Disney's Fast Food Venture: Mickey's Kitchen

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

Special thanks to Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland for suggesting I make a full video out of this topic!

[@teddyfurstman1997]

Yum!

[@trentwerner366]

Special thanks to Rob. These videos get me through the week👍

[@theduh1011]

Legends supporting legends; ya love to see it

[@lostmediaandlegofanthebric3233]

M Livehd The world may never know...😐😏✅

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

@M Livehd Just the other week. Pretty recent!

[@roryjs]

I went to the opening. According to the old VHS recording of the local news, I thought it was "very very good"

[@clintgolub1751]

That’s a memory you’ll never forget

[@trilogypictures4094]

Post it!

[@bradlyj9760]

Definitely gotta post that!!

[@midnightbutter6965]

That's really cool was it the first location or the second location you went to

[@roryjs]

@@midnightbutter6965 first

[@vireo2543]

The food sold at Mickey’s Kitchen sounds like it would have fit in perfectly with the types of food we have nowadays. If they had opened the restaurant now it would have been a bigger hit, especially since there aren’t many places yet that offer as much meatless burgers and such but there’s big demand for it. It sucks that it closed two year before I was born, if it stuck around throughout the 90’s onward I know I would have begged my parents to take me there instead of McDonalds and Burger King because of the Disney theme.

[@karsonkammerzell6955]

Been seeing a lot of that lately when I recall things I enjoyed back in the day; especially games that flopped only to find the genre they pioneered to be 'the big thing', lol.

[@secondsein7749]

It's not likely they would make it today though. Disregarding current world situation, to Disney, the fast food theme would have 'sullly' their brand name. Disney is a 'premium' brand, and since fast food is synonymous with cheap, it likely would gave the idea that Disney brand is becoming cheap. Not too mention that it will take away the magic from the parks. Part of the magic of the parks are the effort that you need to get there to enjoy the stuff. But with Disney restaurants around the world that has the themes, and yes even if it doesn't have the theme parks and the like, to many, some of the magic can still be felt at the restaurants. So to them, it will be like the "we have xxx at home" meme.

[@drdewott9154]

Yeah, with a few tweaks something like Mickey's Kitchen could be pretty successful in modern times, with maybe a bit more of a premium style than before. If I were in the shoes of a guy at Disney tasked with seeing how to make this work, I'd focus on the slightly higher end, healthier quick service food, with higher end service like table delivery and the like, and to begin probably 3-4 locations for testing. One in a theme park, one in a downtown Disney area, and one or 2 attached to Disney stores, as to test the potential repetition they'd gather at each place and to see which route would be more practical.

[@vireo2543]

SecondSein it doesn’t necessarily have to be structured the same way or marketed the same way as it was in the ‘90’s but another venture into healthier and vegan options as maybe a higher end restaurant could maybe work, I know they are trying to introduce more healthier and vegan options in the parks and even in our Mouseketeria in MK they’ve been trying hard to push healthier meals so the demand is there. I think of it more like “Have a little taste of the Disney magic to get them hooked” kind of deal. Sorry for the late reply btw, YT is giving me notifications for likes but never notified me when people replied to my comment. ;-;

[@vireo2543]

DrDewott I was thinking one in Disney Springs/Downtown Disney since anyone can enter there without a park ticket and they are a mainly dining and shopping centre, and maybe a few standalone or maybe inside their one or two of their more profitable Disney stores just to test the waters. The menu was ahead of its time and I know that Donald Duck juice still exists in supermarkets (I see them in Walmart and Dollar Stores all the time), haha.

[@georgewaters900]

It kinda feels like Mickey's Kitchen was ahead of its time, its too bad, could've been an interesting option

[@cyanmanta]

Especially when you remember that not only were major fast food chains about to expand and multiply rampantly, but their menus were about to get a lot more fattening. The 90s were the era of the Super Size option.

[@JT5555]

Exactly. In Today's Age,A Fast Food Joint By Disney That Only Served Healthy Food Would Be EXACTLY A Lot Of People Would Want But Back Then No One Cared So It Was't A Selling Point.

[@trentwerner366]

Demonic Queen The menu lineup literally sounds like a homerun for modern Los Angeles. Today, the restaurant would have a line down the bridge

[@Slackmana]

The concept would still fail today... ppl who frequent fast food chains are not concerned about their diet. The ppl who do order from the healthy menu make up for a VERY SMALL percentage of sales.

[@davidreynolds8865]

if they started nowish it would have a chance to work

[@jacktheboss]

Imagine if this succeeded. “Hey what do you want for dinner? McDonald’s? Burger King?” “Nah lets get Mickey’s Kitchen”

[@SprightlyValentino]

@@Attmay There's also Peter Pan peanut butter, which many people, not knowing any better, probably assume is based on the Disney movie/character.

[@coilcreature]

@@Attmay Yeah but I only heard of Donald Duck orange juice like a month ago

[@episodenull]

A "PB&J Handwich" sounds rather...adult.

[@58jharris]

Is that how they get the Donald Duck juice?

[@patrickbritz4911]

I agree and I wonder if the handwich and Donald Duck juice help Piglet straighten out his ‘fries’!!

[@Clay3613]

It's just a bagel shaped like an ice cream cone.

[@donvandenberg5301]

That's where the banana comes into play.

[@KTCC13]

Like Japan McDonald’s adult cream pie 👀

[@khfan4life365]

I think Mickey’s Kitchen would have been a hit in modern times. This restaurant was clearly ahead of its time. Maybe they could try it again.

[@Audrey-wb2zh]

I would love for it to return. I would go back in a heartbeat.

[@sfdave65]

If Mickey's Kitchen was around today.....I would eat there over BK and McD's

[@roastingpotato]

To be fair I’d rather eat road kill than eat at burger king to be perfectly honest.

[@johnree6106]

@@roastingpotato Especially with their cow fart commercial

[@johnree6106]

@raffle baffle Still probably eat it

[@fawkewe]

Bk? I would rather drink my own piss then burger king. If you have to compare burger king to something that means it should be avoided

[@skyesyd221]

Hm

[@TheSeanChannel]

It seems like everything Disney was trying in the 90's was WAY ahead of their time. Nowadays I feel like doing more of these Disney park experiences in places far away from the parks would be a hit. Bring back DisneyQuest! Combine it with a Mickey's Kitchen Concept! Use technology like The Void to enhance the experience! There's so many options that it really does boil down to Disney not being ok with low margins they only want expansions that make profits immediately. Now more than ever I'm missing the Disney parks and would just love a way to experience the Disney magic without traveling to far. Awwww a boy can dream haha P.s. great video excited for the new format

[@bearisgolden7939]

Disney was in a worse financial situation in the 80s and 90s, so things that weren’t immediately successful were scrapped for the next big idea, it’s unfortunate really.

[@eliseerickson5994]

Yes! DisneyQuest was such an awesome memory for me. They could be so successful with it if they just invest the money into getting new innovative games instead of relying on what was innovative 20 years ago.

[@NinjaWeedle]

@@eliseerickson5994 Man , I remember i went to DisneyQuest like a month before it was closed. something tells me it was more than an arcade with a mostly empty cafeteria on the 3rd floor that you could buy the danimals yogurt from at some point

[@cyanmanta]

I have to say that the menu they had may have been too ahead if its time to succeed back then. The 90s were a particularly unhealthy time for fast food with drink and fries sizes suddenly ballooning and chains pushing bigger sandwiches like the double quarter pounder. If they tried it nowadays it might work better, but fast food is kind of a dinosaur industry now with very little growth potential.

[@adriansilvestre]

Double quarter? Is that a half pound meat?

[@cyanmanta]

Adrián Silvestre Effectively yes. It’s two quarter-pounder patties on the same bun.

[@FreedomforHaiti]

The menu appealed to me at the time since I was a vegetarian, and none of the other fast food places had veggie burgers. I thought Disney's meatless burger tasted good, too. I traveled 30-40 miles to eat there and didn't regret it. Had Mickey's Kitchen been closer to me, I would've gone multiple times.

[@rodakscreens]

Bless you for using the picture of Donald drinking the rubber cement when talking about the Duck Juice

[@ParallelDiscover]

I think if they did a Froyo with dole whips and was themed like trader Sam's enchanted tiki bar it would blow up.

[@JasonRBeing]

What if they had themed them to different lands or resorts too?

[@SplinterGirl13]

They should try this again except have the menu change and keep it to mall like food. More snacks. Like churos, popcorn, pretzels from the park on a consistent basis. And that star wars milk, gray stuff, frozen cupcakes or something for changing menu to change with what film is out. It would be like auntie Anne's.

[@1zDiegoz1]

Nah. Malls are already dying. This wouldn’t do so well as a stand alone spot.

[@Mwilliampanek]

So interesting! My mom was a Disney Store cast member during Mickey’s Kitchen’s tenure at Woodfield. Such great stories & memories of visiting as a wee one during construction & after opening.

[@ricksalas9507]

That's pretty cool! What was your favorite meal?

[@Mwilliampanek]

@@ricksalas9507 I remember loving their PBJ&Banana pancake 🥞 🤤

[@jmsadilek]

Thanks for making this video. It brought back a lot of memories. I worked at the Disney store at woodfield mall. The concept was announced and I helped open the expansion of the store along with Mickey’s Kitchen. I continued to work there through the close of the kitchen concept.

[@ojll3917]

i live near palatine arlingtion heights when did the mickeys kitchen go away?

[@AmusementLabs]

Mickey's Kitchen: "made with genuine mou---" "Is that a rat?" "No no, just part of the immersive staffing!"

[@jasonsteele6920]

I feel like a lot of these menu items would be more accepted nowadays, but the 90s? I mean, some of them are still a little weird, though. Loved the video, keep up the good work!

[@cherylhale5755]

I would be thrilled to have a Disney themed restaurant in my area!

[@dragon1130]

I'm surprised Disney isn't trying this again in modern day. They could be a big hit, considering that most of there options are fairly healthy compared to others.

[@nicole-ls4jb]

Thank you for this! Whenever I'd go to Raging Waters (in San Dimas) with my friends, we'd drive a little farther to have lunch here. Then, suddenly, one day it was gone! This brings back great memories..... 😁

[@Yeiyn343]

I like how all 60+ employees were offered new jobs at the Disney stores. Now-a-days, when a store closes you find out that you lost your job when you arrive to work, and their's an "Out of Business" sign on the door with the lights off. So many stores close and don't even give their workers a heads up.

[@ColonialBoi]

RobPlays died in Endgame, and from the ashes rose a Phoenix

[@jmcflorida3596]

I was a Cast member there, took my oldest daughter to the restaurant.

[@henhair1018]

A BIG part of my pre-teenage years was going to The Montclair Plaza. My friends and I would be dropped off at the mall by one of our parents to spend a few hours shopping and eating as young girls did back then. I loved going to Mickey's Kitchen with my friends. I always wondered what happened to it! Great video! I had no idea there were only 2 restaurants ever opened Thank you for sharing!

[@twixieshores]

"It was the kind of freedom that relegated ideas like Mickey's Kitchen to obscurity." It was also the kind of freedom that allowed ideas like Mickey's Kitchen to see the light of day to begin with

[@robotsinc9573]

True

[@folofus4815]

Uhhh can we go back and talk about “Donald Duck Juices” for a second

[@kurenan4564]

This place was unforgettable as a kid. Very fond memories going there. It was soaked in atmosphere, making it similar to feeling like you were in Disneyland

[@mattk.3645]

The concept needed some refinement, but it was sound. "Chef Mickey's" would have been a better name, and both The Disney Stores and these restaurants would have been best attached to cinemas playing productions from The Walt Disney Studios' Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and Hollywood Pictures. Ultimately, the connection to malls was, and still is, the problem.

[@tessaminick8745]

The Montclair Plaza still looks the way it does in the 90s! I've even seen a little area of it that still looks like the counter for Mickey's Kitchen. Thank you so much for covering something Disney Store related. Its history is so overlooked.

[@Igorcastrochucre]

This reminds me of their video gaming ventures: Disney peaked with their licensed Aladdin and Lion King video games, but never went further than that, just half-hearted attempts until they eventually shut that entire division down.

[@playboymaxim]

It's like Rob said, they're so big that they have their own standards for success

[@austinreed7343]

This doesn’t count Kingdom Hearts, right?

[@JamesLawner]

Austin Reed Disney doesn’t make the Kingdom Hearts games, they just license out the characters to Square Enix

[@SprightlyValentino]

Didn't the Epic Mickey games go down pretty well? And those were actually produced by Disney Interactive, if I'm not mistaken. Also there was an interactive CD-ROM tie-in for just about every Disney movie on the 90s.

[@Kaylaputmanmedia]

I swear i had an xgames disney video game too

[@juliagoodwin3461]

As much as I like greasy fast food... some of these menu actually sound kinda good...

[@johnree6106]

Disney was just ahead of it's time. Honestly a Disney Kitchen would probably be a hit now.

[@hermionestranger4964]

Fun fact: Disney released a video game of Mickey's and Minnie's kitchen. It's basically a sandbox cooking sim that lets you customize your kitchen, and it focuses mostly on breakfast foods, pastries and some fast foods. I still have the game at home -- I remember myself as a child making horrible burnt concoctions on purpose just to see Minnie's or Daisy's disappointed reaction. Various Disney characters would drop by as you were cooking to see if you were doing making stuff yet, and if you had like a bunch of pancakes and bacon ready, then you could invite like them over and watch them devour everything that's on the plate. This doesn't have much to do with the video, just felt like sharing an obscure Disney game.

[@gilbertmelendez1935]

This brought back so much memories my late grandmother lived across the street from the Montclair mall and would take me there from time to time. The concept was ahead of it's time for sure had fond memories of the restaurant for sure. Made me tear up a bit thinking about it.

[@playboymaxim]

@10:40...exactly why Disney can shut down many seemingly popular projects at their whim (Pleasure Island, etc). They set their own standards and will shut down anything that doesn't live up to them. Another informative vid!

[@sebastianbernabe3800]

Lovin the new midway to main street intro. This is a great change. Rip rob plays, ARISE MIDWAY TO MAIN STREET

[@edvaira6891]

You’ve made your ENTIRE CAREER out of detailing all of the odd ideas that Disney tried!

[@gregnulik1975]

Meanwhile, how many fans would like a chance to enjoy disney parks food closer to home ? Oh well.

[@ksm13706]

This is cute,It definitely could work now. They could even keep the 90s theme to it

[@RemixedVoice]

As many have pointed out, it's just incredibly remarkable how forward-thinking this business was.

[@Audrey-wb2zh]

Mickey's Kitchen was described as "Entertainment Fast Food". We had beautiful sound stages to dine in and our Cast Members made you feel like you were in the Parks. Thank you for sharing this video, I just wish you had more photo's of the Montclair restaurant. Guess I'll dig out my old photo album now.

[@AlexBrinkleyMusic]

Just when I thought I knew everything about Disney. Haha. This is great. Thanks Rob.

[@TheJadariusExperience]

This restaurant was too ahead of its time had it opened today it would be a hit.

[@juliannewood4204]

I grew up near the Montclair Mall and still do. I LOVED Mickey’s Kitchen! I don’t remember it having all those food options. The things that stand out were a good hamburger, Mickey silhouette chicken nuggets, and Donald Duck shaped French fries sprinkled with season salt that were most like those happy face fries of today. It was a treat to go there and it definitely was a planned outing. I would say it was thought of more like a quick service restaurant than fast food because you didn’t get it on a whim and it wasn’t on every corner like McDonalds. They could have had a solid business had they kept it up and even if they made it separate from the Disney Store. I am obsessed with Disney and I would go any chance I got today!

[@austinthrowsstuff]

Disney does have good food! And unique food! Monte cristo, mac n cheese cone, smoked turkey legs, churros, chunky brownies! I love Disney food, Epcot had a crazy amount of AMAZING FOOD

[@mariannec2516]

I remember you mentioning this on a previous vid ...5 failed and abandoned Eisner era ideas. Great job on expanding on it and making it a whole vid! Like the new logo & rebranding too!

[@scotttownsend7788]

I remember Mickey's Kitchen vividly in the Woodfield location. I live in the Chicago suburbs and would go to Woodfield often. The restaurant looked really cool and was attached to existing, larger, Disney Store. The concept was good, but the execution of the concept, not so good. The food quickly got a reputation being blah, and as everything Disney, was overpriced. It's OK to have things priced higher if they are worth it. People would come in a look at Mickey's Kitchen and then go down stairs and around the corner to the McDonalds at Woodfield. Great video Rob. So many people have no idea this existed. I was at the Disney Store at Woodfield, in a new smaller location, and was talking the cast members. None of them knew about Mickeys Kitchen or even that the Disney Store used to be in a different location in the mall. I guess I was showing my age. HAHA

[@flakeyjake3339]

This was great! I had no idea Disney ever ventured into fastfood outside the parks. Wish they had done one in Seattle!

[@tylerkochman1007]

I think there could have been a market for a sit down restaurant with walk-around Disney characters. "Dine with the characters" is super popular with families at the theme parks.

[@jamesdf007]

I used to live close to the Montclair Plaza and I saw that first Mickey's kitchen there and I thought it looked good for the time

[@SprightlyValentino]

My dad took my sister and me to Mickey's Kitchen at the Montclair Plaza. All I really remember about it was that there was a bar seating area overlooking the Disney Store, and the French fries were shaped like Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I always wondered why it closed. My dad theorized that the occupants of the food court directly above were unhappy that Mickey's Kitchen was separate and removed from any food competition within immediate sight. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, if anyone remembers, wasn't there another entrance making it accessible from outside the mall, which was later walled off? You gotta figure, Disney must have paid a buttload extra for those privileges, so maybe that's why they barely broke even. I'm also impressed that they went for having a healthier menu years before the PR of fast food places was damaged by the Super Size Me documentary. Seems Disney was ahead of its time in that regard.

[@dolfan29]

Disney could knock it out of the park if they came up with a restaurant with full attached retail store in the same floor layout as Cracker Barrel. The food would need to be really good though to bring in the crowds.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

I was confused when I saw the name until I realized you changed your name. I like it. Fast food? Reminds me of the time there was a McDonald's at Downtown Disney and DCA. And now they built a new solar powered McDonald's by the All Stars

[@nosetdirection]

Your content is amazing ! I learn so much about Disney history that I never knew.

[@kennamaedel8717]

I grew up right next to Montclair mall! Got to go to mickeys kitchen a few times before it closed when I was a little kid

[@animevampierangel131]

I mean i am impressed they had a veggie burger on the menu.

[@artanisknarf]

I begged my parents to take me to the Woodfield Mall location. We were there before lunchtime, so I just got a drink and sat and watched “A Walt Disney Christmas” by the large screen in the restaurant that had little risers for kids.

[@ryancarpenter4880]

Donald Duck Juice , which is orange juice , is still sold today. I see the smaller bottles of it in DollarTree refrigeratorated sections all the time. It appears to be sold in multiple chain stores & Amazon. Made in Florida! Of course.

[@CompletelyAverageGaming]

Found myself "youtubing" "RobPlays" the other day😅 it's going to take some getting used to, but im liking the re-branding😁😁

[@trentwerner366]

I dont like change. But I am getting used to it as well. Hoping for the best in the future!

[@playboymaxim]

When the video showed up in my suggestions, my first thought was "wow, Rob has people imitating him already" lmao!

[@DanielGonzalezL]

I feel a massive urge to try the Donald Duck Juice

[@cannibalisticrequiem]

I used to drink it all the time as a kid! What I'm speaking of is Donald Duck orange juice, as a Mickey's Kitchen never opened up in my mall's Disney store. Donald Duck orange juice is still sold in supermarkets, so I would suggest buying a carton if you're curious! I haven't had it in probably 25 years, but as far as I can recall, it tasted like regular orange juice. I had my mom get it because I was so obsessed with Disneyland growing up in San Diego.

[@DanielGonzalezL]

@@cannibalisticrequiem dang, I wish I could try it! Sadly I don't live in the US. I wish I would've known back in 2013 when I visited Orlando, hahaha

[@JT5555]

@@DanielGonzalezL I Feel Your Pain. We Non-Americans Get So Left Out With Stuff Like This.>_

[@vireo2543]

You can actually buy Donald Duck juice in supermarkets. They have orange juice, strawberry-kiwi and some other flavors. :)

[@PaddletailPhilly]

@@vireo2543 I always see them at Dollar Tree XD

[@20035079]

3:48 what's the music used here? it's the same track chadtronic uses in his videos for the intro monologues. i'm guessing it's from epidemic sound but i'm not entirely sure

[@OtakuKeko0016]

Thank you for posting this! I thought Mickeys Kitchen was a strange childhood dream I had but I remember going to it and the French fries! The characters on the walls would move subtlety too! I would say I was about 4 going there, and this was the Montclair location.

[@princesskristan]

I wish this stuck around. I was born in 1990 and when it closed, I wouldn't of been able to go. It was really ahead of its time and I think it could work today. Same with Club Disney but with a few tweaks

[@redcoltken]

Given the amount of salt, fat and carbs we ingest, I can say that Disney - in this venture - decided to stand on the right side of history nutrition wise.

[@JT5555]

But Not In The Right Time,Since No One Really WANTED Healthy Food Back Then. If They Tried Again,Today It Would Possibly Do Really Well Since Everyone Is Always Up The Asses Of Fast Food Joints For Not Being Healthy And Blaming Their Fat Kids On It,But Back Then It Was't As Big Of A Issue So No One Was Interested.

[@briandonegan8480]

Right side of nutrition but wrong side of taste, expectations, and profitability. Fast food isn't health food. If you want health food you go to a quick service place. I like to eat the food I want. Yes, I realuze I'm probably going to die earlier but considering the news lately and the upcoming Civil War we're headed towards like a out of control freight train so be it.

[@redcoltken]

@@briandonegan8480 I dint know if we can physically fight a civil war ...and maybe fast food saved us all!

[@MrRjwagner]

Indeed, but I also fear that was why it failed. As others in the comment section have pointed out beforehand, the '90s were a particularly bad time for healthy-eating/the Fast Food Industry. You had places like McDonald's, KFC, and Long Johns that lived off of making supremely unhealthy food items. Items that were baked, fried, and covered from head to toe with transfats, grease, salt, carbs, and whatever else I can think of, and people loved the taste of the food they were serving (partly because back then, people as a whole really weren't aware of what it was they were actually putting into those burgers and fries.) But you had all of that, and doing it successfully, and then Disney comes in with a menu that is so polarizing in terms of sheer difference, that I fear that it drove a lot more people away. Not to mention the simple fact of the matter is, you were most likely paying extra for the middle-of-the-ground kind of food. (You were also paying for the "Disney experience.") So, to some families, it was like "why am I paying four dollars for a turkey burger... when I can just pay a dollar fifty for a quarter pounder at McDonald's?" I'm not bashing Disney for this decision, I very much can applaud them for thinking more about the health of its customers then other businesses of the time did, but the simple fact of the matter is... there were cheaper and more appealing options available at nausea. But now in 2020? I feel like this concept could actually work and be successful at it, especially since most restaurants, even McDonalds, have shifted towards offering healthier alternatives. Though, I'm still really sad to see that despite all the improvements that have been made with the Fast Food Industry since the '90s, I'm sad that salads somehow cost MORE than a fully-decked hamburger.

[@GalaWitch11]

This was made so well, I applaud you

[@codyperez6481]

Love your vids!!!

[@walterhaider869]

Mickey's kitchen was really shutdown from a mouse infestation.

[@EverydayMusician]

Rob, thank you for all that you do. You help keep the Disney magic spreading.

[@michaeljensen1817]

Had no idea that the mickeys kitchen brand merch in the parks was a result of a failed fast food place 30 years ago. Excellent video.

[@Waterrd]

Couldn't stop my self from saying eww out loud after I heard *Donald Duck Juices*

[@rmannayr2129]

Mickey's Kitchen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@scottpeterson7500]

If they had done this now, they would be serving something like the Impossible Burger, or their own version of it, like a growing number of fast food places are doing. Mickey’s Kitchen would be a huge hit now. 😎🍔🥤

[@skittyrocks]

Missed the news about the rebrand but I'm loving it! Keep up the great work Rob!

[@DuchessRococoPuff]

Great video! Love seeing the footage of the “vintage” style Disney stores- takes me back!

[@ACARDtvMusic]

I love the 1950s and 60s diner that was at MGM studios. Not sure it’s still there but I would love to go because I haven’t been there since 2004 well at least the diner but I saw it was there in 2007 still.

[@ElectricBananaa]

Sometimes with these videos I’m vaguely familiar with the concepts, but I had never heard of this one! Great work! You’re gonna have to write a book on all your Disney knowledge one day!!

[@angelas9467]

literally one of the most interesting videos I've heard in a very long time . so glad I found you

[@Schmalfonzo]

Mickeys kitchen needs to make a comeback

[@oliviawd5136]

There's a Disney cafe opened in a Primark (big branded cheap clothing store ) in Birmingham England which opened in late 2019 so they might be making a comeback even if it's in small scales

[@CentreShallRise]

Crazy to hear Montclair Plaza mentioned in a video. Used to go there all the time as a kid in the early to mid 90s. We ate at the kitchen once. Service seemed slow and food unimpressive, but it was a unique experience.

[@jonatikaWwe]

Does anyone know what the clip at 6:39 is from? I remember watching that as a kid 🥺

[@Cross-chan]

It's from one of the older Mickey cartoons, I forget the name specifically but it's the one where Mickey, Donald and Goofy are on a road trip in an RV and it all goes wrong

[@Cross-chan]

Yeah this one, Three for Breakfast kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKmznYxplpyXg7c

[@Penguin_Tree]

I would love to go to this restaurant

[@Publiusss]

Wow I didn’t expect to hear Montclair Plaza. I grew up with that mall.

[@katherineperrin4817]

Ok my first thought was of the Mickey's Kitchen CD-rom game i played as a kid. This is still pretty cool, and the video is amazing!

[@melasnexperience]

Wasn’t “Handwich” the name for a crepe/croissant cone with filling? I remember versions filled with tuna salad being available at EPCOT around that time.

[@RemixedVoice]

Holy shit, I'm glad I'm not the only one. The only thing left of that is our memories ...

[@aleksandrafurczon6717]

Man their food sound GREAT I wish they would come back

[@mightyfilm]

The lesson here is you can't theme a fast food franchise off of a cartoon character, unless he's a certain pipe, spinach swallowing smoking sailor man.... ...that just so happens to have the same name as the main character from a Gene Hackman movie that the chain is ACTUALLY named and themed after. Seriously, though. Could you imagine the Kid's meal prizes they could have had if these Disney places took off?

[@liahmartinez179]

Saddens me to say. but the Disney Store in Montclair Place (formerly Montclair Plaza) closed around March 2021.

[@MabelPinesXD]

I honestly believe they could totally bring that back today??? Maybe some updating to the menu to make it a little bigger but the atmosphere sounds so fun and I think they’d be more successful today bc we’re all way more health conscious now

[@margaretwest9533]

Another fascinating, well-researched, excellently presented video! Great work, Rob!

[@dsegaming4369]

ngl i miss the old intro music 😪

[@80seurobeatgarage]

Seeing what the Montclair location looked like, makes me think if that's where they would then shift it to a food court. I recognized most of the seating in the video, that's how the food court looked when I first moved to Pomona in 2002. Now the whole area has become a restaurant with live entertainment called The Canyon. It's pretty cool to know why the food court in the Montclair Plaza had so much 90's attitude to it!

[@thecrazydisneyparksfanatic921]

If they had a multinational fast food chain nowadays, like an actual Disney owned Disney operated Disney themed fast food chain I’d eat there every day

[@QIsForK12]

I hate to sound like "that guy" but does anyone know if the Disney Store featured at 5:30 in the video is the same Disney Store located in Westfield Countryside Mall, Clearwater, Florida? I grew up around that store and the angle at which the store is facing and the set up is identical to even a google search of my store. The floor patterning is identical as well. It could be a similar mall build by Westfield or something, but I can tell the video of the facade is recent and most other Disney stores I've seen, like in Tampa, have a completely different look.

[@MidwaytoMainStreet]

Yup! That's the Westfield Disney store. Grabbed that b-roll a little over a year ago while visiting family in the Tampa area. Figured it would be my only chance of getting footage of the older-style of Disney stores.

[@QIsForK12]

@@MidwaytoMainStreet Neat! Maybe we passed each other haha

[@danieliztorrellas7353]

I really liked ur video💕 and I wolud love if u do a video talking abuot the VHS tapes from “Mickey’s Fun Song” sponsoring the different Disney parks or the discuss the “Disney’s Sing Along Song” tapes

[@argyleandplaidful]

I saw tweets with some pics of this place and was so interested! Thanks for the video, Rob.

[@bug6141]

I think if they redid this they would have popular foods from the parks and be quick service-esque. Another option would be making clones of sit-down park restaurants. They have really improved their selection and food quality at the parks.

[@cb5538]

Great stuff Rob!

[@Legoless1979]

I was lucky enough to be a kid living in Montclair CA when this opened. While there was no media coverage, I remember it being the talk of the playground the day after it opened (I was 11). After a few days of my little sister and I begging to go, our mother, who worked at the Sears in Montclair plaza, finally took us there. Sure, the "meat" was rubbery but the fries were shaped like mickey heads and the dining areas were amazing. For a middle class family like mine, it was like having a taste of Disneyland right down the street, when we couldn't afford to go to the park as often as we wanted (CWUTIDIDTHUR?). Where Mickey's Kitchen failed was in it's location. In order to go to this place, you had to go to a Mall, and a big one at that. That meant parking and walking all the way into the structure, navigating the mall to the Disney Store, which was in the middle of the mall, of course, and then you could go. IMO, if this Disney Store had a standalone structure, and maybe a drive-thru, it would have more than broke even. Places like McDonalds and Burger King won out because of one word. "Convenience."

[@jonetgames]

2:24 the description for the Big Mac, isn't that the same as the recipe for the Krabby Patty that Spongebob mentioned in the episode with Bubble Bass?

[@sheena333]

they should bring the idea back! i’d love that a whole lot

[@sheena333]

like could you imaging going to mickeys kitchen with you friends on the weekend? it just sounds very cute