Review! Classic Eats at a Truly Classic Magic Kingdom Restaurant

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom reopened to guests on July 11th, and in the days since, we’ve been paying visits to many of our favorite dining spots in the park.

The Plaza Restaurant

And when we’re talking about favorite restaurants in Magic Kingdom, that definitely includes The Plaza Restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A.! This Table Service eatery serves up comfort dishes like Home-Style Meatloaf and Plaza Loaded Fries along with Ice Cream Sundaes and more… all while providing views of Cinderella Castle.

When we arrived for lunch, we noticed a slight difference at The Plaza from other restaurants we’ve visited upon Walt Disney World’s reopening…

Atmosphere

For the most part, we’ve been able to check in for our Advance Dining Reservations a little bit early at Table Service restaurants around Walt Disney World. However, when we tried to do so at The Plaza (which offers the new Mobile Dine Check-In option), we were informed that it was necessary to wait until 15 minutes prior to the time we had booked.

The Plaza Restaurant

This is because, as it turns out, The Plaza has been very consistent with reservations so far! And since The Plaza is a smaller restaurant than most, they are finding it necessary to stick to the schedule as much as possible.

The Plaza Restaurant

In fact, we learned that the maximum amount of tables that can be seated inside at once is fifteen in keeping with new limited capacity measures for physical distancing between guests.

The Plaza Restaurant

Most of those tables that are seated, though, still boast a pretty spectacular sight from the spot’s many windows…

The Plaza Restaurant

… all to be enjoyed within a setting featuring an absolute abundance of turn-of-the-century charm.

Lighting Fixtures

The Plaza decor

Typically, one truly memorable component of the atmosphere at The Plaza Restaurant is the chance that a citizen of Main Street may stop by during your meal. However, with distancing measures in place, visits from the citizens are not currently taking place. (You can find out, though, where you can spot Disney characters around Magic Kingdom and the other theme parks by clicking here.)

Turning our attention back to our own table, we spotted a now-familiar sight at Table Service restaurants: a sheet with a QR code available to scan to access the Digital (Contactless) Menu.

QR Code sheet on the table

Now, let’s check out what’s ON IT!

Eats

As we dive into the menu, for those curious, the Plaza Loaded Fries are still on the Appetizer list!

The Plaza Restaurant Menu

Hand-dipped Milk Shakes are still offered, too, though they are not currently serving the over-the-top varieties that received the spotlight here for some time.

The Plaza Restaurant Menu

For our first visit back, we wanted to enjoy a couple of truly classic dishes, so we chose the Plaza Club ($17.00) for our entrée.

Plaza Club

This is totally your traditional triple decker Club with smoked ham, turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo layered with toasted bread.

Plaza Club

Plenty of French Fries are served along with this hearty Club which, as you can see, is positively packed!

Plaza Club

The flavors are simple, the fillings are fresh, and the portion is generous. (Plus… BACON!) It’s pretty hard to go wrong with the Plaza Club.

As you may have noticed 😉 , we paired our Club with a glass of Sangria.

Sangria

The Plaza’s Sangria ($11.00) features Kunde Sauvignon Blanc with pineapple juice, spices and fruit for an altogether sweet and refreshing sip to enjoy while taking in views of the Castle.

Sangria

In keeping with theme of classic eats… can you GET any more classic than the Original Banana Split?!

Original Banana Split

This gorgeous (and mammoth) sundae is priced at $10.00.

Original Banana Split

Three scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry) are covered with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, chopped nuts, and a dollop of whipped cream for each scoop tucked in the dish with the fresh banana.

Original Banana Split

And even with all that… it wouldn’t be complete without a cherry on top! If you’re not quite ready to tackle the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream, this is still one massive treat that is big enough to share and — thanks to its traditional ice cream parlor flavors — pretty much everyone will enjoy.

And, in case you’d like another look 😉 …

Banana split with a view… pic.twitter.com/VA8xXrsfgP

— AJ Wolfe (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 14, 2020

And that’s the sweet wrap-up for our latest visit to The Plaza Restaurant!

Reservation Reminder

A friendly reminder… in order to dine at any Table Service restaurant such as The Plaza in a Disney World theme park during this initial reopening phase, you will need three things:

Valid park admission
A required reservation for theme park entry
An Advance Dining Reservation

Just visit the links above for more info!

Nosh or Not

Plan for The Plaza if:

You just can’t get enough of the turn-of-the-century charm of Main Street. U.S.A.!
You love classic American comfort dishes (and DESSERTS!) when it comes to cuisine.

Pass on The Plaza if:

You prefer a more highly-themed setting when dining in Magic Kingdom (such as Be Our Guest Restaurant in Fantasyland).
You’d like to select from a larger variety when it comes to cuisine (like you’ll find at the Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Adventureland).

Overall

It’s always a treat to dine at The Plaza Restaurant due to its consistently good food in an absolutely charming setting. Though it may not garner the same headlines as Be Our Guest Restaurant or other Magic Kingdom eateries, The Plaza is always on our list for a must-try dining experience at least once in the Magic Kingdom to get a true taste of Main Street, U.S.A.!

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