Walt Disney World and the World's Fairs

Epcot just celebrated its 35th Anniversary, and this made me consider where the influence for Epcot came from.  What inspired Walt to try to build an entire functional city where people not only enjoyed life, but also lived life?  In this Melyssa and the Mouse, I'm going to take you on a little journey to some places where Epcot's inspiration may have originated.  

Let's go way back- back to 1893 and the Chicago World's Fair.  Here, we can start to see some elements that seeped their way into Walt Disney's influence and into Walt Disney World itself.  

Administration Building and Republic statue -1893 World's Fair

The 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as World's Columbian Exposition, which featured the Great White City, shows the traditional aspect of World's Fairs.  World’s Fairs tended to look backwards and reinterpret the past, particularly in their architecture.   The structures built to house the exhibits usually went with an overall theme and demonstrated some type of feat of either construction or imagination.   The Great White City was inspired by the neoclassic style, which focused on ancient Roman and Greek styles of columns and domes, and which was defined by clean straight lines, minimal use of color, and simplicity of form.  The facades of the buildings were not made of white marble as they would have been in Roman times, but a mixture of plaster, cement, and jute fiber which was then painted white.  The extensive street lights that illuminated the city also added to the name as the entire place would glow at night.  This Fair, though held long before Walt's birth, can still be argued as having some influence over Disney as Elias Disney, Walt's father, was a carpenter during this Fair.  He presumably worked constructing portions of the Great White City.   So the idea of creating a miniature city, which romanticized the past, can clearly be seen over at the Magic Kingdom. But the argument can definitely be made that these grand expositions were a basis for how Walt would hope to create a "world" for people to enjoy.   

Panorama of 1933 Century of Progress

The core idea of Epcot, I feel, can be seen in the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, which was entitled A Century of Progress, covering the time from 1833 to 1933.  The main idea with this Fair was not to go back and look into the past for influence, but to reflect new, modern ideas and even suggest future developments.  Why such a change in theme? This Fair happened during a time when the world was dealing with the ramifications of the Great War (WWI), and America was also coming out of the Great Depression.  Clearly the idea of looking ahead and the promise of technological advancement to make the present more bearable was more appealing than looking back.     

Some exhibits from this Fair also can be seen as having influenced some of Epcot's attractions.  For instance, the Fair introduced people to things such as the "dream car" and even "concept cars" that would not be on the market- hello Test Track.  There was an exposition that showed many modern home conveniences, as well as new building materials and techniques- I see you over there Innoventions.  The Union Pacific Railroad exhibited its first streamlined train, named the Zephyr, which made a high speed dawn-to-dusk run from Denver to Chicago in just 13 hours and 5 minutes- can we say "monorail?"  And there was also a wild animal exhibit- think about the original idea for Jungle Cruise and eventually Animal Kingdom itself. But we know that this Fair is not the only influence on Walt himself. 

How does the idea of 140 pavilions, 110 restaurants, and 37 host nations sound- sort of like a certain festival we all want to enjoy each year?  In actuality, this was what the 1964 World's Fair looked like as Walt Disney brought 4 of his own exhibits, showcasing some of the newest audio-animatronic technology, which Epcot's original attractions relied upon.  Another key to Walt Disney World is the visual "weenie," which Walt had been using since Disneyland, though it seems he topped himself with the Tower of the Four Winds as it became landmark of the Fair and introduced the phrase "Meet me under the Tower of the Four Winds."  Now, when you enter Epcot, you can meet under the giant golf ball.  

If you want to find a bit of Walt's influence for transportation around Epcot, you can look at the Ford's Magic Skyway exhibit which featured self-driving cars- think of the People Mover in Tomorrowland.  Progressland, presented by General Electric, also featured some of the newest household inventions, again looking at you Innoventions. 

 Walt had the idea for Epcot, which he described as an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow that "will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of American industry."  He also indicated it would be a "community of the future" that would never be completed, but always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems.  Walt also wanted Epcot to be a showcase to the world for ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise. 

It can also be argued that Epcot is a permanent World's Fair.  It is a showcase of what is to come and lets guests experience the best of the most recent technology.  If we look at it this way, there is no reason why attractions based on IPs could not encompass this.  For instance, if we look outside of Epcot and over at Animal Kingdom, Flight of Passage has a unique ride system and relies on the newest technology.  The Na'vi River Journey contains the most advanced animatronic, and is arguably the most breathtaking even after having experienced it firsthand multiple times.  So, if the Imagineers can bring in new attractions with this in mind, why is it bad if the theme of the attraction is from a Disney movie?     

With what we've seen over the past 35 years, do you think Walt's vision has held up? What changes can be made that will still encompass Walt's ideas but reinvigorate a park that is in sore need of some change?  Let me know!

Melyssa and the Mouse: Epcot's Food & Wine Festival

With the first month of Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival coming to a close this weekend, let's take a look back at all the food and drinks that have been tasted and sampled since the August 31st kickoff, along with the Disney Parks Blog event I went to this week.

Along with an unprecedented length of the festival, the marketplaces have also expanded into Future World and there are things to see in the Festival Center and the Odyssey building.  There are also a few new marketplaces this year, the most interesting of which has to be the Light Lab located in Future World West.  Other new marketplaces include Flavors from Fire, Active Eats, Coastal Eats, and The Almond Orchard have premiered this year.  India and Spain have also made a return after a couple of years away.  With so much to eat and drink, and with more time to do it in, there's much to discuss. So let's jump right into it!

Glownut!

Bleu Spectrum

I want to start off with the Light Lab as this is the most unique area of the festival, combining senses of light, taste, touch, and smell.  In the little booklet, the only offerings listed are beverages; however, the most famed item out of this marketplace is the glownut- the donut that glows in the black-lit area.  It was a really good donut but nothing super special about it besides the fact that the light makes it glow.  I also tried the Bleu Spectrum- Blanc de Bleu Cuvee Mousseux with Boba Pearls, which was a light bubbly drink with flavored balls- a fun drink for a hot day.  I think the experience of this room is worth it, though I wish there was more to taste.

Moving into the rest of the outdoor marketplaces over in Future World West, we can take a peek at the new Flavors from Fire.  The Piggy Wings are the highly praise roasted pork wings with Korean BBQ sauce and sesame seeds.  They deserve the praise as they were fall of the bone tender and the twist of this not being traditional BBQ wings made the end taste wonderful!  I was also able to try the Sweet Pancake with spicy Chipotle-chicken sausage, onion jam, and maple-butter syrup, which was a combination of sweet and savory.  This was probably not one I would have sought out if it was not at the event, but it was a pleasant surprise with the mix of flavors.  If you like sweet and/or savory, you should definitely seek this out.  

Piggy Wings

Sweet Pancake

At Coastal Eats, the Baked Shrimp Scampi Dip served with sourdough baguette was my favorite fish dish so far, though the Lump Crab Cake with Napa cabbage slaw and avocado-lemongrass cream was also a good option, just nothing terribly new.  A light dessert from Active Eats was the Sweet Avocado Cream with strawberries, yellow cake, and tortilla streusel.  While this initially sounds weird because of the avocado, the end result was absolutely delightful- I could not even tell there was any avocado in it besides the light green color on top! Inside at the Odyssey Center, which holds the Craft Beers and Epcot Legacy Showplace marketplaces, you can find the Zesty Cheeseburger and Cheddar Cheese Macaroni Handwich.  this style of serving food in a cone has made a comeback this year and this dish did not disappoint. The mac and cheese portion of it was spectacular with just the right amount of creaminess and the cheeseburger portion was simply some meat tossed throughout.  Overall, an easy way to eat something delicious on the go!

Shrimp Scampi Dip & Lump Crab Cake

Sweet Avocado Cream

Cheeseburger Mac n Cheese

Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle and Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte

The Sweet Dark Chocolate Raspberry Torte with whipped cream and raspberry dust and the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle at the Chocolate Studio were two very different desserts, but both equally delicious.  The raspberry helps off-set the bitterness of the dark chocolate, leaving you with a blend of sweet and bitter that is pleasant but does leave you wanting a glass of cold milk.  The liquid nitro truffle is a fun new option, but be careful if you have cold sensitivity as this will definitely hit a nerve.  Personally, I enjoyed the torte much more.

At the Cheese Studio, you can find the Braised Beef "Stroganoff" with tiny egg noodles, wild mushroom, and boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese sauce. I was able to try this at the Parks Blog event, which was good as I could say I probably would have not sought this out and paid for it while on my way around the festival.  It was a pleasant surprise with very tender beef and a lovely sauce that was not too heavy.  I'm not sure how this would hold up if you were eating it out in the hot Florida sun, but it was a delectable dish overall.

Loaded Greek "Nachos"

Now let's head into World Showcase for more!  A stop at the Farm Fresh marketplace in the front of World Showcase will bring you to the Crispy Chicken with griddled cornbread and red eye gravy.  Again, I tried this at the event so this was delicious while sitting in the air conditioned room.  The chicken had a perfect skin on it and the cornbread was some of the best I've tried.  Also served here is Woodchuck Raspberry Hard Cider and the Two Henrys Elderberry Cream Hard Cider, both of which I highly endorse.  I don't typically enjoy beer and wine can give me a headache but ciders have become a nice replacement, particularly in the hot Florida weather- just be careful if you have to watch your sugars.  The Loaded Greek "Nachos" in Greece returns this year and did not disappoint- a perfect sharing size!  If you're hesitant about Thailand- try the Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake with cold noodle salad!  Over in India, the Madras Red Curry with roasted cauliflower, baby carrots, chickpeas, and basmati rice is a great vegetarian, gluten free option with a really nice kick in the spice department (and I like spicy food!).  The mango lassi non-alcoholic drink is a perfect compliment to the spiciness of the dish- so you should definitely pair them together.  Another great surprise was the Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake with Chocolate-Coconut Mousse, which was offered at the Parks Blog event, thankfully, because I would not have sought this out to pay for.  If you've ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, then this dessert is perfect- the pistachio flavor was not too overwhelming and the mousse in the center was a good compliment to the somewhat drier texture of the cake.  If you're looking for a good light dessert, and can handle nuts, then I would suggest this.  If you don't like pistachio in your sweets, then you can definitely pass on this.

Crispy Chicken

Seared Shrimp and Scallop Cake

Madras Red Curry and Mango Lassi

Pistachio Cardamom Bundt Cake

Moving onto the back part of the World Showcase, let's head into Italy, where the Crispy Calamari with spicy pomodoro sauce and the Spezzatino con Polenta: beef stew with parmesan creamy polenta are awaiting. The spicy sauce on the calamari is not as spicy as the curry in Indian, but if you want a little kick, this definitely has it.  The polenta was good, though may not be great on a hot Florida day- save it for post 4pm.  The McKenzie's Seasonal Reserve Hard Cider from West Seneca, NY was offered at the Parks Blog event, but can be found out in Block & Hans in The American Adventure, and instantly became my favorite cider with their black cherry flavor. I've tried apple cider, pear cider, pear and strawberry cider, and elderberry cider- but this black cherry was amazing- not too sweet as a pear cider and not as crisp as a typical apple cider. Also over in the American Adventure, the Hops & Barley marketplace has the favorite New England Lobster Roll and Freshly Baked Carrot Cake and Cream Cheese Icing- both of which are very good, though the cake drenched in icing was a bit much.  Over in Japan, the Salmon BLT Sushi Roll: Futomaki Roll with lettuce, cucumber, cabbage, and carrots topped with yuzu miso salmon, tomato, and bacon chips was a great option, though it was two very large pieces and was less like sushi than I would have preferred. It tasted amazing, but had a lot going on than typical sushi rolls I've tried before.  However, pairing it with the Pom Pineapple Sake Cocktail was a perfect treat. And finally, a returning favorite, the Belgium Waffle with Berry Compote and whipped cream is still a perfect sized treat!

Cripsy Calamari

McKenzie's Hard Cider

Carrot Cake with icing

New England Lobster Roll

Salmon BLT Sushi and Sake Cocktail

Belgium Waffle w/Berry compote

So what have you tried?  Did you have a favorite? What are you looking forward to trying?

Melyssa and the Mouse: Summer Adventures at the Museum with Joe Rohde

Recently I was able to enjoy a night at the Orlando Museum of Art and hear one of the most energetic and prolific Imagineers of our time- Mr. Joe Rohde.  The museum offered an amazing spread of not only food from Animal Kingdom, including many small versions of things that could be found in Satu'li Canteen, but also music from the park, including the soundtrack of Avatar, as well as the harpist who typically plays in Discovery Island across from Flame Tree BBQ.  There was a small exhibit where images from Joe's own sketchbooks were displayed, along with some artwork from around Animal Kingdom.  Take a look below for some of the pictures from the exhibit. 

Brought to you by A.C.E.

Prayer flags from Everest

A Pandorian plant and Moss Wall

Artwork influenced by Pandora

Prayer flags

A familiar looking sketch

Banshee type sculptures

Prototypes for bioluminescent plants

Refurbished materials into art!

But the real heart of the night lay in hearing Joe speak about Pandora and Animal Kingdom.  He had mentioned in a tweet that this would be an art history lecture, and let me tell you, that's exactly what this was.  Now, being an art history nerd (I mean I spent a month in Florence, Italy just taking 1 art history class for no credit) I can tell you this excited me- not only would I get to hear an art history lecture, it would relate to my favorite park in Walt Disney World and it was to be presented by the man for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration.  I will attempt to convey what his lecture was about and how it tied into the place that we know as Animal Kingdom!

So, to jump right into it as Joe did himself, we discuss the fact that the way a theme park is planned and constructed is intentional and has numerous influences in the past, so that most of what has been constructed is not anything new, per se, but perhaps only done in a new way to suit a new purpose. 

Claude Lorrain

Claude Lorrain

Kilimanjaro Safari

First- we look at composition and how the layout of an area or scene plays an essential part in artwork.  The artists playing a key role here are landscape architects, which draw some of their inspiration from artist Claude Lorrain.  Lorrain shows the gently rolling hills and broadness of the landscape- landscape as more than just background-something with purpose.  How does this tie into the park- just look at Kilimanjaro Safari and you can see that each slope and rock is placed in such a way as to be appealing to the eye whilst on a moving vehicle, but also functions in a way that ensures both animal and guest safety without obvious lines of viewer/viewee.  Often during the ride, vehicles are not seen by the one behind, or at least you may only see the 1 or 2 ahead of you- particularly if you are out on the savanna.  But again, the construction of the landscape has been shaped in such a way that the bend of the road helps hide the entire progress of the vehicles in front of yours.

And each aspect of this constructed landscape must be placed in such a way that it looks good not only to the vehicle that passes it on the left, but also the one that is passing it on the right and the entire way around.   This is where Charles Bridgman takes his part.  He made the Stowe Garden- an English landscape garden where the hills, valleys, and even the very trees were placed in such a way as to be appropriate to the design.  Creating places also means creating spaces, which leads to architecture, which has been called the highest form of art as it incorporates a multitude of different art forms into one- sculpture, color, design, movement in space- all come together to create something that is functional yet beautiful at the same time.  

Stowe Landscape Garden

When landscape artists build, particularly in Animal Kingdom, and create something out of nothing, we can look at no better beauty that Mt. Everest- home of Expedition Everest.  However, for many years, the mountain was a place that inspired fear and reverence.  It wasn't until the 1780's and Caspar David Friedrich where we begin having the mountain seen as a mountain of aspiration- representing an idea- a positive symbol of what we aspire to.   Everest is very much this invented idea, a crafted idea which stems from the Romantic era, the Picturesque era where the mountain can do more than just invoke terror of the unknown.  

Caspar David Friedrich

Expedition Everest

If we leave the mountain and start to look at the world around us, we see that currently there is much going on- which is no better time for artists to do what they do best- create!  We find this if we wonder into Africa in Animal Kingdom, as many of the fabricated artwork here is influenced by someone in particular who showed how to turn what some would consider junk into art.  The idea of things happening in a world of economic pressure, where the focus is on conservation, and where the Imagineers have filtered this world through a lens of brightness and deliberate design- this is Africa in Animal Kingdom and the filter is Robert Rauschenberg.  His work of combining elements of refuse and making art out of these elements inspired many corners of Africa, from the posters hanging on the walls to the bicycle wheels that adorn the light posts.  Take a look in Tiffins and you will see a Rauschenberg inspired piece hanging on the wall- while it may seem odd to have this canvas covered in wires hanging in a signature restaraunt, it demonstrates the influence of this artist on an entire land in the park. 

Rauschenberg assemblage art

Rauschenberg combines

Artwork inside Tiffins

Another influencer in the upcycling of materials into art is that of El Anatsui.  We may love the new lion marquee outside of the Lion King theater, but we would not have this without El Anatsui's influence.  Here, in Harambe, we see that trash can become more valuable than trash and there is a culture- both fabricated in the park and reflective of real life- where the useless becomes useful and art can be made from anything. 

Artwork made from bottle caps

Festival of the Lion King Theater

Hubert Robert ruins

Now, while we discuss how trash and useless things can be turned into new things, we must also acknowledge that the park is replete with many things that look old.  And, while it's a very cool aesthetic to have old things in the park, sometimes ruins and broken objects can seem very depressing and sad.  Where does one turn to and find that ruination can be crafted to not be depressing and just crumbling facades? Hubert Robert painted many ruins where the feeling of broken but beautiful is clearly demonstrated in the crumbling buildings in his paintings. The imagineers then bring in this idea and show that there is the power of nature absorbing human effort, but still remaining beautiful and giving us a documentarian look at what has happened but through an aesthetic filter.

Now we go into the story behind the things we view- the story that every object that is placed has to tell the viewer if one only looks carefully.  This allows the imagineer to make art by following the rules of art, yet provide just a touch more for those who will view this art while waiting on line to experience an attraction or sitting to eat a meal.  We look to William Gilpin to see that things can be edifying to look at- that they are not just objects- that they are purposeful, beautiful, and intentional.  We also turn to Thomas Cole to see that landscape can be meant to say things- to speak to the viewer.  Cole's work offers landscapes that are imbued with spiritual messages- conveyed by light- and are meant to truly mean things.  And finally we look to Fredric Edwin Church to show us the vastness of a painting and what experiencing this size and scale can do to a viewer.  Church's paintings were often displayed in a theater and were typically shown one at a time as they were so large- thus awing the audience with both size and detail all at once.  The message culminates to: Slow down, take your time, and you will be rewarded with the details in inspection.  This leads us to Pandora.

Cole landscape with light

Gilpin

Church worked large

Our lead imagineer, the one who spent 6 years from concept to opening day, told us that Pandora is the most artificial and profoundly plastic landscape.  While this gave everyone a good chuckle, it's also very accurate.  There is little on Pandora (from the film) that would be recognizable to a human.  So how do you take this insanely mythical place and create a space for people to walk around and truly feel as if they have been transported to such a space without alienating them with all fake objects surrounding them? The first thing that they did was find an object to instill awe into the viewer and create a space where vastness and small detail play hand in hand.  The center of this space is the floating mountains. 

Floating Mountains (picture Melyssa Tedone)

The floating mountains were constructed out of steel and concrete, two materials that do not exactly exude the feel of weightlessness and airiness.   How does one achieve such feelings from such heavy and weighty materials?  We don't need to look anywhere but to the Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini.  He created my favorite David and, as you can see from the images, turned marble into cloth and imbued the muscles with movement and poise.  

David by Bernini

The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa by Bernini

The additional inspiration for the floating mountains can be found in places where one is meant to look up and draw inspiration from the beauty- churches- in particular the Gothic style of church.  The Gothic style celebrates light and bringing in the "light of God" into a physical space but drawing the eye up towards the heavens by use of columns.  In order to draw the eye up, ribbed columns were implemented, which are lighter and thinner than the heaviness of the Romanesque bulky columns as the flying buttresses on the outside of the churches alleviated the need for the internal columns to be weight bearing and could now achieve that light, airy feel.  Additionally, these churches let in as much light as possible via stained glass windows and even an oculus near the altar of the church.  

Gothic Fluted Columns

Oculus Parthenon Rome

photo by Peter Tedone

Vatican Oculus

photo by Peter Tedone

Piranesi's Imaginary Prisons

Gaulli, church of Il Gesu, Rome

The play of light and shadow is also a key element when your "church" is outside.  Here, the mountains are influenced by Giovanni Battista Gaulli, who showed that the eye can be tricked to see what it believes is there and not necessarily what is actually there.  Also, Piranesi has a heavy influence in the combination of light and shadow and the details going on even to the most remote corner of the piece.  So we see through the combination of light and shadow, as well as leading the eye towards the heavens, the floating mountains are sublime- instilling awe and a safe fear in the viewer.

Bristol Cathedral

Another place where these themes come together, where the guest is able to have a moment of epiphany, celebration, where everything turns good, is during the Flight of Passage attraction.  If you have not been on this attraction, I will not spoil it but will try to be as specific and vague as possible.  There is one moment during the thrill of the attraction where the pace is slowed and the viewer is able to breathe and have this moment of amaze.  And the influence for the design of this space is clearly the Gothic style church.  Now, I do not have the exact name of the church that influenced the attraction (Joe's picture was spot on) but here is a type of Gothic church where you can how the influence was translated into the attraction.  The columns are a very similar design to the area in the attraction where there is the pause.  So, just as patrons back in the High and Late Middle Ages were invited into the church to pause at the beauty of the Lord, so is the guest invited to pause and absorb the beauty around them during this portion of the attraction.  

Before heading out of Flight of Passage, we need to take a look at the queue for this attraction- easily one of the most magnificent and memorable queues in quite some time for Walt Disney World.  Here, when guests enter the floating mountains, they are surrounded by a most primitive form of art- cave paintings.  Now, the influence here is clear if you open most art history books (and look at the pictures below) but the imagineers were able to do what the men of the caves could not- they were able to ensure that the layout of the cave rock provided the shape they needed so they could, oh I don't know, say paint a huge banshee to encompass 3/4 of a wall.  

Australian cave painting

Lascaux, France

Hand prints

Flight of Passage queue

photo by Peter Tedone

Flight of Passage queue

photo by Peter Tedone

Flight of Passage queue

photo by Peter Tedone

It should also be noted how the braided sculptures seen throughout the land were not fabricated on what was seen, but actually made by people adept at this weaving tradition.  The Javi textile artists (I'm unsure of the spelling but this is how he pronounced it) were the ones who actually wove the pieces you see throughout Pandora.  As Joe said, why should they recreate the wheel when these artists have been doing it for so long?  Just take a look at the detail in the pictures and you can see, there is just no comparison to true artistry at work.

Banshee braided sculpture

photo by Peter Tedone

More braided sculpture

photo by Peter Tedone

River Shaman braided sculpture

photo by Peter Tedone

We cannot mention Pandora without considering how this place takes the ideas of conservation and nature and presenting them to the viewer in a softened way.  Again, we see the decay of the "great works of man" and the reclaiming of these objects by the force that is nature; however, we are not depressed by this reclaiming.  In Pandora, the artists have filtered this process which could be depressing under the lens of Hubert Robert and Theodore Rousseau and romanticism, as discussed above, and are now showing that the "fantastically aggressive works of man" are succumbing to the forces of nature.

And finally, we cannot leave Pandora without talking about the nighttime spectacular that is the bioluminescence and the influence for some of these plants.  We see the influence of Dale Chihuly in his glass sculpture in the giant plants that grace the night. 

Chihuly sculpture

Chihuly piece in OMOA

Pandora at night

photo by Peter Tedone

Pandora at night

photo by Peter Tedone

To close the lecture, Joe discussed how John Ruskin, in his book The Stones of Venice (1851), indicated how it was inevitable that we, as people, pursue our future to living in cities.  We have seen that this migration towards cities has been the trend since Ruskin's time.   Now, we must look at how these cities are developed and maintained as, particularly for older cities, they were not developed with the idea of beauty and  meaning.  While cities must tackle the difficulty of containing the density of the population, they could also be places of narrative, meaning, beauty, symbolism, and safety.  The ideas that have been placed in the theme parks, where they are both a functioning place for a massive audience, as well as a place that offers beauty and form, must be now utilized to make our outside world just as pleasant a place to be as the theme parks we come to in order to escape real life are.  And on that note, my friends, is where Joe ended, and so shall I.  

Melyssa and the Mouse at Paddlefish!

Another Melyssa and the Mouse food review featuring Paddlefish in Disney Springs.  If you’re not familiar, this is the restaurant that has replaced Fulton’s Crabhouse and is in the newly renovated paddleboat sitting in the water between the Landing and the Marketplace.  While this restaurant has been open for at least 4 to 5 months, I was only recently able to get there to try the newest seafood place in Walt Disney World.  Here’s how I found it.

To start out, I was able to sample the crab cake, featuring maque choux, fried green tomato, and remoulade ($17); fried calamari with shishito peppers and peppadew piri piri ($16); and lobster corn dogs with sweet chili aioli ($16).  The crab cake was densely packed with crab and sat on a bed of corn maque choux.  And, even though there was so much crab, it did not have a “fishy” taste often associated with seafood.  The sauce was a perfect complement to the crab without overpowering the taste.  The calamari was fried perfectly with the crispy outside staying on perfectly as I pierced a piece with the fork.  The sauce was almost like a sweet and sour sauce with a slight kick from the peppers- a nice twist on the traditional marinara sauce.  Finally, the lobster corn dogs were a good sized portion for an appetizer and again were fried perfectly.  The sauce was not too spicy and the slaw it was served with helped balance the entire plate.

Fried Calamari

Crab Cake

Lobster Corn Dogs

For entrees, I had the Shrimp and Grits, with cheddar grits and spicy black pepper-butter sauce ($30) and Pete tried the Hawaiian Opah, though for this day the Opah was replaced with a Mahi Mahi fish, which was encrusted with a macadamia nut crust, served with red curry and crab fried rice ($38).  The shrimp and grits was served with the black pepper-butter sauce, which was not very spicy to me.  The grits were creamy with a polenta type consistency, or mashed potatoes that haven’t been completely mashed, and were appropriately flavored so they weren’t bland.  It was a decent size with plenty of grits, though there were only 5 shrimps.  The Hawaiian fish dish was also a decent sized piece of fish over a large portion of the crab fried rice.  The crust was light, without overpowering the fish, but adding a nice light crunch to the dish.  The curry was not too spicy either.  We also got the mac and cheese ($15) side dish that was meant to share- and it was a huge portion that more than 2 people could definitely enjoy.  It was a lighter mac and cheese than say the creamy comfort style down at Homecoming, but it was still excellent and cheesy.  

Shrimp and Grits

Mac and Cheese

Hawaiian Mahi Mahi

Overall, this was a good meal but nothing memorable.  The service was good, if a touch slow for the beginning of dinnertime.  While I love seafood, I don’t feel this place offers dishes that amaze to justify the cost.  At least Fulton’s had a few unique dishes that seemed to make paying over $50 for a meal per person worth it.  Unfortunately, I was not impressed by this place.  I do think the appetizers were interesting, so maybe the lounge might be worth checking out.  There are also many other places on property that I feel are much more worth the price because the food leaves me in awe.  

How about you- have you tried Paddlefish yet?  What is your take on the food?