Restaurant Review: The Plaza at Magic Kingdom
When you visit Magic Kingdom frequently, you’ll inevitably dine at a handful of locations. Regulars favor places like Casey’s Corner, Columbia Harbour House, and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café because the food’s cheap and easy to get.
Sometimes, people prefer to sit down for a meal, though. And one park restaurant splits the difference between reasonable prices and a Table Service environment. Here’s a review of my lunch at The Plaza.
Photo: www.brbgoingtodisney.com
The Location
This restaurant is among the simplest to find at Walt Disney World. During your trip, you’ll inevitably spend time at Magic Kingdom. What’s the centerpiece of that park? Yes, it’s Cinderella Castle.
The Plaza overlooks the courtyard in front of the castle. You’ll walk along Main Street, U.S.A., until you reach the end of the path. It’s the place where the road forks from the main hub, Cinderella Castle, to all the accompanying spokes, the themed lands of Magic Kingdom.
At this spot, you’ll turn right, and you’ll know that you’re heading in the right direction. You can’t help but notice Tomorrowland Terrace up ahead. The Plaza’s hidden in plain sight in this section of Main Street, U.S.A. The tables in this section are technically part of the restaurant, although many unknowing guests just sit there anyway.
Yes, The Plaza is one of the first restaurants that you’ll find at Magic Kingdom. The only full dining experiences that are closer to the entrance are Casey’s Corner and Crystal Palace.
The Theming
The Plaza Restaurant mimics the Plaza Inn at Disneyland, which opened as the Red Wagon Inn, the primary restaurant at the park. At the time, the Inn earned a special place in Roy and Walt Disney’s hearts as the only place that served full-course dinners at their parks. It was a sit-down restaurant in a sea of grab-and-go counters.
While the name changed in 1965, the Plaza Inn’s roots have differentiated it from other Disneyland restaurants. Everyone knows that Walt loved the place, and Roy became obsessed with the roast chicken there. So, it’s an integral part of the history of the Happiest Place on Earth.
After Walt died, Roy became the point man on Walt Disney World construction. And the other brother desired a version of Plaza Inn at Magic Kingdom. He didn’t wholly mimic it, though. Instead, he settled on an ice cream parlor, with an attached seating area.
This restaurant opened in 1971. However, by 1977, Disney had separated it into a dining room restaurant and a distinct ice cream shop. That version of The Plaza has mainly remained the same for 40+ years now.
The theming is bright white colors and classic Disney styling. Technically, it’s a turn of the (20th) century dining hall with Art Nouveau décor. More than anything, it’s a multi-generational destiny where parents can take their kids and say, “I sat right here when I was your age.”
Since the place changes so little over time, everything remains similar to how people remember it from their childhoods. In fact, I recently had a déjà vu moment there that forcibly reminded me of a long-forgotten memory of my late father.
Our Dining Experience: Seating Portion
I recently dined here in the most haphazard way possible. My wife and I had made plans for a party of four, fully expecting to get stood up. Our friend and his daughter were meeting other family members that day. Ergo, we expected them to punt on their plans with us.
To our surprise, they didn’t merely show up. They brought other guests. Our planned table for two turned into lunch for six. We had to ask the cast members whether this was possible. Ordinarily, I wouldn’t even ask, but I didn’t want to disappoint my friend’s family.
Photo: TulipandSnowflake.com
The cast members at the check-in desk certainly didn’t like this request. They both made faces and were ready to say no. However, at that point, one of them noticed that someone in our party had a birthday button…and cast members are amazing. They found a way to make it work, seating us almost immediately.
Even better, the location of our table pleased all of us. It faced Cinderella Castle and had a nearly straight view. A couple of tables sat between us and the viewing window, but they didn’t obstruct the view. And let’s be clear. The BEST part of dining at The Plaza is taking in the sights and in and around the castle. It’s the epicenter of the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Photo: www.brbgoingtodisney.com
Our Dining Experience: The Dining Plan We Didn’t Use
We planned to use the Disney Dining Plan to pay for this meal. Something strange happened before we had even ordered. The manager of the restaurant came over to greet our party, presumably because of the birthday boy.
This cast member casually asked whether any of us had the dining plan. My wife spoke up that we had the Deluxe Disney Dining Plan and planned to use it. The woman gazed at us in horror and immediately said, “Don’t do that!” She argued that we would waste our credits that way, as The Plaza’s prices are among the cheapest of any Table Service option at Walt Disney World.
Now, from my perspective, she was effectively billing me $150 in front of a couple of people I didn’t know that well. I had already offered to “pay” for the meal with entitlements. So, it became cash out of pocket rather than Table Service credits.
However, she had a point. An average of $25 per person for a Table Service meal is substantially below what I’d expect to pay. So, this restaurant isn’t the best place to utilize the Disney Dining Plan. When you’re paying for the meal, it’s a tremendous Magic Kingdom option, though. You can eat inexpensively while still relishing in the ambiance of Cinderella Castle.
Our Dining Experience: Appetizer and Entrees
I always describe The Plaza as serving peasant food, and I mean that in the best possible way. The comfort cuisine on the menu here will surely sate the hunger of everyone in your party.
Many of the entrees available here fall under the heading of burgers and sandwiches, although The Plaza serves Brisket Macaroni & Cheese and Home-Style Meatloaf, too. There’s even Bangers & Mash as an option when you’re hungry for British food.
Our party ordered Plaza Loaded Fries as an appetizer and then attacked many of the entrees. People picked the Lobster Cobb Salad, the Plaza Club, the Cheese Steak Sandwich, the mac & cheese, and the Plaza Burger, which two of us had. So, we accidentally sampled most of the menu.
The star of the meal was, oddly enough, the loaded fries, which went quickly. Our resident foodie adored her Cheese Steak Sandwich, too. I found the burger pretty dull, although that’s on me for lacking imagination with my order.
Photo: ThemeParkInsider.com
Since several members of our group didn’t know each other well, we spent most of the meal introducing ourselves. That’s problematic for the review, as I didn’t receive enough feedback on some of the entrees. However, what I can say with sincerity is that virtually all plates were empty by the end of the meal. Mine was the primary exception.
Service and Final Thoughts
Also, I was dazzled by our service. Our cast member kept our glasses refilled and our empty plates off the table. She deftly managed this without interrupting any of our conversations.
The food also arrived quickly, which surprised me. Many reviews of The Plaza suggest that service is slow, with courses taking 45 minutes or longer to reach the table. Our experience was the opposite, as our server’s proficiency meant that our meal ended too quickly. We were in and out of the restaurant in less 45 minutes, a rarity for Table Service meals in my experience.
My main regret is that I couldn’t convince anyone to try the ice cream. My entire party let me down! Since everyone devoured the appetizer and their entrees, they were all too full for dessert. So, I don’t get to review the most famous part of The Plaza. For that, I sincerely apologize.
Overall, the check came out to around $160, $200 after tip (she deserved it!). For a party of six, I was extremely satisfied with the prices. And because the manager convinced me to save my Disney Dining Plan entitlements, I was later able to “buy” a meal for a party of nine later in the trip. So, I’m appreciative of this person’s honesty about her restaurant.
As always, I loved dining at The Plaza. Importantly, I’m also happy knowing that a daughter can go back to that place in 20 years. When she does, she can show her friends where she ate with her father, her aunt and uncle, and her pretend aunt and uncle. The timeless nature of this signature part of Magic Kingdom is what elevates it.
