Concourse and Chef Mickey's

[Cruiser1969]

Are the Concourse Steakhouse and Chef Mickey's essentially the same place?

I know they are both at the Contemporary, but from the Disney website pictures and written descriptions of both, it seems they both have the monorails going by overhead.

My son would love to eat near the monorails and I have an ADR for Chef Mickey's right now. I didn't want to eat at Concourse, too, if it is essentially the same experience.

Any descriptions that differentiate between the two locations would be great!

 

[soccerchick]

I think they are on the same level. You get off the monorail and go down steps/elevator to the concourse level. You actually get to Concourse entrance first, and CM is on the other side. I'll be honest: we ate at Chef Mickey's our first night and I was so tired from our trip and excited for the kids' first character meal, I didn't pay close attention.

Check out the menus at Deb's site for those differences. We couldn't see the monorail while we ate at CM's. Maybe you can from the first section closest to where you check in.

 

[slduck]

The two are seperated by a divider. The Concourse is smaller and much more quiet, but my 3 yo was able to see the characters from where we were seated. The Concourse is more "upscale" than Chef Mickey's. On our last trip, we did Chef Mickey's. We liked the food at the Concourse better, but our little girl (now 4) LOVED CM's.

We'll probably do both on our next trip.

 

[estnh]

The food is much better at the Concourse, and actually there is a much better view of the monorails passing through.

However, there is no character interaction whatsoever at the Concourse, and a younger child would probably be disappointed at the Concourse, because he/she could see the characters dancing around at Chef Mickey's.

 

[Contemporary_Man]

The two restaurants are very close on the concourse (4th floor), along with the outer rim lounge, but they feel worlds apart. Chef Mickey's is a character buffet that is very lively and full of kids having a good time interacting with the characters. Concourse is much more quiet and relaxed. If you child is more interested with the characters, then go with Chef Mickey's. If the monorail gliding quietly by while you eat will mesmerize him, then Concourse is the place for you.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Thank you for the replies!

It sounds like we may have to do both! My son is 9 and loves all things mechanical. Eating near the monorails would blow his mind!!

Do you think Chef Mickey's will provide him enough access to the monorails or maybe would he be just as amazed by just being in the building and walking around.

I do appreciate your advice!

 

[Contemporary_Man]

Yeah, you do Chef Mickey's and then just wander around the building. The Grand Canyon Concourse (4th floor) has some good shopping and you could get good views of the monorail from there. There is also a decent arcade on the first floor. If you are planning a day at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, you could ride the monorail to and from your reservations at the Contemporary. I still marvel at the ride through the contemporary.

 

[KayakDaddy]

Cruiser1969 - your son sound like mine, he loves to watch mechanical things work (I think he just likes theme park rides just so he can watch all of the gears, chains, & hydraulics do their thing).

With that in mind, I gotta give you a tip that your son will probably think is cool. They will let you ride in the front of the monorail with the driver. All you gotta do is ask and be lucky enough that the incoming monorail doesn't already have passengers in the cab. One night we just waited in the monorail cueing area at CR until one came in that didn't already have someone in the cab. We rode around the whole monorail loop and got off at the CR again and it was the highlight of his trip.

To answer your original question - Chef Mickey's and Concourse Steakhouse are right next to each other in the "grand canyon" concourse. Since they share the same ceiling that is about 100 feet up they almost feel like they share the space. They are much different experiances though - in general the kids like CM's better and grown up will prefer CS.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Keep in mind that at Chef Mickey's you are not guaranteed a view of the monorail. There's a back room and a transition area between the two rooms and your view is of a ceiling. You'll have to request a seat with a view if you want it. Also, if you do concourse and get seated over by the partition, you may find the kids longing for the characters.

 

[Hugpug]

Be warned rumor has it that the Concorse will be moving down to the first floor and the arcade and fun center up to the 4th floor. When I don't know.

 

[cinmell]

Be warned rumor has it that the Concorse will be moving down to the first floor and the arcade and fun center up to the 4th floor. When I don't know.

Really? This is the first I've heard of it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

Breakfast at the Concourse is my favorite. They have the best Eggs Benedict. With steamed asparagras on the side.

 

[Cruiser1969]

Oh my, this is all VERY helpful!!

I like the idea of having dinner at Chef Mickey's (DS9 and DD7 would both love this) and spending some time wandering around and exploring the monorail system. Thanks for the tips!!

I LOVE the idea of riding up front as this would MOST definitely be the highlight of my son's trip. I can see myself waiting a while, if needed, until a free monorail shows up as I don't think I could place any dollar value on this experience for my son (& DD, too, but DS would talk about it for years!)

Our sons sound alike, KayakDaddy, as my DS loves the gears and hydaulics etc. When he was a toddler and we would take him for wagon rides, he spent the whole ride bent over watching the wheels go round and round instead of enjoying the outdoor view. He is obsessed with rides like Carousel of Progress and anything with animatronics, etc.


Thank you so much for all of your responses.

The people on these boards are always so helpful, and I couldn't imagine planning this trip without them!!