One Disney quick-service restaurant has made a huge change this week.
While “theme park food” is typically associated with burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, and other classic carb-and-sugar combinations, Disney has long distinguished itself from the competition by offering a variety of cuisines at various price points.
Related: Disney Stops Blocking Entry to Guests, Effective Immediately
Cheaper restaurants, known as quick-service restaurants, often sell the standard theme park fare. At Walt Disney World Resort, this category covers Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom Park, and Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus at Animal Kingdom.
However, there are also plenty of quick-service restaurants that sell more ambitious or unique dishes. For example, Satu’li Canteen and Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe (both of which are in Animal Kingdom) sell protein-heavy, reasonably priced dishes that push the boat out from typical theme park junk food.
Table service restaurants — which are typically more expensive — also often feature more ambitious dishes on their menus.
While you’ll find your fair share of basic menus at the likes of Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom) and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante (Hollywood Studios), locations such as Victoria & Albert’s whip up sophisticated dishes that have raked in accolades even from non-diehard Disney fans (albeit, at a much higher price tag than your burger from Peco Bill’s).
This kind of variety is true of most Disney park resorts, including Disneyland Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort. One that’s famously struggled in this area is Disneyland Paris.
Previously known as Euro Disney, this resort is home to both quick and table service restaurants. However, restaurants in both categories have earned some pretty dismal reviews — as have the standard snacks shilled throughout the resort — in comparison to the likes of Disney World.
Adding to the culinary misery is the fact that a huge number of these restaurants shut their doors hours before the parks close. That leaves guests with few options — and the options that remain aren’t exactly tasty enough to soften the blow.
Related: Disney Now Offering Private Princess Meet and Greets (But Only if You Spend $1,000 a Night)
But it seems like Disneyland Paris isn’t done frustrating guests with its restaurants just yet. This week, the resort’s first and largest park — Disneyland Park — introduced new “reserved” signs on the tables of one quick-service restaurant.
As per DLP Report, Casey’s Corner has started putting these signs out on tables. These signs seemingly reserve the tables for guests who are dining at the Disneyland Paris restaurant, making them off-limits to those who’ve picked up snacks elsewhere.
Tables reserved at Casey’s Corner. But why.
https://twitter.com/dlpreport/status/1819401998338314444
As per other Disneyland Paris guests, this has been ongoing for the past week.
At present, cast members at the restaurant – as well as other quick-service spots, such as Pizzeria Bella Notte – often help guests find a table after receiving their food.
Again, if the food offerings at Disneyland Paris were better, this change would be easier to accept. However, it doesn’t sit quite right that a park that’s repeatedly let its guests down on the food front is making it harder for those unwilling to pay high prices for its offerings.
Disneyland Paris is currently in the middle of some major renovations. While its primary park hasn’t had a new attraction in over a decade, the neighboring park – Walt Disney Studios Park – will soon receive its own version of World of Frozen, plus a Tangled (2010) ride and a new name, Disney Adventure World.
The resort’s shopping and dining district, Disney Village (home to restaurants such as Rainforest Cafe and the recently opened Brasserie Rosalie), is also in the middle of a huge refurbishment that has seen walls constructed all over the area. Earlier this year, the Disneyland Hotel also debuted its new, regal Disney Princesses theme (which can come with a price tag of over $1,000 per night).
How do you feel about this new dining practice at Disneyland Paris?
