by Disney Magic Diva
One of our absolute MUST DO’s while at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is to enjoy a Plaza Sundae from Plaza Ice Cream Parlor. Located at the end of Main Street U.S.A. on the right side of the street (as you face Cinderella Castle), it has long been our family’s “go-to” spot for an ice-cream treat.
Diva Tip: The sundaes here are served in a waffle bowl, topped with loads of sauce and ice-cream, and are only one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan! It’s an excellent value and the perfect treat while waiting for Festival of Fantasy or Happily Ever After!
Given our adoration for Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, it seems curious that we never tried The Plaza Restaurant. It’s just never really been on our radar for whatever reason. But recently they started offering an “All-You-Care-To-Enjoy” featured milkshake each month, and – WOW! – did that get our attention! I booked a reservation for dinner, and we counted down the days until our next trip!
The Plaza Restaurant is located right next to Plaza Ice Cream Parlor as you head toward Tomorrowland. It is a small, intimate setting, with fun views of Cinderella Castle. It is open for lunch and dinner, and the menu consists of sandwiches, salads, and burgers ranging around $15-20 and classic American desserts like cake and pie. It is one table service credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
Sounds pretty straightforward, right? My husband and son, who will occasionally venture into more exotic foods but prefer the tried-and-true comfort dishes, were sure to be pleased. And really, as soon as I told my son about the All-You-Care-To-Enjoy milkshake, he was sold!
We arrived for dinner about 20 minutes early, and tried to check in with the hostess. We were told they would not check us in until 15 minutes prior to our reservation, so we just took a seat under the quaint yellow-and-white striped umbrellas outside the restaurant, and checked in 5 minutes later. We were given a pager, and returned to our people-watching under the shade of our umbrella-covered table. Soon our pager went off, and we were seated inside the restaurant.
I was struck by how small The Plaza Restaurant really is. After so many table service meals in restaurants with hundreds of tables, it was so pleasant to be in such a charming, cozy space. (I was a little dismayed, though, when I sat down on the padded bench at our table. The bench sunk down quite low, and I sat the entire meal at a noticeably lower height than is comfortable for dining. The things I’ll do for All-You-Care-To-Enjoy milkshakes!)
Our server was prompt and courteous; taking time to chat with us about herself and helpfully answering any questions we had about the menu. My son and I both promptly ordered our All-You-Care-To-Enjoy milkshakes. Each month a different flavor is featured (the month we were there it was Turtle), but they also serve chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and mint chocolate chip. (As of May 2018, the milkshake was $9.) We were intent on getting a refill, and wanted to have our shakes at the table as soon as possible! They did arrive swiftly, accompanied by the stainless steel canister just like in an old-fashioned soda shop. My Turtle milkshake was a delectable concoction of chocolate, caramel, walnuts, whip cream and a cherry! It was almost gone before my food arrived, and our server quickly brought a refill – this time in a “to-go” cup so we could take any leftovers with us! I’m certain she would have kept bringing them if I had been able to “enjoy” anymore!
Plaza Club
My husband ordered the Plaza Club – smoked ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise layered on Texas Toast with his choice of seasonal vegetables, homemade chips, or fries. Since he loves chips as much as I love ice-cream, he chose those and was not disappointed. The sandwich was exactly what you would expect of a club sandwich – nothing spectacular and nothing subpar.
Home-style Meatloaf
My son can be counted on to order meatloaf whenever he’s given a choice, and so he was quick to decide on that for his entrée. Unfortunately, it did not quite live up to his expectations. He found it to be dry and bland, with the potato being the only real highlight of his dish, and even that was lacking the flavor he would have expected.
I chose the grilled Reuben, and I too was less than thrilled with my choice. The sandwich had plenty of meat, but little dressing or sauerkraut, leaving it rather dry. Good thing I had that milkshake to focus on!
Grilled Reuben
Like most table service restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort, I would recommend having a reservation for The Plaza Restaurant. I would definitely consider going again, but probably just for appetizers and dessert. The entrees, even at the reasonable prices, just weren’t promising enough to make me want to try them again.
Diva Tip: The Plaza Restaurant does offer an Annual Passholder discount, so be sure to tell your server if you qualify for that.
Have you been to The Plaza Restaurant? Did we just hit it on an “off” day? Comment below with your experience! And if you haven’t been, but want to check out those milkshakes, contact Patricia at All for Dreams Travel! She will book your entire trip, and be sure to get you the reservation you need for that milkshake!
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We used to eat there every trip, but stopped after we were served a milkshake warm enough to be soup that had a piece of lettuce hiding down in it…the service was also terrible that visit and the food was nothing to write home about, as you experienced