What closed Disney restaurants compare favorably to new favorites?

[sotoalf]

During Father's Day this weekend the subject of Disney (inevitably) came up. Dad insists that before the early nineties there were no decent meals to be had in either the resorts or parks. Too young to argue, I accepted his word. I did remember horrible meals at The Pueblo Room and Papeete Bay Verandah in the late eighties.

We tend to think that Disney entered this golden age of dining with the opening of the California Grill in 1995. Is this true? Did any of the long-gone sit-down restaurants like the Pompano Grill or Gulf Coast Room offer menus and service that could rival Citricos, Artist Point, or Jiko?

 

[bicker]

Dad is correct. The best of "back then" was no where near as good as the best of today.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Not sure how far back you want to go, but we had wonderful meals at Papeete Bay--in the mid 70's. In the 80's they began their decline--first getting rid of the hula dancer, then the 3-piece combo, then turning the menu into almost all Chinese. Didn't even resemble the restaurant we went to in 1975.
Ariels was as good as any of the current spots, as was Sum Chows. Not far behind were Fishermans Deck and Steermans Quarters. Both were much better than current "occupant" of the Empress Lilly.

 

[BCV23]

Yes, Fisherman's Deck and Steerman's Quarters were both very good. I think either was a match for YSH for instance.

Both Papeete Bay Verandah and and the restaurant at the top of the CR served wonderful breakfast buffets in the 80s.

How was the restaurant that occupied the space that now houses Citricos? I never dined there although always meant to do so.

And of course, some oldies from the 80s are still around...YSH, Brown Derby and especially V&A. I also think the Epcot restaurants were at least as good and for the most part better in the 80s than they are now. Le Cellier is probably an exception although we never tried it when it was a cafeteria.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Flagler's I believe it was called. Mostly Italian as I recall. Only ate there once and it wasn't memorable. They had "entertainment" (sort of). The night we were there, the entertainment consisted of three or 4 servers joining hands and dancing around our table singing "La la la la la" while the manager beat on a tambourin.
Hard to forget that---

 

[fishy_mouse]

The Empress Room on the Empress Lilly riverboat was the finest dining in WDW during its heyday.

 

[BCV23]

Flagler's I believe it was called. Mostly Italian as I recall. Only ate there once and it wasn't memorable. They had "entertainment" (sort of). The night we were there, the entertainment consisted of three or 4 servers joining hands and dancing around our table singing "La la la la la" while the manager beat on a tambourin.
Hard to forget that---

That is so funny! I bet you remember that! I almost posted Italian restaurant but just wasn't sure.

fishy_mouse, we never made it to the Empress Room. We used to do all inclusive packages and it was included but our children were just too young IMO. It was gone by the time they were old enough to try it. Was it comparable to V&A's?

 

[BillSears]

The Empress Room on the Empress Lilly riverboat was the finest dining in WDW during its heyday.

Yep that's the best place to eat that I remember. We loved eating at the Empress Lily.

King Stephan's Hall used to be pretty good too. I remember eating there for special dinners every trip. I loved the chocolate crepes!

 

[sotoalf]

Anyone ever eat at the Pompano Grill? It was at the Village Clubhouse, right?

 

[Uncleromulus]

I did breakfast there once. It had a pretty good reputation for dinner, but we never got around to going.
And I do believe it was in that Village area.

 

[BCV23]

We had dinner once at the clubhouse in LBV but I'm not sure it was called Pompano Grill way back then. It was good as I recall.

Uncleromulus, I asked my husband if he remembered eating at Flagler's and he did. I'm sure I was in the room with our middle child who tended to get tuckered out before dinner on occasion. Anyway, he enjoyed his meal but missed out on the "entertainment."

 

[Simba's Mom]

Prior to the California Grill, there was a beautiful Sunday Brunch there-the Top of the World Sunday Brunch.

 

[REL1203]

from the 70's and 80's, what restaurants are still around now that were around then?

 

[Simba's Mom]

from the 70's and 80's, what restaurants are still around now that were around then?

Boy, I had to think about that one! It seems like many of the ones that are still around have undergone major changes. Like I remember LTT before it was a character dinner, and Crystal Palace before it was a character buffet for all 3 meals. And Biergarten before it was a buffet. Sadly, all the character meals we ate at when the kids were little have been replaced or are just plain gone. The only resturaunt I remember eating at in the 80s that isn't very different is Coral Reef.

 

[sotoalf]

Some restaurants have been re-modelled, others closed entirely. I don't find the Contemporary's Concourse restaurants all that different from their seventies and eighties incarnations: there's always been a moderately priced all-day sit-down restaurant and a character meal.

The Kona Cafe is essentially Coral Isle Cafe with marginally better food. I preferred the layout, atmosphere, and menu of Papeete Bay Verandah to 'Ohanas' (the Polynesian's always had a problem with fine dining). I miss the Tangaroa Terrace too – it was good to have another sit-down option.

 

[BillSears]

from the 70's and 80's, what restaurants are still around now that were around then?

How about the HDDR? I don't think the Hoop De Doo Revue has changed since it's opened...they're still telling the same bad jokes.

 

[Uncleromulus]

That's one for sure. Chef Mickey's was around then, but not in it's present location. Captain Jacks may have been around then too--
But most are gone--the Empress Lilly no longer exists, the restaurants at the Poly are all gone. Actually, many of the WDW places we now take for granted didn't even exist in the 70's-early 80's. The Grand Floridian didn't even open until 1988 and the Narcoosee's of that time had virtually nothing in common with Narcoossee's now.

 

[sotoalf]

Narcoosee's was open for lunch, you could order beer by the yard, and feat on gator!

 

[Halle]

I miss Ariel's, I know it opened in the 90's but had to mention it. Anyone know why it closed?

 

[sotoalf]

I'm assuming there was too much competition; the Boardwalk and its panoply of restaurants opened in 1996.