PizzeRizzo Closing or Receiving Menu Changes?

[DisneyOutsider]

I loved the decor/theme of the restaurant

I was sorely disappointed with the themeing when this place first opened. They could have done SO much better for a Muppets restaurant. Much of the space still looks industrial and un-touched from the similarly half-baked Pizza Planet. I do think they did a better job with PizzeRizzo than Pizza Planet, but not by much.

 

[Bairstow]

The Stage 1 Company Store recently reopened, after being reimagined, and it could not be anymore generic. The flooring and cabinets remind me of an early 2000s Gap Kids and babygap store. There is absolutely no theme, just a merchandise space with standard fixtures.

If the signage was removed, then PizzeRizzo, too, would be generic; it is a quintessential Italian counter service restaurant with nods to a neighborhood pizzeria.

If the banners were removed from the exterior, then MuppetVision 3D would simply be the Grand Arts Theatre.

Muppet Courtyard became Grand Avenue.

I am no insider and have no knowledge of the future of PizzeRizzo and this courtyard, but this area could easily transform into another land in a short period of time because it largely exists in signage alone. There is no indication, in any guest space within this area, to suggest that the Muppets are permanent residents of Grand Avenue.

This is purely armchair Imagineering, but Grand Avenue is city enough to become Metroville.

Isn't there still the big Miss Piggy statue and fountain?

 

[meyeet]

Backlot Express, Commissary, The stands along Sunset, Woody's. Studios has a lot of decent qsr's. None of them are stand outs or anything special. But they're all good enough. PizzaRizzo is the only one that was ever bad.

We try to avoid QS at HS. My wife and I both had bad meals at Commissary and at Backlot Express. The only place we've had resonable food was Rizzo's and that market on Sunset. We miss Studio Catering Company as that was our go to.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Isn't there still the big Miss Piggy statue and fountain?

Yes the Muppet Fountain is still there however the majority of statues of Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo & Rizzo were removed...

 

[ChrisFL]

DHS is in a weird situation with the whole Grand avenue idea...it's parked now between two Star Wars themed areas and is just strange in that regard.

I would try to envision new pathways to go from Star Tours to Galaxy's Edge somehow that go behind Grand Avenue.

If it wasn't for Mama Melrose's.....

 

[SSH]

I still don’t get why a Blaze / Mod Pizza model can’t work in the parks.

Or even a slicery. NYC perfected the quick service pizza joint millennia ago - seems like it should be easy to replicate in this space rather than the frozen pies.

Point to the slice you want, throw that slice in the oven to warm it up, pull it out and slap it on two paper plates, done.

Sort of like the pizza place in Universal Studios - New York area - those slices are pretty good.

 

[ChrisFL]

Also 2 Rat restaurant themed experiences in WDW may be too many (PizzeRizzo and Ratatouille ride)

 

[DisneyGigi]

Yes the Muppet Fountain is still there however the majority of statues of Fozzie, Animal, Gonzo & Rizzo were removed...

I was so excited to see water back in the fountain I did not even notice other statues weren’t there.

 

[MrHappy]

DHS is in a weird situation with the whole Grand avenue idea...it's parked now between two Star Wars themed areas and is just strange in that regard.

I would try to envision new pathways to go from Star Tours to Galaxy's Edge somehow that go behind Grand Avenue.

If it wasn't for Mama Melrose's.....

Clearly with Grand Ave/Muppets nestled between Star Wars GE and Indy Stunt Show. The area is destined to be rethemed as a Harrison Ford tribute area.

 

[TJJohn12]

DHS is in a weird situation with the whole Grand avenue idea...it's parked now between two Star Wars themed areas and is just strange in that regard.
I would try to envision new pathways to go from Star Tours to Galaxy's Edge somehow that go behind Grand Avenue.

Those paths would dump right *through* the Alcatraz queue, though. The land is hemmed pretty tightly so another entrance on this end just isn't all that possible. And it'd be a crowd control nightmare for the first year (or five) having two different entrances to this space that will inherently need to be metered.

In a three or four years it shouldn't be sandwiched anymore - with ST getting its retheme. We can only pray that retheme makes some semblance of sense with the streets of hipster LA.

 

[Kman101]

Backlot Express, Commissary, The stands along Sunset, Woody's. Studios has a lot of decent qsr's. None of them are stand outs or anything special. But they're all good enough. PizzaRizzo is the only one that was ever bad.

The "variety" has improved, I agree (and I'd say you summed it up well, decent QSRs, none of them are stand outs but they're not awful). I think sometimes quality is subjective. PizzeRizzo before and after was never that great. I like the decor more now upstairs but that's about it. I don't really mind the pizza because if that's what I'm getting, I know what I'm getting. But I'd prefer better, lol.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

I was so excited to see water back in the fountain I did not even notice other statues weren’t there.

Here's before...

And here's after..Apparently the Rizzo statue is there still didn't notice it until now..

 

[Rodan75]

Here's before...

And here's after..Apparently the Rizzo statue is there still didn't notice it until now..

Wow...I hadn't noticed that. But it makes sense to get rid of the movie studio part of the theming...

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Clearly with Grand Ave/Muppets nestled between Star Wars GE and Indy Stunt Show. The area is destined to be rethemed as a Harrison Ford tribute area.

Does he get a big paycheck for hijack a movies with a 2 hour death scene this time?

 

[jt04]

Clearly with Grand Ave/Muppets nestled between Star Wars GE and Indy Stunt Show. The area is destined to be rethemed as a Harrison Ford tribute area.

Or Yoda.

 

[PizzaPlanet]

The Stage 1 Company Store recently reopened, after being reimagined, and it could not be anymore generic. The flooring and cabinets remind me of an early 2000s Gap Kids and babygap store. There is absolutely no theme, just a merchandise space with standard fixtures.

Do we have pictures?

 

[righttrack]

Good pizza?

Ha! You can't get good pizza south of North Jersey or north of Hartford!

 

[Lora Baines Bradley]

Even though I know it turns my internal organs into cement, I actually like the pizza here.

 

[Tavernacle12]

I have a hard time believing they'd close it down, it feels like they just opened it. The location would also likely do ridiculous business once Star Wars opens and people are queuing outside.

 

[Castle Cake Apologist]

Here's before...

And here's after..Apparently the Rizzo statue is there still didn't notice it until now..

They removed the figures that tied to the studio theme, since it's no longer supposed to be a studio area. I wouldn't read too much into it beyond that.