25. Magic Kingdom Dining: Best Quick Service

[00:00:00] Coming up, it's another award show. We are awarding the Quick Service Restaurants in Magic Kingdom. Seven awards for 10 restaurants. And I'll tell you what, we are rarely awarding food in Magic Kingdom. So I'm excited to talk about the way that Magic Kingdom does food well to clue you in on where you're going to want to eat for all of the different reasons you may want to eat there. We fought a little bit, but not too much. And I was really nervous how this was going to go. I think we got it right. But you let us know on the other side.

[00:00:27] Obviously, we've never done the turkey leg, guys. I mean, sorry to our listeners. We don't have all the answers about the turkey leg. It's just not. It's not for us. Like, it's just not. No. Hey there, everyone. Welcome to another episode of the Moms Behind the Magic. I'm your host, Allie. I'm here today with Stacey, with Becky, and it's an award show. I'm so excited to do this with you ladies. How are you today?

[00:00:57] Hey, we're talking Disney food. Like, what's better? I know. And we're doing this a little later than usual. And I have not eaten for the day yet. And I had to go get a couple of string cheeses out of the fridge and munch them because I was like, I can't just go in completely empty. I was about to say, did you eat a cheese stick? That was exactly what I was going to ask. Yeah, that's funny. Yes, I did. That's exactly what I did. Two, in fact. I ate one that was a sharp cheddar and one that was a string cheese. That'll do it. That'll do it.

[00:01:26] Now you know. This feels a little bit like punishment. Like, am I walking into Costco to talk about food without having eaten before going to Costco? I'm going to spend way more money than I anticipate spending. That's me every time we talk about food. I feel like I leave the episode starving every single time. I also, recording late, you would think it would be so much better for a lot of prisons.

[00:01:49] But I feel way more. This is like in my afternoon lull. So I was a single mom over the weekend. But I have to preface it by saying only to two of my three kiddos. So it's Monday right now as we record. My wife had one of our kids out of town. So I was single mom to only two kids, which you would think that if you only remove one and you have three, it's not that different. But it really is. Like only having two was really different than having all three.

[00:02:14] So it wasn't that bad. But I just, I feel really tired today. And it's 1230. And I'm like at this moment of I should be better in my day right now. But I bet a lot of people can relate to that midday. Yeah. Like, yeah, yeah. And I have I'm coming off of having my grandbabies with me for an extended time overnight. Because my daughter and son in law, they went to Colorado for her 30th birthday trip, and had a great time.

[00:02:41] So I got to pre-experience the having babies in the house thing. And so yeah, it's starting a new week is like, whoo, I need to get reset. Get my like, this is Monday. I know. I woke my daughter up this morning, my oldest, she gets up first, obviously. And I woke her up. And the first thing she said was, is it Friday? Oh, that's a disappointing answer.

[00:03:04] And I think, I think, I think that just set us both up for this day. As soon as she said that, and I had to also be like, no, dude, it's the farthest thing. It's the exact opposite. It's Monday morning. Oh, that's sad. And I'm sorry. Oh, that's a sad thing. But we are heading in where actually by the time y'all are listening to this, I think we're on summer break.

[00:03:27] I think it's official and we're on summer break by the time this drops. As we're recording, there are four or five, seven more school mornings. Okay. That's it. So we can make it. We're running. Almost there. Yeah. You're almost there. Yeah. When this comes out, I'll be doing my first day of vacation Bible school and ending that week with a trip down to Disney World.

[00:03:49] So I am counting. I have a lot between now and then to get to do between a vacation. So just, it's a busy time guys. It's just a busy time. And then Becky, I know you've got a ton of stuff with your end of school year because. Ridiculous amounts. And the day this comes out will be one day. I will be in mourning of McKenna graduating high school the day before this comes out.

[00:04:16] And I'm in this weird phase. Like it feels appropriate that she is the right age to be graduating high school. Like she's had a really awesome amount of life experiences leading up to this. And right now, I think I just am not allowing myself the space to process where we are because right now I feel fine. Like, yeah, it feels right. She's graduating.

[00:04:37] However, if I give myself even like two minutes to like sit with the information that she's leaving for UCF very soon. Like I can feel the tears like sitting behind, behind like this wall. But right now I'm fine. Yeah, good. I'm fine. I'll just keep telling myself I'm fine. Yeah. I'm in a weird limbo that I know a lot of people can relate to because I'm ready to turn off my alarm. That feeling when I send so we do breakfast at the bus stop, I think talked about this before.

[00:05:07] We do breakfast at the bus stop the first day of school and the last day of school. And there are mimosas and pancakes and donuts and bacon. And it is so much fun. I live in a really old I call it a neighborhood. I have friends that laugh at me and say it's very much not a neighborhood. It's like a historical area of our town. But there is a lot of through traffic. And so people will just stop and be like, this looks so fun. What is happening? Well, you know, how do I get involved in breakfast at the bus stop? Because it's a great time. And so I look forward to that and I turn off my alarm.

[00:05:37] And I really, really am excited for no more school wake ups. But I already said this once. We're saying goodbye to our elementary school. It's like another year of school that will just be part of my kid's story. And it's another notch in them growing. You know, my oldest will never be in fifth grade again. So it does come with like, oh, wow, we're ending this chapter every school year. You know, it's kind of it's really bittersweet. Yeah. I'm in a weird space. And Stacey, I think you're kind of crossing this bridge too, because Laker has two years left in high school.

[00:06:05] And then we're empty nesting. And then it becomes, do we stay here? Like, is this home for our kids? Like, if they're coming, quote, home, do they need to come back to where they kind of found themselves and were raised? Or do Sean and I move to a new location that's not based on what school we want our kids to go to? And I don't know that answer. We are likely going to go back to Utah for at least a visit this summer. I have a nephew getting married.

[00:06:32] And if we make it back to Utah, I know the kids are really, really excited to like go to our old stomping grounds, things that they remember about when we lived in Utah. But the reality is what you remember about your childhood is much more about like your end of elementary into middle school and high school days. And so our kids have grown up in Florida. That's wild to me that that's the case. But if we take them back to Utah, what will they remember? Is that going to feel like home to me? I don't know. Like what defines home?

[00:06:59] And do you have to stay there to like let your kids come home, air quote, come home? Is it people? Is it a place? How is that weighing on for you? Yeah, and it's so strange because I grew up living in one house that I grew up in. And my parents moved immediately after I got married. And I was like, what are you doing? You just, I didn't have time to say goodbye, you know, kind of a thing to my house. And it was really a strange little thing. But I wish I had answers for you.

[00:07:29] I really do because I don't yet. I don't know what we're going to do. My answer is I don't know. I don't know yet. And it's tough. And you'll figure it out. Home to my kids is going to be just wherever we are, I think. I really believe that. And they're, you know, if they have a little place to lay their head in our house, that's going to be home. Yeah. I think home is people for me. I think there'll be familiar things when I go back to Utah. I lived in Utah until we were well into our 30s. So it's going to feel familiar.

[00:07:58] But right now when I drive down the road and I see like these streets that our kids have driven over and over and over and they learn to drive on, it's like, is this going to be so nostalgic to them? Like we go back to Disney because of the nostalgia. Like it brings out those memories. And is that what our kids are going to hope for in their future? And is that on us as parents to maintain that for them? I don't know. I'm excited to see what the future brings. I still have two more years of momming and I get to be a boy mom.

[00:08:25] I mean, I've always been a boy mom, but primarily a boy mom for the next two years. And I'm so excited for the unknown of what this is. I don't know. I mean, I do drive because we I've talked about our house a lot. We love where we live so much. And like I drive these streets just the other day. I was with one of my kids in the car and I was like, what a pretty place this is to grow up. This is, you know, the street you grew up on when you're older. This will be the street you grew up on. And I'm already identifying that, you know, and I don't know. I never want to leave this place.

[00:08:54] But if you want to, I don't think you have to be bound to it because your kids live there. Yeah. They can be that who sings that song. They knock on the door and they go see the house that built them. I can't listen to that song because it makes me sad. Yeah. They can just be those people. Yeah. They can be those. Yeah. Yeah. Do your parents still live in the same house, Allie, that you grew up in? They do. Yeah. So you do go home to the home you grew up in. Yeah. I mean, that's the only house they moved in there. I was not even one yet. So that's. Oh, wow. Oh, yeah.

[00:09:23] Same neighbors for the most part. A couple have moved on. But yeah, that's where they are. And this is our third house for my kids. So, you know, not everybody was born in the first one, but they're familiar with already having multiple little houses to call home. So I think it'll be OK. Well, whatever we do and who knows where they're going to all end up. That's what I'm waiting to see. I would love to know where are you going to end up, kiddos? Well, and that's the thing, too, because, you know, once they move out, go to school or whatever

[00:09:52] they're going to do, they're very far from landing where they're going to be for all time. Right. And so I you got to wait back. You can't make the decision yet because you don't know where they're going to be. I know. And I feel like I'm in this space of almost limbo, which is great for me because everything I do is remote. Like all of my jobs are remote. I work multiple jobs where we've kind of always talked about being citizens of the world, want to go and live in different cities across the world. I have an aunt that goes and lives in people's houses while they are off traveling for like months at a time.

[00:10:22] So she'll go live in Italy for a month. She'll go live in Germany for a month. That's amazing. What a wild ride would that be? Maybe it will be in the future. I don't know. Yeah. Wow. OK, well, you can't move yet. That's my final answer to your question because. Two more years. Yeah. You don't know where they're going to be. So you have to wait. You have to wait. And then we'll go from there. All right. Well, I'm excited to talk about this topic today. We did our first quick service episode just a couple weeks ago, and I'm excited that we're

[00:10:51] going to do these close together because I know anybody planning and obviously we're going to do all the parks. We have talked a little bit about how difficult it is to do Animal Kingdom right now. So I don't want to promise that one yet just because of the evolutions that Animal Kingdom is going through. So TBD on if you're going to get that soon or not. But anybody that's planning, I know you're going to want these close together so that you can really get an idea. Quick service is built into a Disney vacation. Even though your advanced dining reservations and your sit-down meals are really, really

[00:11:17] important to your vacation, you're going to be enjoying quick service and understanding where to get the things and where to get the right things. And the right thing for the different options you might be looking for, which is how we're going to do these awards today, might be different. You know, what might be right for this circumstance may not be for this one. So we're going to help you narrow down where you want to spend your time. Before I go through the awards, the restaurants we're going to be talking about and explain why we left some off. We're going to take a quick break and then we've got some awards to get out.

[00:11:46] This episode of Moms Behind the Magic is brought to you by BabyQuip. BabyQuip.com. Use code MAGIC to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. BabyQuip has grown. It's not just about babies anymore. BabyQuip offers a huge range of baby and toddler gear, cribs, strollers, car seats, toys, and more. And now they're also renting your pet essentials and beach gear, which is such a game changer for family trips.

[00:12:12] It means less packing, less stress, and way more room to actually enjoy the vacation you've been waiting for. If you've ever traveled with kids, you know this feeling. You finally arrive at your destination and everything is off. No crib, no familiar stroller. Bedtime is chaos. Naps are skipped. And suddenly, your relaxing vacation feels way more stressful than just staying home. For my family, being away from home and out of rhythm without our things can completely throw our kids off. And when the kids are off, let's be honest, everyone's off.

[00:12:42] That's why we love BabyQuip. They're the number one baby gear rental service across the US, Canada, and beyond. They make traveling with kids feel normal again. What I love most about BabyQuip is that they work with local quality providers, often moms, dads, and grandparents just like us, just like you M&Ms listening. These are people who truly get it. If you need it, they have it. Every item follows strict cleanliness and safety standards and is fully insured, giving you peace of mind that you need to relax. They deliver straight to wherever you're staying, your hotel, your vacation rental, or wherever

[00:13:11] you're calling home. So you never have to lug bulky gear around the airport ever again. BabyQuip is available in over 2,000 cities and locations, including Disney World and Disneyland, along with so many other popular travel destinations. Booking is quick and easy through their user-friendly online platform with customer support wherever you need it. So head to BabyQuip.com. Use code MAGIC to get $30 off of any order of $150 or more. That's BabyQuip.com. Code MAGIC. Pack light, travel happy. Okay.

[00:13:41] You know I love giving awards. You know I love winning. And I'm really interested to see how this goes. Becki, I just have a really quick question. Did you think we got it right with Epcot? Did you think that Regal Eagle or Connections was the better place to go? No, I was. Listen, I was playing M&M in that moment when I was listening back to it because there were absolutely things that I was like, no, you can't be making that decision. I know. I know. Did you think we mostly got it right? I do. I think you got it right for the most part.

[00:14:08] And the other things that were wrong were really just a matter of preference in my opinion. And so I think you landed in the right place. You guys talk way too much trash on Sunshine Seasons. I absolutely adore Sunshine Seasons as a place to get a place or a bite to eat. Probably because I love living with the land and Soren. Put me there and I'm happy. So we did it. I think it ultimately, even though we had to fight a little bit, I think it landed in the right place. So I'm excited to do this one today.

[00:14:37] And I don't know. I had a really clear vision with Epcot on where I wanted things to land. I'm not as clear on this. I have a couple I would put places. So if you haven't listened to our Epcot award ceremony for quick service yet, you're going to want to do that. But for those who haven't and are doing this one first, let's go back through the rules here. So we have 10 quick service restaurants on our list from Magic Kingdom. This is a Magic Kingdom focused episode today.

[00:15:02] We spend a lot of time talking about everything that a park has to offer when we do park centric episodes. We made the decision in these quick service episodes to not discuss every single option because I don't necessarily think that in order to make your most informed decision, you need every option in front of you, right? You need to know the best options. So we did right off the bat. And for anybody that's been to Disney a lot, you're going to be like, where's this restaurant? Where's this? I want to go ahead and just say, here are some quick service spots, some places where you

[00:15:30] can line up our mobile order that we took off of our list. We're not even including them in there. They're not in the running to win an award today. We'll explain why. They are Westward Ho, Cheshire Cafe, Prince Eric Village Market, and the Golden Oak Outpost. And as we were looking at our list of all the quick service places, we decided that in order to be in the running for an award, we really wanted it to be a quick service spot where you could get a meal.

[00:15:57] And in these locations, they are really just popular for maybe one thing. And that one thing in a lot of these cases is a suite. So for instance, at the Cheshire Cafe, the Cheshire Cattail and Stace, did you want to talk about the other thing that you like? Yeah, there is also an unbirthday cake, which is really cute and has tea infused frosting. Yeah. I think what's really cute about Cheshire Cat, I don't really go that often, to be honest,

[00:16:24] because I'm not too big into sweets and it's definitely sweets, but it is cute and it is themed. It totally is themed. And I love that. And I'm going to go through the awards and I'm excited to talk. We have a couple of different, we have a different one than we did for our Epcot awards. So I won't go too much into that, but you are right. It leans heavily into theming, but you're not going to really go there for lunch. You know, it's sweets. And it was the same thing for these other options. Beignets are popular among, where is it? At the Golden Oak Outpost, right? Yep.

[00:16:54] And so that's why we eliminated those. If you're looking for something sweet, tasty, identifiable, themed well, all that, these are not places that you should just avoid altogether, but you're probably not going to any of those for a meal. So we left them off. Okay. Anything else you want to say about any of those spots? Again, that was Westward Ho, Cheshire Cafe, Prince Eric Village Market, and the Golden Oak Outpost. So take those off your radar for a meal. And we're going to award seven awards today.

[00:17:20] However, we have 10 quick service restaurants on our list. Okay. Here is the key. Once we give an award to a restaurant, that restaurant can no longer get an award and we cannot change it. So once it's been awarded, that is set in stone and done. Only seven out of 10 will get an award. So three will not even be awarded anything. And I actually think this is much more difficult than Epcot. When I was looking at this list, when I was looking at the Epcot list, I was in my head

[00:17:48] thinking, okay, I could see a couple of these being honorable mentions. This list, I have no idea how this is going to shake out. And because the award categories are so specific, things are going to get awarded maybe differently. And I think we might be surprised with what gets left off the list. I agree. And one of these particular categories is giving me such anxiety. I'm not really an overly anxious person, but one of them, I'm like, what are we going to put there? I don't know. I can't wait to hear your thoughts. Okay. This is tough. This is really tough today. I'm so excited though.

[00:18:18] So the awards we are going to give out, the seven awards are best overall quick service, best value, best theming. That's a new category. We took off international food, which is an award we gave in Epcot. And we changed it to theming because Magic Kingdom is nothing if not immersive theming. Best place to sit and eat. Best fresh food. A meal that feels like a snack. And a meal worth the wait.

[00:18:47] This is very hard. I am super stressed about it. Three restaurants will get honorable mentions. The restaurants in the running are Casey's Corner, Columbia Harbor House, Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe, Gaston's Tavern, Liberty Square Market, The Lunching Pad, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, Pinocchio Village House, and Sleepy Hollow, and the Friar's Nook. Woof.

[00:19:17] Woof. Just woof. That's a lot. That's good stuff. That's all I had to say. I think this is so fun because we've talked before about how difficult it is to really hone in on a table service dining at Magic Kingdom. And so these are what I do often. And so this is fun. I'm excited. I have stuff to say. Gosh, I feel I'm like actually nervous right now.

[00:19:42] I know because I want things to like represent active or accurately for our M&Ms. But also I'm pretty passionate. All you have to do is go by what I say. It'll be fine. I'm pretty passionate about some of these things. And here's the other thing is some of these places change their menu pretty often. And I'm curious how often you all go back to the same thing versus do you change up with the new things they add to the menu? All right. I'm excited. So we're going to use our spinny wheel here to select the award we give first. Are we ready to dive in? Let's go.

[00:20:11] Let's go. Okay. All right. Spinning and the first award being awarded today. This is really hard to start here. Uh-oh. Oh, no. We're starting at best overall quick service meal. Oh, man. Well, I know. That's a weird place to start. It really is because it's so broad and best is best in a lot of categories. And as soon as we take whatever restaurant we land here, it can't win anything else. So best overall.

[00:20:40] Before I dive in at all, do either of you have a nominee you would like to nominate? Stace, take it. Yes. Yes. This is so easy, guys. Why are you stressed out? This is simple. It is Pecos Bills. And I don't understand. I don't even think y'all will disagree with me. It is the best. It has got customization available. It has excellent large amounts of seating, slightly dark for when you're wanting a break out of the sunshine, give your skin a little rest.

[00:21:07] Even though they don't have the bar, we've talked about the little fixings bar, how great that was. You still can get little fixings to, like I said, just make it customized. You're going to have your fresh options with some salads. You're going to have fresh options with bowls and chicken, like grilled chicken. And it's, well, it's not really exactly grilled, but it's not fried chicken. It's shredded chicken. Anyway, I think this covers so many of the other categories that we might could include

[00:21:35] it in, which makes it the obvious overall best, right? Yeah, this is what I was leaning towards. However, it's that fresh thing that I was like, oh, but the salad, what do we do? What do we do? Because the bowls are delicious there. You can get a burger there. Like, even if you're not a Tex-Mex kind of palate, the pork sandwich is delightful, but the rice bowls is really what takes us back in particular. We absolutely love them.

[00:22:04] And the nacho bowl, oh my goodness. So good. I cannot talk about Pecos Bell without just being starving immediately. Right. I love it. But I, you know, the only reason I was hesitant to nominate this one was because it is such a, you know, if you don't like Tex-Mex, it's, you know, you're getting a burger. And is it the best place to get a burger? Maybe not. For my kiddos, the only thing they're really going to eat there because they're not into the Tex-Mex and the rice bowl and things like that.

[00:22:35] An Uncrustable, you know, which you can get lots of places, but I do love that it's an option there. The only thing that I was going to say would rival it would be Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe because it is so friendly in flavor. It's, it's generic. You know, it's not, I think Pecos Bill is far more unique. I would nominate Starlight Cafe. I would absolutely accept Pecos Bill. Cosmic Ray was the other one that I had on my mind as well. It is more generic in finding people who can all eat there.

[00:23:05] But in that, it also kind of loses ground for me because it does feel a little bit like we're trying to fit every bill. And so then if you're, it's like the Cheesecake Factory. Yes, everybody's going to find something they like, but is it the best at anything that it does? I don't know. I like that burger. I think the burger at Starlight is good. That's what I get. Yeah. If you want a burger, like definitely get it at Cosmic Ray's and not at Pecos Bill. Yeah. Personally. Yeah. They have really good burgers. One other thing I was thinking about is if we're talking about Pecos Bill being the

[00:23:34] number one, are we coming with a lens that all of us just love Mexican food? Well, I think this is in fairness. This was a conversation for Epcot. It was. And I think we really covered it well. Well, this is a very acceptable, generally large population of people agree with us. This is not just the three of us. I think that's why it's, it does so well. And it's such a good choice is because it is, it's chips.

[00:24:02] Like you eat chips or you can get French fries with this and it's chicken or pork or hamburger to get your beef. I think it has all of the pretty standard palatable things, but with really good flavor. Mm-hmm. It's among the most flavorful. I don't necessarily want to say it's the only one with unique flavors. It's definitely among the most flavorful. All out aside from the food, what else makes it really, really great is its location. Mm-hmm.

[00:24:30] So many heavy hitter rides are within a really like an eye shot of this restaurant. And there is plenty of seating that you are not going to struggle to find a place to sit as your family. You're going to have good AC. If you want to be outside, there's outside and inside seating. Like it really does have the best of the best when it comes to all of it as an experience. I think it can win. I really love it. I really think you're not going to be disappointed if you go there.

[00:24:56] If you don't like Tex-Mex flavors and things, probably choose somewhere else. But know that if you're in the area and starving, there are other options there. So it can really hit the mark for a lot of reasons for a lot of people. So I'm good with it. I feel good about it. And it is my favorite. So mine too. It's wild to start with. Best overall is our discussion though. That's a big challenge. I agree. But it was still on the list and you know, that's great. We are. Okay. So we feel good about it.

[00:25:26] We're ready to move on to our next award then? I'm good. Yes. All right. I'm just like still looking at menus as we're talking to make sure I'm not forgetting anything I want to touch on. This is crazy. Okay. And it's so funny. The award I was literally looking at menus for is the award we are awarding next. And it is value. Best value. Now, how are we gauging value? Right?

[00:25:53] Katie made a great point on the last episode we did like this talking about the dining plan. And the value for a dining plan credit is different than if you're paying out of pocket. Because something that's really, really expensive is going to be the best value when you're on the dining plan. Or that's large portions is going to be a good value. But something that's really expensive for quick service is not going to be the best value, obviously. Unless it's shareable type things.

[00:26:19] So what do you think defines the value of a meal? When I hear value, and actually this is one of the things that Becky not on the last podcast with the Epcot conversation, I was arguing with you all about whether it should be, is your money going further? Or should this be about the amount you're getting for the cost you're paying kind of idea? Right. And so I can see an argument for both. In my opinion, for me, I'm typically thinking value means I'm getting a lot for my money.

[00:26:48] I love the conversation about the dining credit because I know what a game it is to best the dining plan. But I also want to know that if I spend money somewhere, you know, are the portions big enough that multiple of us can eat on it? Or is, you know, is the food going to stretch more than the wallet? Maybe. Yeah. And as I was looking at like pricing while I was doing a little research pre-recording,

[00:27:12] there was only one that stood out to me as being not a great value in my opinion. But I didn't see anything that stood out particularly as a great value. I feel like the pricing, the portions were pretty uniform across these options. So I'll throw out the one that I say is not a good value, I think, is Pinocchio House. They were flatbread pizzas is what you get is, you know, your little individual pizzas. They're tasty. You know, they're fine.

[00:27:42] I thought they were a little pricey. But other than that, I have not seen anything one way or the other to sway this argument. And so this one feels really difficult for me. Hmm. The one that I saw that was expensive, and if we're talking dining credits, would be Columbia Harbor House. You know, and the type of food you're getting there is seafood type things, seafood platters, lobster rolls, things like that. It's true. If you're using the dining plan, I mean, you can get a $19 quick service meal. It's true. Nearly $19.

[00:28:12] And so that is going to be a huge value for your credit. And then, of course, there are platters which are shareable, which is never a bad thing. I think this could be a little isolating on flavors. I would love eating here. My wife would hate it. She would just get like hush puppies. Yeah. The other thing is, I don't know that in this case, I think where you guys ended up with your Epcot decision was about being able to get something really high in value and then split it.

[00:28:41] I don't think you're doing that here necessarily. Not a $19 lobster roll. You know, it's $19. That's a great use of a credit for one person. But you're definitely not. I mean, you're probably not sharing it. Maybe a couple bites. But then are we snacking? You know? Okay. So I have to say this. I have to say this. I had this as a different option. And now y'all are triggering memories. Okay. You're triggering these memories of times we have shared food. This does have a... Hold on. I didn't see exactly what that's called. That we have done.

[00:29:10] Of course, you know, we have a large family. And we were able to do... I think we did it where we did like three of these mix and match. Trio platter? Trio platter. That's it. We did like three of those for four people. So it wasn't an exact, you know, one person or two people sharing one. But it was four people sharing three. We definitely did that. We have done that multiple times. I actually... Becky's kind of making a face.

[00:29:38] I actually agree with you because on that trio platter, it's shrimp, chicken, and fish with fries and hush puppies. It goes a long way. And it's almost $15 with, you know, a tap. So... Yeah. I can be on board with the sharing piece of it. I just... I'm curious if that is something that people would legitimately do. Like my family would definitely not do that. All of us are not going to agree on things that we would want on that. I can get on board with sharing things at some place.

[00:30:06] And because there just really isn't a strong standout here on what the value in Magic Kingdom is. They're all very similarly priced and aligned on sizing. Yeah. Except... And again, I'm not... I don't know that I'm really fighting for this, but it is pulling forward for me because, like you said, we wouldn't agree on that. Well, I have a very picky family. And actually, shrimp, chicken, fish, fries, and hush puppies, all five of us would eat something on that. Easily. You know, all five of us... But as a meal?

[00:30:36] Like to get an entire meal for your family? Or is that going to like leave you, we need to still go find something else to eat? I mean, our family has absolutely done this multiple times with the children. I mean, for sure. But I could also see this restaurant. I think this restaurant deserves an award and that might be why I'm a little bit like leaning toward it. But I could see another place where this could go. I had it in another one. Yeah. I do too. And that's probably, unfortunately, we're not looking at each other's papers. But I know.

[00:31:03] I see this getting a different award and I don't know what else gets that award if not this. So I'm just struggling because I think that trio platter and the high pricing is making it good value. But this is a tough one. This is a really tough one. It is. And even the other ones that I kind of feel like are also good value. Like there's another one, but I don't want to use it up for another category as well. So this is why this is really difficult. Yeah. What about me?

[00:31:32] I have another nominee. I have another nominee. Okay. What about Friar Nook? Because the pricing at Friar Nook is actually pretty low. Yes. Okay. And we got, when we were just there and we needed breakfast after rope dropping, we got two bagel sandwiches and the tots. And we cut the sandwiches in half and got a couple of forks for the tots and we all ate and we were good for breakfast. We split it. The pricing was pretty low to feed everybody and everybody was full enough and the pricing is low.

[00:32:01] So I could see this. Now that's two nominees for me. So if y'all don't agree, I need some nominees coming from you. Well, Friar Nook or Casey's Corner were the two that I kind of had on mine because both of those have very shareable things and both of them have things that are just over that $10 mark, which feels like value to me. And so Friar Nook, I am hands down on board for Friar Nook being this. I think that the tots are something very shareable, but if you want something to be a little more hearty.

[00:32:31] I have one other suggestion and I'm not arguing it for sure. I'm just a possibility. There is, and this would protect some of my other choices for other places and other categories. What about Gaston's Tavern? There's only one thing there that would fit in a lunch category and it is a ham and cheese sandwich. It's a fancy, yeah, cheese. Say that again? No.

[00:32:57] And it's $10 for this nice sandwich and chips. So I feel like that in its one self, one thing is a good value for a quick lunch that would protect other places for other categories. I love you so much, but this sounds like we're on one of our debate episodes and you've got the side of the debate you didn't want and you're trying to make this big old thing for Gaston's Tavern. I really don't want... Which is not the... There's a couple of things I really don't want y'all to... I don't agree with sharing at Casey's Corner. Well, how's it feel?

[00:33:27] It stinks, okay? It stinks. You did this to me. You did this to me. This way because of you. But again, it goes back to what are we defining as values? So it's each our own, whether it's about are we getting them to be enough to share or are we getting our money to go farther? I am leaning towards my vote being prior enough because of the shareability, because of the low pricing, because, I don't know, because there's nothing else that jumps out. Well, I mean, we're saying we're not trying to argue for other categories per category.

[00:33:54] So I can't bring up my points about why I would put it in something else. And I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it. I love Friar Nook. I think I know where you're trying to put it. I think I know where you're trying to put it, and I can think of other things for that. But we're going to end up in a corner here. We're going to totally end up in a corner. Well, here's... Okay. We really, really are. I'm actually okay letting Columbia Harbor House go out of this, for sure, because I think other spot is really good. However, M&Ms, hear me. It is a great value.

[00:34:22] If you go split those trio deals, it's a great value. Mm-hmm. So as long as I can say that... That's what's good about this award show. It's discussion. It's like only one person can win Best Actress, but everybody had a good performance. Lordy mercy. Did they, though? Did they? Yeah, well. Whatever. I think Friar Nook is where my vote is landing as well. I'm sitting with it, and I think that's where my vote is. It's okay. Okay. I don't... It's okay. Because I really love it. I don't think that that's bad. I think it works. It does. I think it works. I do, too. Yeah. I love Friar Nook. It's so good. All right.

[00:34:51] We had a great little valued breakfast there when we were just there. One of our M&Ms actually was the one that pointed me towards the caramel apple donuts. Like, please do those. Like, anytime throughout the day, whether it's dessert or it's breakfast. It's so good. And the tots. Split with your family. Two bagel sandwiches, cut them in half. Breakfast tots and the donuts. And you guys are good to go. You didn't spend that much money. You're all kind of nibbling. It's great. That's if you are not hosting teenagers with you. We are not splitting bagel sandwiches.

[00:35:21] No, everybody's crushing those on their own. Yeah. Okay. All right. Here we go. I have three little ones, remember. Yes. All right. Spin the wheel. Our next award is Best Place to Sit and Eat. What a coincidence. I mean, I know which one I think goes here. Yeah. Because I know what I think. I'm interested to hear what you all nominate, if anything. Or do you want me to nominate first? Go ahead. Well, I... Yeah, you go ahead. I have two. Well, I am nominating Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.

[00:35:51] And I'm doing that for a couple of reasons. Number one, it has tons of indoor seating with entertainment. Cosmic Ray, the audio animatronic is in the main hub and it's fun. There's air conditioning and there's outdoor seating. Vast, big, wide outdoor seating. And if I had to compare any of these restaurants to Connections as an indoor large seating. Oh my gosh. Wow. I would... I would call it wow. Allie is pulling. Wow.

[00:36:22] Wow. I really honestly think that this is the best place to sit in. I mean, they didn't make me sit in Chuck E. Cheese to watch this. Becky and I both had... We had our thumbs down coming in Allie with this one. No. Thumbs down. This is not the right answer. I don't... I don't see another place you're going to pick. I do. I don't know another place you're going to pick. Becky, what would you say? Well, I have two places that I would sit before making me sit in a Chuck E. Cheese cafeteria. Right. Is one of your nominees Casey's Corner? No. No.

[00:36:49] Where you can sit out on the terrace and listen to the piano player and see the castle? That's a great option, but that's not what I was thinking. I think both of my options are incredible. And now I really don't know what you're going to say. Okay. Okay. So my first option here is Sleepy Hollow. Sleepy Hollow, there's not a ton of room to sit. But if you can get a seat, the view of the castle, not through a window that has fingerprints and kids who have licked the window between you and the castle, you're not being surrounded

[00:37:19] by an alien who's singing like, get me out of Cosmic Rays, please. I do not want to be in there as long as possible. We always sit outside or inside with a view of the castle at Cosmic Rays. And it's a great load off between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland where you're spending tons of time. Now I have another one that I think... I could have four things in this one, I think. I could put Casey's Corner. The second one I would consider is Pinocchio Village House. You're getting really good. What are y'all talking... It's gross in there. This is the Twilight Zone. Is this a Hollywood Studios episode?

[00:37:48] Because I am... Listen, you're y'all talking about... Y'all get to sit... I think Pinocchio Village House is gross. We're not talking about the food. We're talking about a place to sit. I know. So you're going to get your food and you can sit by the window and wave at the people as they're going through. Oh, okay. Kids don't lick those windows, I guess. Well, that's not viewing of the castle, though. I have very specific pictures trying to watch them or look at the castle out of Cosmic Ring. You're grasping.

[00:38:15] And the last one I would say is about air conditioning and having plenty of space to sit, which is why this should be Columbia Harbor House, in my opinion. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding. You are correct. Wait. If we... Yes. No, if we put Columbia Harbor House here, there's an award that's not going to have anything to go in its spot. We won't have anything. I disagree. Disagree. Yeah. Agree to disagree. My others are filled out just fine. No, this is the place to sit. And no, it doesn't necessarily have a great view of the castle.

[00:38:43] There's no view of the castle, but that's okay because I consider this category to mean you're going to chill out for a minute. You're going to take a break. You're going to chill out. There's plenty of space. There are windows, which is nice. You do get to look outside and there's even a little space that kind of goes over the walkway and it's cool. There's upstairs, downstairs. It makes it nice. And I think it's a fantastic place for sitting. It's very calming. It is a very chill out place to sit and eat.

[00:39:12] Definition of old? Like your house? It looks nothing like my house. And if my wife listens to this, she's going to really like how it works. I know. It's exactly like the tour of your house. Oh my goodness. So funny. So funny. Your house is gorgeous. And like 200 years old or something. That's right. Age does not make it bad. That's right. Age does not a bad thing. As the senior citizen of this group, old is great. Old is great. It's fine. And the sections are split up. It's not like it's one massive.

[00:39:42] I mean, I get it. It's large and vast and indoors. Yes. Cosmic Rays is a terrible decision. It is Chuck E. Cheese. It is loud. It is chaotic. There are kids running around everywhere. Okay. Not good. Okay. I will withdraw. I can see that. We sit there because like I have this great memory when I took my dance studio to Disney for nationals and we did our big park day. We were all starving. And the easiest place for us all to agree was just chicken fingers and burgers at Cosmic Rays. Like that's what we were going to do.

[00:40:11] So we all mobile ordered and we were able to sit like 50 of us in a space and it was just so fun and communal and everybody was happy eating. And I guess when I think about a good place to sit and I have that memory of what we were able to accomplish, it feels like a really good option. But I get it. I mean, as far as spacing, it's fair. And you can get some really beautiful views of the castle. You can, but also if I want to sit with my family of five, I have to say what to them

[00:40:39] several times while we're having a conversation because it's so loud in that space. Right. All right. I will give you Columbia Harbor House, but I want, I want to reiterate that I think that this belongs in another category and I can't wait to tell you which one. And I also want to say that if you sit at Casey's corner, I don't think that deserves to win, but there are those outdoor tables. And while we're talking about sitting, there's that piano player that plays out there. You can see the castle. You're near the hub. Like it is a lovely place to relax. So I don't want that to be overlooked.

[00:41:08] And if you can get a table during, trust me, it will not be overlooked in another category. I'm just saying. Sure. All right. I'm so happy that Columbia Harbor house ended there. I've spent so many hours sitting in Columbia Harbor house, just like decompressing. Well, I think it's a good, it's a good tip for our M&Ms because I don't think anybody would have realized it, but I can't wait to tell you where I thought it should be. Let's spin and see where we're heading. We have four left to go. Okay. Best theme is where we're going next. Yes.

[00:41:34] And I have another nominee here, but Stace, you seem eager to nominate a restaurant here. This is where Casey's corner goes. It is so quintessential. First of all, it's the all American baseball, old fashioned, main street feel. The musician is so perfect. The adorable costumes that the cast members are wearing, the baseball, like everything about it. And it's so main street. I mean, it is so main street. You're right there at the cast.

[00:42:03] It is perfect. And every version that you could take for how you defined theming, it, it knocks, it checks all of the boxes. It knocks it out of the park. Hey, I see what you did there. Home run. I agree with you. This is why I didn't fight too hard for this one to be seating. I do think that this is the best theming. The different types of hot dogs is what they're doing, which a hot dog at a ballpark is the one. It's the way, right?

[00:42:28] And the piano player is very organized from the ballpark and, you know, take me out to the ball game vibes. So I'm, I'm on board with this for theming for sure. And I, I love the old school baseball vibe and the old school main street. I just think it's really great. And I can't tell you how many times we've done corn dog nuggets. I don't know. But Stacey, you said you're not on board for sharing at Casey's Corner and there are multiple things our family shares. We order a thing of corn dog nuggets, or if you get like the foot long chili dog, that

[00:42:58] thing is massive. You could easily share that with two people. This is where I guess I'm thinking about, I did not do that when the kids were little. And now that my kids are big, we eat it and we, we chow down on an entire hot dog ourselves. And I did not ever share a chili dog. Different than the foot long though. We, we usually cut it. We usually cut it in half. Yeah. I would not ever share a chili dog because of just the messiness of it. So, I mean, cut it in half and put it into what you're saying.

[00:43:24] But I just, my personal experience for that, I've never really, we've never gone there to share stuff, but it's, it's just very fun food. It is. And if your hot dogs are on, on your palate, it's the best place to get it. It's seasonal sometimes too, which is fun. So really go into theming here. Okay. All right. I think it is the winner for theming for sure. So we have three awards left to give. Should we take another break before we give them? That's good. All right. Take another break.

[00:43:53] And then we've given three, no, sorry. We've given four of seven awards. We have three remaining, but six restaurants. Things are about to get left in the dust. We'll be right back. M&Ms. I am so excited to share a brand new product to the moms behind the magic podcast with all of you. And this one is for everyone. Walking on air is the true magic of pop soul recovery insoles. I know the pain of walking is something that scares a lot of people when they're thinking

[00:44:21] about tackling a Disney vacation and the theme parks. Pop soul recovery insoles really cushion and help with impact stress. The first time I ever slipped them in, it honestly made me feel like I was walking on air. The cushioning is next level, especially if you're on your feet all day. But what really sold me? When I hit a painful spot, I could literally pop out a bubble and instantly take the pressure off. No limping or cutting my day short, just relief and the ability to keep moving.

[00:44:48] It's a brilliant design where you can pop the air, slip a pain point in and keep moving about your day. So the long walks, the 50,000 steps at Disney World, they don't have to become a problem for you. I've worn them all day and I've used them to recover after a bit of walking and both times worked. They fit easily into sneakers, slippers, and even water shoes since they're waterproof. The customization is wild. You can flip them for a smooth feel or you can keep the bubbles facing up for a massage effect. High arches, flat feet, it doesn't matter.

[00:45:17] You can adjust the support exactly where you need it. It's your product for your foot and your pain. If you're tired of sore feet slowing you down or it's something that's holding you back when it comes to planning for Disney World, this is one of those small changes that actually make a big difference. And by using code MAGIC today, you can get 15% off of your order. That's code MAGIC for the best 15% savings your feet will ever have.

[00:45:43] And let's face it, feet are the star of the show on long theme park days. Head to popsoul.com, enter code MAGIC and give your feet the relief they deserve. That's popsoul.com or by following the link in today's show notes. Okay, three awards left to give. Are you ready to hear where we're going next? These are going to be tougher. Yeah. Yes, they are. Yeah. Well, if it's the one award that I'm like now dreading. It's tougher. Yeah. Meal worth the wait is where we are heading next.

[00:46:14] And this is really tough because, you know, you're mobile ordering a lot of the time. I think I know what it needs to be though. I have a feeling about it as well. You want to go ahead? Why don't you do the nominee? Yes. Because you haven't done this yet. Okay. So my nominee for this is Sleepy Hollow. The line is slow moving. And here's the thing. You don't have to wait. People do get in that line and wait because they make your corn dogs or your funnel cakes as you order them. However, you can mobile order here.

[00:46:42] So you don't have to wait for this space. But if there isn't a mobile order available, to me, it is worth the wait. We 100% love fresh corn dogs. Those are the best of the best corn dogs in all of Disney, in my opinion. I love them. And funnel cakes. Fantastic. If you were to get the waffle sandwich thing that rotates sometimes seasonally, the chicken wrapped in the waffle is delicious.

[00:47:06] And if you wait for a seat, you have the best view of the castle right over the water. And it's a little quieter than a lot of other places where you would sit and watch the castle. This is exactly where I was going to go with this. I think this is the right choice, especially because you can get... I mean, people want that fresh... I mean, I say fresh, but it's not fresh food. But they want it... It's freshly made. Yes. They want it fresh made and hot, not soggy.

[00:47:33] This food can be a little soggy if you have to wait at all. So getting it freshly made with that beautiful castle picture. Sleepy Hollow food, those waffles are among the most picture-esque, photogenic, Instagram-worthy items that you can get in any theme park. People love them. Zan loves a corn dog. You know, she'll always go to Sleepy Hollow and get one there. And so I think this is definitely the worth the wait one. And I would recommend waiting.

[00:48:02] But don't wait if you can do mobile order. Yeah. But wait if you need to. So yeah. Yeah, I'm good with this. I really didn't have anything to submit other than... So I'm totally good with it. All right. So that was easy, worth the wait. And I was anxious that Sleepy Hollow wouldn't get an award. And I really felt like it deserved one. So... Oh, it has to have an award for sure. All right. We only have two award categories left. Okay. And the following restaurants are still in the running. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe.

[00:48:28] And I'm getting worried for that one because it's a really good quick service and it might get left off. Gaston's Tavern. Liberty Square Market. Lunching Pad. Lunching. Lunching Pad. I said that. Yeah. The Lunching Pad. Yep. And Sleepy Hollow. Yep. Those are the five. No Sleepy Hollow we just did. I didn't say Sleepy Hollow, did I? I meant to say Pinocchio Village House if I said Sleepy Hollow. Yeah. Pinocchio Village House. Launching Pad. Liberty Square Market. Gaston's Tavern. Starlight Cafe. Here we go. Looking for what you guys are going to say here. All right.

[00:48:58] The award we're giving next is Fresh Food. So before one of you makes a nominee, this is where I was afraid to take Harbor House from. Because of the grilled salmon, you know, you have fish involved and things like that at Harbor House. So I felt like it. So much food in Magic Kingdom is fried. So much. Like all of it. So much food in Magic Kingdom is fried. I mean, are we going flatbreads here? Is that? What are we doing?

[00:49:28] I am not. I'm going to go say Cosmic Rays. Me too. Me too. And the reason why Cosmic Rays, they have grilled chicken sandwiches. They have three different salads to choose from. Yes. And I dare say this is like, go with me on this. It is the freshest food because that is such a busy eatery that they are never going to have food sitting there waiting. You're going to get fresh food. You're going to get fresh fries.

[00:49:56] It is such a busy space on top of grilled chicken and salads. Yes, that is fresh food. I agree. Yeah, I hear you. And I'm going to follow here because you aren't wrong about the grilled chicken and the salads. I just want to reiterate that so much food in Magic Kingdom is fried. Like if you're that mom or that planner or whomever you are in your planning party that is like, oh, we don't want to go to the theme parks and just eat poorly the whole time.

[00:50:23] I mean, Magic Kingdom is really fried dominance. You know, even at Harbor House, you're getting fried fish and fried things like that. So I wanted to point out that you can get grilled fish at Harbor House. You can get the grilled chicken here. So highlight a couple of fresh options for you, but understand that fried is forward in Magic Kingdom. And you know what? For any M&Ms listening, the magic word will be fried because that really sums up Magic Kingdom. That's perfect. Oh my gosh.

[00:50:49] And that's where our Pecos bill, our overall, I mean, also feels fairly fresh. So when we took it in overall, there was a voice in the back of my mind that was like, oh, but this is the freshest. You know, it is because you can make a bowl as protein forward and fresh as you'd like. Another thing that I thought about is what is my kids eating? Not my kids as they currently are as teenagers, but when they were little, my kids loved like turkey sandwiches. And that's something you can get there where most other places is you're getting chicken nuggets or chicken strips kind of thing.

[00:51:18] So a turkey sandwich is a little fresher than fried food. Yeah. All right. So we're going with it. I like it. It's okay. I don't like anything in that category, to be honest, other than the things we've highlighted, but anything was going to have a caveat of like, oh, this, but this, you know, when we go to Cosmic Rays, we are getting chicken tenders or a burger. So it's funny to think of it like this, but it really is probably the, probably the option. Okay. That leaves us with one more. It is meal that feels like a snack.

[00:51:46] And this was a difficult category last time we awarded it, but I feel like it was an important topic to discuss. And the options we have are Gaston's Tavern, Liberty Square Market, the Lunching Pad and Pinocchio Village House. Neal, it feels like a snack. Where, what are you nominating from these restaurant options? And I'm so glad Becky is here because I would like, because she, she's come up with our categories and I want to hear her explanation

[00:52:13] for this category in, in comparison to how we did it in Epcot. If she agreed the way we kind of, the angle we went, because this is again, difficult for me. I almost feel like it would be easier to say that there's a snack that feels like a meal. The difference there went with, go ahead. Yeah. I want to hear you. The difference between a meal that feels like a snack and a snack that feels like a meal is really the approach you're talking about. In this case, I'm hungry. I have a quick service credit, but I'm not really that hungry. So that would be something that could be more like a meal.

[00:52:43] That's a snack in my opinion, where if I'm saying a snack that feels like a meal, I'm using a snack credit to get that if I was using the dining plan and I'm going to get as full as possible. So I'm really using the best advantage of a snack credit and I can see the difference. It's just the topic for this, this particular episode is more about quick service. And in my head, that's about a meal and not so much about a snack. And I think you guys did a really good job on the Epcot episode. Right. I didn't agree with what you ended up going with because I have my own strong opinions,

[00:53:12] but I think you went the right way with it. So what's your nominee out of these? See, this is the thing because there's so many, I would say not Pinocchio's would be, I could make an argument for the lunching pad. Our family eats at the lunching pad fairly regularly. Gaston's Tavern. I don't know. Maybe I could make an argument for any of them except for Pinocchio's house, in my opinion. Are you getting a turkey leg, Allie? And is a turkey leg like a snack? That big old veiny? No, it's a meal.

[00:53:41] But does it feel like a snack? Honestly, that's what I was going to go with. And I don't really want it either. But a turkey leg is very walkable. You know? I know we don't want it. I know. I'm just saying. That's why I wanted to hear the qualifications of this category. Because hot dogs at the lunching pad do not really give me a, I mean, even though it's kind of snacky food, those are big, heavy-duty hot dogs that are full-on meal.

[00:54:09] They don't feel like a snack to me. They're smaller than to me. Like, those type of hot dogs do feel more snacky to me. Like, I don't know. My kids get home from school and have a hot dog. These aren't foot-long hot dogs. They're $13. Yeah, but they're not like... No, but they're $13. That is not a snack to me. It's a meal. It's a lamb meal. Yeah, I don't know. I just admit, I'd have a hard time in this category even understanding what I need to focus on here. I don't know. I really don't. I mean, a hot dog is a snack to me.

[00:54:39] I'll be really honest. You know, if I'm at a grill out from a barbecue and there's hot dogs, I can literally house a hot dog and still be starving. But these hot dogs are dressed up, and so it's not necessarily fair to compare it to my little Hebrew National with the barbecue with ketchup only. So it makes it a little bit difficult, I would say. So you can do that at the Liberty Square Market, though. You could get that kind of a thing. However, the other thing at the Liberty Square Market that is noteworthy is the turkey leg.

[00:55:07] And I know we on the podcast do not particularly love that, but they sell a heck of a lot of those turkey legs. And that's very snacky to me. That's like, hey, walk here, share. It's like you take it and walk. Here, and you take a bite, and you take a bite, and you take a bite. I mean, it gives us something to, we're starving, but we have this lightning lane we need to hustle over. And, you know, you grab that on the go, and you're snacking along the way. And I feel like that probably fits the category best. Yeah. It's kind of where I'm sitting, even though that's a place that people overlook.

[00:55:34] It's not necessarily something that you think when you're thinking of, where am I going to go eat? That Liberty Square Market, it's out in front of the Hall of Presidents, kind of by Liberty Tree Tavern, in between Pecos Bill and Haunted Mansion. Essentially, there's plenty of seating. We never struggle to get seating over there. It looks almost like a stroller parking lot. It's definitely not a place I want to go sit, but we do often go grab drinks. And I don't know. What are you, Allie, where are you sitting with it? I'm just sitting at a little bit more. Like, there are some that we've already given awards to.

[00:56:02] Like, Fryer Nook, I could have also seen in this, you know, snacking on those tots together, sharing. I could have seen that working here. But I like where it landed. I could also see Sleepy Hollow landing here easily. But with what we have left, I guess the market, maybe. What's your other consideration? Lunching pad would be my other consideration. And y'all, when did Magic Kingdom become so hot dog heavy? I don't know that I realized how heavy it is in hot dogs.

[00:56:28] Yeah, I mean, lunching pad would be mine too, but like I said, with the dressed up hot dogs, I don't know that it's fair. But it does feel more like a snacking location. You know, it's right by Cosmic Rays, which feels definitely more restaurant. And lunching pad feels definitely more snack to me. Just in terms of the way the food is presented, I guess. What about what dining credits do we use if a turkey leg is listed as an entree, but it's also under snack?

[00:56:57] And they do take dining credits here. Is that a quick service credit or is that a snack credit? I mean, surely you do not get a $15 turkey leg as a snack credit. I mean, that just seems like that would not happen. I'm looking. I don't know if the turkey leg counts as a snack credit. That would be an incredible. Nope, it's a meal. Okay. So that's a quick service meal credit. That seems like not great. Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. Because it's just a turkey leg. You don't have any sides or anything with it, which kind of makes it like a snack. I'm sure you would get a side.

[00:57:26] Like your quick service meal is going to come with a side if you're doing an entree and a side and a drink, right? Yeah. I hope. I don't even know if you could use the turkey leg in that case. That's what I'm wondering. I don't have any idea how it would work. Just grab a bag of chips or a banana or they have a ton of sides over there. Yeah. Interesting. So what are we going with? Are we going with the market? Obviously, we've never done the turkey leg, guys. I mean, sorry to our listeners. It's just not for us. We don't have all the answers about the turkey leg. It's just not. It's not for us. Like, it's just not. No.

[00:57:56] Maybe we need to retry it. Have you seen that? There's a reel going around of Courtney Cox trying the turkey leg and she was disgusted and she tried it and she's like, oh my gosh, that was so good. Yeah. We might need to challenge ourselves and retry the turkey leg again. I haven't tried it in years, probably 10 years ago. Mm-hmm. Okay. So what's it going to be? This is a rock, paper, scissors to me between those two. I'd say Liberty Square. I would too. I'd say a market feels like a snack more than. Okay. I'm good with it. Okay.

[00:58:25] It is the meal that feels like a snack. So I just want to say, actually, let's go. Well, should we talk about the honorable mentions first before anything? Or should we go ahead and take a friend like me break and then do a review, talk about our honorable mentions and hit our lightning lane? That works. Let's do that. We're going to take a friend like me. We're going to let you all listen to our friends that are like us. They're just out there in social media, like I say, every week. And I know y'all are listening and you're making new friends on the internet, which is part of the reason you're on the internet. And you're scrolling and you're finding things in common.

[00:58:55] And I love all of these different areas where you can hang out on social media. And I hope you're loving them as well. Then when we come back, we're going to do a quick awards show review, talk about our honorable mentions and hit a lightning lane. Okay, friends, I want you to follow our friend Monica at House of Mouse and Beyond on Instagram. She is helping families use their tax refunds strategically. And if it's for last minute trips or deposit for next year's spring break, she can give you the best tips.

[00:59:24] She's a boy mom of two navigating a neurodivergent elementary age child and a rambunctious toddler. She specializes in Disney Universal and cruising. And the best part, she speaks both English and Spanish and creates content in both languages, making your feed more diverse and making travel planning comfortable for Spanish speaking families. House of Mouse and Beyond on Instagram. M&Ms, if you are from Canada, we have a group for you on Facebook.

[00:59:52] You have to join our friend Kim at Canadians Talk Disney World Vacations. They talk about things that maybe people here in the States don't have to think about, like exchange rate and how to fly from Canadian airports or make that decision to drive across the border. This is not a generic Disney group. It's a Canadian sharing real life experience group from flight routes to travel hacks and more. You can make the trip to Disney World happen from Canada. And Kim and her group, Canadians Talk Disney World Vacations, can make it happen. You can join by clicking the link in today's show notes.

[01:00:24] Okay. As a review, in overall quick service, we awarded that to Pecos Bill, Tall Tale Inn, and Cafe. I feel really good about that. I do think it's the best for, we thought of many, many categories that could have fallen in. And so we gave it best overall and I feel great about it. For value, we awarded that to the Friars Nook because low cost and shareability. For theming, we went with Casey's Corner. We love the old baseball pastime on Main Street and how fun and kitschy it is.

[01:00:54] So it works perfectly, leaning into the hot dogs. For a place to sit meat, we went with Columbia Harbor House. Doesn't look like my home, but it is older and comfortable and quiet and air conditioned. For fresh food, we went with Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, even though the chicken tenders and the burgers are kind of the headliners there. They also have three different salads to pick from, some grilled chicken, and there are options on the menu to land you in that fresh space. For a meal that feels like a snack, Liberty Square Market.

[01:01:22] Kind of hard to land on one here, but you can definitely snack on the things available at Liberty Square Market. And for meal worth the wait, we went with Sleepy Hollow because even though there is a mobile order option, there is a slow moving line option where your food can be made more to order and it is worth it for those pictures and the fresh flavor of that funnel cake. Which isn't fresh, but when it's freshly made, it's worth it. I'm telling you what.

[01:01:49] That means that the restaurants that did not get awards today in Magic Kingdom that were on our list are Gaston's Tavern. And if I'm being really honest, I just think, seeming wise, it's not really hitting the mark. The thing they are best known for is a cinnamon roll, which I do think you should get, but is it a meal? Certainly not. So I think it's fair that that one didn't hit the list. Pinocchio Village House, I just, I don't care for this restaurant. I don't think that it's very good. There are so many things I'd rather have.

[01:02:17] The flatbreads are mediocre at best, in my opinion, and I'll let you all talk here in a second. Tell me what you think. And then the lunching pad, which just doesn't really have an identity that makes it stronger in any of these categories than the ones we picked. So that's where we landed. Nothing for Gaston, lunching pad, or Pinocchio. What do y'all, do you think we nailed it? I feel pretty good about it. There are some things. The warm cinnamon roll at Gaston's have come a long way over the years and it is totally worth it. Have it warmed up. I also really like the Grey Stuff cupcake.

[01:02:45] If you like cookies and cream kind of flavoring, try the Grey Stuff. It's delicious. That's where you get it. Yeah. Have either of you tried the creme brulee croissant back there? No, I have that on my list to try soon. It looks, how was it? Because it sounds delicious. Yes. I don't want to knock it because, yeah. So here was the thing. We had talked about it on an episode. And I could not, that is right up my alley. So I could not wait to try it. I had that creme brulee tiramisu at Tapolino's with y'all.

[01:03:14] That's the best dessert I've ever had in my life. So I could not wait to try the creme brulee croissant. And we got it during that shareable breakfast that I was talking about. And it was the only untouched thing. Everybody tried a bite and left it. Interesting. The cinnamon roll was destroyed. The donuts were destroyed. The tots were destroyed. The bagel sandwiches are gone. And we threw the croissant away.

[01:03:37] I just think the creme brulee layer and the croissant flake layer in proportion to the creamy filling were not, I just, I don't know. Something about the portion just wasn't evenly matched. Like it was very filling heavy. And I don't know. We just, nobody had an affinity for it. We threw it away. We shared it as a family of five. All five of us walked away feeling like we loved that. However, we've yet to buy it again. And that was well over a year ago.

[01:04:06] So I was disappointed after how much we had talked it up and how much that is in my palate. I was really excited to go for it. I wanted to like it more than I did. Yeah. I wouldn't call it bad. It's just that there were other things that we preferred and that we all, we housed as a team together. As a breakfast team. And yeah, we all left that, including, you know, two of my very best friends in the world who are two grown men who will just basically eat anything in front of them. They, they were just like, eh. Interesting. Yeah.

[01:04:35] What about Pinocchio Village House? I actually do like some of their, their flatbreads. Their buffalo one I had and I enjoyed it. I wouldn't choose it over anything else. And I actually have the feeling that you were describing, Allie, that old feeling. More so in Pinocchio's Village House than in Columbia Harbor House. Columbia Harbor House to me feels like it should feel old, like in an old ship or something. Pinocchio's just feels like dark. I just didn't like it at all. I felt like it, I didn't like it. No shade. It's mediocre.

[01:05:05] It's mediocre. It's fine. I mean, we've been there, honestly, at parties because it is one of the options. Not, there's not a lot of options during parties. And if you're starving, a little bite of pizza is great. So it's suitable in that instance, but it's usually not going to be my choice. Yeah. I agree with you. Yeah, I agree. Okay. So we did it. We nailed it. And I was not sure how this was going to shake out.

[01:05:32] I was really nervous about what was going to get left off, but I feel good about where we landed. And I want to go to Magic Kingdom and eat now, which isn't something I normally say. You know, but where I want to go is Pecos Bill. So I'm glad that got best overall. All right. Are y'all ready for a lightning lane? Sure. Gosh, yes, I am. But there's so much food in Magic Kingdom is the answer to all of these questions. All right. We're going to go Becky, then Stacey.

[01:05:59] And it's a where are you going if lightning lane. Okay. So where are you going if you came in the gate and you're looking for breakfast? Ooh, I think honestly, I'm going to go into Fantasyland and get Fryer Nook. I love their breakfast. It is very good. I also really like Lunching Pad. They have a great little breakfast there that has an omelet tot. Yeah, I think I'm going to go with Fryer Nook. Most filling, most options. And there's not a lot of great quick breakfast in Magic Kingdom. All right.

[01:06:27] What about you have 20 minutes to grab a lunch? Ooh. Hmm. I'm going to pick whatever I can mobile order and take on my roll. You know what's wild? This is not quick lightning lane. Sorry, but I have Disneyland in my brain. And so I was almost like, let's get a chimichanga. We don't have those in Magic Kingdom. No, we don't. No, we don't. I would say, Casey, like Jerry, I would say like corndog nuggets. I think I would do. That's a good idea.

[01:06:56] I would pre-order Sleepy Hollow and get a corndog and pick it up. Not wait in that long line. But yeah, I mean, 20 minutes is asking a lot at Magic Kingdom because Casey's corner can be kind of slow. It's pretty packed over there, pretty busy. And even if you get your food, you're sometimes waiting for a seat. So I feel like you can't do a 20 minute grab go at Casey's. So I don't know. And it would probably end up being like a food stand kind of places versus a walk in.

[01:07:26] I mean, even with mobile order, you know, you can kind of do some of the hacks like starting to say you're here when you're not. They probably don't really like us advertising that. But, you know, if you're on your way walking there, clicking a little early, you might can shorten that wait time. But it's tough doing any of the actual sit down quick service in a 20 minute. So I would say stick with one of the food carts. This is like a lightning lane and the ride broke down.

[01:07:56] You guys are telling long. You both are going on tangents. It's like I want a multi I want a multi experience. We've spent our whole we've spent our whole 20 minutes for that quick meal. What about you want to escape the heat? Columbia Harbor House and sit there for as long as you need because there's not going to be people begging you for your table. Yeah. Good AC. Yeah, it's a good one. Pecos Bill's also really great. I love Pecos Bill. I like the darkness, not a lot of bright lights and feels really good when I'm tired.

[01:08:26] I want Pecos Bill too because I want to enjoy what I'm eating so much. Although I do like Harbor House a lot. They have truffle fries, you guys. Mm hmm. Okay. You want to share a meal with your family? We're going to get Casey's Corner. Like I said, we do that often sharing the massive footlong hot dog. It's a great option. And I'll stick with that Columbia Harbor House that we've experienced before. It's a great option for our family. You know what? My answer would have been Casey's Corner. But since we've talked about that trio platter and I really do think my whole family would enjoy it. Mm hmm.

[01:08:56] I'm going to say that because I want to do that next time we go. Okay. You want something that leaves you full for hours? Pecos Bill. Big old bowl. Yeah. Although I feel like Columbia Harbor House leaves me full too because it's really clean food in most cases. Mm hmm. Starbucks. Where are we going? Yeah. If I've just entered the park, probably go into Casey's Corner right there.

[01:09:25] And just be strategic on a way that cannot take too long. So. Yeah. If I've just entered the park and it's not breakfast, definitely Casey's Corner because I'll sit at one of those tables and just enjoy the entry of Magic Kingdom while, yeah, eating a hot dog. And they're really good there. The chili dogs are great, you know. Yep. I love it. They are. All right. Well, that was really fun, you guys. I'm excited to. I said this after Epcot too, and I'm excited to do these award shows for all of the parks. And then I want to find different categories to give awards to, too. Like we could do rides or we could do show.

[01:09:55] We could do lots of things and give awards. We could. And I love giving awards. So really, really fun. I hope this is helpful to anybody planning to eat Magic Kingdom, which is probably most of our listeners. And it's not always going to be table service. That's the way to go. You're going to have to utilize quick service, at least in some capacity. So I feel excited and good about the way these landed. And I'm excited to continue this journey through the parks and the award shows and quick service and keep the conversation rolling. If we got it wrong or if you have an opinion or if you learned something new, share it with us in our online community.

[01:10:25] Join us on Facebook at the Moms Behind the Magic podcast. We're always talking in there. Some of you are sharing, you know, how you put our tips to use. And I love that so much. I even saw some people packing the right way in their Ziploc baggies labeled. I love when you share those things. We love sharing our tips and making your lives better and easier. So join us there. Join the conversation. Make sure you have your automatic downloads turned on. I say this every week, but if you haven't done it, Spotify, automatic downloads. Let us hit your feed and stream the day that every episode drops.

[01:10:55] You don't want to miss a new episode, a magic version, or anything we have to say. Share share. So make sure you have this turned on and leave us a five-star review. Other than that, that's going to do it for us for another episode on the Moms Behind the Magic. We are sending you so much fun, love and joy. And we'll see you real soon. Stacey, do we want to do a clap? This is the beginning of the episode. I agree. Oh, look at you. Okay. You did it. I do. I do. I just had a heart attack that I forgot to hit record. And I just, I just squibbled everything to make sure it was there. It's there.

[01:11:25] I had a panic attack. I lost feeling in my toes. That's what happens to me. I instantly go flush and I was like, oh my God. All right. We need more time to just like talk. Like friends. I know. We're so busy. Like I want to just have all these conversations with you all. We're in the homestretch. We're in the homestretch to the end of the season advance. So I'm like. Maceumber is a thing. It's a thing. Pastime football vibes on Main Street. Did I say football? It's because of who you're on this. It is. And I got football in the brain. I got football in the brain.