Disney's Fast Food Venture: Mickey's Kitchen
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4 жыл бұрынWith the Disney Store a growing success in the early 1990's, The Walt Disney Company decided to send the mouse to a new region of the shopping mall: the food court. This is the story of Mickey's Kitchen, Disney's venture in the fast food industry.
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Sources:
“This mouse in the kitchen not doing any harm at all”, The Napa Valley Register (Napa, California), 08 April 1990, page 20
“Disney hoping Mickey’s food draws crowds”, The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California), 28 April 1990, page 1
“Disney stores are big business”, Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida), 06 May 1990, p3
“Dining With Disneyana at Mickey’s Kitchen”, The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), 04 May 1990, page F19
“Disney to open restaurants”, North County Times (Oceanside, California), 18 Jul 1990, pC-7
“Disney aims to cook up more fast-food places”, The San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California), 18 Jul 1990, page B-8
“Food chains offer prizes to snare kids”, The Anniston Star (Anniston, Alabama), 15 Aug 1990, page 6B
“Fast food done Disney style: fun”, The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, New Mexico), 15 Aug 1990, page C3
“Disney testing fast-food recipe”, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 04 Nov 1990, page D1
“It’s a mall world for Mickey’s cafe”, Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 16 Jan 1991, page 4
“Disney whirl”, Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 26 May 1991, page 1
“Hot diggity: A feast for the eyes at Mickey’s”, Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 01 Sep 1991, page 5
“What’s up, doc? A battle of the stores”, Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois), 04 Oct 1991, page 1
“Disney to Put Fast-Food Unit in Deep Freeze”, The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, California), 27 Mar 1992, page D2
“Disney restaurants to close after lackluster performance”, The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, Florida), 28 Mar 1992, page C1
Photo Credit: Kathy Barkus Racine
@MidwaytoMainStreet 4 жыл бұрын
Special thanks to Kevin Perjurer of Defunctland for suggesting I make a full video out of this topic!
@teddyfurstman1997 4 жыл бұрын
Yum!
@trentwerner366 4 жыл бұрын
Special thanks to Rob. These videos get me through the week👍
@theduh1011 4 жыл бұрын
Legends supporting legends; ya love to see it
@mlivehd7552 4 жыл бұрын
Midway to Main Street When did you change your channel name?!
@lostmediaandlegofanthebric3233 4 жыл бұрын
M Livehd The world may never know...😐😏✅
@vireo2543 4 жыл бұрын
The food sold at Mickey’s Kitchen sounds like it would have fit in perfectly with the types of food we have nowadays. If they had opened the restaurant now it would have been a bigger hit, especially since there aren’t many places yet that offer as much meatless burgers and such but there’s big demand for it. It sucks that it closed two year before I was born, if it stuck around throughout the 90’s onward I know I would have begged my parents to take me there instead of McDonalds and Burger King because of the Disney theme.
@karsonkammerzell6955 4 жыл бұрын
Been seeing a lot of that lately when I recall things I enjoyed back in the day; especially games that flopped only to find the genre they pioneered to be 'the big thing', lol.
@secondsein7749 4 жыл бұрын
It's not likely they would make it today though. Disregarding current world situation, to Disney, the fast food theme would have 'sullly' their brand name. Disney is a 'premium' brand, and since fast food is synonymous with cheap, it likely would gave the idea that Disney brand is becoming cheap. Not too mention that it will take away the magic from the parks. Part of the magic of the parks are the effort that you need to get there to enjoy the stuff. But with Disney restaurants around the world that has the themes, and yes even if it doesn't have the theme parks and the like, to many, some of the magic can still be felt at the restaurants. So to them, it will be like the "we have xxx at home" meme.
@drdewott9154 4 жыл бұрын
Yeah, with a few tweaks something like Mickey's Kitchen could be pretty successful in modern times, with maybe a bit more of a premium style than before. If I were in the shoes of a guy at Disney tasked with seeing how to make this work, I'd focus on the slightly higher end, healthier quick service food, with higher end service like table delivery and the like, and to begin probably 3-4 locations for testing. One in a theme park, one in a downtown Disney area, and one or 2 attached to Disney stores, as to test the potential repetition they'd gather at each place and to see which route would be more practical.
@vireo2543 4 жыл бұрын
SecondSein it doesn’t necessarily have to be structured the same way or marketed the same way as it was in the ‘90’s but another venture into healthier and vegan options as maybe a higher end restaurant could maybe work, I know they are trying to introduce more healthier and vegan options in the parks and even in our Mouseketeria in MK they’ve been trying hard to push healthier meals so the demand is there. I think of it more like “Have a little taste of the Disney magic to get them hooked” kind of deal. Sorry for the late reply btw, YT is giving me notifications for likes but never notified me when people replied to my comment. ;-;
@vireo2543 4 жыл бұрын
DrDewott I was thinking one in Disney Springs/Downtown Disney since anyone can enter there without a park ticket and they are a mainly dining and shopping centre, and maybe a few standalone or maybe inside their one or two of their more profitable Disney stores just to test the waters. The menu was ahead of its time and I know that Donald Duck juice still exists in supermarkets (I see them in Walmart and Dollar Stores all the time), haha.
@roryjs 4 жыл бұрын
I went to the opening. According to the old VHS recording of the local news, I thought it was "very very good"
@clintgolub1751 4 жыл бұрын
That’s a memory you’ll never forget
@trilogypictures4094 4 жыл бұрын
Post it!
@bradlyj9760 4 жыл бұрын
Definitely gotta post that!!
@midnightbutter6965 2 жыл бұрын
That's really cool was it the first location or the second location you went to
@roryjs 2 жыл бұрын
@@midnightbutter6965 first
@georgewaters900 4 жыл бұрын
It kinda feels like Mickey's Kitchen was ahead of its time, its too bad, could've been an interesting option
@cyanmanta 4 жыл бұрын
Especially when you remember that not only were major fast food chains about to expand and multiply rampantly, but their menus were about to get a lot more fattening. The 90s were the era of the Super Size option.
@JT5555 4 жыл бұрын
Exactly. In Today's Age,A Fast Food Joint By Disney That Only Served Healthy Food Would Be EXACTLY A Lot Of People Would Want But Back Then No One Cared So It Was't A Selling Point.
@trentwerner366 4 жыл бұрын
Demonic Queen The menu lineup literally sounds like a homerun for modern Los Angeles. Today, the restaurant would have a line down the bridge
@Slackmana 4 жыл бұрын
The concept would still fail today... ppl who frequent fast food chains are not concerned about their diet. The ppl who do order from the healthy menu make up for a VERY SMALL percentage of sales.
@davidreynolds8865 4 жыл бұрын
if they started nowish it would have a chance to work
@jacktheboss 4 жыл бұрын
Imagine if this succeeded. “Hey what do you want for dinner? McDonald’s? Burger King?” “Nah lets get Mickey’s Kitchen”
@SprightlyValentino 4 жыл бұрын
@@Attmay There's also Peter Pan peanut butter, which many people, not knowing any better, probably assume is based on the Disney movie/character.
@coilcreature 4 жыл бұрын
@@Attmay Yeah but I only heard of Donald Duck orange juice like a month ago
@episodenull 4 жыл бұрын
A "PB&J Handwich" sounds rather...adult.
@58jharris 4 жыл бұрын
Is that how they get the Donald Duck juice?
@patrickbritz4911 4 жыл бұрын
I agree and I wonder if the handwich and Donald Duck juice help Piglet straighten out his ‘fries’!!
@Clay3613 4 жыл бұрын
It's just a bagel shaped like an ice cream cone.
@donvandenberg5301 4 жыл бұрын
That's where the banana comes into play.
@KTCC13 4 жыл бұрын
Like Japan McDonald’s adult cream pie 👀
@sfdave65 4 жыл бұрын
If Mickey's Kitchen was around today.....I would eat there over BK and McD's
@roastingpotato 4 жыл бұрын
To be fair I’d rather eat road kill than eat at burger king to be perfectly honest.
@johnree6106 4 жыл бұрын
@@roastingpotato Especially with their cow fart commercial
@johnree6106 4 жыл бұрын
@raffle baffle Still probably eat it
@fawkewe 4 жыл бұрын
Bk? I would rather drink my own piss then burger king. If you have to compare burger king to something that means it should be avoided
@skyesyd221 2 жыл бұрын
Hm
@khfan4life365 4 жыл бұрын
I think Mickey’s Kitchen would have been a hit in modern times. This restaurant was clearly ahead of its time. Maybe they could try it again.
@Audrey-wb2zh Ай бұрын
I would love for it to return. I would go back in a heartbeat.
@cyanmanta 4 жыл бұрын
I have to say that the menu they had may have been too ahead if its time to succeed back then. The 90s were a particularly unhealthy time for fast food with drink and fries sizes suddenly ballooning and chains pushing bigger sandwiches like the double quarter pounder. If they tried it nowadays it might work better, but fast food is kind of a dinosaur industry now with very little growth potential.
@adriansilvestre 4 жыл бұрын
Double quarter? Is that a half pound meat?
@cyanmanta 4 жыл бұрын
Adrián Silvestre Effectively yes. It’s two quarter-pounder patties on the same bun.
@FreedomforHaiti 4 жыл бұрын
The menu appealed to me at the time since I was a vegetarian, and none of the other fast food places had veggie burgers. I thought Disney's meatless burger tasted good, too. I traveled 30-40 miles to eat there and didn't regret it. Had Mickey's Kitchen been closer to me, I would've gone multiple times.
@ParallelDiscover 4 жыл бұрын
I think if they did a Froyo with dole whips and was themed like trader Sam's enchanted tiki bar it would blow up.
@JasonRBeing 4 жыл бұрын
What if they had themed them to different lands or resorts too?
@seanmarsh6158 4 жыл бұрын
It seems like everything Disney was trying in the 90's was WAY ahead of their time. Nowadays I feel like doing more of these Disney park experiences in places far away from the parks would be a hit. Bring back DisneyQuest! Combine it with a Mickey's Kitchen Concept! Use technology like The Void to enhance the experience! There's so many options that it really does boil down to Disney not being ok with low margins they only want expansions that make profits immediately. Now more than ever I'm missing the Disney parks and would just love a way to experience the Disney magic without traveling to far. Awwww a boy can dream haha P.s. great video excited for the new format
@bearisgolden7939 4 жыл бұрын
Disney was in a worse financial situation in the 80s and 90s, so things that weren’t immediately successful were scrapped for the next big idea, it’s unfortunate really.
@eliseerickson5994 4 жыл бұрын
Yes! DisneyQuest was such an awesome memory for me. They could be so successful with it if they just invest the money into getting new innovative games instead of relying on what was innovative 20 years ago.
@NinjaWeedle 2 жыл бұрын
@@eliseerickson5994 Man , I remember i went to DisneyQuest like a month before it was closed. something tells me it was more than an arcade with a mostly empty cafeteria on the 3rd floor that you could buy the danimals yogurt from at some point
@AmusementLabs 4 жыл бұрын
Mickey's Kitchen: "made with genuine mou---" "Is that a rat?" "No no, just part of the immersive staffing!"
@SplinterGirl13 4 жыл бұрын
They should try this again except have the menu change and keep it to mall like food. More snacks. Like churos, popcorn, pretzels from the park on a consistent basis. And that star wars milk, gray stuff, frozen cupcakes or something for changing menu to change with what film is out. It would be like auntie Anne's.
@1zDiegoz1 4 жыл бұрын
Nah. Malls are already dying. This wouldn’t do so well as a stand alone spot.
@rodakscreens 4 жыл бұрын
Bless you for using the picture of Donald drinking the rubber cement when talking about the Duck Juice
@ColonialBoi 4 жыл бұрын
RobPlays died in Endgame, and from the ashes rose a Phoenix
@dragon1130 4 жыл бұрын
I'm surprised Disney isn't trying this again in modern day. They could be a big hit, considering that most of there options are fairly healthy compared to others.
@urbanaboy07 4 жыл бұрын
So interesting! My mom was a Disney Store cast member during Mickey’s Kitchen’s tenure at Woodfield. Such great stories & memories of visiting as a wee one during construction & after opening.
@ricksalas9507 2 жыл бұрын
That's pretty cool! What was your favorite meal?
@urbanaboy07 2 жыл бұрын
@@ricksalas9507 I remember loving their PBJ&Banana pancake 🥞 🤤
@twixieshores 4 жыл бұрын
"It was the kind of freedom that relegated ideas like Mickey's Kitchen to obscurity." It was also the kind of freedom that allowed ideas like Mickey's Kitchen to see the light of day to begin with
@robotsinc9573 4 жыл бұрын
True
@folofus4815 4 жыл бұрын
Uhhh can we go back and talk about “Donald Duck Juices” for a second
@cherylhale5755 4 жыл бұрын
I would be thrilled to have a Disney themed restaurant in my area!
@jmsadilek 4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for making this video. It brought back a lot of memories. I worked at the Disney store at woodfield mall. The concept was announced and I helped open the expansion of the store along with Mickey’s Kitchen. I continued to work there through the close of the kitchen concept.
@ojll3917 4 жыл бұрын
i live near palatine arlingtion heights when did the mickeys kitchen go away?
@Igorcastrochucre 4 жыл бұрын
This reminds me of their video gaming ventures: Disney peaked with their licensed Aladdin and Lion King video games, but never went further than that, just half-hearted attempts until they eventually shut that entire division down.
@playboymaxim 4 жыл бұрын
It's like Rob said, they're so big that they have their own standards for success
@austinreed7343 4 жыл бұрын
This doesn’t count Kingdom Hearts, right?
@JamesLawner 4 жыл бұрын
Austin Reed Disney doesn’t make the Kingdom Hearts games, they just license out the characters to Square Enix
@SprightlyValentino 4 жыл бұрын
Didn't the Epic Mickey games go down pretty well? And those were actually produced by Disney Interactive, if I'm not mistaken. Also there was an interactive CD-ROM tie-in for just about every Disney movie on the 90s.
@Kaylaputmanmedia 4 жыл бұрын
I swear i had an xgames disney video game too
@jasonsteele6920 4 жыл бұрын
I feel like a lot of these menu items would be more accepted nowadays, but the 90s? I mean, some of them are still a little weird, though. Loved the video, keep up the good work!
@jmcflorida3596 4 жыл бұрын
I was a Cast member there, took my oldest daughter to the restaurant.
@juliagoodwin3461 4 жыл бұрын
As much as I like greasy fast food... some of these menu actually sound kinda good...
@johnree6106 4 жыл бұрын
Disney was just ahead of it's time. Honestly a Disney Kitchen would probably be a hit now.
@gregnulik1975 4 жыл бұрын
Meanwhile, how many fans would like a chance to enjoy disney parks food closer to home ? Oh well.
@mattk.3645 4 жыл бұрын
The concept needed some refinement, but it was sound. "Chef Mickey's" would have been a better name, and both The Disney Stores and these restaurants would have been best attached to cinemas playing productions from The Walt Disney Studios' Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, and Hollywood Pictures. Ultimately, the connection to malls was, and still is, the problem.
@henhair1018 4 жыл бұрын
A BIG part of my pre-teenage years was going to The Montclair Plaza. My friends and I would be dropped off at the mall by one of our parents to spend a few hours shopping and eating as young girls did back then. I loved going to Mickey's Kitchen with my friends. I always wondered what happened to it! Great video! I had no idea there were only 2 restaurants ever opened Thank you for sharing!
@DanielGonzalezL 4 жыл бұрын
I feel a massive urge to try the Donald Duck Juice
@cannibalisticrequiem 4 жыл бұрын
I used to drink it all the time as a kid! What I'm speaking of is Donald Duck orange juice, as a Mickey's Kitchen never opened up in my mall's Disney store. Donald Duck orange juice is still sold in supermarkets, so I would suggest buying a carton if you're curious! I haven't had it in probably 25 years, but as far as I can recall, it tasted like regular orange juice. I had my mom get it because I was so obsessed with Disneyland growing up in San Diego.
@DanielGonzalezL 4 жыл бұрын
@@cannibalisticrequiem dang, I wish I could try it! Sadly I don't live in the US. I wish I would've known back in 2013 when I visited Orlando, hahaha
@JT5555 4 жыл бұрын
@@DanielGonzalezL I Feel Your Pain. We Non-Americans Get So Left Out With Stuff Like This.>_
@vireo2543 4 жыл бұрын
You can actually buy Donald Duck juice in supermarkets. They have orange juice, strawberry-kiwi and some other flavors. :)
@mrWendybird 4 жыл бұрын
@@vireo2543 I always see them at Dollar Tree XD
@nicole-ls4jb 4 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this! Whenever I'd go to Raging Waters (in San Dimas) with my friends, we'd drive a little farther to have lunch here. Then, suddenly, one day it was gone! This brings back great memories..... 😁
@Yeiyn343 4 жыл бұрын
I like how all 60+ employees were offered new jobs at the Disney stores. Now-a-days, when a store closes you find out that you lost your job when you arrive to work, and their's an "Out of Business" sign on the door with the lights off. So many stores close and don't even give their workers a heads up.
@hermionestranger4964 4 жыл бұрын
Fun fact: Disney released a video game of Mickey's and Minnie's kitchen. It's basically a sandbox cooking sim that lets you customize your kitchen, and it focuses mostly on breakfast foods, pastries and some fast foods. I still have the game at home -- I remember myself as a child making horrible burnt concoctions on purpose just to see Minnie's or Daisy's disappointed reaction. Various Disney characters would drop by as you were cooking to see if you were doing making stuff yet, and if you had like a bunch of pancakes and bacon ready, then you could invite like them over and watch them devour everything that's on the plate. This doesn't have much to do with the video, just felt like sharing an obscure Disney game.
@redcoltken 4 жыл бұрын
Given the amount of salt, fat and carbs we ingest, I can say that Disney - in this venture - decided to stand on the right side of history nutrition wise.
@JT5555 4 жыл бұрын
But Not In The Right Time,Since No One Really WANTED Healthy Food Back Then. If They Tried Again,Today It Would Possibly Do Really Well Since Everyone Is Always Up The Asses Of Fast Food Joints For Not Being Healthy And Blaming Their Fat Kids On It,But Back Then It Was't As Big Of A Issue So No One Was Interested.
@briandonegan8480 4 жыл бұрын
Right side of nutrition but wrong side of taste, expectations, and profitability. Fast food isn't health food. If you want health food you go to a quick service place. I like to eat the food I want. Yes, I realuze I'm probably going to die earlier but considering the news lately and the upcoming Civil War we're headed towards like a out of control freight train so be it.
@redcoltken 4 жыл бұрын
@@briandonegan8480 I dint know if we can physically fight a civil war ...and maybe fast food saved us all!
@MrRjwagner 4 жыл бұрын
Indeed, but I also fear that was why it failed. As others in the comment section have pointed out beforehand, the '90s were a particularly bad time for healthy-eating/the Fast Food Industry. You had places like McDonald's, KFC, and Long Johns that lived off of making supremely unhealthy food items. Items that were baked, fried, and covered from head to toe with transfats, grease, salt, carbs, and whatever else I can think of, and people loved the taste of the food they were serving (partly because back then, people as a whole really weren't aware of what it was they were actually putting into those burgers and fries.) But you had all of that, and doing it successfully, and then Disney comes in with a menu that is so polarizing in terms of sheer difference, that I fear that it drove a lot more people away. Not to mention the simple fact of the matter is, you were most likely paying extra for the middle-of-the-ground kind of food. (You were also paying for the "Disney experience.") So, to some families, it was like "why am I paying four dollars for a turkey burger... when I can just pay a dollar fifty for a quarter pounder at McDonald's?" I'm not bashing Disney for this decision, I very much can applaud them for thinking more about the health of its customers then other businesses of the time did, but the simple fact of the matter is... there were cheaper and more appealing options available at nausea. But now in 2020? I feel like this concept could actually work and be successful at it, especially since most restaurants, even McDonalds, have shifted towards offering healthier alternatives. Though, I'm still really sad to see that despite all the improvements that have been made with the Fast Food Industry since the '90s, I'm sad that salads somehow cost MORE than a fully-decked hamburger.
@dolfan29 4 жыл бұрын
Disney could knock it out of the park if they came up with a restaurant with full attached retail store in the same floor layout as Cracker Barrel. The food would need to be really good though to bring in the crowds.
@RemixedVoice 4 жыл бұрын
As many have pointed out, it's just incredibly remarkable how forward-thinking this business was.
@CompletelyAverageGaming 4 жыл бұрын
Found myself "youtubing" "RobPlays" the other day😅 it's going to take some getting used to, but im liking the re-branding😁😁
@trentwerner366 4 жыл бұрын
I dont like change. But I am getting used to it as well. Hoping for the best in the future!
@playboymaxim 4 жыл бұрын
When the video showed up in my suggestions, my first thought was "wow, Rob has people imitating him already" lmao!
@edvaira6891 4 жыл бұрын
You’ve made your ENTIRE CAREER out of detailing all of the odd ideas that Disney tried!
@Tinkerbe11 4 жыл бұрын
The first video under the new brand - congratulations! It's a pity, Mickey's Kitchen was abandoned. I would have loved to eat there!
@kurenan4564 4 жыл бұрын
This place was unforgettable as a kid. Very fond memories going there. It was soaked in atmosphere, making it similar to feeling like you were in Disneyland
@scottpeterson7500 4 жыл бұрын
If they had done this now, they would be serving something like the Impossible Burger, or their own version of it, like a growing number of fast food places are doing. Mickey’s Kitchen would be a huge hit now. 😎🍔🥤
@ksm13706 4 жыл бұрын
This is cute,It definitely could work now. They could even keep the 90s theme to it
@tylerkochman1007 4 жыл бұрын
I think there could have been a market for a sit down restaurant with walk-around Disney characters. "Dine with the characters" is super popular with families at the theme parks.
@animevampierangel131 4 жыл бұрын
I mean i am impressed they had a veggie burger on the menu.
@AverytheCubanAmerican 4 жыл бұрын
I was confused when I saw the name until I realized you changed your name. I like it. Fast food? Reminds me of the time there was a McDonald's at Downtown Disney and DCA. And now they built a new solar powered McDonald's by the All Stars
@walterhaider869 3 жыл бұрын
Mickey's kitchen was really shutdown from a mouse infestation.
@AlexBrinkleyMusic 4 жыл бұрын
Just when I thought I knew everything about Disney. Haha. This is great. Thanks Rob.
@tessaminick8745 4 жыл бұрын
The Montclair Plaza still looks the way it does in the 90s! I've even seen a little area of it that still looks like the counter for Mickey's Kitchen. Thank you so much for covering something Disney Store related. Its history is so overlooked.
@SprightlyValentino 4 жыл бұрын
My dad took my sister and me to Mickey's Kitchen at the Montclair Plaza. All I really remember about it was that there was a bar seating area overlooking the Disney Store, and the French fries were shaped like Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. I always wondered why it closed. My dad theorized that the occupants of the food court directly above were unhappy that Mickey's Kitchen was separate and removed from any food competition within immediate sight. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, if anyone remembers, wasn't there another entrance making it accessible from outside the mall, which was later walled off? You gotta figure, Disney must have paid a buttload extra for those privileges, so maybe that's why they barely broke even. I'm also impressed that they went for having a healthier menu years before the PR of fast food places was damaged by the Super Size Me documentary. Seems Disney was ahead of its time in that regard.
@dsegaming4369 4 жыл бұрын
ngl i miss the old intro music 😪
@mariannec2516 4 жыл бұрын
I remember you mentioning this on a previous vid ...5 failed and abandoned Eisner era ideas. Great job on expanding on it and making it a whole vid! Like the new logo & rebranding too!
@Audrey-wb2zh Ай бұрын
Mickey's Kitchen was described as "Entertainment Fast Food". We had beautiful sound stages to dine in and our Cast Members made you feel like you were in the Parks. Thank you for sharing this video, I just wish you had more photo's of the Montclair restaurant. Guess I'll dig out my old photo album now.
@nosetdirection 4 жыл бұрын
Your content is amazing ! I learn so much about Disney history that I never knew.
@DuchessRococoPuff 4 жыл бұрын
Great video! Love seeing the footage of the “vintage” style Disney stores- takes me back!
@watered3235 4 жыл бұрын
Couldn't stop my self from saying eww out loud after I heard *Donald Duck Juices*
@sebastianbernabe3800 4 жыл бұрын
Lovin the new midway to main street intro. This is a great change. Rip rob plays, ARISE MIDWAY TO MAIN STREET
@thecrazydisneyparksfanatic921 3 жыл бұрын
If they had a multinational fast food chain nowadays, like an actual Disney owned Disney operated Disney themed fast food chain I’d eat there every day
@angelas9467 4 жыл бұрын
literally one of the most interesting videos I've heard in a very long time . so glad I found you
@argyleandplaidful 4 жыл бұрын
I saw tweets with some pics of this place and was so interested! Thanks for the video, Rob.
@flakeyjake3339 4 жыл бұрын
This was great! I had no idea Disney ever ventured into fastfood outside the parks. Wish they had done one in Seattle!
@artanisknarf 4 жыл бұрын
I begged my parents to take me to the Woodfield Mall location. We were there before lunchtime, so I just got a drink and sat and watched “A Walt Disney Christmas” by the large screen in the restaurant that had little risers for kids.
@TheJadariusExperience 4 жыл бұрын
This restaurant was too ahead of its time had it opened today it would be a hit.
@juliannewood4204 3 жыл бұрын
I grew up near the Montclair Mall and still do. I LOVED Mickey’s Kitchen! I don’t remember it having all those food options. The things that stand out were a good hamburger, Mickey silhouette chicken nuggets, and Donald Duck shaped French fries sprinkled with season salt that were most like those happy face fries of today. It was a treat to go there and it definitely was a planned outing. I would say it was thought of more like a quick service restaurant than fast food because you didn’t get it on a whim and it wasn’t on every corner like McDonalds. They could have had a solid business had they kept it up and even if they made it separate from the Disney Store. I am obsessed with Disney and I would go any chance I got today!
@EverydayMusician 4 жыл бұрын
Rob, thank you for all that you do. You help keep the Disney magic spreading.
@margaretwest9533 4 жыл бұрын
Another fascinating, well-researched, excellently presented video! Great work, Rob!
@skittyrocks 4 жыл бұрын
Missed the news about the rebrand but I'm loving it! Keep up the great work Rob!
@cb5538 4 жыл бұрын
Great stuff Rob!
@GALAxy_Witch11 4 жыл бұрын
This was made so well, I applaud you
@KetchupRocket 4 жыл бұрын
Listen I’d eat most of those, but I don’t ever want to hear “Donald Duck Juices” ever again.
@gilbertmelendez1935 4 жыл бұрын
This brought back so much memories my late grandmother lived across the street from the Montclair mall and would take me there from time to time. The concept was ahead of it's time for sure had fond memories of the restaurant for sure. Made me tear up a bit thinking about it.
@jamesdf007 2 жыл бұрын
I used to live close to the Montclair Plaza and I saw that first Mickey's kitchen there and I thought it looked good for the time
@austinthrowsstuff 4 жыл бұрын
Disney does have good food! And unique food! Monte cristo, mac n cheese cone, smoked turkey legs, churros, chunky brownies! I love Disney food, Epcot had a crazy amount of AMAZING FOOD
@meavantEVO88 4 жыл бұрын
One big thing that I can see hampering sales is the lack of accessibility. Almost every fast food restaurant has a drive through. No parent on the way home from a busy day at work or from running the kids around is going to want to stop and go in the mall to get food (especially if that means taking the kids with them. And even though this was at the beginning of the food court era, Mickey’s Kitchen was not only not in a food court, but one more layer in “inside” another store.
@harrisd1983 4 жыл бұрын
I don't think that a drive thru would work. I think the only way a Disney restaurant would work is with "a total experience". The atmosphere and small play area.
@MostlyPonies1 3 жыл бұрын
They should make a restaurant that serves food from different countries. If they kept the number of restaurants low they could use the same food you'd find at Epcot.
@codyperez6481 4 жыл бұрын
Love your vids!!!
@mdamdtraveldoc7183 4 жыл бұрын
Fantastic. So well done. Thank you!
@Schmalfie Жыл бұрын
Mickeys kitchen needs to make a comeback
@princesskristan 4 жыл бұрын
I wish this stuck around. I was born in 1990 and when it closed, I wouldn't of been able to go. It was really ahead of its time and I think it could work today. Same with Club Disney but with a few tweaks
@MiloMurphysLaw 4 жыл бұрын
They should bring back Mickey’s Kitchen. I honestly think that Disney *should* take over every single industry in existence. Movies, tv shows, video games, books, music, fast food, etc.
@scotttownsend7788 4 жыл бұрын
I remember Mickey's Kitchen vividly in the Woodfield location. I live in the Chicago suburbs and would go to Woodfield often. The restaurant looked really cool and was attached to existing, larger, Disney Store. The concept was good, but the execution of the concept, not so good. The food quickly got a reputation being blah, and as everything Disney, was overpriced. It's OK to have things priced higher if they are worth it. People would come in a look at Mickey's Kitchen and then go down stairs and around the corner to the McDonalds at Woodfield. Great video Rob. So many people have no idea this existed. I was at the Disney Store at Woodfield, in a new smaller location, and was talking the cast members. None of them knew about Mickeys Kitchen or even that the Disney Store used to be in a different location in the mall. I guess I was showing my age. HAHA
@mightyfilm 4 жыл бұрын
The lesson here is you can't theme a fast food franchise off of a cartoon character, unless he's a certain pipe, spinach swallowing smoking sailor man.... ...that just so happens to have the same name as the main character from a Gene Hackman movie that the chain is ACTUALLY named and themed after. Seriously, though. Could you imagine the Kid's meal prizes they could have had if these Disney places took off?
@amberts180 4 жыл бұрын
Enjoyed this informative lesson. Thanks!
@ElectricBananaa 4 жыл бұрын
Sometimes with these videos I’m vaguely familiar with the concepts, but I had never heard of this one! Great work! You’re gonna have to write a book on all your Disney knowledge one day!!
@nobo1682 2 жыл бұрын
they should've just called it "mickey's" with the mouse ear silhouette like the golden arches for McDonald's and went with a chrome 1950s retro theme diner
@MemeinAndDreamin 4 жыл бұрын
Well Rob, I finally won. You've finally conceded to me. After years of you being my arch enemy, years of you going by the name "Rob Plays" without playing a SINGLE game, years of you taunting me with the fallacy that was your old name...I have finally defeated you. Let it be known here and now, ladies and gentlemen, that "Rob Plays" is no more. I have finally won.
@krissp8712 4 жыл бұрын
Damn dude you have a serious hate boner for Rob to keep this all up for several months...
@bluetarantulaproductions6179 4 жыл бұрын
I work in retail and I had a conversation with one of my cousins friends who used to work for Disney and he told me how strict the Walt Disney Corporation is in terms of customer service and it sounds to me like a living nightmare, especially if you had to work at a restaurant with Disney's crazy rules that came from their theme park's
@NIBricks 4 жыл бұрын
I like the title change Rob, great content as always from you
@playboymaxim 4 жыл бұрын
@10:40...exactly why Disney can shut down many seemingly popular projects at their whim (Pleasure Island, etc). They set their own standards and will shut down anything that doesn't live up to them. Another informative vid!
@NxTTxT 4 жыл бұрын
tbh they should reexplore this venture again cause if they opened it now it would be a really big hit, especially if they chose themed dining areas based on films from the 90s and 2010s
@josemanolocostezuela3049 4 жыл бұрын
Location probably played a factor. People get fast food because it’s easy to pick up without a trip to the mall. They may have been more successful if they did something like Chuck E Cheese with games, character show and birthday parties. A mini Disney experience without a trip to the amusement park.
@keybyss98 4 жыл бұрын
I’d imagine the Piglet Corkscrew Fries are just curly fries, but I honestly hate the name. It almost sounds like they cut off Piglet’s tail and just deep fried it.
@MabelPinesXD 4 жыл бұрын
I honestly believe they could totally bring that back today??? Maybe some updating to the menu to make it a little bigger but the atmosphere sounds so fun and I think they’d be more successful today bc we’re all way more health conscious now
@ryancarpenter4880 3 жыл бұрын
Donald Duck Juice , which is orange juice , is still sold today. I see the smaller bottles of it in DollarTree refrigeratorated sections all the time. It appears to be sold in multiple chain stores & Amazon. Made in Florida! Of course.
@hebablo 4 жыл бұрын
Keep up your great work Rob
@keybyss98 4 жыл бұрын
It’s honestly pretty cool that Disney offered jobs to the people who previously worked at Mickey’s Kitchen, rather than just carelessly ditching them out when the restaurants were closed. Too bad a lot of businesses don’t even dare to do such a thing.
@MrTheGuitarNerd 4 жыл бұрын
Ayo hol up I ain't eating nothing called a "handwich"
@juliepoirier1320 4 жыл бұрын
Sounds like Mickey's Kitchen was ahead of its time. Healthier options are much more popular nowadays, and yet still hard to find for a decent price. I totally would have eaten here, if not for the Disney theming alone.
@danieliztorrellas7353 4 жыл бұрын
I really liked ur video💕 and I wolud love if u do a video talking abuot the VHS tapes from “Mickey’s Fun Song” sponsoring the different Disney parks or the discuss the “Disney’s Sing Along Song” tapes
@kennamaedel8717 4 жыл бұрын
I grew up right next to Montclair mall! Got to go to mickeys kitchen a few times before it closed when I was a little kid
@PhtmRaven 3 жыл бұрын
So here's the funny thing, I grew up about twenty minutes from Woodfield Mall and NEVER knew they had a Mickey's Kitchen there. Also, Schaumburg is NOT a suburb of Chicago. Schaumburg takes almost an hour, in traffic, to get to Chicago.
@NathanSpies 4 жыл бұрын
You just earned a subscriber!
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