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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 |
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It’s fun when a theme park restaurant has a view into an attraction. Just think of Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland, with a late twilight view of the bayou, boats, and fireflies of Pirates of Caribbean. Or how about The Land Grill at Epcot, the revolving restaurant above Living With the Land, where “even the hooves of the mighty buffalo helped create the rich soil that would one day become home to the American farm”? |
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Yester Studios has its own restaurant with a view into an attraction. It’s Studio Catering Co., with a perfect view of the jumbo Super Soaker, giant blades of grass, and other mega-props of “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Lunch by the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Mermaid Fountain at Backstage Plaza, with Studio Catering Co. in the background |
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Actually, diners here have a view of a second attraction—although it’s a minor one that’s not listed as an attraction. It’s the Mermaid Fountain from Splash, the hit 1984 fantasy-comedy starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, and directed by Ron Howard. It was the first movie released under Disney’s new Touchstone Pictures banner. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2006 A closer look at the Mermaid Fountain |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2006 About the Mermaid Fountain |
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Ready for lunch? Then step up to the counter and place your order. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2011 Friendly cast members |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Order at a podium |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 What looks good to you? |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 May the Force be with your lunch |
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How about a Chewbacca souvenir stein with a fountain beverage? Or a BB-8 lemon cupcake with vanilla buttercream? Or a Darth Vader chocolate peanut butter cupcake? What’s with all the Star Wars here? Could it be a sign of things to come? |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Pickup at the counter |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Condiments and packets of various things |
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There are beverages available at the food counter—the usual Coca-Cola products and a limited selection of beer and wine—but there are far more beverage choices just around the corner at High Octane Refreshments. How about a slushy tropical rum drink? Or a bright blue vodka concoction? Or a more interesting beer? |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Just around the corner |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Drink line |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Fancy drinks |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Additional taps |
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Grab a table in the large seating area. As a themed dining experience, this one is somewhat lacking. It’s supposed to feel like a real Hollywood movie studio, and such studios tend to be industrial, not glamorous. So there’s some validity to the industrial atmosphere. But there’s not much effort to make guests feel they’re in a place where movies are made. Having generic “Disney Parks” paper plates doesn’t help. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Sitting under an industrial roof, with electric fans to provide some relief from the heat |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 “Please empty me” |
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When you’re finished with your meal, you can tidy your table so someone else can use it—if the trash receptacle has enough room. |
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Studio Catering Co. and Disney-MGM Studios shared the same opening date: May 1, 1989. The new eatery served guests of the new park’s two-part, two-hour Backstage Studio Tour. The first part of the tour used a tram. The second part involved walking, standing, and sitting. The transition between those two parts was at Backstage Plaza, where guests could stretch their legs, use a restroom, see the Splash fountain—and stop at Studio Catering Co. to order sandwiches, fresh fruit and cheese plates, ice cream novelties, and beverages. The park changed. Soon, guests could walk to the Studio Catering Co. from other parts of the park. The tour was split into two separate, shorter tours. Studio Catering Co. was no longer considered a stop on the tour. “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” Movie Set Adventure, a play area, opened on December 17, 1990. |
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Photo by Werner Weiss, 2016 Streets of America gone, except for a small part that became Grand Avenue |
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Studio Catering Co. closed permanently April 2, 2016. The space was needed for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Disney California Adventure has its own Studio Catering Co. It’s a food truck. |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2008 Studio Catering Co. in California, as it looked in 2008 |
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Photo by Allen Huffman, 2008 2008 menu at Studio Catering Co. in California |
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© 2017-2021 Werner Weiss — Disclaimers, Copyright, and Trademarks Updated March 12, 2021 |
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