hyperreal park
September 4, 2015 9:31 AM Subscribe
Magical Realism: In a world of Disney fantasy, does authenticity matter?,
more from the Eater Guide To Surviving Disney:
The 38 Essential Disney Dishes and Restaurants
The Closest Alcoholic Drink to Every Ride at Disney World
The Complete Guide to Ice Cream at Disney World
All of the Countries in Epcot's World Showcase, Ranked
more from the Eater Guide To Surviving Disney:
The 38 Essential Disney Dishes and Restaurants
The Closest Alcoholic Drink to Every Ride at Disney World
The Complete Guide to Ice Cream at Disney World
All of the Countries in Epcot's World Showcase, Ranked
MetaFilter: a distinctive skeleton of very dated things with smaller new elements lovingly--perhaps scarily reverently--grafted on.
posted by Fizz at 9:50 AM on September 4, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by Fizz at 9:50 AM on September 4, 2015 [11 favorites]
The food at WDW is really incredible, both in quality and variety. World-class? Probably not. But it's a theme park. People don't come to eat. And yet they do. The Food and Wine festival, mentioned in the "authenticity" article, draws tremendous crowds. I haven't had a single disappointing meal there as an adult.
My father-in-law is staunchly anti-Disney, and I see his point of view--I'm basically anti-corporate and anti-capitalist, too--but I suspect we'll convince the in-laws to accompany us and babyozzy to Disney World sometime in the next couple of years. And I hope that we'll be able to surprise them with the quality of the experience. It really is magical in a way that children don't notice--because it's magic!--but that adults can appreciate, if they choose to.
Also, yes, drinking around Epcot--especially during Food & Wine--is a must-do. If you start at noon and have one drink in each of the main pavilions (optionally swapping out or adding a drink from a cart here and there), you should only be mildly obliterated when it's time to take your dinner reservation (probably at The Rose and Crown) and watch the fireworks.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:53 AM on September 4, 2015 [5 favorites]
My father-in-law is staunchly anti-Disney, and I see his point of view--I'm basically anti-corporate and anti-capitalist, too--but I suspect we'll convince the in-laws to accompany us and babyozzy to Disney World sometime in the next couple of years. And I hope that we'll be able to surprise them with the quality of the experience. It really is magical in a way that children don't notice--because it's magic!--but that adults can appreciate, if they choose to.
Also, yes, drinking around Epcot--especially during Food & Wine--is a must-do. If you start at noon and have one drink in each of the main pavilions (optionally swapping out or adding a drink from a cart here and there), you should only be mildly obliterated when it's time to take your dinner reservation (probably at The Rose and Crown) and watch the fireworks.
posted by uncleozzy at 9:53 AM on September 4, 2015 [5 favorites]
the products they're peddling haven't been overly diluted to populist tastes
I'm personally not that interested in authenticity for its own sake. But we've seen an enormous expansion in what populist taste will accept since the last world war, and especially in the last 20-30 years. So a cuisine like American/Chinese, or American/Mexican that is bearing the weight of a century or more of accommodation is going to have a lot of things stripped out of it that would make it exciting and be totally acceptable in 2015. The same thing has happened to Thai food, but incompletely - where a place like Sticky Rice in Chicago that reflects the adventurous end of populist taste in the early 21st century (in part by also catering to the local Thai community), is far more interesting (to me anyway) than one whose recipes reflect the popular tastes of 1990.
posted by wotsac at 9:56 AM on September 4, 2015
I'm personally not that interested in authenticity for its own sake. But we've seen an enormous expansion in what populist taste will accept since the last world war, and especially in the last 20-30 years. So a cuisine like American/Chinese, or American/Mexican that is bearing the weight of a century or more of accommodation is going to have a lot of things stripped out of it that would make it exciting and be totally acceptable in 2015. The same thing has happened to Thai food, but incompletely - where a place like Sticky Rice in Chicago that reflects the adventurous end of populist taste in the early 21st century (in part by also catering to the local Thai community), is far more interesting (to me anyway) than one whose recipes reflect the popular tastes of 1990.
posted by wotsac at 9:56 AM on September 4, 2015
(Here's betting even the pickiest kids would love spaetzle.)OMG, has this writer ever spent five minutes on a WDW trip-planning message board?
"I CANNOT BELIEVE WHAT I AM READING!!! NO CHICKEN NUGGETS AT BE OUR GUEST?!? THERE IS LITERALLY NOTHING ON THE MENU THAT MY CHILD WOULD EVER TOUCH. OMG DISNEY IS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR KIDS WHY CAN'T THEY PUT JUST A FEW BASIC STAPLES ON THE MENU? AND I DON'T MEAN THOSE NASTY WHITE-MEAT CHICKEN TENDERS I MEAN THE PRESSED-MEAT NUGGETS LIKE MCDONALDS THEY ARE THE ONLY THING MY DS4 DS11 AND DD3 WILL EAT. DOESN'T DISNEY KNOW THAT'S WHAT KIDS EAT?!? I'M SORRY MY KIDS AREN'T ADVENTUROUS EXOTIC* FOODIES. WHY DOES DISNEY WANT MY CHILDREN TO STARVE? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET PIZZA FROM SOMEPLACE ELSE AND TAKE IT IN THE RESTAURANT WITH US BECAUSE OTHERWISE MY BABIES WILL HAVE LITERALLY NOTHING TO EAT. BTW WHERE IS THE CLOSEST PLACE TO BE OUR GUEST THAT I CAN GET PLAIN CHEESE PIZZA WITHOUIT ANY OF THAT NASTY ICKY POO-POO RED SAUCE?"
Heck, even if most American kids WOULD like spaetzle, their parents are so convinces they wouldn;t that it would never make it to the kids' plates.
* The controversial kids' menu at Be Our Guest, which I see so often described as "exotic" by parents online, contains such culinary "adventures" as meatloaf and turkey sandwiches.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:02 AM on September 4, 2015 [33 favorites]
Betteridge's law of headlines meets a rare exception! (Assuming authenticity ever matters)
posted by IAmBroom at 10:08 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by IAmBroom at 10:08 AM on September 4, 2015
My favorite restaurant in the world, Monsieur Paul, is in EPCOT. And I live in Manhattan.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:09 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:09 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
..five minutes on a WDW trip-planning message board?
oh cool my idea of hell is real g2k
posted by griphus at 10:10 AM on September 4, 2015 [9 favorites]
oh cool my idea of hell is real g2k
posted by griphus at 10:10 AM on September 4, 2015 [9 favorites]
I used to work with a guy who loved Disneyland. He and his wife went there every year. I don't think they had kids, and if so, they didn't take them, or they were grown adults. He always enjoyed being catered to, and lines aren't an issue with FastPass.
posted by filthy light thief at 10:10 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by filthy light thief at 10:10 AM on September 4, 2015
There's also Gawker's Best Restaurant series on food and drinks at Epcot. If nothing else, it shows you what a horrible, horrible experience the "Drinking Around the World" tradition would be.
posted by bibliowench at 10:13 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by bibliowench at 10:13 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
I was at WDW a couple of weeks ago. The food in most parks was like well-executed sit-down casual dining, high in salt and low in fresh fruit and vegetables. The thing that stood out was how processed things were and how they didn't take advantage of the fact that their park is in the middle of Florida and the only orange juice they sell is stuff like Tropicana (Simply Orange Juice) for something like $4 a bottle.
In particular: "Dole Whip float: The iconic pineapple soft serve in a cup full of pineapple juice. Mindbendingly refreshing. Available at Aloha Isle in The Magic Kingdom."
The Dole Whip float is pineapple flavoured soft serve ice cream in a cup of sweetened canned pineapple juice. The ice cream was pretty good but I almost gagged on the juice.
posted by cardboard at 10:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
In particular: "Dole Whip float: The iconic pineapple soft serve in a cup full of pineapple juice. Mindbendingly refreshing. Available at Aloha Isle in The Magic Kingdom."
The Dole Whip float is pineapple flavoured soft serve ice cream in a cup of sweetened canned pineapple juice. The ice cream was pretty good but I almost gagged on the juice.
posted by cardboard at 10:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I went to Eurodisney outside Paris a few years ago. The food was terrible. I mean, inedibly terrible. In France! It was also exactly the same no matter where you went. At the Buzz Lightyear restaurant the Space Pizzas were just the Cowboy Pizzas from the western town section in a different box, and so on. On the other hand, I went to EPCOT in the 1980s and had a perfectly lovely pint of Guinness at the English pub there.
posted by chavenet at 10:19 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by chavenet at 10:19 AM on September 4, 2015
Dole Whips are outstanding.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:19 AM on September 4, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:19 AM on September 4, 2015 [6 favorites]
roomthreeseventeen, you too?! It's also my first name and my wife demanded this picture.
posted by Phyltre at 10:30 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Phyltre at 10:30 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
If nothing else, it shows you what a horrible, horrible experience the "Drinking Around the World" tradition would be.
i'm reading that article right now and it is magnificent.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:32 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
i'm reading that article right now and it is magnificent.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:32 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I've been to Land and World a few times.
I've never quite gotten behind the idea of having a sit-down meal at Disney.
To me, Disney is the perfect place to indulge your grazing instincts.
Generally, we pack a bag full of healthy food (fruit, trail mix, pb&j) and then eat from the many, many walk-ups and stands.
Feel like a dole whip? Grab one. Feel like a crepe in France? Grab one. You're on vacation.
The sit-down food ranges from basic food court burger to high-end chain.
Granted, sit-down is often dinner and a show, but the whole process of making reservations months in advance and having to be at a certain place at a certain time. It just isn't what the parks are to us.
Most of the really fancy food is at the hotels anyway, which is fine, but I can eat at a fancy-ass hotel restaurant anywhere in the world, why do it at Disney?
posted by madajb at 10:34 AM on September 4, 2015
I've never quite gotten behind the idea of having a sit-down meal at Disney.
To me, Disney is the perfect place to indulge your grazing instincts.
Generally, we pack a bag full of healthy food (fruit, trail mix, pb&j) and then eat from the many, many walk-ups and stands.
Feel like a dole whip? Grab one. Feel like a crepe in France? Grab one. You're on vacation.
The sit-down food ranges from basic food court burger to high-end chain.
Granted, sit-down is often dinner and a show, but the whole process of making reservations months in advance and having to be at a certain place at a certain time. It just isn't what the parks are to us.
Most of the really fancy food is at the hotels anyway, which is fine, but I can eat at a fancy-ass hotel restaurant anywhere in the world, why do it at Disney?
posted by madajb at 10:34 AM on September 4, 2015
Come on! Let's all get French postmodernist!
Disneyland's Main Street makes you feel nostalgic for a specific time in a specific place that has never literally existed. It's a copy of an imagined ideal.
Disney World's Main Street, then, is a copy of a copy of something that has never existed. DUDE.
Thus, it marks the beginning of real, punctual and unidimensional time, which is also without depth. No present, no past, no future, but an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single atemporal virtuality.
I'd talk more, but a FedEx guy just dropped a burner phone on my desk and weird it's already ringing how did it know and now three scary-looking guys in dark suits just walked in.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:41 AM on September 4, 2015 [10 favorites]
Disneyland's Main Street makes you feel nostalgic for a specific time in a specific place that has never literally existed. It's a copy of an imagined ideal.
Disney World's Main Street, then, is a copy of a copy of something that has never existed. DUDE.
Thus, it marks the beginning of real, punctual and unidimensional time, which is also without depth. No present, no past, no future, but an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single atemporal virtuality.
I'd talk more, but a FedEx guy just dropped a burner phone on my desk and weird it's already ringing how did it know and now three scary-looking guys in dark suits just walked in.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:41 AM on September 4, 2015 [10 favorites]
Mid-range Disney food is weird. It has the veneer of real food but winds up falling short (mostly because it has raised expectations by looking good!). I think the Disney chefs are actually the alien species in 2001 that knew what food looked like, but not what it was.
That said, producing meals on that scale is a daunting an impossible task. For what they're doing, they're pretty good. Count me in as a anti-corporate Disney skeptic who had a great time at Disney World.
posted by mazola at 10:52 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
That said, producing meals on that scale is a daunting an impossible task. For what they're doing, they're pretty good. Count me in as a anti-corporate Disney skeptic who had a great time at Disney World.
posted by mazola at 10:52 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
If nothing else, it shows you what a horrible, horrible experience the "Drinking Around the World" tradition would be.
Don't knock it until you've tried it two or three times. I mean, sure, the beers in most of the pavilions are crap, but at least the USA's got a selection of Sam Adams.
posted by uncleozzy at 10:56 AM on September 4, 2015
Don't knock it until you've tried it two or three times. I mean, sure, the beers in most of the pavilions are crap, but at least the USA's got a selection of Sam Adams.
posted by uncleozzy at 10:56 AM on September 4, 2015
Ask Disney if they are concerned about "Authenticity" when a bootleg DVD is sold in black market stalls in China.
posted by symbioid at 10:58 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by symbioid at 10:58 AM on September 4, 2015
Disneyland Main Street makes you feel nostalgic for a specific time in a specific place that has never literally existed. It's a copy of an imagined ideal.
What do you mean? It's supposed to look like a bustling American commercial strip from the early 1900s and resembles plenty that exist today. Is there something else to it besides that?
posted by deathmaven at 10:59 AM on September 4, 2015
What do you mean? It's supposed to look like a bustling American commercial strip from the early 1900s and resembles plenty that exist today. Is there something else to it besides that?
posted by deathmaven at 10:59 AM on September 4, 2015
I have never ever cared about Disney parks, but that Drinking Around the World piece was the best. I feel a little hungover just from reading it.
posted by emjaybee at 11:07 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by emjaybee at 11:07 AM on September 4, 2015
The ice cream was pretty good
Fun fact: Dole Whip is actually vegan.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:08 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Fun fact: Dole Whip is actually vegan.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:08 AM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Oh god and now this is bringing back memories of a drinking-around-the-world where we finished in Mexico and I hadn't bought a hat yet so (drunk story) I had to buy the largest sombrero and I was speaking the worst Spanish to the poor lady who had lived for years in New York and just wanted to take my money and be rid of me. I am so, so sorry, lady.
posted by uncleozzy at 11:15 AM on September 4, 2015
posted by uncleozzy at 11:15 AM on September 4, 2015
What do you mean? It's supposed to look like a bustling American commercial strip from the early 1900s and resembles plenty that exist today. Is there something else to it besides that?
It is not a copy of any specific place. It's a copy of an ideal of a small-town American main street from the 1900s.
If I were to show you a picture of the Eiffel Tower, the picture is a representation of a real place that you can visit right now. But Disneyland is a representation of someone's imagination. You can't visit it. You can visit places that inspired it. It's hyperreal.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
It is not a copy of any specific place. It's a copy of an ideal of a small-town American main street from the 1900s.
If I were to show you a picture of the Eiffel Tower, the picture is a representation of a real place that you can visit right now. But Disneyland is a representation of someone's imagination. You can't visit it. You can visit places that inspired it. It's hyperreal.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:17 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
OMG, has this writer ever spent five minutes on a WDW trip-planning message board?... I MEAN THE PRESSED-MEAT NUGGETS LIKE MCDONALDS THEY ARE THE ONLY THING MY DS4 DS11 AND DD3 WILL EAT.
Lost it at this. I've spent a little time on the DIS boards, because there are some good bits of info to be found, but yeah some people are... special.
Most of the really fancy food is at the hotels anyway, which is fine, but I can eat at a fancy-ass hotel restaurant anywhere in the world, why do it at Disney?
If you have dinner at the California Grill, you can have dessert with a show.
Thus, it marks the beginning of real, punctual and unidimensional time, which is also without depth. No present, no past, no future, but an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single atemporal virtuality.
You don't say.
posted by Fleebnork at 11:35 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Lost it at this. I've spent a little time on the DIS boards, because there are some good bits of info to be found, but yeah some people are... special.
Most of the really fancy food is at the hotels anyway, which is fine, but I can eat at a fancy-ass hotel restaurant anywhere in the world, why do it at Disney?
If you have dinner at the California Grill, you can have dessert with a show.
Thus, it marks the beginning of real, punctual and unidimensional time, which is also without depth. No present, no past, no future, but an immediate synchronism of all the places and all the periods in a single atemporal virtuality.
You don't say.
posted by Fleebnork at 11:35 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Somebody actually liked the food? OK I guess.
posted by Segundus at 11:38 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Segundus at 11:38 AM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't care how authentic to anything it is, Tonga Toast and Kona Press Pot Coffee is the breakfast of gods. They may be culturally co-opted made-up Orientalist gods, but one serving of that and I can push the Monorail around the track myself.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:53 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:53 AM on September 4, 2015 [3 favorites]
Griphus, I've checked my catalog and it's a Joe Browns Shirt. One of three hyper-tourist shirts I bought for the trip so I could properly express the totality of my vacation status. Which is a good point, if you're a fan of any Disney property or anything with a fanbase that has a pulse, wear it on a shirt or whatever at Disney. You WILL get compliments from cool people. And maybe some less cool, but there are enough people around that ignoring everyone else is basically the default.
Apparently dressing up in super-touristy clothes is something Disney castmembers do off the clock, because two of them mistook me for one. Which of course I took as a compliment.
posted by Phyltre at 12:58 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Apparently dressing up in super-touristy clothes is something Disney castmembers do off the clock, because two of them mistook me for one. Which of course I took as a compliment.
posted by Phyltre at 12:58 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
I was in Disney and drank around the world a few weeks ago. Not a terrible experience. The margaritas from inside the building in Mexico were solid, and when I asked the guys in Germany which beer they recommend, they said , "zis one because zis is ze only one we sell in ze big cups." So they get it. I finished almost all of my drinks including the disgusting plum wine slushie from China, but I just couldn't get through my final drink - a pint of Labbatt Blue. So close.
They do some interesting things, authenticity-wise, there. Sake-based bloody Marys in Japan, for instance. But this is a place that has Donald Duck dressed as a mariachi dude and gets away with it, so I just don't know.
posted by papayaninja at 1:10 PM on September 4, 2015
They do some interesting things, authenticity-wise, there. Sake-based bloody Marys in Japan, for instance. But this is a place that has Donald Duck dressed as a mariachi dude and gets away with it, so I just don't know.
posted by papayaninja at 1:10 PM on September 4, 2015
We went to Epcot when it first opened, and I still remember the baked potato cart they had in England. It was a wheeled oven with nothing but foil-wrapped whole (uncut) baked potatoes, and a few condiment choices you had to put on yourself. It was the best baked potato I ever had (I think they slow-baked them over the course of the day). When I went back to Epcot years later, the cart was no more. I always look for it, though.
Proust had his madeleine; I have my Epcot baked potato.
posted by Mchelly at 1:23 PM on September 4, 2015 [5 favorites]
Proust had his madeleine; I have my Epcot baked potato.
posted by Mchelly at 1:23 PM on September 4, 2015 [5 favorites]
The salade nicoise at Be Our Guest is fantastic and I went back and ordered it again the last day. I've been thinking about it for months. Also they use RFID tags to deliver the food to your table (you seat yourself after ordering) which I frankly found magical. And my child was served a meal with two straightforward vegetables which she happily eat. So basically, I would like to move next door to Be Our Guest and I don't care who knows it.
posted by chocotaco at 1:36 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by chocotaco at 1:36 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's odd that this article doesn't mention the Umberto Eco essay that links Disney and the hyperreal - 'Travels in Hyperreality'
posted by Dmenet at 2:07 PM on September 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Dmenet at 2:07 PM on September 4, 2015 [4 favorites]
Salad Nicoise, Be Our Guest
chocotaco, our party agreed.
posted by Phyltre at 2:16 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
chocotaco, our party agreed.
posted by Phyltre at 2:16 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
Having just returned, it was easier to find Bigfoot blowing Jimmy Hoffa on the 50 yard line of the super bowl before finding a place that served the kid staple of grilled cheese. Disney must not have figured out a way to cook them in the central commissary and shuttle them to the various restaurants, while keeping them presentable.
posted by dr_dank at 2:44 PM on September 4, 2015
posted by dr_dank at 2:44 PM on September 4, 2015
Disneyland food = corn dogs. My daughter just asked about getting them several months after our trip. They are comfort food typically of high quality. And don't eat at normal eating times, that way lies madness and the ride lines are better. Keep breakfast light, a pastry or whatever. Why not just grab it at Starbucks on the walk to the park from the hotels and save Somebucks.
posted by aydeejones at 3:37 PM on September 4, 2015
posted by aydeejones at 3:37 PM on September 4, 2015
The corn dogs can be found in California Adventure (aka Disneyland with beer) and Disneyland proper BTW. At Disneyland they are served at a small stand across the street from a breakfast cafe (forget what it's called) and in California adventure they're near Goofy's Sky School, a wonderful midway coaster. Ride coasters first pls
posted by aydeejones at 3:40 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by aydeejones at 3:40 PM on September 4, 2015 [2 favorites]
Phyltre: "But the one thing I expected to see as an adult at Disney--inauthenticity--I found completely lacking. Those people believe in what they do and they do it to the absolute best of their ability, and depending on exactly what it is, they have some pretty high abilities."
Yeah, I quite enjoy Disney parks because they understand how to be friendly to people without having it seem forced or recited. I think only companies that have such gigantic fanbases can get away with having such seemingly high standards for friendliness; they find people for whom it isn’t an effort or a chore.
My girlfriend is vegan, but often won’t even tell waitstaff that she’s vegan, because she had some bad experiences early on in her veganness where asshole waiters would act like she was just giving them a hard time. But when we go to WDW, it’s different.
We went to the Kona Cafe (at the Polynesian Resort) and, because of the famed Disney friendliness, she was confident enough to be able to explain her situation, and that she wanted a vegan version of the Tonga Toast. The chef came out and walked her through how he’d veganize it just to make sure she was OK with it. After it was served, he came back to the table just to make sure it met her expectations, which it did. And not only was he not annoyed by any of this, he even treated it like an exciting learning experience because he’d never veganized the Tonga Toast before, so now he had a new club in his bag.
I can’t remember ever having had a bad experience with a Disney employee, even those (like that chef) whose jobs don’t typically involve directly dealing with customers.
As for the food: authenticity isn’t a binary. Most of the ethnic food you’ll get at Epcot (excepting the stuff that’s de-exoticized for children) is probably “authentic” enough to rival what you’d get in your hometown, unless perhaps you live in New York. I mean, I don’t think there’s a Moroccan place in Austin that is as good as the one at Epcot.
posted by savetheclocktower at 3:59 PM on September 4, 2015 [10 favorites]
Yeah, I quite enjoy Disney parks because they understand how to be friendly to people without having it seem forced or recited. I think only companies that have such gigantic fanbases can get away with having such seemingly high standards for friendliness; they find people for whom it isn’t an effort or a chore.
My girlfriend is vegan, but often won’t even tell waitstaff that she’s vegan, because she had some bad experiences early on in her veganness where asshole waiters would act like she was just giving them a hard time. But when we go to WDW, it’s different.
We went to the Kona Cafe (at the Polynesian Resort) and, because of the famed Disney friendliness, she was confident enough to be able to explain her situation, and that she wanted a vegan version of the Tonga Toast. The chef came out and walked her through how he’d veganize it just to make sure she was OK with it. After it was served, he came back to the table just to make sure it met her expectations, which it did. And not only was he not annoyed by any of this, he even treated it like an exciting learning experience because he’d never veganized the Tonga Toast before, so now he had a new club in his bag.
I can’t remember ever having had a bad experience with a Disney employee, even those (like that chef) whose jobs don’t typically involve directly dealing with customers.
As for the food: authenticity isn’t a binary. Most of the ethnic food you’ll get at Epcot (excepting the stuff that’s de-exoticized for children) is probably “authentic” enough to rival what you’d get in your hometown, unless perhaps you live in New York. I mean, I don’t think there’s a Moroccan place in Austin that is as good as the one at Epcot.
posted by savetheclocktower at 3:59 PM on September 4, 2015 [10 favorites]
Having just returned, it was easier to find Bigfoot blowing Jimmy Hoffa on the 50 yard line of the super bowl before finding a place that served the kid staple of grilled cheese.
The Wave restaurant at the Contemporary Resort has a fantastic grilled cheese on multi-colored bread. My son had it when we were there last October.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:42 PM on September 4, 2015
The Wave restaurant at the Contemporary Resort has a fantastic grilled cheese on multi-colored bread. My son had it when we were there last October.
posted by Fleebnork at 5:42 PM on September 4, 2015
The last time we were at Disney World they pushed us to declare what we were celebrating when we booked the trip. Well, we had "just" gotten engaged (six months before), and they gave us "Just Engaged" buttons to wear during our stay. We must have had three or four free bottles of champagne on that trip. Disney staff love giving out little extras. The place really is magical.
posted by uncleozzy at 5:54 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by uncleozzy at 5:54 PM on September 4, 2015 [1 favorite]
The food at WDW is really incredible, both in quality and variety. World-class? Probably not.
I think you have to exclude Victoria and Albert's to make this statement true since I don't think there's any debate about that one being world-class. Of course dinner will probably set you back $300+ per person.
posted by Justinian at 10:39 PM on September 4, 2015
I think you have to exclude Victoria and Albert's to make this statement true since I don't think there's any debate about that one being world-class. Of course dinner will probably set you back $300+ per person.
posted by Justinian at 10:39 PM on September 4, 2015
And not a single mention of Baudrillard in either the article or the thread here?
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:28 AM on September 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Joseph Gurl at 1:28 AM on September 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
I think you have to exclude Victoria and Albert's to make this statement true since I don't think there's any debate about that one being world-class.
There's a lot of really good eating at WDW.
Near top tier: V&A. It's Michelin 2 Star class dining. The only place on property that has a firm dress code and rigidly enforces it.
Very Good: Citricos, Narcoosee's, California Grill, Artists Point, Flying Fish Cafe, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Monsieur Paul's, La Ceiler's (overrated IMHO), Jiko's.
The rebuild of Downtown Disney is promising more. I've heard the Boathouse is really good, haven't been yet.
The beer situation at WDW used to be dire, but has rapidly been improving over the last two years. Canada in Epcot now has Unibroue at a stand, one of the best brewers in North America, the US pavilion has a small but solid selection of microbrews, Germany has rotated from the "three pils in a fountain" to an actual selection of interesting German beers" and even the pool bars have an IPA. Trader Sam's and the lanai outside have Kona's Castaway IPA which is really stellar.
You can even get alcohol in the Magic Kingdom -- but only at dinner in Be Our Guest, and not to go. There was no way in hell they were going to open a french restaurant serving a sit down dinner without wine. Otherwise, MK remains dry. The other three parks? Not hardly.
The best quick service is the one in the Land Pavilion at Epcot.
Tonga Toast is Epic.
Those dissing Dole Whips are dead to me, at least a little bit.
Drinking around the world is dangerous. Doubly so if you start with one of those frozen margaritas in Mexico, which are surprisingly lethal. Be warned!
posted by eriko at 8:37 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
There's a lot of really good eating at WDW.
Near top tier: V&A. It's Michelin 2 Star class dining. The only place on property that has a firm dress code and rigidly enforces it.
Very Good: Citricos, Narcoosee's, California Grill, Artists Point, Flying Fish Cafe, Yachtsman's Steakhouse, Monsieur Paul's, La Ceiler's (overrated IMHO), Jiko's.
The rebuild of Downtown Disney is promising more. I've heard the Boathouse is really good, haven't been yet.
The beer situation at WDW used to be dire, but has rapidly been improving over the last two years. Canada in Epcot now has Unibroue at a stand, one of the best brewers in North America, the US pavilion has a small but solid selection of microbrews, Germany has rotated from the "three pils in a fountain" to an actual selection of interesting German beers" and even the pool bars have an IPA. Trader Sam's and the lanai outside have Kona's Castaway IPA which is really stellar.
You can even get alcohol in the Magic Kingdom -- but only at dinner in Be Our Guest, and not to go. There was no way in hell they were going to open a french restaurant serving a sit down dinner without wine. Otherwise, MK remains dry. The other three parks? Not hardly.
The best quick service is the one in the Land Pavilion at Epcot.
Tonga Toast is Epic.
Those dissing Dole Whips are dead to me, at least a little bit.
Drinking around the world is dangerous. Doubly so if you start with one of those frozen margaritas in Mexico, which are surprisingly lethal. Be warned!
posted by eriko at 8:37 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'll chime in here. First time visitor this summer, we stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge and hit up both of the fancy restaurants within. Loved Sanaa and Jiko. Loved breakfast at Boma too. We had our Epcot day partially rained out so we felt a little rushed. I guess I was pretty cynical going in, but I too felt like all the cast members were genuinely eager to help. On preview, I missed Canada and I'm a long time fan of Unibroue. Anything out of the ordinary on tap?
posted by firemouth at 8:56 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by firemouth at 8:56 AM on September 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
One more anecdote for craft beer fans, we visited Animal Kingdom on a typical July day in Florida. Nearly 100° and swampishly humid. The India section is partially Hymalayan themed. One of the beer kiosks was selling Great Divide Yeti, probably because of the name. I love those big chewy stouts as much as the next guy. But, I don't know about all that booziness and gravity midday in the tropics, straight from the bottle. Maybe if you think of it as a malty milkshake.
posted by firemouth at 9:17 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by firemouth at 9:17 AM on September 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
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There is an odd dynamic there where some things clearly get fantastically high levels of attention, while others seem closer to museum pieces left untouched in fear of marring them. But the one thing I expected to see as an adult at Disney--inauthenticity--I found completely lacking. Those people believe in what they do and they do it to the absolute best of their ability, and depending on exactly what it is, they have some pretty high abilities.
I do think Disney is what we'll see of Apple in forty years, a sort of hushed reverence for what ends up being a distinctive skeleton of very dated things with smaller new elements lovingly--perhaps scarily reverently--grafted on. Clearly the clique of masterminds have all died, leaving descendants no less gifted to innovate without disrupting the culture that everyone deep down knows they owe to ancestor worship. You get the sense that Disney is almost as much monument as amusement, but it's not any less enjoyable because of it.
posted by Phyltre at 9:43 AM on September 4, 2015 [23 favorites]