[Chat] Pym Test Kitchen not being a character dining restaurant is a missed opportunity.

[mickeyfan42]

So I just saw that the Disney wish is getting the "Worlds of Marvel" restaurant which will be character dining, so my question is, why on earth is Pym Test Kitchen not character dining? From the announcement:

Whether you’re looking to dine alongside the Avengers or suit up for the next adventure, there will be something for everyone, and every Marvel fan, on the Disney Wish.

https://www.marvel.com/articles/cult...rs-experiences

So why is it that the cruise line gets to have this while DCA doesn't? As it is, it was bad enough when they switched Ariel's Grotto from a princess character dining (that was a reasonable price of about $40 for adults and $25 for kids), to Lamplight Lounge, and then gave the princess breakfast experience at Napa Rose for $125/person which is way past the point of being a reasonable price.

[Blurr]

Considering the last time I looked up a character dining experience at Goofy's Kitchen and it being nearly $60 per adult, I think I'm fine with the Pym Test Kitchen being more accessible.

Your point is taken about a lack of character dining options in DCA, though. The park could use one. Maybe the answer would be to meet in the middle and do something similar to Plaza Inn, where the Test Kitchen could feature Marvel characters for breakfast and then switch over to regular fare at lunch time.

Heck, it sells itself; "Fuel up alongside Marvel's biggest heroes as they prepare for their next big mission, and you for your big day!"

[mickeyfan42]

Considering the last time I looked up a character dining experience at Goofy's Kitchen and it being nearly $60 per adult, I think I'm fine with the Pym Test Kitchen being more accessible.

Your point is taken about a lack of character dining options in DCA, though. The park could use one. Maybe the answer would be to meet in the middle and do something similar to Plaza Inn, where the Test Kitchen could feature Marvel characters for breakfast and then switch over to regular fare at lunch time.

Heck, it sells itself; "Fuel up alongside Marvel's biggest heroes as they prepare for their next big mission, and you for your big day!"

that would definitely be fun. And to be fair, I have only ever done character dining for breakfast so I have no frame of reference for lunch and dinner pricing. But I always enjoyed going to Ariel's and Plaza Inn for breakfast once per trip, and I usually "cheated" the system by making the breakfast reservation for a day that the opposite park had magic mornings, get the earliest time possible (it was the same for both parks regardless of which had the early entry), then once scanned in to the park for my reservation, I would be super close to rides that typically get busy fast (RSR, TSMM, GotG:MB, Space Mt, Matterhorn, etc), and once they introduced Maxpass, I could start selecting my first FP of the day as soon as I was scanned in, and typically did so while walking to the restaurant.

[lemuth0922]

So I just saw that the Disney wish is getting the "Worlds of Marvel" restaurant which will be character dining, so my question is, why on earth is Pym Test Kitchen not character dining? From the announcement:



https://www.marvel.com/articles/cult...rs-experiences

So why is it that the cruise line gets to have this while DCA doesn't? As it is, it was bad enough when they switched Ariel's Grotto from a princess character dining (that was a reasonable price of about $40 for adults and $25 for kids), to Lamplight Lounge, and then gave the princess breakfast experience at Napa Rose for $125/person which is way past the point of being a reasonable price.

Excuse me, what? That's what they did with the Ariel's Grotto character dining?! *Facepalm*

[mickeyfan42]

Excuse me, what? That's what they did with the Ariel's Grotto character dining?! *Facepalm*

yup, at first they didn't announce any kind of new location for the Princess dining (and I genuinely do miss Ariel's Grotto), then after a bunch of demand from people they announced it would become a new much more limited capacity experience at the Napa Rose and at $125/person which is just disgusting. I didn't go to the restaurant and wish that story time with a princess could be a thing, I just enjoyed the atmosphere and saying hi to characters as they come by. Please note, my profile picture is from 2014 when I went to the parks for 8 days to celebrate my birthday, and since I knew Belle (my favorite of the princesses) was a regular there, I ended up going there for breakfast on my birthday (then Carthay for lunch, and Blue Bayou for dinner) and is one of my favorite memories from that trip.

[SuperHappyCM]

Probably because it's more fast food than restaurant.

[mickeyfan42]

Probably because it's more fast food than restaurant.

that's not necessarily a problem for a character breakfast getting setup in there. 1) they can definitely have fun with a breakfast menu here, and even if it is just Ant-Man and Wasp that hang out during breakfast, it would still be cool.

[lemuth0922]

yup, at first they didn't announce any kind of new location for the Princess dining (and I genuinely do miss Ariel's Grotto), then after a bunch of demand from people they announced it would become a new much more limited capacity experience at the Napa Rose and at $125/person which is just disgusting. I didn't go to the restaurant and wish that story time with a princess could be a thing, I just enjoyed the atmosphere and saying hi to characters as they come by. Please note, my profile picture is from 2014 when I went to the parks for 8 days to celebrate my birthday, and since I knew Belle (my favorite of the princesses) was a regular there, I ended up going there for breakfast on my birthday (then Carthay for lunch, and Blue Bayou for dinner) and is one of my favorite memories from that trip.

So they talk some of the most popular characters and make them the hardest to interact with... I've never dined at the Napa Rose and wouldn't - except maybe a very special occasion - for $125/person. Yikes.

[Jspider]

Kinda funny how DCA once had too many dining experiences lol.

I guess this has never been an experience that appealed to me? I'm curious to try all the weirdo food offerings at the Test Kitchen. While I know it'll probably just be theme park fare it seems interesting enough that the food itself would be fun and I've mostly enjoyed being in and out of the resturant. The majority of the Avengers Campus is already character interaction at least for the time being so I guess I'm indifferent?

Part of my wonders if maybe they'd done a two story resturant and put something like that int he upstairs? I don't know what works with these experiences or what the cap would be.

I don't feel this is as big a missed opportunity as that themed restaurant experience in Galaxies Edge though. I think if anything Avengers Campus may not feel complete until they add its final ride expansion.

[BasilOregano]

I've said this before, and I may be basically on my own here, but I think having it at all is a mistake. Marvel Corner is small, and there are more than enough places to get food in DCA already -- they need more entertainment/attractions to actually bring people in and get them to spend time there.

[savarese04]

What others have said - Marvel is really small and Pym is going to be a quick service location.

also, I get some people are upset Ariel’s was changed, but I would say for the last 3-4 years before they announced the change, the restaurant was easily the worst table service option in either park. The food and service were just awful every time I went.

I don’t miss it, but understand why there are some that do. Also the Napa Rose “replacement” was definitely not the right solution.

[JerrodDRagon]

I'm fine with Character dining being more on Cruises and Hotels that are already over priced...no need for that in the theme parks they have enough of a pay wall as is.

[mickeyfan42]

I'm fine with Character dining being more on Cruises and Hotels that are already over priced...no need for that in the theme parks they have enough of a pay wall as is.

I disagree, easily my two favorite restaurants at Magic Kingdom were Cinderella's Royal Table, and Be Our guest, and while Be Our Guest isn't a traditional character dining, its part way there and a bit cheaper per person. At the same time I was incredibly indifferent to 50s Prime Time in DHS. Now, partly it is because if I'm planning the trip for myself, the only character meals will be breakfast (really hard to mess up scrambled eggs and pancakes), and because as an out of state guest, it is nice to feel special and have the reservation an hour before the park opens to everyone else. But, also, if you can afford dinner at Blue Bayou, you can afford a character breakfast. That is part of why I want to see more variety in the characters at the various restaurants. One princess, one pixar (no excuse not to do at least breakfast at Lamplight this way or retheme Paradise Pier Hotel to Pixar Pier and replace the Stitch preakfast with Pixar), one classic animation (Plaza), one Mickey and friends (Goofy's Kitchen), one Marvel (Pym's is the only non food cart location in Avengers Campus), and one Star Wars. I wouldn't have minded much if they made the restaurant at the Grand that used to have Chip, Dale, Pluto, Meeko, Brer Fox (only time I've ever gotten a photo with that character), etc had been switched to Princesses as long as they kept the same format (table service rather than buffet, and not astronomically expensive like the current option. I don't feel like $35-40 (for an adult) for breakfast is over priced when you are getting to see at least 5 characters during that time that would otherwise require individual lines in the rest of the park.

[DCACM]

I've only experienced one character breakfast and I wasn't a fan of someone in a costume coming up and bugging me every few minutes when I'm trying to eat an overpriced meal. That said, I think an adult only Character Happy Hour would could be fun with some of the face characters (Guardians, Villains, Mad Hatter.)

[JerrodDRagon]

I disagree, easily my two favorite restaurants at Magic Kingdom were Cinderella's Royal Table, and Be Our guest, and while Be Our Guest isn't a traditional character dining, its part way there and a bit cheaper per person. At the same time I was incredibly indifferent to 50s Prime Time in DHS. Now, partly it is because if I'm planning the trip for myself, the only character meals will be breakfast (really hard to mess up scrambled eggs and pancakes), and because as an out of state guest, it is nice to feel special and have the reservation an hour before the park opens to everyone else. But, also, if you can afford dinner at Blue Bayou, you can afford a character breakfast. That is part of why I want to see more variety in the characters at the various restaurants. One princess, one pixar (no excuse not to do at least breakfast at Lamplight this way or retheme Paradise Pier Hotel to Pixar Pier and replace the Stitch preakfast with Pixar), one classic animation (Plaza), one Mickey and friends (Goofy's Kitchen), one Marvel (Pym's is the only non food cart location in Avengers Campus), and one Star Wars. I wouldn't have minded much if they made the restaurant at the Grand that used to have Chip, Dale, Pluto, Meeko, Brer Fox (only time I've ever gotten a photo with that character), etc had been switched to Princesses as long as they kept the same format (table service rather than buffet, and not astronomically expensive like the current option. I don't feel like $35-40 (for an adult) for breakfast is over priced when you are getting to see at least 5 characters during that time that would otherwise require individual lines in the rest of the park.

Be our Guest ties into the film

Antman is not about food. I think what is, is going to be great. I'd be down for something like that at Disneyland but needs to make sense

[DLR92]

I personally don’t find the appeal of Character dining. I don’t need a character in a custom to bug me while I’m enjoying my meal with family and friends. I would be bothered to see a worker to work long hours and to find me eating while that person might be potentially hungry and had to their job to entertain me really disturbs me.

I prefer eating my meal with family and friends. That all need.

[BasilOregano]

I personally don’t find the appeal of Character dining. I don’t need a character in a custom to bug me while I’m enjoying my meal with family and friends. I would be bothered to see a worker to work long hours and to find me eating while that person might be potentially hungry and had to their job to entertain me really disturbs me.

I prefer eating my meal with family and friends. That all need.

Me too. I know a lot of other people like it, and that's cool, but it's just not my cup of tea personally.