From The Pen of a Foodie:
For our family, dining while at Disney is an enjoyable and anticipated event. We have experienced some of the finest culinary treats Disney’s chefs have to offer; Palo aboard the Disney Magic and Wonder, California Grill at Walt Disney World, and the Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian. We also have a great deal of character dining experience; Chef Mickeys, (WDW) Goofy’s Kitchen,(Disneyland Resort) several incarnations of the character breakfast aboard the Disney Magic, (Disney Cruise Line) and Storyteller’s Café. (Disneyland Resort) In short, we are no strangers to Disney Dining!
If there is a weak spot in the repertoire of Disneyland Paris’ delights it would have to be here. We sampled two inside the park restaurants; Café Agrabah, and Walts; an American Restaurant, and two Disney Village restaurants; Café Mickey, and Rainforest Café. Café Mickey offers a character dining experience.
Walt’s was good. Not great, but definitely good. The atmosphere and décor was enough to bring me in; the restaurant, much like the park itself, is beautiful; detailed and whimsical. We dined here for lunch and had the two course price fixed menu; starter and main course, and added dessert and café. The presentation was definitely appealing, but the flavors (I had the Caesar Salad starter with Chicken in a Marsala Cream Sauce for an entrée) were lacking in the depth and complexity necessary for this foodie to offer a rave review. Desert, however, was truly delicious; Apple Crumble with Salted Butterscotch Ice Cream. This combo really worked, and the café, adorned with a chocolate Mickey, was superb. All-in-all I’d give the experience itself a 9/10 and would do it again. I’d give the food a 7/10. Price for two; 76 euro, which certainly isn’t a value except for true Disney fans.
Café Agrabah was not to my liking; admittedly I don’t usually care for Mediterranean flavors, but this all-you-can-eat buffet’s menu appealed to my vegetarian son so we gave it a shot. Again, as with most other aspects of Disneyland Park, Paris, Café Agrabah was beautifully detailed; I felt as though I had just stepped into the movie Aladdin. Several salad choices, meats flavored with warm spices, and dessert of crepes and chocolate mousse round out the selections here. All-in-all I’d give the experience a 7.5/10 and the food a 5/10; I probably would not dine here again. Price for lunch for 24. 54 euro each, not a value…even for a true Disney fan!
Rainforest Café in the Disney Village; we love Rainforest and have dined in many of their locations and never miss the opportunity when in Anaheim and Orlando. Truthfully, Rainforest’s food is good, definitely not great, but dependably good. The atmosphere and theming work well in Disney locations and the restaurant is family friendly and fun! In the Disney Village in Paris, the theming and atmosphere remain consistent with its American cousins, but the food isn’t up to standard. The Rasta Pasta, which is one of my favorites, was almost flavorless and the potato skin appetizer was hard, not merely crispy and crunchy. All-in-all I’d give the experience an 8/10 and the food a 5/10; I would not plan to dine here again. Price for dinner for 21. 62 euro each, not a value but certainly the going rate for Rainforest Café anywhere.
Café Mickey in the Disney Village was the only character dining experience we had while in Paris. The restaurant is very cute; bright and cheery in Mickey colors! The characters come to your table while you dine. Some of the greatest entertainment Disney has to offer is the opportunity to watch children interact with Disney characters for the very first time and so the environment was certainly enjoyable. The food, however, was not up to Disney standard. Again we enjoyed a price fixed menu which included starter, entrée, and dessert. The roasted mushroom appetizer was delicious and it was huge; 6 mushrooms with pesto and half a head of roasted garlic with grilled bread; in hindsight I wish I had finished it instead of “saving room” for my entrée and dessert. My dinner was a steak and fries. (steak frit) The steak was bland and the fries were not light and fluffy. Dessert (café with a sampling of 3 tiny desserts) was utterly tasteless. All-in-all I’d give the experience a 6/10; while certainly fun to be a part of, the character aspect just doesn’t compare in quality to other character dining experiences I’ve had. The food rates a 4.5/10 and I will not be dining here in the future. Price for dinner for 26. 69 euro each. Not a value.
To be fair, Café Agrabah may be better than my review would indicate; as I stated, I do not care for Mediterranean spices and other diners were raving…so this might be worth a try if you find yourself in the neighbourhood! My son, while not raving, certainly enjoyed his lunch!
Walt’s, although expensive, is on my list of places to which I will return while in Disneyland, Paris. A very nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the park itself and a great place for a little romance!
Paris, the crown jewel of European cities, sets a dramatic backdrop for this Disney Destination. Disneyland Paris, like all Disney resorts, offers first class accommodations set in the heart of the Magic. You can also elect to stay in Paris; Disneyland Resort is an easy RER train ride away from Chatelet in Paris’ first district. Either way this is a vacation no one can forget.
