can sit there at the hole in the wall with a bar, a live band, live somebody playing music. I don't know, I'd call it a band. It's usually one guy, but live entertainment, yep, super cool. My next one is not on the list of Disney Springs quick service, but it's a quick service restaurant.
Speaker 1Really, which one's that Eat oh?
Speaker 2you're right. I mean it's not table service. No, okay, deluxe Burger is on here as quick service, right, it's the same deal. You order, they give you a number, you go to the table and somebody finds your number Right, or I think maybe that had the vibrating coaster thing, but same thing.
Speaker 1Same idea, same deal.
Speaker 2Like it's quick service Right you order, you pay and they bring your food out in a few minutes.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2For quick service. It's on my list. Yeah, it's quick service.
Speaker 1Yes, it was very good.
Speaker 2Yeah, it is not gourmet dining, no, and we just say no, it's quick service, but it's good for quick service. Yeah.
Speaker 1I thought the pricing was reasonable.
Speaker 2Yeah, it wasn't too expensive. We both had a beverage with it. Mm-hmm. And we ordered like three things off the menu and it was, I don't know, 40 bucks, 50 bucks, whatever it was. Yeah, probably right around there, so yeah, so we'll say the service there is really good, like if you want to get up, because it's got, you know, the fountain dispensers, right, right, if you want to get up and go get a refill, somebody is like oh, I've got it for you, yeah, so that was pretty cool.
Speaker 1Yeah, and they, you know, they brought the to-go containers for us and everything yeah.
Speaker 2And the whatever the Indian poutine was pretty good. Yeah, that was the bread service is super good.
Speaker 1Yes.
Speaker 2Yes, the pimento cheese is Disney pimento cheese. Yeah, but that's not true. It's not Right. It was not my favorite, but if you mix the pimento cheese with one of the sauces, it was pretty good. That was some advice by John. Yes, that made it pretty good.
Speaker 1So that's the ones I like. Do you have any others that you like?
Speaker 2No, I keep scrolling through their list of what they call quick service.
Speaker 1I mean they have food trucks, but we haven't been to all of them either. They have like three food trucks back there they do, but I think they kind of change.
Speaker 2We've tried to go to one of the food trucks and they were out of what we wanted, right, so that annoyed me, mm-hmm. Some places like see, I just don't consider Earl of Sandwich quick service. No, I don't need to. I don't consider Deluxe Burger necessarily quick service, right, but they're on their list, mm-hmm, I guess. That being the case, they probably should both be on a list of good food service restaurants, right? Deluxe Burger takes some dining plans, so it'd be pretty much worth it if you had the Deluxe or the dining plan. Even the quick service dining plan, right, it would be worth hitting up Mm-hmm. Anyway, that's it for this week. It's all I got.
Speaker 1Yeah.
Speaker 2We're going back to Disney.
Speaker 1Yep, we just had a lot going on.
Speaker 2It was a busy week.
Speaker 1And next week's gonna be a busy week too.
Speaker 2Yeah, it is, Because there's two midnight moonlight moonlight magics next week. I know so weird, which is insane.
Speaker 1Which the a Friday moonlight magic just is still shocking to me, am I? I mean, is it just me?
Speaker 2As busy as the parks are right now. Yeah, and it's where.
Speaker 1It's Epcot from 10 to 1.
Speaker 2Yeah, epcot on Friday night. Yeah, like wow, yeah, that's gonna be need to find out what the food booths are gonna be open.
Speaker 1Should be most of them, but yeah, I know that they do them in phases too, so we'll look that up, but I believe the food booths close.
Speaker 2Well, remember the last time we went to moonlight magic? There they closed from France to wherever, going the other way around. They didn't have all the world showcase open, right Right. So that may be how we do most of our whatever flowering garden. Yeah. Flower and wine festival. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2Or arts and garden, whatever it's called. It's flower and garden. Ha ha, ha, ha ha. They're kind of becoming all the same. I know I mean, if they stop doing the festivals it'll be at uproar, but they are kind of becoming all the same. Yes, so let's face it, parks are packed. They don't have to work as hard.
Speaker 1Is that true?
Speaker 2And sometimes they like to remind us of that.
Speaker 1Yeah, but I think if they spread out the amount of places that you can get a drink and something to nudge on, it helps.
Speaker 2It's also moonlight magic. Yeah, it's not like there's gonna be 10,000 people there, right? So that's gonna do it for this week. Thanks again, everybody for spending time with us. So, facebook linky file improvement district. Instagram make you file underscore podcast. Twitter we're at. It's not Twitter X, the site, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Okay At. Make you file. Posted some tweets there. We're gonna start kinda using that a little bit, I think maybe. Okay, see how it goes and, as always, just spread the word that we're around. We would appreciate it, easiest way for you to support what we're doing. That's gonna do it for this week. Goodbye, good night everybody. Thank you, okay.