News Harambe Market Refurbishment Planned Ahead of Restaurantosaurus Closure

[bmr1591]

Well this looks pretty grim, but I think there is good reason to expect a very good menu lineup in the new Tropical Americas quick serve. I would expect something along the lines of Satu'li Canteen.

Do you expect the new menu to stay after Tropical Americas opens? Could it return to its previous offerings?

 

[wdwmagic]

Do you expect the new menu to stay after Tropical Americas opens? Could it return to its previous offerings?

I think the new Tropical Americas eatery will be the place for the interesting food, and Harambe will stay with this. There is a significant kitchen expense in this change, that I don't see them just abandoning next year.

 

[Purduevian]

Do you expect the new menu to stay after Tropical Americas opens? Could it return to its previous offerings?

I think the new Tropical Americas eatery will be the place for the interesting food, and Harambe will stay with this. There is a significant kitchen expense in this change, that I don't see them just abandoning next year.

Also from a guest perspective... At least in the USA we are much more familiar with "Tropical American" food than African. I'm assuming they include Mexican food in the Tropical American food so Tacos, Quesadillas, burrito bowls, ect. I would also assume we would get arepas considering they are mentioned in the opening Encanto song. Maybe some plantains.

 

[HauntedPirate]

How very imaginative...

Nothing says "luxury target market" like frozen theme park burgers and fries...

(And that's a dig on the guests as much as Disney. Glad those who enjoy this enjoy it, but it's disappointing for this location.)

Two words - Yield management

As long as it’s temporary, it’s understandable. But even the most jaded amongst us needs a burger once in a while when on vacation. They also don’t want every place to have a bunch of froo-froo fancy offerings with an ingredient list that requires a culinary degree to decipher. Leave that sort of stuff for the F&W kiosks where it belongs.

Restaurantosaurus knew its job and did it well. I only hope whatever it becomes understands the assignment.

 

[monothingie]

I think the new Tropical Americas eatery will be the place for the interesting food, and Harambe will stay with this. There is a significant kitchen expense in this change, that I don't see them just abandoning next year.

A Disney Chipotle clone with Tacos, Burritos, and bowls is what I'm expecting.

Just remember, for a lot of Disney guests, salt is spicy seasoning.

 

[HauntedPirate]

A Disney Chipotle clone with Tacos, Burritos, and bowls is what I'm expecting.

Just remember, for a lot of Disney guests, a salt is spicy seasoning.

(IYKYK)

 

[FigmentFan82]

If tropical Americas gets something akin to Sautuli Canteen I’d be very pleased

 

[Casper Gutman]

I genuinely appreciate the effort, but am I the only person who finds Satuli the most massively overrated quickservice at the resort? I’m not just being generally grumpy here, there’s a lot of good qs at WDW, but no matter how often I decide to give it a chance Satuli disappoints.

 

[wdwmagic]

I genuinely appreciate the effort, but am I the only person who finds Satuli the most massively overrated quickservice at the resort? I’m not just being generally grumpy here, there’s a lot of good qs at WDW, but no matter how often I decide to give it a chance Satuli disappoints.

I think it's a probably a top 3 of WDW quick service. It's one of the few that serves something similar to a table service quality dish. What would you put higher?

 

[JohnD]

Whelp. Looks like they were right.

Yeah. So let's move on to the next hope. It switches back to African bowls, etc. when Tropical Americas opens. But from what I gather, I guess this will be the new burger joint and Tropical Americas will have something more exotic.

 

[Touchdown]

I genuinely appreciate the effort, but am I the only person who finds Satuli the most massively overrated quickservice at the resort? I’m not just being generally grumpy here, there’s a lot of good qs at WDW, but no matter how often I decide to give it a chance Satuli disappoints.

I think it’s the best QS at any Disney Resort I’ve been to. The food is hot, flavorful and the bolba add that unique touch. My go to is chicken/beef, noodles, charred green onion. Love it.

 

[Casper Gutman]

I think it's a probably a top 3 of WDW quick service. It's one of the few that serves something similar to a table service quality dish. What would you put higher?

I’m not staring this with my usual bombast - a lot of folks genuinely love Satuli and Disney should be commended for trying something with the menu. Personally, off the top of my head, I prefer France, Regal Eagle, Flametree. I don’t expect much agreement, but I’d even take the new and improved ABC Commissary or Pecos Pete before they cut the tamales out of the menu last year.

I find Satuli to have one of the most boring dining rooms on property and I’m very much not a fan of the “choose your base choose your protein” model.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I really don’t like this change, but I’m also kind of at a loss for what an alternative would be. With Dinoland closed they have to have an option in the park that serves this kind of food. It is possible that once Tropical Americas opens that they move this option in there, but I also find it hard to believe that they’re gonna open a brand new land themed to a brand new part of world not represented yet in the park and not have that land‘s food offering be South American cuisine.

Animal Kingdom is already the least accessible of the four parks for those who are picky eaters. I don’t know how else you get around that other than converting one of the existing specialty food locations into a more generic food location, or just building a whole brand new generic food location. I guess the best hope would be that they turn Harambe into a sort of best of both worlds eventually.

 

[JohnD]

How very imaginative...

Nothing says "luxury target market" like frozen theme park burgers and fries...

(And that's a dig on the guests as much as Disney. Glad those who enjoy this enjoy it, but it's disappointing for this location.)

Agree. African flavored food has to go by the wayside in favor of burgers because of guest demand. I guess a theme park has to have burgers and fries somewhere. If it were up to me, I would have added burgers and fries to Flame Tree and left Harambe Market alone.

 

[JohnD]

I really don’t like this change, but I’m also kind of at a loss for what an alternative would be. With Dinoland closed they have to have an option in the park that serves this kind of food. It is possible that once Tropical Americas opens that they move this option in there, but I also find it hard to believe that they’re gonna open a brand new land themed to a brand new part of world not represented yet in the park and not have that land‘s food offering be South American cuisine.

Animal Kingdom is already the least accessible of the four parks for those who are picky eaters. I don’t know how else you get around that other than converting one of the existing specialty food locations into a more generic food location, or just building a whole brand new generic food location. I guess the best hope would be that they turn Harambe into a sort of best of both worlds eventually.

Why not Flame Tree? BBQ and burgers go hand in hand (pun not intended but came out as one) all the time.

 

[wdwmagic]

I really don’t like this change, but I’m also kind of at a loss for what an alternative would be. With Dinoland closed they have to have an option in the park that serves this kind of food. It is possible that once Tropical Americas opens that they move this option in there, but I also find it hard to believe that they’re gonna open a brand new land themed to a brand new part of world not represented yet in the park and not have that land‘s food offering be South American cuisine.

Animal Kingdom is already the least accessible of the four parks for those who are picky eaters. I don’t know how else you get around that other than converting one of the existing specialty food locations into a more generic food location, or just building a whole brand new generic food location. I guess the best hope would be that they turn Harambe into a sort of best of both worlds eventually.

I would have tried to fit it in with either FlameTree or Pizzafari - or a combo of both.

 

[JohnD]

I would have tried to fit it in with either FlameTree or Pizzafari - or a combo of both.

Yak and Yeti already has cheeseburgers without sacrificing other Asian flavored items. If burgers had to go to Harambe why get rid of the African bowls that were already there? Just add the burgers to the menu?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Why not Flame Tree? BBQ and burgers go hand in hand (pun not intended but came out as one) all the time.

I would have tried to fit it in with either FlameTree or Pizzafari - or a combo of both.

See I thought that too as both seem obvious. Too obvious to not have been Disney’s thought too. I suppose there’s every chance they wanted to skimp on the cost of Harambe’s speciality food, but then they seem to have no problem with specialty food elsewhere. Makes me wonder if there is a logistical reason why Flame Tree and Pizzafari were passed on in favor of Harambe.

 

[peter11435]

Yak and Yeti already has cheeseburgers without sacrificing other Asian flavored items. If burgers had to go to Harambe why get rid of the African bowls that were already there? Just add the burgers to the menu?

The kitchens can only support so many types of items. Equipment was swapped out to support the new menu. The bowls are still available they were just moved to a different location.

 

[JohnD]

The kitchens can only support so many types of items. Equipment was swapped out to support the new menu. The bowls are still available they were just moved to a different location.

Where? That hasn't been reported yet. Or have I missed it?