Classifieds

The Main Street Gazette has always shied away from sponsorships or advertising, attempting to maintain the purest form of content for its readers. In recent months, however, the time and monetary constraints of the Gazette’s coffers has become increasingly clear. In order to maintain the highest level of quality readers have come to expect, and I have come to expect of myself, we are going to begin accepting sponsorships for the site.

For readers, know that I will never endorse a product or company that I myself would not use. Also, I will be mindful of where the advertisements are placed (such as ads in the side bar, or as a link in the article), so they do not impose too much upon the content you are reading. That said, as sponsors come aboard, please give them a chance, as they are assisting me in providing you with the quality articles you love.

For potential sponsors or advertisers, we are only looking for a few long-term partnerships. With the shifting dynamics of the readership, from strictly site readership to readers who come in from Facebook, Twitter, or only read through RSS, we have designed several options. Small square ads can be placed along the side bar section, near the top of the current article so as to maximize visibility. For those wishing to reach out to readers who do not visit the site daily, we have also devised an option for sponsoring one of the five weekly sections (Perspective, World of Yesterday, Disney Delish, Photo Safari, and The WDW Record).

As I am only the creative force for the Gazette, the brains of the operation will be handling all aspects of this element of the site. All proposals can be sent to Aileen Sheehan-Wilson, the Main Street Gazette’s business and public relations manager (who also happens to be my wife), at aileen@mainstgazette.com.

Take a break from the action

Dining at Walt Disney World during extremely busy times of year can have its advantages, especially if you can be a little more flexible with your meal times. During the busy Easter period when I took my most recent trip, vouchers were handed out at several of the parks which entitled guests to buy one entrée, get one entrée free at participating quick service venues, provided you had lunch before 11:30am or dinner between 3:00pm and 4:30pm. Since I was on my own, I had no one to share the coupon with. However, the Studio Catering Co. had just launched a new menu, so I decided to sample a pair of their new offerings.

Buffalo Chicken – The description for these item reads, “breaded chicken breast, romaine, tomato, spicy ranch dressing, and a Tuscan roll.” Between the shifting layers caused by the tomatoes and buffalo ranch dressing, this is one thick, messy sandwich. The heat factor from the sauce is interesting in that it provides flavorful heat, not simply spicy for the sake of being hot. Additionally, it is nice to see a spicy sauce being added to a sandwich, rather than a pre-marinated piece of chicken, for those guests who wish to have the sauce on the side and add it sparingly.

Pressed Tuscan Deli – The menu lists this sandwich as having, “shaved smoked ham, smoked breast of turkey, provolone, Caesar dressing and pesto marinated vine ripe tomatoes, and a Tuscan roll.” After being pressed, this sandwich is deceivingly small and provides a hefty meal. The spices present in the dressing and pesto add a kick to this sandwich that, along with the meat and cheese selection, places the Pressed Tuscan Deli more in the family of Cuban sandwiches than your typical Italian sub, grilled or otherwise.

The remainder of the Studio Catering Co.’s entrées use artisan ingredients, such as sunflower Panini bread or black olive ciabatta, and a Mediterranean flair to bring a new spectrum of taste to the quick service dining circuit. Healthy options are also highly visible here with a Greek Salad, Grilled Vegetable sandwich, and a Chicken Caesar Wrap. With so many unique items, and an outdoor, covered seating area, I can foresee the Studio Catering Co. becoming the place to catch a bite in the middle of the day.

Top of the world

Across the decades of Walt Disney World, there are a few images that are long-lasting and enduring, the gleam off of Spaceship Earth, Cinderella Castle sitting across the Seven Seas Lagoon, and the monorail gliding through the Contemporary. A marvel of its time, the Contemporary has a storied creation that we’ll briefly explore today.Throughout the design process of Walt Disney World, the Contemporary was always designated as the flagship resort of the project. Originally, however, it was meant to be a skyscraper, a beacon for guests coming to the Vacation Kingdom. A turning point in the resort came when U.S. Steel became involved in not only the Contemporary, but the entire Walt Disney World development. Plans evolved from the skyscraper concept to the A-frame design and garden wings, based in part off of San Antonio’s Palacio del Rio, which would become the reality of the resort we know today.Another shift that happened over time was the name of the resort itself. From drawing to actual construction, the design was in a modern/contemporary style. Without an actual name, the project was given the working title of Contemporary. In 1971, the name Tempo Bay Hotel was selected as the name of the resort. When Roy Disney got wind of the name, he found it to be ‘phony’ and ‘plastic,’ and had the hotel revert back to its nickname permanently. And so the Contemporary Resort Hotel was born.The fabrication of the Contemporary’s rooms themselves was just as novel as the resort itself. The rooms were constructed away from the actual resort, in a specially built U.S. Steel factory, and then trucked over to the resort as they were needed. The modular units arrived on site completed with plumbing, electrical wiring, bathroom and lighting fixtures, and air conditioning units. Each unit was hauled up and into its assigned slot, not always as simply as envisioned, by an immense crane. In order to maintain the balancing act required by the A-frame of the Contemporary, units were introduced one at a time, rotating between the Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon sides of the resort.From management to dining elements, serving at full-capacity with run of the mill upstart problems, the Contemporary, which was not fully completed when Walt Disney World opened in 1971, had more than its share of dilemmas to handle. But when compared to what had been accomplished in the resort’s construction, the inclusion of the wonder known as the monorail, and the gorgeous murals of the Grand Canyon Concourse, the bumps and bruises of the learning curve were well worth it. Although the monolithic skyline created by the Contemporary has been altered to include its younger sibling, Bay Lake Tower, just the sight of the resort and its slithering monorail is still awe-inspiring.

Bay Lake’s tropical island paradise

Sitting out in the middle of Bay Lake is an island. While those of us who have spent the better part of the last forty years enveloped in Walt Disney World know this as Treasure or Discovery Island, the remnants of buildings, sheds, aviaries, and the shipwreck seem mighty mysterious to the casual guest who may only have begun visiting in the past ten years. For those of us who grew up with the island, it is also a mystery, as to why it has sat dormant for so many years. Perhaps it is time to go back to the island, this time with a move towards a LOST experience.

Unlike its predecessor, however, this LOST island would not operate during a majority of the daylight hours. Instead, it would be an evening event with a tour of the island and dinner. Guests would check in at the Polynesian and board their boat, say something in the Chinese junk department. While a submarine would be more appropriate, even I know there will never be a submarine trolling the depths of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. This excursion could take place two to three times an evening, and for those of you who believe guests wouldn’t wander so far off the beaten path for an experience like this, may I offer up the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue as a counterpoint.

Once guests reach the island Dharma folks would meet them at the dock, where a submarine would already be parked, and begin to lead them on their tour of the island, which guests are told will end at their barracks. As the group makes their way through the jungle, guests would pass by the Black Rock, the cave with the Man in Black and his mother’s skeletons, and hear whispers in the woods, among other experiences.All at once the ground begins to shake, trees on the horizons shudder and fall, and guests hear that familiar clicking-hiss of the smoke monster. The tour obviously must be cut short, but rather than return to the dock, guests are hurried inside one of the Dharma scientific research stations, The Swan station. This is where dinner will take place, in the large room with the countdown clock. Throughout the meal guests will overhear conversations amongst Dharma staff, arguments about the smoke monster, how the island isn’t ready for visitors yet, etc. As guests have finished eating, one argument would lead the hosts to leave the room for a few moments, just as the clock ticks down to zero.

As the hieroglyphs begin to rotate through the clock the Dharma members return. While one rushes to the control panel to enter the now infamous code, the other leaders will hasten the guests back outside and towards their waiting launch at the dock.

This is, of course, only one scenario and one thought towards revitalizing the once bustling island in the heart of Bay Lake and bringing a LOST experience to a fanbase that has been clamoring for an attraction for years. All of you Losties out there, what type of experience would you like to see at Walt Disney World, and where? For all of you Walt Disney World enthusiasts, what would you like to see happen with Discovery Island?

Disney This Week - 6 Jun 2010

The construction of Delta Dreamflight is explored at Progress City U.S.A., where Michael Crawford offers up a great vintage Dateline clip.

Shawn Slater is rubbing elbows, or at least toasting glasses, with the stars at DisneyShawn when he sits down at Hollywood and Vine.

SamLand’s Disney Adventures, along with its pilot Sam Gennawey, is once again plying the waterways of Disneyland.

In one of the funniest articles I’ve read in a while, The Disney Chick recounts the tweets she didn’t send while on vacation at Walt Disney World.

Over at the Orlando Sentinel, Matt Palm posts a retrospective on the annual Gay Days event.

Sure, it may only be fun with lights and food coloring, but these World of Color treats, brought to us by AJ and The Disney Food Blog, sure sound like intriguing.

Zanna DiMarzio takes Zannaland readers with her to the Tables In Wonderland event at Raglan Road.

In the category of events I’d love to attend, but can’t, this week we have two submissions. First up is the D23 event honoring Dave Smith and 40 years of the Walt Disney Archives. Closer to home, Thomas Smith brings the Disney Parks Blog more images and video of the Main Street Electrical Parade’s return.

How to land on all fours

With Mickey’s Toontown Fair slated for, shall we say, relocation (for all of our younger readers out there), I thought now would be the perfect time to explore some of the town’s finer points. Today we’ll look at an organization that helps furry friends get their wings.

Located just inside the barn of Goofy’s Barnstormer, Fido’s Fearless Flight School is solely ‘Fur Cats and Dogs.’ Luckily for those felines and pups, they are taking lessons from some of their own, which proves that it isn’t raining cats and dogs; they just enjoy flying and parachuting as much as the next four-legged friend. The Fearless Faculty themselves are a veritable who’s who of flying aces, and include: “Amelia” Airedale, “Turbulence” Tabby, “Orville” & “Wilbur” Weimaraner, “Cockpit” Katz, “Bold” Yeller, Kitty “Hawk,” Charles Lindcat & Eddie Von Ricken-barker, and, of course, the founder “Fearless” Fido.

While class is in currently in session when guests happen to be passing through, the staff have graciously provided a class schedule to peruse:

8 am: Flight Maneuvers – Tail Spin, Roll Over, and Dogfighting
10 am: Lectures – “How to land on all fours” and “Getting the most from your Ninth Life.”
1 pm: Maintenance 101 – “How to clear hairballs out of your intake valve.”
4 pm: Airfield Practice – “how to land on an Aircraft Terrier.”

A star studded line up

Every once in a while there is a photo safari that really needs no explanations. Today, we bask in the beauty of some of Hollywood’s bombshells that are on display at Legends of Hollywood in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

With sugar

Funnel Cake. The words alone rush memories from long ago days of visiting carnivals or a lone stand near the crashing waves of the ocean. A little further south, taste buds start to tingle and the mouth begins to water. Somewhere in all of our pasts, funnel cake has been a gateway snack to the much broader realm of fried, sugary, or pastry cuisines. This massive tangle of fried dough can be combined with any number of toppings, from the plain powdered sugar, to chocolate sauce, syrupy-clad fruit, or melting ice cream. On my recent trip to Walt Disney World, I sampled three versions of funnel cakes found throughout the parks and resorts.

My three tasting stops were in World Showcase near The American Adventure, along the BoardWalk at Tasty Sensations, and at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments in Liberty Square. For consistency purpose, as much as for personal preference, I stuck with the traditional form of funnel cake at each location, funnel cake topped only with powdered sugar. It should be noted that a range of additional toppings are available, but change from menu to menu.

Each location offered up its own unique set of challenges. Funnel cake is a very messy snack, and I doused more than one shirt and pair of pants in powdered sugar for this article, but there is a noticeable lack of seating present near The American Adventure stand. In fact, I ended up near Japan’s Torii gate before I could dig in. Meanwhile, BoardWalk’s Tasty Sensation created other problems as it took several visits before I found the stand open for business. Yet, the most challenging circumstances of all came in the corner of Liberty Square, when I found a funnel cake was very much unpalatable at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.

While Sleepy Hollow Refreshments has quite a bit of seating, with great views, and is always an accessible option for a snack, the taste of their funnel cake was wanting. The actual dough had been fried for too long and had become crunchy instead of the expected chewy. Also, my portion had clearly not been freshly made as it was almost cold when I received it and had a mountain of unmelted powdered sugar piled atop the funnel cake. I am hopeful that this was just a batch that I had received that day, and will certainly give Sleepy Hollow another try. Part of the location’s problem is, in fact, the amount of space in the preparation area of Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. With such a large space, the funnel cakes can be made well in advance. However, it is in this dish’s very nature to be served straight from the fryer, bubbling hot.

The other two locations, at BoardWalk and along the World Showcase Promenade, are very small stalls that barely have enough room for the Cast Members to move around in, but this is a blessing for the funnel cakes they serve. Hot and fresh, both of these funnel cakes were top notch. They were freshly fried, which allowed for some the powdered sugar to melt on contact, creating an intoxicating glaze throughout the stings of dough. The freshness of the preparation also allowed the pieces to give a little easier when being tugged away from one another.

Just like the carnivals and seashores of our collective yesterdays, funnel cakes are right at home in the Vacation Kingdom. They are a rare sugary treat that create an explosive mess as strands are pulled apart, but the mess is half the fun of eating the tangled dough. For my tastes, there is nothing quite as relaxing and smile-inducing as grabbing a heaping plate of funnel cake and staring out across the World Showcase Lagoon.

We are doing it

Sometimes a piece of Walt Disney World history comes along that is simply to wonderful not to share, as is the case with the item featured today. Beginning in February 1982, the Walt Disney World Co. began releasing a publication known as the EPCOT Center Construction News. The small four page publication was created for the crews working on the EPCOT Center site and highlighted projects and people who were bringing the dream to life.

In the inaugural issue, the EPCOT Center Construction News highlighted family previews, what the publication would be delivering to its readers, and a brief overview of what, precisely, EPCOT Center was going to be. In addition to the throwaway introductory articles, the first issue packs a wealth of historically significant photographs. Aerial views of Spaceship Earth, The American Adventure, and the entire EPCOT Center project can be seen throughout the publication, as well as a the groundbreaking of the France Pavilion with three chefs who would play a large role in the pavilion’s cuisine and a glut of construction photographs. Go ahead and start reading!

Spending even a few minutes

In the introduction to Winnie-the-Pooh, the book not the film, A.A. Milne briefly expounds about the two types of guests that visit the zoo in London. During this narrative Milne recounts, “There are some people who begin the zoo at the beginning, called WAY IN, and walk as quickly as they can past every cage until they get to the one called WAY OUT. But the nicest people go straight to the animal they love the most, and stay there.” Similarly, there are many guests who rush as quickly as they can through Disney’s Animal Kingdom without every truly taking time to pause and absorb the wild world around them.While A.A. Milne observed two types of visitors to the zoo, it is my opinion that there are three types of guests that visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The category of guests include those that dart throughout the park and are gone as quickly as they arrived, others who plod along through the various lands taking note of a few exhibits as they continue moving from the entrance back to the exit, and, finally, the guests that find places to stop and savor every moment for as long as they can.Upon entering Disney’s Animal Kingdom, plenty of guests make their way through marquee experiences, including Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, a showing of Festival of the Lion King or Finding Nemo – the Musical, and perhaps a spin through either Primeval Whirl or Kali River Rapids, before beating a path back towards the exit before noon. These guests refer to the park as a ‘half-day park,’ and dash through Disney’s Animal Kingdom as early in the morning as they can before moving on to one of the other three parks for the afternoon, evening, and night.A second collection of guests will, most certainly, rush with the crowds to obtain a Fastpass before moving on to the queue of another attraction. After successfully taming several attractions, they will meander at a slower pace to the remainder of the plotted points they wish to experience. Along the way, they could be cajoled into visiting one of the animal trails or pause to take a few moments to marvel at DeVine, before the heat of the afternoon drives them to the air conditioning of their cars, resort rooms, or attractions of the other parks.The final selections of guest notice when one of the multitude of animals are available for viewing, they take in the occasional attraction, but will spend a majority of their day viewing their favorite creatures, and taking time to talk with the Cast Members positioned throughout the exhibits. While possibly not their favorite animal, these guests are always in wonder of the nature world being presented, and are content to stop and stay put for as long as is necessary to understand a bit more about the animal in front of them.As stated above, not everyone’s favorite animal is presented in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, however I find it difficult to believe that among the plethora of species roaming around the park, which include gorillas, tigers, otters, macaws, hippopotamuses, bats, and meerkats, to name a few, there is not a creature that each and every guest could find intriguing. This is not to say that any of the above factions are right or wrong, it is simply that some guests are more attuned to the message of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Taking a few excerpts from Bob Lamb’s introduction in the Field Guide to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, we are reminded of what this park truly means:

“Spending even a few minutes, for example, watching the gorillas interacting with one another or seeing the tigers at play is a poignant reminder of what a privilege it is to be able to observe these creatures.”“When guests visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, we want them to enjoy the wonders of our animal world, but we also want them to go away inspired by what they see and to become personally involved in conservation efforts in their own communities and in conserving wildlife and wild places around the world.”

Disney This Week - 30 May 2010

Amanda Tinney shares the best kind of mail to receive, coconut mail, on Disney Every Day.

Over at DisneyDaddy, Chuck Lionberger shares a rare treat from Japan, Miyuki.

Lou Mongello knows how to start the day off right, and reveals his photographic culinary experience of Tonga Toast with WDWRadio.

Studios Central scribe, Matt Hochberg, tells us why the Streetmosphere characters party like its 1947.

The headline of the Zannaland headline crafted by Zanna DiMarzio says it all, The Coolest Nametag Ever.

If there is one thing that I am super excited about as part of Summer Nightastic, it is without a doubt the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade. This week, Thomas Smith, goes behind the scenes of the Main Street Electrical Parade’s return to Walt Disney World on the Disney Parks Blog.

Shawn Slater takes DisneyShawn on a mission to Mars when he explores the Mickey and historical connections found in Mission: SPACE.

Disneyland’s Space Mountain turned 33 this week, and TokyoMagic! celebrated at Meet the World with park paper, press photos, and slides of the attraction.

With Free Dining rapidly approaching, AJ has everyone covered as she explores the five best dining plan values, focusing on the quick service restaurants, this week at The Disney Food Blog.

Also, this week The Disney Food Blog and Main Street Gazette completed their comparisons of the similar food offerings available from Disneyland and Walt Disney World. From Disneyland we taste tested the Candy Palace, Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port, Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival, and Goofy’s Kitchen, while from Walt Disney World we sampled the Main Street Confectionery, Pizza Planet, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and Chef Mickey’s (along with a bit of Goofy’s Kitchen). I hope you enjoyed the meals as much as we enjoyed sharing them with you!

Worlds wonderland lines

Throughout the golden age of Hollywood present in the opening boulevards of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there is but one way to travel, the Pacific Electric Railway.More commonly referred to as the Red Car, the Pacific Electric Railway transported the masses throughout Southern California from 1901 until 1961 using a variety of, what were then considered, modern modes of transportation. The fleet relied heavily upon light rail and busses, however, the most often reminisced element of the Red Car were the trolleys. By utilizing these various vehicular transit options, the Pacific Electric Railway was able to service three districts that covered a large swath of Southern California, including Pasadena, Santa Ana, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Glendale, San Bernardino, Santa Monica, and, of course, Hollywood.The Red Car was so much a part of the times that it can not only be seen in the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit? as a viable means of transport and as a way in which to set the scene, it is actually pivotal to the plot. In the film the villainous Judge Doom seeks to dismantle the Pacific Electric Railway so that automobiles will appear more attractive to the typical motorist. With the world of Roger Rabbit playing a crucial role in the early years of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then known as Disney-MGM Studios, it is no wonder that the Red Car could, and still can, be seen throughout the park.So, where can these glimmers of this transportation gem be found? It should come as no surprise that the average guest does not look up enough, however for those who do gaze up along the boulevards of Hollywood and Sunset, a billboard exalting the wonders of the Red Car can be found. At the crossroads of Sunset and Hollywood there are two mentions of the Pacific Electric Railway. The first is the roundhouse building that houses the L.A. Cinema Storage shop, while the second is a map of the Red Car’s lines, which can be found on the backside of the tip board. Finally, following the trolley tracks down Sunset, just before reaching the Hollywood Tower Hotel and G-Force Records, there is a scaled down trolley serving as a merchandise stand.

Food of the thirty-seven countries

Several weeks ago, I was extremely pleased to sit down with friends old and new (in terms of how long I’ve known them, not their age) for a meal at Pleasure Island’s Paradiso 37. The entire meal was well-documented on the WDW Radio Show, in Episode # 165. Joining in on the culinary adventure were Lou Mongello, Glenn Whelan, Scott Otis, and John Leuzzi. As noted during the show, I made sure I photographed all of the various appetizers and entrees that we partook in.

Shown below from the starters section of the menu are the Central American Crazy Corn, Chicken Quesadillas, and Mexican Dipping Trio (which includes Chunky Guacamole, Chili con Carne, and Spinach Queso). For the main events, our meals ran the gamut from the Bacon and Pineapple Burger and Beef Burritos, to Citrus BBQ Pork Ribs, Argentinean Skirt Steak, and Chilean Style Salmon. I hope you enjoy this photo safari through what was on heck of an enjoyable meal. I think we should do this again soon gentlemen! Wooooo!

Course by course - Part IV

Today is the final installment between The Disney Food Blog and Main Street Gazette comparison of Disneyland and Walt Disney World dining options. While there are plenty of other dining options that could be compared,
our taste tour has reached its dessert. Actually, since we started with dessert, I guess it is time to get to the main course!

To top off our tour we’ll be reviewing two character buffets, and we’ll both be discussing both restaurants! So, where did we sit down to eat? Why, two of the hottest breakfast tables in town! From the Disneyland Hotel we’ll be partaking in Goofy’s Kitchen, while the Contemporary offers up Chef Mickey’s. To be fair and upfront, my meal at Goofy’s was back in late 2007 as part of my honeymoon and my meal at Mickey’s as last month, but in order to give a comprehensive view I’ll be looking at each restaurant in three categories: Food, Atmosphere, and Characters.

Food: Isn’t this why we’re all here?

Chef Mickey’s offers up just about every imaginable breakfast food item a guest could crave. In fact, the spread is so large that I did not even catch the cereal and treats section until my party was walking out. The buffet offers up a variety of potatoes, eggs, meats, and a variety of breakfast breads, including the world famous Mickey Waffles. For those with a more health conscious appetite, there are a variety of fresh fruits and yogurt, and even vegetable lasagna. A quick aside, one of the prettiest photographs I took during my recent trip to Walt Disney World was this griddle full of fresh pancakes.

Goofy’s Kitchen offers up just about every imaginable breakfast food item a guest could crave, and they’re just getting started. In addition to a breakfast selections similar to above, there are a variety of savory items also available, including pizzas, pastas, and fresh vegetables. With such a broad range of flavors, the menu here has something for every type of eater, diet, and hankering.

While both restaurants offer a terrific assortment of breakfast staples, with such a vast array of dishes, Goofy’s Kitchen clearly gets the nod here.

Atmosphere: The feast for the eyes.

Chef Mickey’s is situated along the Contemporary Resort’s Grand Canyon Concourse, where monorails can be seen whooshing overhead and where most dining rooms have a view that overlooks the Magic Kingdom.

Goofy’s Kitchen is tucked away in a quiet, first floor corner of the Disneyland Hotel, within mere steps of the meticulously designed Neverland Pool and a short walk to Downtown Disney, Disneyland, or California Adventure.

While both restaurants offer glimpses into the history of their respective homes, a view of the Magic Kingdom and a host of monorails passing by wins every single time. Period.

Characters: A breakfast with character!

Chef Mickey’s offers guests a chance to dine with the Fab 5; Mickey, Goofy, Minnie, Donald, and Pluto. During the course of an average breakfast, each of the five characters will make their way to each table, pausing long enough for autographs and pictures. As well, there is group interaction with all of the guests and characters waving their napkins in the air every so often.

Goofy’s Kitchen employs a vast ensemble of characters that interact with the guests. During my particular visit, I can remember seeing Chip, Goofy, the Fairy Godmother, and Wendy, among others. Also encouraging group participation, Goofy will occasionally gather a group, consisting mostly of children, to play in the pot and pan band that he creates by dumping out a variety of large dishes and utensils on the floor.

I am split on where the better character interaction is here. While Chef Mickey’s offers a guaranteed glimpse of Mickey and the gang, these characters can be found elsewhere, and some of Goofy’s inhabitants are often very difficult to find. As for their group dynamics, give me a rowdy band to guest slinging hash off of their napkins any day!

Overall, I think it is pretty clear that no matter if you are visiting the West or East Coast homes of Disney, both Goofy’s Kitchen and Chef Mickey’s offer up a delicious meal that is complimented by a fun atmosphere, and it would be a terrible mistake to pass up either opportunity.

I hope to venture back down the Disneyland and Walt Disney World food trail, or any taste tour for that matter, with my good friend AJ and The Disney Food Blog again soon! Until then, check out our tasty tour of snacks (Candy Palace and Main Street Confectionery), pizzas (Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port and Pizza Planet), and festivals (Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival). Bon appétit!