We looooove telling you about news that can make your Disney trip even more comfortable and relaxing, and today we’re on a roll!
We’ve all been there… walking around Casey’s Corner with an armful of cardboard trays filled with hot dogs, French Fries, and a couple of enormous Cokes, searching indoors and out for a place to sit while hoping we don’t drop anything.
Welp, after a refurbishment that started in January, the Corner has reopened and is sporting some brand new digs! Yep — as far as we can tell, there are no more bleachers and no more movies…now we’ve got real, honest-to-goodness indoor seating (not just a few scattered tables) at Casey’s!
Casey’s Corner
Let’s take a quick look at the refurbished restaurant first. The entryway welcomes guests as always (just polished up a bit), and the menu remains unchanged (hooray!).
Casey’s Entryway
Casey’s Corner
Casey’s Corner Menu
And, of course, all of those nods to vintage baseball that make Casey’s what it is remain.
Casey’s Baseball Memorabilia
The big surprise comes when you enter the indoor seating area.
This spot used to house a few tables, but the “Casey at the Bat” bleachers and a movie screen spinning old school Disney sports cartoons were the focal points of the area. The banners and scoreboards are still there…
Mudville Banners
Scoreboard
However, the bleachers have been removed to make way for more tables, and the movie screen has been removed.
Refurbished Indoor Seating
Refurbished Indoor Seating Area
Casey’s is a beloved spot for many reasons: the food is great, the location at the end of Main Street can’t be beat, and the theme is completely detailed and utterly charming. And because of those reasons, it’s always full. More tables here makes sense.
Back wall at Casey’s
As long as Casey’s carries BBQ Slaw Dogs and Corn Dog Nuggets AND plastic cheese, I’ll be there.
Plastic Cheese
But you know something? I’m going to miss the bleachers and screen. I know it was next to impossible to find any elbow room, and that bleachers are not exactly custom-made for eating a hot dog covered in a heaping pile of BBQ Pork and Cole Slaw.
But there was just something comforting about walking in back, grabbing the last spot on the bleachers, and catching a glimpse of Goofy learning “How to Play Baseball.”
No matter what, though… it sure is great to have Jim back exactly where he belongs.
Jim is back!
We’ll see you soon, Jim… Corn Dog Nuggets and Plastic Cheese in hand.
What are your thoughts on Casey’s new indoor seating? Please let us know with a comment!
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
I’m sad. It was a little tricky to find a spot on the bleachers, and I inevitably ended up with plastic cheese on my T-shirt, but that was part of the fun. I’ll miss the bleachers and the movie. I’ll still stop by for corn dog nuggets, but it just won’t be the same.
Seems like with the Hub redesign announced yesterday which will bring greatly expanded outdoor seating for Casey’s, they could have kept the bleachers. (Or maybe just the movies.) http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/02/magic-kingdom-enhancements-include-special-viewing-area-new-pathways-gardens/
I guess Disney is planning on larger and larger crowds in the Magic Kingdom.
how does the new seating area outside look? much larger than b4?
Casey’s is a big part of our trips into the Magic Kingdom.
It is sad to see the bleachers go, but the popularity of this amazing little quick service restaurant deserved a much better area, and thankfully they did it.
It’s always sad to ‘lose’ something from inside the parks, but I accept when space is running out, things will change. Shame they can’t repurpose the area in one of the resorts!
One thing always strikes me about Casey’s is the value factor. Disney can not be criticised for the quantity and quality of the food on offer and the good prices make this one of my favorite spots in WDW.
(It could also be something to do with my love of trying to load the Hot Dogs at the Condiments bar) 😉
I will miss the Bleachers and the shows. But I will survive as long as I can get Corn dog nuggets and plastic Cheese.
Not choked up about the bleachers, but I will miss the movies… Why not through a couple of TV screens in there, looping Casey and Goofy’s “How to Play Baseball”?
Although, I guess from a crowd management, the cartoons probably kept people hanging around longer than it took to eat their meals…
will miss them…
To be honest, I don’t eat hot dogs. However, I loved walking through and sitting on the bleachers when it wasn’t busy. I will really miss the bleachers and the goofy movies. It was a great little spot to sit in air conditioning with a fun atmosphere, not during mealtime.
I wish Casey’s Corner was more relevant to me, but they have no vegetarian options 🙁
I hope Disney gets ‘on the ball’ soon and gets some veggie dogs around the parks!
Either they ran our of budget for decorating or perhaps that expansive wall will house the movie screen in the future?
Sad. I loved the movies that ran and the bleachers inside. The kids loved it and it was a good way to forget about parks and lines and they got to watch a little “tv”. I am happy to hear that Jim is still there playing and entertaining folks. We enjoyed our visit with Jim quite a bit and he was very personable and I will be sad when he retires someday. (I hope that Disney will find an adequate replacement when that time comes.) It’s the little hidden details like the movies inside Casey’s and the piano player that make this place special and memorable. That is what draws us back again and again. The details, the little things that make it special. Bye Bye bleachers and cute cartoon movies… But they did need more seating badly, so I understand why it was necessary.
Nice! Thought it must be noted that when we were there earlier this month, Casey’s was closed yet Jim played undeterred.
The extra seating was soooooo needed!!!! Perhaps they’ll put some bleachers outside in the newly expanded area during the main hub expansion. It would be a great place to eat hot dogs and watch the fireworks and celebrate the magic display 😉
Also sad – we loved the bleachers! They are what made Casey’s Corner unique.
Oh Disney. While I understand needing more room and profit bottom lines, please do not lose the magic. How many places could you go and eat hotdogs while sitting on bleachers watching a Goofy movie? Just one – Casey’s. It’s brilliant touches like these that make Disney unique and magical. Someone please sprinkle some pixie dust on the company and its Imagineers to come up with out of the box ideas for common amusement park challenges versus going the easy way. Please.
It really only added a few tables and a stand up table along the wall. We were there this weekend and were not impressed. So sad…the best part about the place was the movie and bleachers. The food is not that great and very over priced even for Disney. Bad move!
I usually stop in for something because of the nostalgia factor, but let’s be honest, the quality here just doesn’t cut it anymore. First they switched to the beef/chicken dogs and now the buns have the texture of card board. Would it be that hard for them to at least steam them? That might help the coarse texture. Really disappointed in Casey’s in the last 5 yrs or so.
Is it sad that I don’t even remember the bleachers? I remember the movie clips, but that’s all. We usually grab a dog and sit outside to watch the parade so seating is not an issue. Can’t wait to go back! I’m not a fan of hot dogs but there’s something about a Casey’s dog and a Disney parade that’s….well, magic!
OMG you buried the lead here! that last photo! there are seats over near where Jim plays, that used to just be walkway! They are string this up to be more like the area around the piano at Disneyland! I love it!
Just wanted to say how much I love this blog and how much I love that you appreciate the finest foods AND stuff like plastic cheese! A true foodie! (I too love it all.) Going to DW in October for an anniversary and your blog has got me *really* excited.
Looks Nice! But ThE MoviEs Were Enjoyable. Perhaps They Could Add SOme Flat Screens To The Walls To Still Show The Cartoons.
I am very sad to learn that the bleachers and movies have been removed. It’s what made this place unique. It’s getting to the point where all the unique features that made Disney different are slowly but surly being removed one by one. Bummer!
I always thought the bleachers were a wasted space, especially when it was crowded and juggling the cardboard tray. I hope they don’t fp+ the fireworks viewing area just outside Casey’s since it was worth the juggle to snag a good table with nice seated viewing of the fireworks.
I agree, its very sad that whomever is making these Disney “improvements” is missing the whole point. Disney World is different, in a “magical” way than any other theme park and just reducing to your average “amusement park” by taking away all the special things and details that we have grown to love over the years. The bakery- now Starbucks, Casey’s- now just a place to grab a hot dog, more and more roller coasters, loud music/videos blasting in Tomorrowland. Disney had that slice of Walt’s old-time Americana and its vanishing before our eyes. Very disappointing!
As much as I will miss the bleachers, I think I’ll like finding a place to eat my dog much better. Onwards! Hope you enjoyed your vacation Jim!
This one hurts a little bit. Main Street has become less and less charming over the past two decades. All the merchandise has become homogenized and character based, and quiet nooks with benches and flowers have systematically disappeared. That little alcove in Casey’s always felt like a protected link to Walt’s Main Street. I can’t believe a handful of chairs will impact sales here so deeply to make it worth the trade-off in magic. 🙁
So sad. Another piece of Disney history gone. We have great memories & photo’s of us all seated on the Bleachers. A special place to eat before “Spectromagic” – both now sadly only
memories.
I have literally driven from Tampa just for a Casey’s hot dog all beat up with relish,mustard and sauerkraut.
I will miss the movies. I love seeing the old goofy cartoons.
While the physical changes are great, I wish they would bring back the Chicago Dog!!
Oh yea, how can they have a Lehigh pennant without having a Lafayette pennant?
Casey’s corner is a MUST for lunch at the park and on our upcoming visit in September it is slated for TWO lunches 🙂 I am sad to see they have removed the bleachers and movies. This was a nice quiet rest for us during a fun hectic day… LOVED the movies and would stay for the entire loop! I would love to have a flat screen showing this loop on that big empty wall. It was definitely one of the reasons for my eating there. Jim, well, it’s the hot dogs and the piano music of course! Glad to see the pianist is still there! I think I have a pic of him from our last vacation there in 2000!
My sister and I just visited Disney last week and we were a bit upset to see the cartoons and the bleachers were not there. That was the fun part of dining at Caseys – eating hotdogs, sitting in the bleachers, and watching the old classic cartoons. We will eat there again, but not as much as we used to. I think the additional seating was a good idea, but they could have left the cartoons.
Sooooo disappointed on my trip to WDW in February. I was looking forward to the corn dog nuggets, only to be met with a shuttered Casey’s.
My family truly misses the big screen tv with classic black and white movies, and the bleachers. The one “corner” of the magic especially for boys is now gone. The expanded seating outside is nice, but some of the inside could have remained the same. Also, when we were there in April the Chicago dog was not on the menu. Oh well.
Really sad the movie screen was covered! My son for 11 years on his birthday he loved eating his hockey and watching the sport cartoons! Now we can’t walk through the magic at Vasey’s is gone! Please bring back the cartoons!
So sad. No more beachers, cartoons, or cheese? My daughter has loved Casey’s cheese fries since she was old enough to eat solid food. So many changes. I don’t know how the powers that be at Disney can just throw away the traditions that have become important to so many. I guess they’ve gotta maximize space to pack in as many paying customers as possible. That’s really the most unfortunate part. Parking garages at Downtown Disney, Magic of Animation and Disney Quest closing. I guess whatever brings in the most revenue becomes the highest priority. Greedy and pathetic. Disneyworld has always been the place I go to destress. It is where i go when I want to be happy. That is slowly slipping away.
6 years later and still miss the old caseys i grew older with