Pinnochio's Village Haus
Magic Kingdom
Dinner
Date of Visit: 11/10/2007
Time of Visit: 17:15
Adults in Party: 2
Children in Party: 1
Total Cost: $26.14
Average Price Per Adult: $10.83
Ten Point Scale
Food: 9.0
Value: 9.0
Service: 8.5
Environment: 8.8
Overall Rating: 8.8
Centrally sitatuated in Fantasyland, the Pinocchio Village Haus should be busy all the time. Perhaps because it's tucked away slightly to the north, though still central to the land, it escapes some attention. Clearly the normal meal hours get busy here, but we always somehow manage to find a table. It helps that there are so many! (don't miss the fun of upstairs tables too).

The child's mac and cheese ($4.50) was not only merely 'standard', it was overcooked, slightly cold, half congealed, and with an uninspired cheese flavor - a poor execution on an easy dish. Were it not for this dish, the restaurant's food score would be even higher. Because truly the rest was outstanding. The famous Figaro fries ($3) consists of an odd mixture that tastes exactly like its constituent ingredients: fries, lettuce, nacho cheese, real bacon crumbles, tomato dices, and ranch dressing. It was surprisingly well mixed all the way down the dish, though the tomatoes were up top, so one could remove them if desired.

The real stars, though, were the sandwiches. The turkey panini ($7) came with chips, but would be a better bargain if you requested it without any chips. Standard quality deli meat, swiss, bacon, roasted red peppers, and some spices on a healthy nutty bread. It was not as grilled on the outside as you'd imagine. And the standout was the cheesesteak ($5 without chips), a superb price for an outrageously flavorful sub sandwich. This was a complete surprise to find in a theme park. The meat was good (on the premium side, though not totally), and the onions just right, but it was the greasy, drippy sauce which made this sandwich so good. American cheese is used as the primary cheese, though, so expect some variation on the usual. The bread was immense and soft.

This restaurant has an understandable, though annoying, habit of closing down some of its many registers during the non-peak hours. The result is an almost constant state of small to medium lines for the patrons. This probably maximizes money for the restaurant while minimizing labor, but it's a touch customer-unfriendly.

The many indoor tables offer mild theming on the walls, and some tables overlook the loading zone of It's a Small World. But what's nice here is the respite from the weather outside (be it too hot or too cold out there, it's just right in here) and one never feels rushed to leave the table, since there are so many other places for people to dine.