“It was Walt’s idea that while dining was an experience, we should augment it in any way we could. After all, he was a showman.” —Disney Legend and Imagineer John Hench CONTENTS xi―INTRODUCTION: Once Upon a Time . . .
1―CHAPTER ONE: Gone but Not Forgotten: Favorites from Yesteryear
41―CHAPTER TWO: Never Left the Menu: Because They Are That Good
67―CHAPTER THREE: Eating and Imagination: Theming Food and Restaurants
105―CHAPTER FOUR: Rumbly in Your Tumblies: For When You’re Hungry but Don’t Know What You Want to Eat
143―CHAPTER FIVE: Tiaras and Crowns: Fine and Fancy Dining
179―CHAPTER SIX: In (and Out of) This World: From the Globe and the Galaxy
209―CHAPTER SEVEN: Be Our Guests: Accommodations and Sustainability
233―CHAPTER EIGHT: Drink Me!: Cocktails and Mocktails
259―CHAPTER NINE: Happily Ever After: Sweet Endings and Desserts
298―ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
300―INDEX
304―SOURCES
305―IMAGE CREDITS
INTRODUCTION: Once Upon a Time . . . AFTER THE SUCCESS OF DISNEYLAND—and all the fun creating it—Walt wanted to build something more elaborate and with more room.
His “Project X” was no longer a secret. Walt unveiled his plans for what would become the Walt Disney World Resort at a November 1965 press conference where he stated, “Well . . . I’ve always said there will never be another Disneyland . . . and I think it’s going to work out that way. But it will be the equivalent of Disneyland.
“We know the basic things that have what I call family appeal . . . this concept here will have, too, something that is unique,” he promised, “so there is a distinction between Disneyland in California and whatever Disney does . . . in Florida.” Walt added, “I’m very excited about it because I’ve been storing these things up over the years and certain attractions at Disneyland that have a basic appeal I might move here. Then again, I would like to create new things.”
Just a little more than a year later, however, Walt would be gone.
It was now up to Walt’s big brother and business partner, Roy O., to make his younger sibling’s dream come true. He started with the name, declaring that he was putting his brother’s first name on the Orlando resort: it would forever be Walt Disney World, because “there would not be a Disney World without Walt. “We are going to finish this park [in Florida], and we’re going to do it just the way Walt wanted it,” the bereaved brother firmly stated. “Don’t you ever forget it. I want every one of you to do just exactly what you were going to do when Walt was alive.”
More than fifty years later, we are celebrating not only Walt’s dream, but Roy’s vision and commitment, the dedication of countless cast members and Imagineers, and a world of magic.
And all of it is deliciously Disney. . . .
“He would have loved it. He would have loved it and we think of that all the time, that he’s missed the whole thing; even the opening he wasn’t here, you know. So he’s missed the whole thing and it’s so grand. He’d be very happy.” —Lillian Disney, Walt’s wife CHAPTER ONE: Gone but Not Forgotten: Favorites from Yesteryear WHO CAN FORGET THE SCENE IN Ratatouille (2007) when the fierce critic Anton Ego first tastes Remy’s ratatouille? One bite, and he’s instantly transported back to his boyhood and the comfort that the same dish gave him when prepared lovingly by his mother. Food memories are some of the strongest we have; food can trigger a fond memory from our past and often goes way beyond the food itself to an emotional association with a person or a place—such as the Walt Disney World Resort.
With that in mind, we looked back at the beloved restaurants and recipes from the first fifty years at the Walt Disney World Resort and chose a few that harken back to yesteryear.
AU GRATIN POTATOES RECIPE FROM THE EMPRESS ROOM, LAKE BUENA VISTA VILLAGE (NOW DISNEY SPRINGS) The EMPRESS LILLY RIVERBOAT, moored on the shores of what is now Disney Springs, was named for Walt’s wife, Lillian, who was affectionately known as Lilly. On May 1, 1977, Lilly attended the dedication of the three-restaurant attraction with five of her and Walt’s grandchildren. At the time, the vessel’s Empress Room was the most elegant dining experience at Walt Disney World. It closed on April 22, 1995, and now is the home to Paddlefish.
SERVES 4 INGREDIENTS 2 large baking potatoes
1 cup half-and-half
½ teaspoon coarse salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon finely grated onion, optional
3 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes 50 to 60 minutes or until soft enough to pierce with a fork. Refrigerate to cool, then peel and coarsely grate.
2. Bring half-and-half almost to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, celery salt, and onion. Mix in grated potatoes.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350°F. Spoon potatoes into buttered 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.
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