The Best Restaurant in the World Is: Disney's Epcot Theme Park

Caity Weaver

04/30/15 11:10AM

Filed to: the best restaurant in the world

For the past year, Rich Juzwiak and Caity Weaver have scoured New York in search of the city’s greatest restaurant. This spring, the authors expanded their quest into a global hunt: the search for the Best Restaurant in the World. Due to time and budget constraints, it was determined that the most efficient method to travel the world would be via the World Showcase in Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park, where 11 distinct nations are represented by themed architecture, shops, costumes, and restaurants. The authors would spend four full days in Epcot, taking one meal in each of the 11 countries represented, plus surrendering a disastrous afternoon to a marathon drinking challenge. In between meals, they would explore the park itself.

Day 1

The Best Meal in the World is: Breakfast in Norway

The Best Ride in the World is: Living With the Land

The Best Ride in the World is: The Circle of Life

The Best Ride in the World is: Captain EO Starring Michael Jackson

The Best Meal in the World is: Lunch in Mexico

The Best Ride in the World is: Spaceship Earth

The Best Ride in the World is: Mission: SPACE

The Best Meal in the World is: Dinner in Canada

Day 2

The Best Meal in the World is: Breakfast in China

The Best Ride in the World is: Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®

The Best Meal in the World is: Lunch in Italy

The Best Ride in the World is: The Seas with Nemo & Friends®

The Best Ride in the World is: Journey Into Imagination with Figment

The Best Meal in the World is: Dinner in Morocco

Day 3

The Best Meal in the World is: Breakfast in the UK

The Best Ride in the World is: Soarin’®

The Best Ride in the World is: Innoventions

The Best Meal in the World is: Lunch in Germany

The Best Meal in the World is: Dinner in Japan

The Best Spectacle in the World is: IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth

Day 4

The Best Ride in the World is: Ellen’s Energy Adventure

The Best Meal in the World is: Lunch in France

Shot, Sake, Margarita, Slush: Drinking Around the World

The Best Meal in the World is: Dinner in America

Images by Jim Cooke and Adam Pash / GIF by Bobby Finger / Photos via AP, Getty, Rich Juzwiak

23

Brian Williams dreams of cat gifs Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:33AM

Wait.. you didn’t go on the “thrilling” ride in Canada where you stand like a bunch of idiots in a circle and watch a film about Canada narrated by Martin Short?

And you didn’t go to the place where you just sit and drink tiny cups of soda from around the world and get your feet stuck to the floor from all the spilled soda? That was one of my favorite parts. Beverly is disgusting!

22

Caity Weaver Brian Williams dreams of cat gifs 04/30/15 11:53AM

We actually DID do both of those things. But it was already 40,000 words. This was in fact the second time this year I had drunk tiny cups of soda from around the world; I also went to the Coca Cola museum in Atlanta a few months ago.

3

Brian Williams dreams of cat gifs Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:56AM

Your opinion of Beverly?

47

Caity Weaver Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:37AM

MANY PEOPLE or one or two ARE NO DOUBT WONDERING: “Caity and Rich—were you able to employ the famous Epcot Maneuver, by which a person is permitted to enter the park for free provided he or she has a reservation at one of the World Showcase restaurants?”

The answer is: No. But I did ask. The woman at the ticket counter talked to me like I was crazy. (Guess she didn’t know about the rule!!!) So basically, we paid about $800 total just to be able to get to the restaurants once we were already at the park gates.

25

Rich Juzwiak Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:39AM

I’m not one to say, “I told you so.”

Just kidding. I am totally one to say that.

6

iElvis Found Trump's Tax Returns Too Late to Save Gawker Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:48AM

Caity, this rumor may have grown out of an actual fact: If you have a reservation at Club 33 in Disneyland, you will indeed get into the park for free. But you have to be a member of the Club, which has something like a 20-year waiting list, or be the guest of a member.

In event you want to come out here and try it, the food at Club 33 isn’t bad.

2

Flahda Caity Weaver 04/30/15 12:12PM

I remember that being the norm but no longer, brethren and sistern — you have to pay to get past the gates, dinner reservations or no.

4

echo125488 Caity Weaver 04/30/15 01:14PM

No, you can’t get in free, but you can get in early. Say Epcot opens at 9am, and your Norway breakfast reservation is at 8am... Boom. you are in the park before it opens.

26

JJtheTexan Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:21AM

Caity, you are one of my favorite writers. I will make time to read this entire series soon.

Just curious (and forgive me if I missed it / haven’t read to it yet), did Gawker foot the bill for this trip, or did Disney comp everything? And if you convinced Max to pay for a four-day trip to Disney World, while you were on the clock, I salute you.

108

Caity Weaver JJtheTexan 04/30/15 11:27AM

Gawker paid for it! Technically right now I paid for a lot of it, because I haven’t turned in my expense reports. (IS IT TOO LATE TO DO THAT, GREG?) But after I submit them, Gawker will have paid for it (dearly, I might add). Disney paid for absolutely nothing and had no idea we were there.

Edited to add: My mom also paid for some of it! She used our family’s timeshare points (which she paid for, but they were going to expire) to put us in a Disney resort. We stayed in A TREE HOUSE.

35

Beejag Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:17AM

I religiously go to Disney on an almost yearly basis with my girlfriend, and a large part of our enjoyment of the parks is the outstanding food, especially at Epcot. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of the free-dining promotions, it can be a blast wandering through the park in search of new places to try.

The quality of their stuff is so far removed from other theme parks or even most restaurants, it’s kind of mind blowing.

68

Caity Weaver Beejag 04/30/15 11:19AM

“FREE DINING PROMOTIONS”????

6

Beejag Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:21AM

My body was not ready, and still to this day, has not recovered.

8

Richard Tingley Caity Weaver 04/30/15 11:40AM

Well.....like most things “free” is never really free. You will get a free dining plan (which one will depend on your resort level) after you purchase a travel package including room and tickets at full price. Sometimes free dining is the best promotion. Quite often it is not.