Originally Posted By mousermerf Oh, and more on the Odyssey, as big as the building looks it's really not very big as far as seating is concerned. The vast majority of it is the CM cafeteria in the rear. Only a couple hundred people can fit into it - hence why The Land and Electric Umbrella do the heavy lifting as they both seat far more people. I almost want to say Pure and Simple's two seating areas had more guest room combined then the Odyssey.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^^^ There was, however, one big room at the Odyssey, the one where they staged the "Clap Your Hands" show. That might have housed a few hundred. Cute stuff, I remember seeing Mickey in the Rainbow outfit.
Originally Posted By Labuda "my first thought was to move people out who were just seeking an air conditoned place to sit down and not buy anything" EXCELLENT point, sir! They may also help clear out people who are sitting at a table for a long time after they finish eating. Heck, at Cosmic Ray's back in 05, I had lunch with a few LPers and we then sat around and talked for about 3 hours afterwards.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey ^^^^^So this whole new rule is actually YOUR fault, Labuda! ;-P
Originally Posted By standor They should make seating for disabled people. My wife has trouble standing and we sit her at a table and then get the food. I guess from now on we will have to bring a small amount of food so she looks like she is eating.
Originally Posted By NikkiLOVESMickey I would figure that they have to make some sort of accomodation for people who cannot stand in line. It would be discriminatory if they didn't.
Originally Posted By mousermerf There's a CM standing there assigning people - i'm sure they can be reasoned with.
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer ^^^ The term medical emergency will work wonders, especially when trying to use the Crystal Palace Restroom with 10 mins to Wishes and a line out the door for the MSUSA Restrooms. Just sayin'.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<It doesn't help that the MK has closed dining venues as crowds increase thanks to the dining plan...Adventureland Veranda and Aunt Polly's closed permanently, El Pirata y el Perico and the Noodle Station with limited hours/schedule and the Diamond Horseshoe only used as overflow. Over at Epcot, there used to be another large fast food place where the character meet and greet is now at Innoventions West, along with the very large Odyssey complex. >> Very good point ... not just saying that because I've made it here many times. When the second-largest QS facility at MK has pretty much been shuttered (it reopened briefly a few times) for 15 years, that sums up plenty. Then you take Plaza Pavilion, pretty large as well and have it closed most of the time as well. And suddenly you have an issue because there's only four real QS locations ... that's why temp stands appear during free dining. EPCOT is the same. Odyssey was taken over by convention services years ago, even though it was largely seasonal. Now, it's never. Sunrise Terrace/Pasta Piazza was the equivalent of Stargate/Electric Umbrella. All of these ignorant ops decisions make the dining experience even less pleasant. I wonder if most guests knew how quick and easy it was to get off-property and get fair priced, quality food, how many would. Most are blissfully ignorant. Also, while at DLP last month, I couldn't help but notice how it seemed like EVERY QS locale except Last Chance Cafe (which was down for rehab and isn't a major location) was open ... IN SEPTEMBER. TDO could take a lesson.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Let's not mention the food at DLP for quick service is generally disgusting and the choices are even fewer then we have at the stateside parks. No, let's overlook that. At least when they were open Pasta Piazza and such had more then a "Mickey Brioche" and a dreadful Croque Monsieur.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Choices at DLP: Burger, Pizza, dreadful Croque Monsieur, Mickey Brioche. Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh, and they had armored apples.. which is a candy apple.. but funnier when American tourists don't realize it and chip a tooth.. cuz "armor" doesn't mean "solid, protective shield" in French apparently.
Originally Posted By mousermerf And i could be wrong, it could be a Mickey beignet, i confuse my french patries from time to time. In their favor, the food is actually shaped like Mickey. Pizza, burgers, not the dreadful croque monsieur.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I wonder if most guests knew how quick and easy it was to get off-property and get fair priced, quality food, how many would.*** I would guess not very many. The folks inclined to do that are already doing it, I would guess. I was pretty shocked when my family visited WDW while I was living there. I drove them here and there inside the resort, but whenever I would suggest leaving to eat or shop they went nuts. "WE'RE NOT SETTING FOOT OUTSIDE OF DISNEYWORLD!" was the theme. They were on a bit of a budget though, so they ended up eating at the Contemporary Resort food court quite a bit. Magical. <rolls eyes.
Originally Posted By Mr X Interesting merf. I was always told that the food in Disneyland Paris was top notch.
Originally Posted By mousermerf Yeah, i was told food in Paris overall was top notch too.. not so much. If you pay a small fortune, certainly, so the high-end places at DLP are pretty decent. But for average joe food? Drenched in butter and grease - better then brittish food, but it wouldn't cut it in most American cities. Oh, you gotta love ham - it's a requirement. There's also a distinct lack of fresh greens - and heaven forbid your salad not be coated in oil. Yuck. I don't mean a light oil/vinegarette - i mean like canola oil on spinach greens. Yuck. That's a salad, seriously. Essentially the hippie health-food craze has spoiled us to fresh produce that's not artificially colored. The french still love products pumped full of chemicals. Meat too. McD's is very popular there, because it offers one of the few times you get to have beef. It's not common there, Ham then Chicken/Fish.. and then beef. A great steak is mostly non-existent except at high end places. A friend who went with me once (I lived and studied in Paris-proper, took the train to DLP) made it her goal to eat only items shaped like Mickey's head while there. She succeeded.
Originally Posted By disney pete its a very good idea last week we went to starlight rays twice and food was cold by the time we got somewhere to eat.
Originally Posted By Labuda " I drove them here and there inside the resort, but whenever I would suggest leaving to eat or shop they went nuts. "WE'RE NOT SETTING FOOT OUTSIDE OF DISNEYWORLD!" was the theme." Well, in their defense, X, I was like that for a while. Until that fateful day when Dlanddug and I were hanging out (I think this was in 2003 or 2004) and he accidentally missed an exit while we were headed back to my hotel so I could get into some dry clothes after getting hit extra hard by KRR over at DAK. Anyhow, not that trip, but the next one I went ahead and took my rental car offiste and was pleased at what all I found.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Let's not mention the food at DLP for quick service is generally disgusting and the choices are even fewer then we have at the stateside parks. No, let's overlook that.>> Merfy baby, I think you just have Paris issues ... and maybe issues in general. While I wouldn't call the QS at DLP great by any means, most of it is quite decent to good and there's considerably more variety than anywhere at WDW, except EPCOT. They do have strange items. A friend just had to get the 'pizza burger' in Discoveryland. I went for a safer veggie pizza (shaped like Mickey) that was quite tasty. The salads are all very good (although they have corn on them, which seems to freak many Americans out for some strange reason) and just one dressing ... a vaguely vinagerette type that was tasty. Personally, I'm not big on fast food at theme parks or anywhere. I like real food that isn't mass produced and stuck under heat lamps or in microwaves and freezers. But as for choice, there's plenty of choice at DLP. Far more than the burgers, chicken fingers, turkey wraps and pizza that MK trots out.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Lather, rinse, repeat. Oh, and they had armored apples.. which is a candy apple.. but funnier when American tourists don't realize it and chip a tooth.. cuz "armor" doesn't mean "solid, protective shield" in French apparently>> I've noticed them my last few times in Paris and have been tempted to try one (as the caramel apples at WDW are a guilty pleasure). One thing that wouldn't go over here is the fact they sit out on carts, unwrapped and uncovered in the sun where anything can land on them ...
