Change is a fact of life at Walt Disney World. Over the last 5+ decades, countless rides, shows, attractions, lands, and — our topic today — restaurants have closed.
While some Disney World eateries have drifted into the ether quietly, with memories of them limited to faded photographs and old park maps, others have remained beloved. In many years I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World, there are several defunct restaurants I would love to be able to visit again. We recently asked our readers what restaurants they would “sell a kidney” to see return.
Let’s begin with an example that *might* be the result of some recency bias: Mama Melrose’s. Several readers named the Italian eatery, which had been a cornerstone of Hollywood Studios’ dining offerings since 1991, which closed in June to make way for the new Monsters, Inc. land coming to the park.
Moving on to restaurants that have been gone longer than a few weeks, reader Julie lamented the loss of “classic’ EPCOT, writing, “I miss sitting on the patio of Electric Umbrella and watching the Fountain of Nations.” The quick service spot sat in the center of EPCOT for several decades.
A slew of readers, including Todd, moved away from the parks entirely, instead lamenting the loss of the Adventurer’s Club at Pleasure Island. The iconic venue was part nightclub, part themed environment, and part elaborate stage show, presenting the clubhouse of a group of world travelers and explorers.
Remaining in Disney Springs, several readers named the Empress Lilly. For those unaware, that was the original restaurant in the steam wheeler-shaped building that’s currently home to Paddlefish
In addition to Disney’s parks and the area formerly known as Pleasure Island, several readers named former Disney World hotel restaurants, including the Boardwalk’s ESPN Grill, the Spirit of Aloha Luau at the Polynesian Resort,
Beyond fully defunct restaurants, some readers named menu and service elements they missed from restaurants that are still operational. These included the quick-service lunch and dinner options that were once available at the Magic Kingdom’s Be Our Guest Restaurant, the original Pecos Bill toppings bar (also at the Magic Kingdom), and the brunch offerings at the Contemporary’s California Grill.
These are just some of the restaurants that our readers would love to see return to Walt Disney World. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney World’s past.
Disney Canceled 5 BIG Projects for Disney World Restaurants
Which defunct Disney World restaurant would you most like to see return? Let us know in the comments below.
Writers’ Stop. Hot drinks, cakes and books. What could be better?
L’Original Alfredo di Roma! The best and only authentic Fettuccine al Alfredo.
I miss Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge, before it was turned into a character experience. The food there was different than most other places. There was usually something new and seasonal with each visit. We’d go out of our way to eat there on each trip.
Bring back ESPN! That was always our traditional first stop when arriving at Boardwalk. They had the best sandwiches and fries on property, and the prices were reasonable.
Aunt Polly’s. Loved sitting on the dock eating fried chicken and watching the crowds in Frontierland across the water.