Walt Disney World’s 55th Anniversary is coming up on October 1, 2026. We’ve talked about the rides and attractions that were available on opening day. But what about the restaurants?
Magic Kingdom has gone through a lot of changes but many of the restaurants have been around for 55 years, with some changes, of course. Let’s take a look at Walt Disney World, land by land.
By the way, the beautiful restaurant photos below are from the website, DVC Rental Shop. This is an excellent resource for finding articles about Walt Disney World vacations and DVC rentals (deluxe resort rooms) for prices far below the published prices on the Walt Disney World website. I especially like their easy-to-use resort and availability search feature. Check them out!
Adventureland
Have you been to Sunshine Tree Terrace? Did you know it was an opening day snack stand? It was sponsored at the time by Florida Citrus Growers. It had the mascot, “Orange Bird.” They served orange juice, grapefruit juice and the signature treat, “Citrus Swirl,” vanilla ice cream swirled with frozen orange juice (made with real, fresh Florida oranges). It costed 25 cents. A version of that treat is still available today, but now it uses Orange Dole Whip and is $5.79, and the juice is gone — replaced by orange-flavored soda.
Where Skipper Canteen is today used to be the home of the Adventureland Veranda. It was a counter service restaurant with Polynesian decor that served hot sandwiches and fried chicken until 1977. From this vantage point, you could watch the swan boats sail by.
It then became sponsored by Kikkoman (soy sauce) and started serving burgers topped with pineapple and teriyaki sauce and sweet and sour hot dogs. It closed in 1994 and is now the location for Skipper Canteen.
Frontierland
Pecos Bill, a large quick service restaurant, was open in Frontierland on opening day. Like today, it served burgers and fries. It also served Mexican-style foods and Fritos corn chips, which was a corporate sponsor.
Liberty Square
If you visited Liberty Square today, you would find many of the same restaurants as on opening day on October 1, 1971. Then, as now, Liberty Tree Tavern was a sit-down restaurant but back then, it served clam chowder for 50 cents, fried chicken, beef tenderloin and other quintessentially American dishes.
Columbia Harbor House has offered the clam chowder and the fried seafood trio for 55 years. But back in the day, the clam chowder was served in a sourdough bread bowl. Doesn’t that sound delicious?
Sleepy Hollow Refreshments was around in 1971, too, but it didn’t serve waffles — it served sandwiches.
Fantasyland
Pinocchio Village Haus is another quick service restaurant that has been around for 55 years, since opening day. Even though Pinocchio is an Italian fairy story, Walt Disney thought it would be better if the restaurant had a Bavarian design.
If you have a chance to enter the restaurant just before they close, you can really take in all the details that make this restaurant special. There are charming, original painted murals on the interior walls that depict scenes from the movie. In one small alcove, there is a book and Blue Fairy stained glass window. You are invited to write your wishes in the book.
Then, it served burgers, hot dogs and fries. But Cosmic Ray’s got into the burger business, so now Pinocchio’s serves Italian flat breads and chicken sandwiches.
Tomorrowland
On October 1, 1971, Tomorrowland wasn’t that developed. It was basically a stop for the Sky Rider and one ride, the Speedway motor cars. But it did have one enduring restaurant: the Lunching Pad.
In the 70s, the Lunching Pad served sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream, and for a while in the late 1970s, health food! But today, the lunching pad mainly serves hot dogs and Mickey pretzels.
Main Street, USA
Casey’s Corner started out as Refreshment Corner on October 1, 1971. The new name and all-American baseball theming was added in 1995. Disney had a long-standing corporate sponsorship with Coca Cola going back to the mid-1950s at Disneyland. Then, as now, it served hot dogs, chili, french fries and cold drinks. Randy Morris was there to play ragtime music on the piano on opening day.
The Crystal Palace is a character buffet restaurant today, but back on opening day, it was a “buffeteria” with an elegant, Victorian conservatory-style dining room that sold fried chicken and other hot dishes; no reservations required. A roast beef dinner costed $2.50. Swan boats sailed nearby in the moat around Cinderella’s Castle!
Swan Boat Photo credit: Lake Buena Vista Historical Society
Tony’s Town Square Restaurant served food on opening day — but back then, it was just called the Town Square Restaurant. The Lady and the Tramp theming was added in 1989 when the restaurant was remodeled.
On October 1, 1971, it had a menu of sandwiches and Chef’s Salads as it was sponsored by Oscar Meyer and Hormel. A very popular sandwich at both Disneyland and Disney World in 1971 was the Monte Cristo sandwich. It was $1.75 and a Coke to go with it was 25 cents! Here is the 1971 menu (click to enlarge; photo from Lake Buena Vista Historical Society).
If you haven’t tried a Monte Cristo sandwich before, it is a triple decker sandwich, like a club sandwich, made with ham, turkey and cheese, battered and fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It is served with a dipping side of strawberry preserves or strawberry preserves mixed with sour cream.
Wouldn’t it be fun to travel back in time to October 1, 1971 and go to Walt Disney World? Which restaurant would you pick?
