Was there ever ever really Disney Store Restaurants

[pancakesaregood]

This has been bugging me for awhile. I can't remember if I heard it by word of mouth or read it in a book/magazine/website, if they ever opened/proposed building Disney Restaurants in the stores or near them...if so to any is there any evidence?

Edit: Didn't notice the extra ever...

[Aladdin]

I do recall seeing a picture in the Disney Magazine of a Disney
Restaurant, which was adjacent to a Disney Store. Dont recall
what city it was in or how many restaurants were built, but I
don't think the lasted very long. Perhaps others might have
more specific info, BUT . . . .

I do know for sure that Club Disney locations in the Phoenix
area did have a small restaurant. Club Disney was an indoor
"Play Area" for kids, it a climbing area, a theater area, an art
area where kids could make their own creations. The whole
area was created primarily for kids no older that 8 or 10.
It was really popular here in Phoenix, so I'm still not sure why
they were closed.

As mentioned, Club Disney did have a small restaurant with a
limited menu. I never had a chance to eat there, though.

[FrumiousBoojum]

I think Mickey's Kitchen is what you're thinking of...

[pancakesaregood]

Yes, that's what I remember seeing. I was kind of confused, because I now remember hearing how they planned to build quite a few, but they must have hit financial problems or just decided not to.

[MickeysGirl]

Years ago when the Pomona Mall first opened, the Disney store, it was multi level. Inside was a small counter service area with stools where you could sit at the counter and be served, I do not remember if there were any tables. Later they removed it. It was sad, because it really added to the Disney charm of the store.

[FrumiousBoojum]

What I've found out was this snippet from an article:

Mickey's Kitchen, the fast-food chain vehicle Disney tested unsuccessfully in a handful of Disney Store locations from 1990 until 1992, signaled Eisner's interest in tapping the kid-dining market.

And that Paul Pressler, who was head of the Stores at the time, put in a declaration at opening that there was to be one in every mall in America and they plan to go head-to-head with McDonald's. Who was in the process of signing a big deal with Disney at the time. Which didn't sit very well with Mackey Dee's.

[DisneySarah]

Oh my gosh!!! I totally remember eating french fries at a Disney store restauraunt once! I haven't heard anything about the restauraunts in forever, so I thought it was just a dream from my childhood that became reality in my brain. I am so excited! I knew it wasn't a dream!

[LuvsLilo]

Years ago when the Pomona Mall first opened, the Disney store, it was multi level. Inside was a small counter service area with stools where you could sit at the counter and be served, I do not remember if there were any tables. Later they removed it. It was sad, because it really added to the Disney charm of the store.

I had lunch there when I was a kid. It was awesome and was sad to see it gone.

[gurgi]

Yes, I know for a fact that the Montclair Plaza in California had a Mickey's Kitchen too. I remember it well. I loved that Disney store because with the restaurant it made it HUGE. It even had an entrance/exit in the back that looked like an old 50's silver diner. It was absolutely wonderful to go in there and get that special "Disney" magic that previously you could only find at the parks.

I guess the fast food concept must have been a bust since they closed maybe a year after opening. It was sad because it basically cut that Disney Store in half. I remember eating a Mickey burger that was shaped like Mickey. It was a reallly fun place, and beat the heck out of McDonalds!! Oh well....

[dsnylndmom]

Yes, I know for a fact that the Montclair Plaza in California had a Mickey's Kitchen too. I remember it well. I loved that Disney store because with the restaurant it made it HUGE. It even had an entrance/exit in the back that looked like an old 50's silver diner. It was absolutely wonderful to go in there and get that special "Disney" magic that previously you could only find at the parks.

I guess the fast food concept must have been a bust since they closed maybe a year after opening. It was sad because it basically cut that Disney Store in half. I remember eating a Mickey burger that was shaped like Mickey. It was a reallly fun place, and beat the heck out of McDonalds!! Oh well....

I never saw one of these how totally adorable!! My boys would've loved that

[Miss DW]

I do remember Club Disney in Arizona, though the one I went to wasn't in Phoenix. I wish they had kept them open, because they were great!

And if I went to a Mickey's Kitchen, I don't remember it.

[DisneySarah]

Yup, the one in Montclair Plaza is the one I went to!!! hooray! I'm not crazy!

[Radiobarry]

I remember the first "Club Disney" which opened up here in Ventura County in the city of Thousand Oaks.

After doing a Google search, I found a website with the following review after it first opened ( I guess around 1990)...

Club Disney is a theme playland
located in 1000 Oaks, CA. Should it be successful, expect these to be all
over the country in a few years. This one, the prototype, has been open
for about a month.

Admission is $8. It is in a nice new shopping center. You are also told
that you can leave and return to the premises only once, with a time limit
of only 20 minutes! This is to insure that you will rent their lockers and
eat their Disneyland priced cuisine, rather than go outside for better,
cheaper fare.

The first exhibit you see is a little Pooh play area. It looked nice, but
like other areas, advertised features weren't all there. Like the
character jump belts. Also, the cast member who is supposed to read
stories, merely sat bored at table.

The game area looked great, but was also lame. The play levels (with one
open tube) were both crowded and cramped. The science area had some neat
things, like a room where you make a shadow. However, they never tell you
how all these things are done.

The Aplaudeville Theater was kind of crappy. The dance show was good, but
the costume dress up wasn't. They pick out 20 kids prior to the show and
you get to see them walk out in costume. Whoopee. I wanted my own kids to
be there. Also, they don't list a schedule of shows.

The animation center is small. You get to turn a reel of Fantasia, and
make a short stop animation movie. The computer interactive center is a
joke. After you enter, the "educational" programs you get to pick and play
are standard Disney CD ROMs (Pocohantas, Winnie the Pooh, Hunchback, etc.)
all available for sale at the gift shop for $39.99.

The art room was good. We got a quick art lesson and got to make and color
a clay mickey. They have a lot of upstairs classrooms reserved for school
field trips. You won't ever get a chance to be in one of these, unless you
get a weekend birthday party. For $250, you a room for 2 hours, a cake a
Merlin will stop by and do some tricks.

SUMMARY - It looks like Disney is trying to make a play at the school
field trip market. In my opinion, it fails. They have handouts showing the
educational merits of their attractions, but they are really stretching
the truth (BTW, I have been a teacher for ten years).

The gift shop does have lots of cool, exclusive Fantasia stuff. If you
have toddlers, you have to walk them through everything. I find Chuck E.
Cheese a better deal because, a) It is cheaper, and b) The kids don't need
you every frick'in second. I get to eat in peace. I might go back in a few
years, but your results may be different.

I think I went there once before it closed. My memories are that I wasn't all that impressed.

Web link -

http://www.faqs.org/faqs/disney-faq/disneyland/part6/

Hope this helps -

Barry

[DifrntDrmr]

We had a couple of my daughter's bday parties at Club Disney. She had a great time. The reason they gave for closing them down was they weren't making "enough" money. It was about the same time that they abandoned the DisneyQuest idea.

[WDW1974]

Mickey's Kitchen and then Club Disney (and later DQ) ... concepts that Disney never should have gotten in ... from the Michael Eisner 'We Can Do Anything Better Than Anyone in Any Business' Era ... remember it well.