Over the years, Disney has built a large and impressive stable of restaurants across Disney World property.
However, much like attractions and hotels, there have been a slew of restaurant ideas that were canceled before they were ever built!
The Great Gonzo’s Pandemonium Pizza Parlor
In the early 1990s, Disney and Jim Henson had grand plans for a massive Muppets sub-land at the then Disney/MGM Studios, which would have included a pizza parlor/Italian restaurant themed to the characters, headlined by Gonzo and Rizzo.
The restaurant, which was to be adjacent to Muppet*Vision 3D, was planned to include countless Muppet touches including video screens depicting classic Muppet clips as well as pandemonium in the kitchen featuring Gonzo, Rizzo and the Swedish Chef, the occasional practical effect “explosions” leading to the kitchen doors blowing open and sending clouds of smoke and chicken feathers into the dining room, recreations of props from various Muppet films and shows, as well as random sight gags adorning the walls, and of course, the rats. See, the restaurant was to feature animatronic Muppet rats that would deliver pizzas and other foods to guests’ tables by way of a “track” system in the ceiling.
However, when Jim Henson passed away in 1990, work on every Disney Muppet project (outside of Muppet*Vision 3D) was halted, never to be finished. Since the restaurant was already under construction, Disney pivoted and turned the space into the Hollywood-themed Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. The changeover was so last-minute that, according to theme park urban legend, the restaurant’s rafters still housed the infrastructure that was to be used for the aforementioned animatronic rats.
Emerald City Restaurant
For decades, the Wizard of Oz was the “property that got away” when it came to Disney parks. The company planned several lands based on the property over the years, for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Several of those lands included an “Emerald City Restaurant.” While specific plans are unavailable, the restaurant likely would have been an opulent dining experience in line with L. Frank Baum’s description of the titular city.
Copperfield Magic Underground
During the 1990s, magician David Copperfield was one of the biggest names in entertainment, with a Las Vegas show, primetime specials, and even a magic-themed restaurant in Times Square. In fact, a second restaurant was planned for Disney World.
Copperfield and Disney began planning a location for Walt Disney World. Photo-ops with Michael Eisner and a billboard outside the then-MGM Studios theme park heralded that the restaurant was coming to either that park or Pleasure Island. The only issue? The New York location tanked, and the Disney location never came to be.
Unbuilt World Showcase Countries
In the last 40+ years, a slew of countries have been proposed, planned, designed, and sometimes even announced for EPCOT’s World Showcase. Each of these countries would have included regionally authentic dining and restaurant options similar to those that exist in the park’s existing countries. Some of these unbuilt pavilions include Iran, Costa Rica, Equatorial Africa, Israel, Puerto Rico, Soviet Union, Spain, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela
The Tiki Room Restaurant
Before the Enchanted Tiki Room developed into one of Disney’s most beloved attractions, the idea was first born as a restaurant. After real birds were quickly ruled out as unsanitary, Disney settled on synthetic birds, similar to one he’d had installed at Disneyland’s Club 33. Eventually, as the Audio-Animatronic elements became advanced enough to carry a full show on their own, the restaurant concept was dropped entirely. However, evidence of food service infrastructure can still be found in Disneyland’s Tiki Room.
Had any or all of these Disney restaurants been built as planned, the face of Disney World dining could have changed forever. Stay tuned to AllEars for more on Disney history!
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Which of these restaurants do you wish had ben built? Let us know in the comments below.
I don’t know why Disneyworld has not jumped on the Korea train. They have some K-food in Anaheim but little in Orlando. It’s a perfect fit for World Showcase – popular music, fascinating culture, and incredible food that is growing in US popularity by leaps and bounds. Maybe one day…