The Friar's Nook in Fantasyland now features three types of macaroni and cheese:
There's also a truffle mac 'n' cheese-topped hot dog for $8.59. On a recent trip, we tried the Pot Roast option:
I was a bit disappointed with the lack of vegetables — Disney includes only the pot roast meat atop this large cup of mac 'n' cheese. Still, the first bite of beef off the top delivered meaty flavor that gave me hope for a substantial, satisfying lunch. And then I made the mistake of eating more.
The squishy macaroni underneath just disappears into the tasteless, viscous sauce that overwhelms the entire dish. It's never a good sign for a mac 'n' cheese when you're left longing for the relatively sharp and distinct flavor of Kraft Dinner powdered cheese.
Worse was the pot roast itself, which turned out to include as much fat as meat. Sorry, but the whole point of a pot roast is to slow cook a cut of beef until all the fat renders into flavorful gravy. If there's hunks of fat left in your pot roast, you're not doing it right.
And, finally, let's take one more shot at Walt Disney World's obsession with serving every quick-service meal in the resort on disposable paper. First it was the dishes, and now even the trays! Yes, I live on the west coast, but it's not just regional bias behind my preference for the real dishes and servingware that Disneyland offers at many of its quick-service restaurants. Give me a proper meal with proper presentation.
This mess offers neither. I quit after five bites.
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As for the food, the cheeseburger part was good, but the mac and cheese was only tolerable. I won't order one again, but it wasn't so bad that I wouldn't eat it.
That being said, I like that they are trying something different. I don't want a cheeseburger and fries for every meal because that's the only good option.
Heck, ultimately we're talking about pasta and cheese here -- there are a limitless number of ways to do fun, creative, tasty things with that platform. But, yeah, Kraft would have been better than this mess.
They need to make everything paper at Magic Kingdom. They wouldn't be able to keep up with the crowds!
I don't ever think there's a West Coast bias in your writing. I think you're fair and objective, and besides, you were a WDW Cast Member (as was I). If a meal is bad, it's bad wherever it's found, and it shouldn't get a pass because it's from your favorite park. I just hope DLR holds on to the magic that WDW has lost in the area of food options.
I generally stay away from Quick Service, but I'm really glad you review the options because not everyone can afford a $40/person dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern or Hollywood Brown Derby.
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