Could Disney expand to chain service restaurants??

sittle

Member
Original Poster
Hey all,

I had a thought this morning as I was flipping through some Disney pictures...

Could/Would Disney ever take one of their restaurant (theme, menu, ambiance etc.) and create a whole chain of restaurants across the world?

Think about Ohana, California Grill, Flying Fish Cafe, Boma, heck, even Cosmic Rays' Starlight Cafe?? Would/Could Disney put one in every major city in the world (off property)?

....I started thinking about this as I was looking at some interior restaurant pictures and I started to think about how much time and effort goes into the planning of these fine restaurants. I got thinking each one is so unique and developed, what is stopping Disney from putting an Ohana chain of restaurants across the globe....

... Your thoughts?
 

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
Hey all,

I had a thought this morning as I was flipping through some Disney pictures...

Could/Would Disney ever take one of their restaurant (theme, menu, ambiance etc.) and create a whole chain of restaurants across the world?

Think about Ohana, California Grill, Flying Fish Cafe, Boma, heck, even Cosmic Rays' Starlight Cafe?? Would/Could Disney put one in every major city in the world (off property)?

....I started thinking about this as I was looking at some interior restaurant pictures and I started to think about how much time and effort goes into the planning of these fine restaurants. I got thinking each one is so unique and developed, what is stopping Disney from putting an Ohana chain of restaurants across the globe....

... Your thoughts?

:wave:
While I think that is generally a good idea, IMO I'd hate it if they did that!
I love the uniqueness of WDWs restaurants.
I love going there and eating at restaurants that are not world-known chain and popular and that I'm not able to eat at whenever I want to.
 

sittle

Member
Original Poster
:wave:
While I think that is generally a good idea, IMO I'd hate it if they did that!
I love the uniqueness of WDWs restaurants.
I love going there and eating at restaurants that are not world-known chain and popular and that I'm not able to eat at whenever I want to.


I agree with your point, I think it would dilute the uniqueness of attending the fine restaurants at Disney World...

... Does anyone know if Disney has ever even toyed with the idea?
 

goodtimes5286

New Member
:wave:
While I think that is generally a good idea, IMO I'd hate it if they did that!
I love the uniqueness of WDWs restaurants.
I love going there and eating at restaurants that are not world-known chain and popular and that I'm not able to eat at whenever I want to.
I agree with your point, I think it would dilute the uniqueness of attending the fine restaurants at Disney World...

... Does anyone know if Disney has ever even toyed with the idea?
at 1st i thought OMG COSMIC RAYS!!!! but your right. it would take away the magic of a part of disney and cheepen the brand. let's keep disney where it belongs. 1ce i start seeing mickey premium bars in the grocery store that's when disneys getting TOO close to home
 

Scooter

Well-Known Member
Leave Disney Restaurants in Disney.

Example: I'm sure I would have been way more amazed when I walked into Rainforest Cafe if it weren't for the fact that we have one at Woodfield Mall, which is near my home.

Cosmic Ray's is fun because it's so unique and it's at WDW. I certainly don't eat there because of the world renowned cuisine.:slurp::lol:

If we had a Cosmic Ray's near my home, I doubt I would go there more than once.
 

SirNim

Well-Known Member
ESPN Zone is about the closest thing...

Of course, there's always Disney's Soda Fountain at the El Capitan in Hollywood. That may qualify.
 

DisneyChik17

Well-Known Member
If they recreated an in-park restaurant, I don't think that would be very smart. If they created a brand new, unique entity from the in-park eateries, then I would certainly give it a try.
 

sittle

Member
Original Poster
Disney did this next to a Disney Store in a mall in the 90's it was a trial that didnt work out. Some pictures somewhere online of the place.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n10_v24/ai_8782013/


Wow... that's from the waaaay-back-machine eh?? Good find!! This is information I did not know!

Scooter and Goodtimes:

I totally see your points.... and I think I might feel the same way, BUT : I know the first time I went to the Rainforest Cafe it was in Downtown Disney... since then, I've visited the Rainforest Cafe in York (Toronto), Niagara Falls, and in Michigan... I've always considered stepping into a remote Rainforest Cafe location as a 'warp zone' to Downtown Disney... The smells are the same the ambiance is the same, I feel that I'm just a little closer to the Disney Magic....

... I think I might find the same thing if I were to be able to go to a California Grill in Toronto, or a Flying Fish Cafe in New York.... Does anyone else identify with that?
 

castevens

Member
:wave:
While I think that is generally a good idea, IMO I'd hate it if they did that!
I love the uniqueness of WDWs restaurants.
I love going there and eating at restaurants that are not world-known chain and popular and that I'm not able to eat at whenever I want to.
Interesting. When I clicked on this topic, I expected it to be about Disney allowing existing chains to enter the parks, which I thought was pretty ridiculous because of their great restaurants. But then when I realized what the OP was getting at, my initial reaction was that it was a great idea, so that people can get that little feeling of Disney closer to home without a plane trip. But then I read your reply and I do agree that it takes away from the uniqueness of Disney.

Case in point: I always went to the Rainforest Cafe when we went to DTD or other places on vacation. Then I went to a RFC in Massachusetts, and while I wanted it to make me think that I was on vacation and having fun, I never got past the fact that I was in a mall . . .
 

sittle

Member
Original Poster
....Case in point: I always went to the Rainforest Cafe when we went to DTD or other places on vacation. Then I went to a RFC in Massachusetts, and while I wanted it to make me think that I was on vacation and having fun, I never got past the fact that I was in a mall . . .

Exactly!!


.... I think the 'awesomeness' is in the eye of the beholder.... Visiting the restaurant, could give you a piece of the magic near your home town, it could also take away from it, it just depends how you look at it...

I would love an Ohana's near here, but the view just isn't the same.. i'll have to depend upon my trusty bbq and the recipes found on the wdwmagic recipe thread!
 

disneytopdog

Active Member
I like this idea only because when me and my Disney friends go out and eat some one always says "wouldnt it be great if we could eat at Ohana's tonight"...We then just sigh and dream.

I hate this idea and I have 2 examples why. "The Hard Rock Cafe" and "Jimmy Buffetts Magaritaville" When the first opened years ago they were in really cool places, Hard Rock's were in New York, London, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney. Then they just started to appear everywhere.

Jimmys places were the same way, all in cool tropical locations, now there is one in Glendale AZ? Trust me I love the Phoenix area(I have family there) and I love going to "Cooperstown" (Alice Coopers resturant) and its cool that there are only two, Phoenix & Clevelend. Phoenix(he lives there) Cleveland(the rock and roll thing)
 

slappy magoo

Well-Known Member
If they recreated an in-park restaurant, I don't think that would be very smart. If they created a brand new, unique entity from the in-park eateries, then I would certainly give it a try.

Only potential problem with that would be one of quality control. One thing about the WDW restaurants is that, all being on-property, they are, in theory easy to keep to a high standard (I know some will disagree that high standard is there at all). Were a Disney restaurant to become a chain, be it like a TGI Fridays or (heaven help us) a Chuck E Cheese where any high school student can don the costume and potentially cheapen the brand so people don't want to go to a Disney park...seems like more trouble than its' worth.

What would interest me (and probably only me and a couple of my friends) is an adult-looking future-retro lounge. Something that looks like what people in the 60s thought a lounge in the 21st century would look like, with flat screens at each table that acted as a sort of ipod jukebox. You could opt for Disney soundtrack music, or animated or live action shorts. And then a room with a large projector for full-length movies. Even though it would be designed like a lounge, it would still be all-ages; it's just that the layout wouldn't feel like a place where you just let your kids run wild. No characters...

Either that, or they should franchise the Adventurers' Club :D
 

DisneyPrincess5

Well-Known Member
I agree with your point, I think it would dilute the uniqueness of attending the fine restaurants at Disney World...

Thanks.

IMO, it would almost be like opening a chain of Grand Floridians or Port Orleans around the country/world.
It would take away from the uniqueness and beauty of what was at WDW first.
 

Dragonrider1227

Well-Known Member
Aww, pitty that never happened. Though I'm with the guy who said it'd end up getting cheap. I mean, it'd probably start off really awesome, but gratutally cheapen itself. Especially when you consider that with places such as Mcdonalds, every individual resturant has different managers and policies. If Disney had a restuarant chain like that, it would be each restraunt would have their own ideas on how they should work. Some probably being better than others
 

goodtimes5286

New Member
i would like to see a scifi dine in
i would like a sci fi that played sci fi movies (or tv shows w/e)

n as for the rainforest stuff, the 1st time i went to one was in disney, but when i go to them i just dont feel the disneyness, its something different (n it's my fav resturant chain). ive been to ones in cali, lv, south fl, ct n they all feel the same as the orlando 1z imo.

plus last year they took out like 1/2 the turkey in my rumble in the jungle turkey wrap...so im kinda ed at them!
 

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