Theme Park Apprentice 6.1: Restaurant

When you say "full menu" do you mean EVERYTHING or just a good selection of examples? Example, if you list several of the ala carte breakfast items, can you just say something like "orange and grapefruit juice, along with several other popular breakfast juices"? What about prices?

I originally planned to say partial menu, but then worried there wouldn't be enough. What you have proposed is perfectly acceptable, but All food dishes should be named.

Including middle names? Sorry, I think I know what you mean, but what about prices?

Prices would be good, but are not required. If you want to add them, feel free.

I would suggest that given that food pricing is a science, you simply indicate roughly where a typical meal would land, or even just a broad stroke as to where you're positioning the resturant - Is it Cheap Eats, or is it Fine Dining with a price to match?

IIRC Disney have a indication of the price in the number of $'s; I'd suggest copying that if you're doing a Disney park is more or less mandatory (as that is what a Disney executive would expect to see in a pitch), and strongly recommended in non-Disney parks.

The results are in, and the tally for the live show round is as follows:

Vaudeville:19
Fantasia:15
Quest:10
Realm:8
ELIMINATED: Pokemon:8

Blake: 108
ELIMINATED: Travis:94
Scott: 90
Brett:85
Kevin:62

Therefore, NintendoLand is eliminated. You had an original idea that could interest fans of all ages, but your show just didn’t live up to our expectations. It was a little too much like existing shows, and simply wasn’t as entertaining as it could have been. We’re sorry to eliminate you, but there can only be one winner.

Speaking of winners, we seem to be eliminating people at nearly twice the proposed speed. Between drop-outs and eliminations, we are now down to only four contestants. Because of this, some changes will have to be made to the game. We have decided to keep eliminating people, and cut the game short. The restaurant round will go on as planned, and there there will be only one more round before the final round. The prize will still be awarded, and you will still be crowned champion. We are sorry we have to do this, but it is the only way to account for such massive drop-out rates.

We have not decided what the round following Restaurant will be, but we will decide as a group, and the game will continue. This being said, PLEASE try to avoid a drop out if at all possible!

Good luck to all of you!

And now there are four. Wow! I never thought I'd get this far. No, I am not ready to post my proposal yet- getting there, but not yet. In a lot of ways this has been the hardest proposal for me. I had lots of ideas, some really elaborate and fancy, some pretty good and some just plain terrible, but then I realized that the most important thing for me to remember, something that each judge has mentioned in some way about my proposals, is that it is important to be sure my proposal is appropriate for my park. I had to stay true to my theme. I also told myself that I would only propose a restaurant for my park that I would want to eat in myself. When I did that, I knew what restaurant I wanted to create- or if you want a little teaser, to recreate. You want another clue? All right, if you want to do the research, I'm going to recreate the first restaurant chain in America, and there is no place more appropriate for it than at Americana 1900. Watch for it, or perhaps I should say "All Aboard!!"

The year was 1878. Railroads were king in America, carrying millions of riders across the nation. Fred Harvey, a freight agent for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad saw a problem that many travelers were having. At that time- before passenger trains had dining cars- when a train stopped at a station to pick up and drop off passengers and freight, they often only waited an hour before leaving. Hungry riders had to leave the station, find a restaurant, order, get served, eat their meal and get back on the train before it left. Many passengers missed their trains, and Fred Harvey saw an opportunity. He developed the idea of a restaurant serving quick meals right in the train station and promoted his idea to his employer, but they turned down him down. He then offered it to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they decided to give it a try. Harvey opened his first restaurant along the AT&SF tracks in Florence, Kansas.

And thus was born the first restaurant chain in American history, the Harvey House Restaurants.

Soon Harvey House Restaurants and Hotels were found all along the rail lines of the AT&SF Railroad and its affiliated rail lines. It was said that a traveler could not travel one hundred miles without finding a Harvey House to eat in. They became famous for high-quality food at reasonable prices with fast service, generous helpings and clean, attractive facilities. The servers, all female and called Harvey Girls, wore identical uniforms and were held to the strictest standards of behavior, deportment, morality and professionalism.

Every Harvey Girl was required to wear the proscribed Harvey Girl uniform. It was black and white, carefully starched, and designed to "diminish the female physique". It included a skirt that hung no more than 8 inches off the floor, an "Elise" collar and opaque black stockings and black shoes. The hair was restrained in a net and was tied with a "regulation" white ribbon. Make-up was not allowed and chewing gum was forbidden.

Times changed. The number of railroad passengers declined as airlines became the dominant form of transportation. The Fred Harvey Company tried to expand and diversify away from railroads to airports and highway service plazas, but a series of business deals and buyouts decimated the once-prosperous business. Now, only a handful of facilities still carry the name "Harvey House", and today few people remember the quality food, fast service and efficient Harvey Girls.

But that is beginning to change.

The Harvey House Restaurant tradition lives on at Americana 1900 at the three train stations serving the Gulf Coast and Santa Fe Railroad (a subsidiary of the AT&SF): one at the train station located in Maple Grove, one at the station that jointly serves Courthouse Square and Green Springs, and one on The Pike near County Fair. Just as each station is unique, each full-service Harvey House Restaurant has a physical design to compliment the Township where it stands and a menu that, while sharing some of the more popular items, also has "blue plate specials" that are special to the Township where it is located.

What is a "blue plate special"? It is a special low-priced meal of the day, usually a "meat and three (one meat and three sides with no substitutions allowed)" served on a single blue plate, often with dividers on the plate. This concept was created by Fred Harvey for his restaurants possibly as early as 1892, and was soon adopted by other restaurants and diners across the country. Many traditional diners and mom-and-pop restaurants still offer a blue plate special to this day.

The menu at each of the Harvey House Restaurants in Americana has many items in common, foods that have been popular with American diners for generations. Each dish is an authentic Harvey House recipe, and is served on tables set with Irish linen tablecloths, just like Fred Harvey demanded. China plates, solid cutlery and cloth napkins are used, and all tables are waited on by a Harvey Girl wearing the traditional Harvey Girl Uniform. Every attempt is made to recreate the feeling of dining in an original Harvey House Restaurant, where the food was always good and plentiful, the service was exceptional, and the pleasant dining experience of the guest was the most important thing.

The Maple Grove Harvey House is designed as a fairly simple restaurant, furnished with plain, solid but tasteful furniture and decor reminding diners more of a family dining room in 1900 than a fancy restaurant. The floor is hard wood, spotlessly clean and buffed to a beautiful shine, and the ornamentation of the room is limited to some key-wound clocks showing the time in various cities across the nation, and perhaps a potted plant or two. Light pours into the room through wide windows of leaded glass, augmented by simple lighting globes over head. The wood work, stained dark and carefully polished, shows the Arts and Crafts Style of wood ornamentation popular in this era.

The Courthouse/Green Springs Harvey House is a bit fancier, with nicer but still comfortable and sturdy furnishings, fancy lace curtains with velour valances in the windows and beautifully framed paintings and photos on the papered walls. The floors are carpeted in a subdued floral pattern and the room is lit by a subtly elegant chandelier, perhaps once lit by gas but now converted to the "new-fangled electricity". These dining rooms, of which there are several in the restaurant, feel more like the dining room of a middle-to-upper class family, perhaps in a doctor or lawyer's home, than of a popular restaurant in a train station.

The Harvey House Restaurant in The Pike is different than the other two, and pays tribute to the dining cars that the Fred Harvey Company started servicing for the AT&SF Railroads. Entered from near The Pike train station, this series of six dining cars (two rows of three connected cars sitting side-by-side and entered from its own "station") are not moving dining cars, but are parked permanently on the siding. The dining facilities here are probably the most elegant of all the Harvey House restaurants in Americana 1900, with leather-backed chairs, hand-carved wood paneling and stained-glass in the overhead transom windows.

Each Harvey House is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. for lunch and dinner, with the exception of the Maple Grove restaurant which opens early for breakfast. The Harvey House Restaurant in Maple Grove and the rest of Maple Grove Township opens at 9 a.m. (the other Townships in Americana 1900 open at 10 a.m. to the general public, with 9 a.m. early admission for hotel guests and season passholders). Each restaurant is located at the train station of its respective Township but can be entered without having to ride the train or enter the train station (but it is much more fun to ride the Gulf Coast and Santa Fe Railroad to the station, get off and have a meal in the Harvey House, just like riders in 1900 would have done).

The standard lunch and dinner menu is the same in all three Harvey Houses, with the same prices and same regular menu offerings for lunch and dinner. The "Blue Plate Special" menu insert is specific to the Township where the restaurant is located, is printed in the print shop in Maple Grove, often changes daily and can be taken as a souvenir by guests. Every item on the menu, breakfast, lunch and dinner, has been served at a Harvey House Restaurant somewhere in the nation over the past 137 years of its existence. Granted, tastes have changed, and once popular entrees such as braised calf sweetbread on toast and buttered spaghetti with chicken giblets no longer appear on Harvey House menus, but even the most finicky eater will find something to satisfy their hunger on every Harvey House menu in Americana 1900.

Examples of some of the Breakfast Entrees items available at the Maple Grove Harvey House are:
· Wheat or Corn Cakes with Syrup and Coffee
· Two Eggs (fried, boiled or scrambled),
Hashed Brown Potatoes, Toast and Coffee
(with Bacon or Country Sausage)
· Fried Mush with Syrup or Jelly, Coffee
· Corned Beef Hash, One Fried Egg, Hashed
Brown Potatoes, Toast and Coffee

There is also an extensive selection of ala carte items such as fruit juices (orange, grapefruit, apple, and other popular juices), cereals (dry cereals, steel cut oats cooked overnight, cream of wheat), breads (toasts, sweet rolls and doughnuts), eggs (cooked to order) and beverages (coffee, tea, hot cocoa, milk and buttermilk).

The standard lunch and dinner menu at all three Harvey House restaurants is the same. Guests can chose from such popular entrees as:
· Breaded Veal Cutlet in Tomato Sauce with
Whipped Potatoes and June Peas
· Baked Sugar Cured Ham with Raisin Sauce,
Candied Sweet Potatoes and Corn on the Cob
· Roast Loin of Pork with Celery Dressing,
Mashed Potatoes and Apple Sauce
· Breast of Chicken, Vienna Style with
Pineapple Fritters

Over the years a wide variety of entrees found their way on the Harvey House menu. Steaks, chops, chicken and fish were often available for hungry diners back then, and still are today. Guests can find listed under "Favorites" on every Harvey House menu such delicious offerings as:
· Broiled Lake Superior Whitefish
· Harvey House Special Sirloin Steak
· Center Thick Cut Pork Chops
· Half Milk-Fed Chicken (with Bacon)
· French Lamb Chops on Toast
All above are served with choice of potato, vegetable, tossed salad and freshly baked roll with butter.

Salads (such as potato, lettuce, chicken, Cole slaw, etc.), soups (tomato, chicken noodle, oyster stew) and sandwiches from simple ham and cheese to triple-decker clubs and pure beef hamburgers are also found on the menu of the Harvey House Restaurants.

But what about the Blue Plate Specials? Each Harvey House has a series of specials appropriate to their location in the park. These specials originally allowed no substitutes, but the Harvey House Restaurants in Americana follow the concept of making the guest happy and will gladly make reasonable substitutes.

"Blue Plate Specials at the Maple Grove Harvey House" are geared towards the more rural, rustic and working class of passenger that would frequent a small-town railroad station. They include such hearty basics as:
· Corned Beef with Boiled Potatoes and Cabbage
· Roast Beef Sandwich with Whipped Potatoes and
June Peas
· Frog Legs with Fried Potatoes and Okra
· Boston Baked Beans with Brown Bread

"Blue Plate Specials at the Courthouse/Green Springs Harvey House" tend to feature fish and other dishes aimed at a "more refined palate", not stuffy but perhaps a bit more adventurous. Some of the specials available would include:
· Broiled Red Snapper with Anchovy Paste, Parsley
Potatoes and Tossed Salad
· Rocky Mountain Trout, Sauté Meuniere, Almondine,
Parsley Potatoes, Tossed Salad
· Broiled Beef Tenderloin Steak Sandwich on Toast
with Grilled Onion and French Fried Potatoes
· Flaked Chicken and Mushrooms a la King on
Tea Biscuits, with Green Peas

"Blue Plate Specials at the Harvey House on The Pike" may be a bit higher-priced, but they also reflect the elegant atmosphere of the dining cars where they are featured. The prices are reflected in the top-quality of the flavors and presentation. Just a few of the delicacies to be found on the special menu here are:
· Roast Prime Ribs of Beef Au Jus, Parsley Potatoes,
Combination Salad
· Fried Deep Sea Scallops, Tartar Sauce, Shoestring
Potatoes, Chef Salad
· Broiled Chinook Salmon Steak Hoteliere, Parsley
Potatoes and Spring Salad
· Individual Baked Chicken Pot Pie Parisienne,
June Peas

The list of desserts is extensive, and emphasizes traditional American favorites. Harvey House Restaurants were known for their large servings, especially of pies. Where most restaurants cut pies into six pieces, Harvey House Restaurants cut theirs into fourths, so dinners would have a quarter of a pie for dessert! The Harvey House restaurants at Americana 1900 continue this tradition (but will allow diners to share a dessert for no extra charge). A sample of the pies available, along with other desserts to be enjoyed after a Harvey House meal (or even just as a treat), includes:

· Pies: Apple, Boysenberry, Peach, Cocoanut Custard, Cherry and other flavors
· Chocolate Chip or Devil's Food Layer Cake
· Baked Rice Pudding with Custard Sauce
· Baked Apples with Cream
· Old Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake
· Homemade Ice Cream in Vanilla, Chocolate and other flavors

Prices at the Harvey House Restaurants were always considered reasonable, especially for the quality of the food and service, and that continues at Americana 1900. The extensive ala carte choices on the menus give diners great flexibility at creating meals to fit any budget, allowing them to create a simple meal of sandwich, side and beverage for about $15.00/person. Complete entree selections and "blue plate specials" offer convenience in ordering at reasonable prices, often under $20.00/person. The most elaborate meals offered, such as the prime rib and salmon, are available for under $30/person including beverage and dessert.

Special prices are available for children's and senior citizen meals at the Harvey House Restaurants. Children ten and under and Seniors over sixty can have half-sized orders of "entrees", "favorites" and "blue plate specials" at half-price, and children under three can eat from a parent's plate at no charge. There is no children's menu per se, but the extensive ala carte offerings make one not necessary.

On the back of the Blue Plate Special menu is printed a brief history of the Fred Harvey Company and the Harvey House chain of restaurants. A map shows the location of every Harvey House Restaurant and Hotel across the nation, with a key to help diners locate where they once stood (and may still stand) and where those still in operation can be visited and enjoyed. At the bottom of every menu are three phrases that appeared on almost every Harvey House Restaurant menu from the very beginning:

"Arrangements gladly made for special diets"
"Suggestions or Criticisms regarding our service will be appreciated"
"We regret we cannot be responsible for the loss of wearing apparel or personal effects"

The Harvey House Restaurants were an important part of the growth of our nation's transportation system, and their recreated presence at Americana 1900 is a tribute to Fred Harvey, a man with an idea, and to the thousands of Harvey Girls who served millions of delicious meals to hungry travelers across our nation. Dining at one (or all) of the Americana 1900 Harvey House Restaurants- in Maple Grove, at Courthouse Square and on The Pike- will take guests on a tasty trip back to a time when delicious food, fair prices, friendly people and exceptional service were the norm, and infectious smiles were provided free of charge.

The Hideout
Isle of Villains

The newest land at the park is devoted to the many villains in Disney movies that are just evil for the fun of it. The restaurant is not noticeable from afar and is painted in darker tones like black and purple. This is a place where all the villains can meet with each other and not worry about the heroes. It is owned by Pete, the first Disney villain. The menu is also shown on the outside of the restaurant so people can look at it before dinner. The meals are based on the villains on what they make and what resembles them. This will be a breakfast buffet in the morning and a menu restaurant for lunch and dinner. For breakfast, the price is $31.00 for adults and $16.00 for kids. The prices vary for lunch and dinner on what customers order.

When people enter the lobby, the walls are black but lit up with fluorescent lights to make it look sinister including purples, reds, greens, and oranges, with the colors changing every few seconds. There will be the Magic Mirror in the lobby that will show Disney cartoons that have a villainous ending including “Trick-or-Treat” (1952) and “The Skeleton Dance” (1929). Also scenes of villains from their movies will also be shown like the battle between Maleficent and Prince Phillip or the fight against Aladdin and Jafar. The cast member’s costumes are all black with a red tie and their name tags include who their favorite villain is. The hostess will direct you to a meet and greet with Pete. If Pete is not there, it will be Maleficent or Jafar. A photographer will take a souvenir picture that will be given to you during your meal. The picture cost is $15.99. As you are led to your table, you enter the big dining room which is lit in the same style as the lobby. Villain songs and scores from the movies will be heard as you dine. During breakfast, the buffet stations will be on the right and left side of the dining rooms.

The breakfast choices are as follows:
Pete Pancakes: Pancakes in the shape of Pete’s head
Scrambled Eggs: 2 ways with one being the traditional way with nothing in it but eggs and the Evil Scrambled Eggs filled with peppers, onions, and cheese.
Made to Order Omelets
Dastardly French toast
Villainous Biscuits and Gravy
Malicious Muffins made fresh each day
Carnivorous Sausage
Diabolical Bacon
Wicked Cereal

The dinner menu is as follows:
Appetizers:
Mother Gothel’s Hazel Nut Soup…………………………………………………$5.99
Kronk’s Spinach Puffs…………………………………………………………………$5.50
Stinky Pete’s Stew………………………………………………………………………$5.99
Oogie Boogie’s Bugs and Dips (Chips and Dips with a Spinach Dip, French Onion Dip, Guacamole Dip, or the house special dip called the Villainous Dip.)………………$6.50
Lady Tremaine’s Elegant Salad (choice of dressing)…………$6.99
Maleficent’s Hot and Spicy Wings………………………………………………$6.99

Entrees:
Stromboli’s Stromboli (guests create their own and choice of a soup or salad)…………………$16.99
Captain Hook’s Cod Fish (either grilled or deep-fried and a choice of a soup or salad)……$18.99
Dr. Facilier’s Jambalaya (choice of soup or salad)…………$15.99
Ursula’s Shrimp (either steamed or deep-fried and choice of soup or salad)…………………$16.99
Alameda Slim’s XXXXL Sirloin Steak (choice of two sides) $17.99
Pete’s Big Mouth Cheeseburger (choice of two side…………$15.99
Radcliffe’s Golden Nugget (chicken tenders and choice of two sides)……………………$14.99
Cruella De Vil’s Little Puppy’s (two gourmet hot dogs with a choice of two sides)…$14.99
Darla’s Fish Filet (piece of either salmon or tilapia and choice of two sides)…………$19.99
Judge Doom’s Pasta of Doom (spaghetti w/ Tomato, Alfredo, or Marinara sauce and choice of soup or salad)…………………$17.99

Sides:
Evil Vegetable Mix
Sinister Apple Sauce
Villainous French Fries
Maniacal Mac and Cheese
Wicked Baked Potato
Vile Broccoli
Malevolent Toast

Kids Meals:
*Note: The kids’ menu items are based on the selected entrees but smaller and only come with one side
Burger, Chicken Tenders, Hot Dogs, Shrimp, and Pasta are all $7.99

Desserts:
Anastasia and Drizella’s Bananna Split………………………………………$8.50
The Queen of Hearts Royal Tarts……………………………………………………………$7.49
The Queen’s Apple Pie……………………………………………………………$8.00
Lotso’s Strawberry Shortcake……………………………………………………$8.75

The Lunch menu will be the same but the sizes will be smaller. The villains will be out visiting guests at their table. There will be a total of 8 villains at a time and their set will be for an hour and a half. A few of the villains you could meet are Frollo, Captain Hook, Yzma, Hans, and even Madame Mim. Each guest will receive a button when they leave with the name of the restaurant with the villains around the logo. There will be days where themes will take place like Talk like a Pirate Day and Apple Day when the restaurant will decorate to represent the fun days. This will be a great place to eat and have a good time with some baddies.

Thanks for reading!

AVENGER’S TOWER DINING EXPERIENCE

Soaring above New Carthage rises the Avenger’s Tower, the home base of operations for the world’s greatest superhero team!  After the Avengers formed into a cohesive superhero fighting team, Tony Stark decided to relocate his old Stark Tower complex in New York City to New Carthage and designed it to be a new safe haven for the Avengers.  The Avenger’s tower itself acts as a façade for a variety of distinct attractions, including a walk-through attraction, an Avenger’s suspended coaster/dark ride hybrid attraction, and a full-scale themed restaurant experience.  From the Avenger’s tower attraction complex, guests are invited to dine in the tower itself and have the opportunity to visit and dine in a variety of excited and captivating locations and rooms within the tower itself! 

Location, Geography, and Layout
The Avenger’s Tower Dining Experience is located within the sleek and stylish Avenger’s Tower attraction show building.  Hovering over New Carthage like a beacon of hope, the tower is one of the icons of the park, rising 100 ft. in the skyline.  The layout of Avenger’s tower is multi-leveled and layered.  Guests enter the grand entrance plaza of Avenger’s Tower, a large open air atrium heavily themed with futuristic S.H.I.E.L.D. technology.  Towards the back of the plaza, guests can enter the queue for Avenger’s Ascendant!, the aforementioned coaster/dark ride hybrid attraction.  The right  side of the plaza allows guests to explore the interactive S.H.I.E.L.D. Training Center walk-through attraction.  Lastly, on the left side of the plaza, guests will have the opportunity to dine at the Avenger’s Tower Dining Experience restaurant.

The restaurant is divided into distinct rooms, each themed after one of the main members of the Avenger’s.  There are also a few other rooms, including a large cafeteria (for quick-service meals) and a special, reservation only room located at the top of Avenger’s Tower.  Each room features a distinct theme and a variety of props and interactive elements.  Guests can request to sit in a certain room if they so choose.  All rooms are sit down dining experiences with full waiter service with the exception of the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria, which is reserved for quick service meals. The Avengers Tower Dining Experience is open for lunch and dinner, opening every day at 11AM with closing times varying to coincide with the park closing time. Meals are moderately priced, about on-par with most casual dining chains throughout the nation such as Chile's, Appleby's, etc. (The exception being the reservation-only room, which will be detailed below) The rooms and their themes break out thusly:

Bruce Banner’s Quarters:
This room is cast in a bright green glow as diners dine in the presence of Gamma containers and testers.  Bruce Banner’s quarters is littered with scientific papers and work detailing his work on attempting to find a cure to his affliction.  Various iconic props from Hulk lore are scattered throughout the room, including the Hulk’s gauntlet, swords, and crown from the Planet Hulk comic arc, returned or otherwise undelivered letters to his love Betty Ross, and a large Gamma ray machine.  Interactive elements allow guests to attempt to advance the cure for the Gamma ‘curse’ on one of Bruce’s many laptops/computers, experimenting with the Gamma Ray machine (which may result in objects being magically enlarged or otherwise manipulated to gigantic proportions) and various projections of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Avenger’s members holding conversations with Bruce about various topics (topics range from new threats to earth, old memories, funny banter, or discussion of gamma research)
 
Steve Roger’s Room:

Captain America’s room harkens back to a more innocent era in America.  His room is decorated in a highly stylized art deco aesthetic.  The vintage and the modern clash as it is apparent that Steve Rogers is still trying to reconcile the world he remembers with the world he now lives within.  Guests will hear classic music from the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, include a mix of big band, classic country, swing, and jazz. Various posters are pinned to the wall, including iconic pin-up girl and war bond imagery. A wide collection of Cap's shields and uniforms are also on display, as are memorabilia and sentimental items he's collected over the years. As with Banner's Quarters, Steve and the team often converse and

Tony Stark’s Penthouse:

This room is only available for dinner (5 PM-Park Closing) and requires a reservation to dine.  Additionally, this room features a distinct high-end menu which differs from the standard dinner menu offered in the other rooms (which is featured in the menu section below).

Themed to a fusion of Tony Stark’s Penthouse from the Iron Man films as well as his ‘armory’ as seen throughout the Iron Man films and The Avengers film.  Guests who have reservations enter a special elevator, designed exclusively for this room, where a high-tech projected screen details Tony’s penthouse and quarters, with Tony himself giving a voice-guided tour as the elevator slowly takes the guests up to the top of Avengers Tower.  Once Tony is done giving his ‘tech guided’ tour (including a sneak peak of the menu), JARVIS talks to the guests briefly, encouraging them to visit the balcony and the entirety of the penthouse.

The Penthouse itself features a stylish and sleek modern aesthetic.  Tables are placed around the Penthouse, which features two floors.  The entire penthouse features large, story-high glass, facing northwest, allowing guests an unprecedented view of New Carthage and the park in general (it also offers a fantastic view of the Disneyland fireworks).  The penthouse contains some unique features and interactive elements including Tony’s armory, where guests can view various Iron Man armor designs (Mark’s I through VIII).  Guests even have the opportunity to try on an Iron Man armor suit if they so choose.  Guest can also visit Tony’s ‘toybox’ where guests have the opportunity to sit in some of Tony’s high-end vehicles such as sleek sports cars and personal helicopters.  Lastly, the balcony of Tony’s Penthouse features the power arc reactor—the sole source of power for Avengers Tower.

Tony’s Penthouse is also one of the only places within the park where guests have access to a full-service bar and a complete drink menu. 

Thor’s Longhall:

The mightyAsgardian's room is themed after a traditional Norse longhall. The room is constructed with sturdy and elegant wood, intricately decorated with classic Anglo-Saxon filigree patterns. A large fire place roars in the center and everything in the room has a slightly exaggerated and larger aspect. Like previous rooms, various iconic objects and memorabilia are scattered throughout the room including Thor's armor and the mighty hammer, Mjolnir. Guests can try and lift Mjolnir, with a random selection of a few guests every hour being able to lift Mjolnir out of its holding case. If they do so, a large projection of Thor congratulates the guest and informs them that they will enter the ranks of the Einherjar—mighty warriors who will enter Valhalla and fight at Ragnarok—before informing them that he must keep Mjolnir for himself and his fights against evil for the time being. (This interactive element harkens back to the classic Sword and the Stone mini-show that use to take place at Disneyland, wherein one lucky guest would be able to lift the sword from the stone if they were deemed 'worthy'). The projection and conversation elements remain here as well.

Natasha Romanoff;s Den:
The Black Widow's room features a high-tech fusion of armory and personal quarters. High tech weaponry mount the room, each with a detailed description of their specs and capabilities. A small library is kept, with classic Russian authors such as Dostoyevsky, Bulgakov, and Tolstoy making a prominent appearance. A small weapons testing range acts as an interactive element for guests, as they can test some of the Black Widow's favorite weapons and gadgets in a simulated, projection-based “testing zone”.

Clint Barton's room:
Hawkeye's room is very similar to Natasha's, with an elaborate display of weaponry (mainly Archery or marksman related). The aesthetic takes on a more comfy and roomy approach, with personal effects of Clint scattered about, including clues to his past (such as various carnival posters and programs), as well as his love interest with Natasha. The interactive element in his room features an archery training and shooting range.

S.H.I.E.L.D. Cafeteria:
The S.H.I.E.L.D. Cafeteria acts as a quick self-service alternative to the sit down room experiences. It features classic cafeteria style layout, where guests order or take items directly from the counter and pay before sitting down. Aesthetically, the Cafeteria is heavily themed with the S.H.I.E.L.D. symbol and motif. Nick Fury sometimes makes an appearance, as do other agenst of S.H.I.E.L.D.. The room is primarily a large open space with large tables to accommodate the large amount of guests

MENU

The menu features an eclectic mix of a variety of cuisines and flavors, themed after the Avengers favorite meals and snacks. There are two distinct menus; a general menu which is shared between all rooms, and a special menu for Tony's Penthouse room. As a general rule, prices are estimations rather than fixed for the purposes of the proposal. Below is a small sampling of the menu:

Menu:
Appetizers:

Steve's Favorite ($5.99): An old-time classic! A generous portion of various fried veggies including Cauliflower, Broccoli, Zucchini, and pickles. Served up with two dipping sauces of your choice. Choose between ranch, tartar sauce, Barbeque sauce, or spicy garlic dip.
Avenger Nachos ($7.99): The teams go-to late night snack. A mountain of lightly salted Pita chips smothered in melted mozarella cheese and topped with tomatoes, grilled onions, basil, pepperocinis, olives, and sour cream.
Hawkeye Bites ($7.99): Moist pieces of grilled chicken stuffed inside sweet, puffy rolls alongside Gruyere cheese, cream cheese, and green onions
Freedom Fries ($4.99): A large portion of classic potato french fries, lightly salted and with a dash of special spices. Guarenteed 100% fresh from the kitchen.

Entrees:

Hulkburger($11.99): A ½ pound all Angus beef patty served on a toasted onion bun with Avacado, Lettuce, Sprouts, Provolone Cheese, and a special green garlic spicy Chipotle sauce.  Served with a side of wedge fries and green ketchup. Add another patty for $2.00.
Romanoff's Stroganoff($14.99): A favorite from the motherland. Natasha's childhood favorite features succulent cubes of beef mixed with a special mushroom and sour cream gravy over a large heaping of home-made flat egg noodles. Topped with basil and fresh carrots.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Ceasar Salad($10.99): The perfect meal to maintain a healthy diet! A large bed of Romaine lettuce topped with croutons, parmesean cheese, and ceasar dressing. Add chicken for just $2.00.
Feast of the Gods($22.99): A meal made for the halls of Valhalla! One leg of all white-meat Turkey, a quarter pound of slow-roasted pulled pork, and a half-rack baby back ribs glazed with our special Mead BBQ sauce. Served with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables.
Tony's Veggie Plate($14.99): A veggie lovers paradise. A large Falafel patty chopped and spread over a bed of sprouts and leeks and coupled with lightly grilled Asparagus, large Shitake mushrooms, grilled Zucchini with a zesty hummus sauce.

Desserts:

Captain America's American Apple Pie($7.99): An American classic and the Cap's personal favorite dessert. A large slice of apple pie, made with granny smith and Washington apples, smothered in a cinnamon caramel sauce and baked in a cinnamon sugar crust. Topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream
Clint's Concoction ($7.99): Two home made ice-cream sandwhiches made from scratch! A full scoop of ice cream of your choosing stuffed between two huge freshly baked and still hot from the oven chocolate chip cookies.
Banner's Banana Box ($16.99): A dessert even that would appease the Hulk himself!. A tall caramelized sugar tower is filled with layers of freshly cut bananas, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel, and hot fudge! Serves up to four.

Kid's Menu:
The kid's menu features standard kid's meal fare. Hot Dogs, Chicken Strips, and a miniature version of the Hulkburger are available. Sides range from fresh fruit, french fries, steamed veggies, or chips.

Tony's Menu Variation:
In addition to offering everything the standard menu has, the menu attached to Tony's penthouse will feature high-end fine dining choices. Diners will have the opportunity to enjoy various fine cuts of steak, fish, and veal as well as some unique and special dishes such as Tony's Schwarma Special (a traditional schwarma plate alongside two steak kabobs over a bed of jasmine rice and topped with saffron). Tony's Penthouse will also feature some unique desserts such as a chocolate molten cake, a rasberry crème brulee, and a coffee tiramisu. Prices for appetizers match the regular menu. Entrees range from $20-50, with desserts ranging from $12-20.

Good job, everyone. The restaurant challenge is one of the hardest in this game (I barely survived it when I played), but all three of you have done very well. I will admit that I rarely visit sit-down restaurants at theme parks, so I had a difficult time with judging this round. If anything I wrote sounds way off from usual, assume it is due to my lack of experience in this particular area of theme parks.

Scott (Harvey House): Last week, you had the perfect show for your park, and this week you've got the perfect restaurant. Harvey House Restaurants were a very important part of America, and by recreating them inside your park you've allowed guests to step back in time. I love the concept of placing three locations inside your park, each at one of the train stations, as this only enhances the historical accuracy of the locations. I am assuming that the actual Harvey House Restaurants did not have a standardized interior, so making each location different fits and this would make return visitors interested in trying them all. I am a little worried that you may have too much variation between locations, but all three restaurants sound excellent. Having a standard menu with different specials at each location is also a great choice. Your menu is good, though I worry a few items (particularly a couple of the specials) might be a little too uncommon for the typical theme park visitor and wouldn't sell too well. I also worry portion sizes might be a little big, though perhaps you could simply advise diners against going immediately to the Great Pacific Northwest Scenic Railway after their meal. Lastly, prices are very reasonable, if not a little too low. You shouldn't rip visitors off, but you still need to make a profit. Overall, you have an excellent restaurant that would probably attract many visitors. In fact, a visit to Americana: 1900 would hardly be complete without dining at a Harvey House.

Brett (The Hideout): Character dining is one of the most popular activities for families with small children, so I'm sure your restaurant would be popular. However, since your line-up only includes villains, I'm guessing it would be less of a draw than other similar experiences. While making your restaurant somewhat hidden would normally be a very bad choice, it does work well with the theme you chose. The interior of your restaurant sounds pretty basic, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing it would be nice to see more creativity than a room with changing lights and villainous music. The magic mirror in the lobby is a nice touch. I'm not sure what the purpose of having a meet and greet before being seated is, as this is a character restaurant and guests will be visited by numerous characters while dining. The menu is good, with a number of creatively named dishes, and although the dishes are somewhat all over the place that may be beneficial for this type of restaurant as you'll be able to please everybody. While I've never done character dining, your prices seem too low for that type of restaurant. I was also under the impression that character dining was usually a fixed price, so if breakfast is $31/$16 I'd think a higher fixed lunch/dinner price would be more appropriate. Even with the individual entree prices, some of them sound too low for an ordinary chain restaurant. Overall, this is a good character dining location that would probably be quite popular, but I'm not sure it would have as much draw as other similar locations.

Blake (Avenger's Tower): I would never have connected the Avengers to a restaurant, but your concept works fairly well. One thing that absolutely needs changed, however, is your building. At 100 ft., the building will be dwarfed by several other structures at the resort, and if guests can dine at the top this will be very obvious. Double the height, and this problem is solved. The restaurant itself has a good layout, and I like the creativity of the various dining rooms. I'm not sure you need six, however...sticking to the main four (Hulk, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor) would probably be sufficient, with Black Widow and Hawkeye referenced in the S.H.I.E.L.D. cafeteria. As for the cafeteria, that is a great concept, but in order to add value to dining at the full restaurant and deal with the efficiency required for counter service I'd like to see a more limited/alternate menu here than using the same one as the rest of the restaurant. I'm not a huge fan of including interactive elements in the dining rooms, as this disrupts the dining experience and those not interested probably wouldn't appreciate hordes of children running past their table to play with everything. The menu you have listed is small, but you have stated that it is only a portion of the full menu. Perhaps this is the cafeteria menu, and the full menu includes many more selections? In any case, the prices are reasonable and you have a satisfactory variety of options, though I'm not sure there's enough to appeal to everybody. Lastly, the exclusive dining area is a neat concept, and if there are enough Marvel fans willing to pay the higher prices to dine here it could be a tough reservation to get. Overall, your restaurant concept is good, but I'm not sure it would be somewhere that everyone would want to dine at.

Due to only three competitors posting this week (with no official drop from the fourth), as well as DPCC being away until tomorrow, the judges are currently deliberating on how to handle the situation. As a result, I will not be posting my ranking at this time. Kevin, if you are able to post your proposal in the next 24 hours it may be considered (depending on what the judges decide), but you will likely not receive a formal critique for this round. If you will not be able to do this, please let the judges know at your earliest opportunity so we may decide how to proceed.

As somebody who enjoys a good table service resturarnt, all of your ideas were awesome! I think it really comes down to who had the more clever dishes vs the themes. I thought the theming was all pretty equal.

Scott: While I was not a fan of your park at the beginning, I seem to like a majority of the things in your park. I guess we can't judge this book by its cover. Out of the three we currently have, yours was my favorite because it was both interesting and fit the theme much better than the other two. Don't get me wrong, they did great too, but I like your gambles on not using IP.

Brett: I felt that yours and Blake's were similar ideas, but with different IPs. Not that its a bad thing, but I would give you the edge with your Evil Stepsisters Banana Split. I started laughing at that one for some reason.

Blake: I thought you were very clever with your names, but I felt that there was a little too much going on in your restaurant. I would still visit it however!

Kevin, the judges have decided to grant you an extension through midnight tonight, due to the circumstances of your illness and OT. We hope you are able to compete!

Well, These are my critiques for the three competitors who have posted. Kevin, if you do post, you will not receive formal critiques. Also, PST and Site time should line up now that we’re back in Daylight Savings Time.

The Harvey House
Scott E.

Scott, your proposals just get better and better. I liked your idea of resurrecting the Harvey House, which no doubt played an influence in the development of modern chain restaurants. However, I almost feel like this restaurant lacks creativity. You simply recreated an existing restaurant. But, you have made it relatable to the public, while not letting it lose the old-timer charm. Your food seems good, and often original. Your park is very doable, and fits your park well.

The Hideout
Brett Angwin

Well, I love the idea of giving villains their own hideout, but I worry it would turn guests away. It’s not really a good restaurant for little kids, because they’d be afraid of all the characters, and adults wouldn’t want to go to a character meal. Basically your only bet is maybe the tween and young teen crowd. Also, while it’s possible that this is what you’re going for, your menu is very plain. If I walked into this restaurant and looked at the menu, I’d be bored. You need a few signature dishes that people will be surprised to see. Also, an atmosphere that registered more as a hideout, such as the inside of a cave, in a volcano, something overly villainous would be nice.

Avengers’ Tower Dining Experience
Blake Meredith

Blake, I’m afraid you have too much going on here. Your restaurant is too big, and having the cafeteria and restaurant area is sure to confuse guests looking for one or the other. Also, the interactive elements are a bit much. It would be better if you had something similar in the area before you are seated, rather than in the restaurant itself. But, overall, you’ve done a good job representing The Avengers in a restaurant.

Ratings will come when all the proposals are in!

Scott - Harvey House

I gotta admit when you said first chain in America, I presumed Big Boy, but I see you found something older and more classical. Having three of them might seem a bit much and limit the food variety available, but it fits in well with the mythos. One thing I didn’t like was the non-moving dining cars… seems a missed opportunity to have a moving dining restaurant that could command a premium price. Your other outlets are very well designed and planned, and would make an excellent addition to any part, but given your theme fit in fantastically.

The Blue Plate specials I have a concern about, but lean in the direction of them being an excellent addition, allowing each outlet to be similar but not quite the same, and allowing seasonal dishes to be included, I am a little concerned that a guest might see a special in outlet A, and go into outlet B later hoping to take it on, but in any case the other outlets are a short train ride away.

The meal selections are excelent, and appear to work well in the type of service that you’re offering. All in all I really like your Harvey House concept. I think you’re setting the pace in this competition.

Brett Angwin - The Hideout

$31 for Breakfast? I know its a theme park and I know its a buffet, but that’s crazy! I’d be expecting something gormet and made to order at that price.

Your entry is pooly structured, You start with the theme, then tell me its owned by pete, then tell me a price for breakfast, then we’re back to the theme, and an upsale opportunity. I’d suggest moving like with like “The Hideout is the newest Restauarnt in the Isle of Villans. On the outside it looks like this. As you enter it looks like this. You’ll be met by Pete, or one of the other villans, and have the opportunity to do a meet and greet and get your photo taken for an extra charge. More detail on teh look I think would do you as well.

I also don’t know what style of restaurant it is for the non-breakfast meals. Is it fast food? Quick Service? Sit down formal Dining?

The menu itself is in general quite well themed and designed. I would be careful to ensure they’re all appetitisingly named though, I’m not going to order something called “Stinky Pete’s stew” or “Vile Broccoli” as that takes my appetitie right away, but most of them are very well done. I’d suggest not allowing the kids to have a choice from all mains, and not having 2 sides is a bit of a missed chance, kids will probably want a junk food one, but a parent may be able to “encourage” the kid to have a junk and a healthy option.

You’ve got a good idea, but what I’m seeing is what really should be a draft stage that gets developed, organised, and extended as you go.

You’ve got a lot of potential Bret, with a bit more polish you could easily take the lead.

Blake - Avengers Tower

Your tower is a great idea, an avengers pavillion as it were. Having a number of rooms allows you to control the “noise level” whilst having a large customer throughput… Although I fear you might have run out of steam when it came to Natasha’s Den, Clint Barton’s room and the Cafeteria.

The Menus. I’d sugget that the Shield Caeteria should have a different menu again to reflect the snatch-and-go nature of a cafeteria system, with the cafeteria featuring items that can “sit well”, so the more formal dining areas can have a menu that doesn’t have to worry about sitting under heat lamps for a while.

As for the food, the “Guaranteed 100% fresh from the kitchen” line on Freedom Fries stuck out at me for some reason, firstly I thought it was an amusing marketing line, then it left me wondering where other fries might be coming from… I certainly hope they’re coming from a kitchen.

Entrees are good, but I’m concerned about the feast of the gods… That’s a huge price jump for that item when compared to other items on the menu. I appreciate its a lot of food, but typically an item of that much of a jump is there to make the other prices look more reasponable… I’d suggest breaking up the individual items in the Feast into individual plates - ie a Turkey Leg dish, a ribs dish, etc, and then selling the feast as a combo/Smorgasbord option (eg $X per guest, min 4 guests, includes bits of all dishes - I see you did something similar with the Banner’s Banana Box).

More detail on Tony’s Penhouse would be welcome, although I am concerned you’re planning a near 100% price jump for dining in that room… The ambiance will be worth a premium, but I’m not sure its quite that much.

Overall, very good.

Oh! One more nit-picky note for Blake:"One leg of all white-meat Turkey". Turkey legs are dark meat. Just throwing that out there. That would be bad advertising, and somebody besides me would notice.

Kevin, your deadline has passed. We'll have to continue without you. Good luck to the remaining three on the semi-final!

Now that the deadline has passed, here's my ranking:

3: Scott (Harvey House)
2: Brett (The Hideout)
1: Blake (Avenger's Tower)

3: Scott (Harvey House)
2: Blake (Avenger's Tower)
1: Brett (The Hideout)

Oh, yes. Mine are:

3: The Harvey House (Scott E.)
2: The Hideout (Brett)
1: The Avenger's Tower (Blake)