The Plaza Restaurant is in many ways hidden. As you walk down Main Street U.S.A., your eyes are naturally drawn towards Cinderella's castle. But to the right is a pathway leading to Tomorrowland, and nestled in is the Plaza Restaurant. Many people go into the Plaza's Ice Cream Parlor without knowing that next door is a table service restaurant. I scheduled lunch for us on a day that we planned on attending Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We would end up going to three parties during this trip. This was party day number two. We had eaten breakfast at The Crystal Palace and had dinner plans for the Liberty Tree Tavern. The Plaza seemed like a nice choice to have lunch and a needed break from our busy schedule.
This is one place that I had not previously researched. I had glanced at the kid's menu to make sure that there was something my boys would eat, and made the reservation. The Plaza is a pretty place. It is very bright with the windows and lovely chandeliers. The colors are all gold, white, and yellow. With all this though, there just seems to be something missing. Maybe it is because of the heavily themed restaurants we were eating at this vacation, but the Plaza seems to be lacking a bit of pixie dust. I understand it is set during the gay 90's, but would one know this if you didn't know the history behind Main Street U.S.A.? Hmm. I wonder.
We soon were brought our menus. Sam ordered the child's grilled cheese sandwich with French fries, while Luke chose the cheeseburger and fries. Chuck went with the Plaza Club with broccoli slaw. I pulled a bit of When Harry Met Sally. I changed the way a menu item was originally listed. I really wanted the vegetarian sandwich. I did not, though, want it with hummus and cucumber. It came with pesto and tomatoes on focaccia, which was all that I wanted, along with the other two. I love tomato sandwiches. I do not like hummus or cucumber. The waiter was very patient with me and after questioning whether or not I was a vegetarian or vegan, he made a suggestion. He suggested that I order it with grilled chicken breasts. I decided to give it a try with the chicken breasts added.
Our orders were quickly brought to our table. The boys were content with their selections and dove right in. Chuck did not enjoy the broccoli slaw. He is a fan of both broccoli and slaw, but did not care for it. His club sandwich was good, nothing outstanding.
My concoction of the vegetarian sandwich was good. I ordered fries with mine, since I am not a fan of slaw. While we were eating, a cast member dressed in the style of the 1890's came in and announced that the one hundredth customer of the day had entered. She announced his name to the rest of us, and said that he would get a free sundae. She encouraged us to clap for the gentlemen, and then left. Good luck to all future one hundredth folks.
Our waiter soon returned to get our dessert orders. Chuck asked for a chocolate sundae, Sam wanted a dish of vanilla ice cream, and I decided on a dish of the raspberry sorbet. Luke, being his usual picky six-year old self, surprised the waiter by telling him that he didn't want any dessert. This waiter, after recovering, tried many times to entice him. He offered him ice cream, milkshakes, and even mini cookies and milk. Our Luke could not be tempted. The rest of us though enjoyed our ice cream and sorbet. If you are a fan of raspberries and/or sorbets, then visit the Plaza's Ice Cream Parlor and grab one. I did so a few years ago on a whim, and love getting one each time we visit. This and the revered Dole Whip are a definite must for any visit to the Magic Kingdom.
Overall, the Plaza Restaurant can be a welcome diversion to the usual quick service lunches that most get while at the Magic Kingdom. It may lack the usual whimsy that one typically finds in a Disney table service eatery, but the different sandwiches offered are a pleasant diversion from the usual chicken nuggets and burgers. Reservations and walk-ins are easily made.
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Thanks for ANOTHER great review and so quickly!!! Annette is right - this is a great day! :)
I actually enjoy the Plaza Restaurant quite a bit and consider it to be a hidden treasure. The prices are decent, the food (when we have visited) was very good (the Plaza Club stands out if you ask me, as does the chicken salad with fresh strawberries), the service was top notch, and the desserts (made in the Main Street ice cream parlor) were wonderful. A couple of years ago, in 2010, I was able to feed my family of five (including dessert) for $65, which is a steal, imho. For all these reasons, I regard the Plaza Restaurant as the best full service option in the Magic Kingdom. However, it has been three years since I visited, so things certainly could have dropped off a bit. I will definitely check it out again when I visited sometime in the next year or two.
Yes, we were on a dining plan for this trip. Desserts were included.
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