Walt Disney World is in the middle of a phased reopening which means that, not only, are most major parts of the resort only open to a fraction of their normal capacity, but many locations within Disney World are still closed entirely. This includes many of the resort hotels which means not only are hotel rooms unavailable, but many of the best restaurants in Disney World are also unavailable. If food is one of your favorite things at Disney World, and of course it is, then there's some good news on the food front as several of the restaurants inside the theme parks that have been closed until now are getting ready to reopen.
Walt Disney World has announced that four dining locations that have been closed since the park reopened will be back in business in the next few weeks. This includes two of the nicer table service restaurants as well as two popular quick-service locations. The first to open will be Gaston's Tavern at Magic Kingdom, which is open for business as of today, September 4. Cinderella's Royal Table, the restaurant located inside Cinderella's Castle at Magic Kingdom, will be open starting September 24, and Hollywood and Vine, the table service restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios, will follow the next day, September 25. Finally, the ABC Commissary will be back at Disney's Hollywood Studios beginning October 4.
Not everything will be back to normal of course. Cinderella's Royal Table is a character dining location that traditionally includes visits from Disney Princesses, but, due to social distancing, that won't be happening when the location reopens. The menu is still pretty amazing though, so making do with just the food should be fine.
While it's been great for fans to have Walt Disney World back open at all, it's not like there hasn't been a lot missing. While it's completely understandable why parades and fireworks have to be put on hold, it hasn't made that any less frustrating if these are things that you love about the parks.
The same thing goes for the food. If you're a fan of the warm cinnamon roll from Gaston's Tavern. then no visit to Magic Kingdom is going to feel complete without it. If you're the sort that likes to take some time out of your day to have a nice meal at a table service restaurant, then options have been severely limited without Hollywood and Vine and Cinderella's Royal Table available. Also, since alcohol is only available at table service restaurants at Magic Kingdom, that means there's been fewer options up to now.
So in the coming weeks, Walt Disney World is going to feel a bit more like Walt Disney World. The reopenings are also good news because it means the cast members who work in those locations will be able to get back to work after a furlough period that will be hitting the six-month mark later in September.
Reservations for Cinderella's Royal Table and Hollywood and Vine will be open beginning September 11.
