Dining Review: Walt’s – An American Restaurant at Disneyland Paris
A trip to Disneyland Paris doesn’t just have to be about enjoying the attractions, shows and meeting the characters; a lot of guests enjoy the various dining options available inside and around the theme parks. Today I’d like to share a short review of Walt’s – An American Restaurant.
Location
Located within Disneyland Park along Main Street U.S.A.; Walt’s – An American Restaurant boasts probably one of the unique views you might ever experience at a Disney park. Why? Because the restaurant is located upstairs on Main Street U.S.A. If you are seated beside one of the many windows, you can enjoy a birds eye view of the bustling turn-of-the-century street and might even catch the parade passing by (like I did). How’s that for a view from my table?
Theming
The restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine with European influences and is comprised of six rooms, each of which are themed to one of the different lands (and sub-lands) within Disneyland Park. Rooms include Fantasyland, Adventureland, Discoveryland, Frontierland, the Grand Canyon and the Disneyland Hotel. Some of the dishes on the menu (further below) were inspired by some of Walt Disney’s favourite dishes, which any Disney fan would find pretty cool. Pineapple coleslaw anyone?
As you enter the restaurant from Main Street U.S.A; you are transported into a grand lobby where you’ll find framed images of some of Walt Disney’s finest achievements. If you have ever dined at the Carthay Circle Restaurant & Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park, the decor and photography in this area is similar.
Views
This was my view looking down the other side of Main Street U.S.A. back towards the park entrance.
The Menu
The menu at Walt’s is quite extensive. You can either choose a variety of dishes “a la carte” or opt for one of the prix-fine “Walt’s, “Signature” or “Premium” menus which offer multiple courses for a set price. As you would expect, the restaurant is one of the finest table-service locations on property, so the prices are comparable to a top restaurant.
One issue I faced was liking the sound of different dishes on each of the menus, and it isn’t possible to mix and match if you are going to opt for the prix-fine options. In the end I went with the 3-course option from the Walt’s menu, which cost €49.99, excluding drinks and gratuity.
My Meal
Starter: Smoked duck breast, pineapple coleslaw and whole-grain mustard.
Flashback to a few years ago and I would only eat crispy duck and that was it. Only when I was flying to LA one day in Business Class was I encouraged to try smoked duck as a starter and I loved it.
The coleslaw was presented like a little tower and there were hidden pieces of pineapple inside which made it deliciously refreshing. Again, I’m not a huge slaw fan, but the pineapple made it for me.
Entree: Free-range Label Rouge chicken breast, Thanksgiving stuffing, sweet potato mash and gravy.
It might not look much, but this was actually quite filling. A large chicken breast with the stuffing inside, sweet potato mash and a couple of roasted mushrooms was very tasty.
I always say it isn’t about the quantity, but quality. Don’t you agree?
Dessert: Homestyle Apple Crumble which was absolutely delicious.
I could instantly tell how fresh this dessert was. The apples were cooked to perfection, and there was the perfect ratio of fruit to the crumble topping.
The vanilla ice cream was also the perfect accompaniment. The portion size was not too big, nor too small. Just right.
Overall Thoughts
It may have been pricey (especially when you add a soft-drink and half a glass of Wine), but I thoroughly enjoyed my dining experience at Walt’s – An American Restaurant. I’m annoyed that the photographs I took of the restaurant didn’t come out very well (hence why they are omitted from this review), but I am hopeful to return in the future so I can actually focus on the photos of the beautiful restaurant itself rather than the food.
I’d say a visit is perfect if you want to enjoy a delicious meal at Disney on your own, with friends, a loved one or the entire family. For a special occasion I’d say it’s the perfect restaurant at Disneyland Paris.
The service was attentive and I couldn’t really fault anything other than my photography skills. One of the best things was seeing “Disney Stars on Parade” pass by. It was a blistering hot day in June, therefore to watch the parade from a lovely air-conditioned surrounding made me feel like I was a VIP. “Envie de magie!”
Walt’s is a very popular restaurant therefore reservations are strongly recommended. These can be made up to two months before your visit by calling the Disneyland Paris dining reservations department on +33 160 30 40 50, or via the guest services desk if you are staying at a Disneyland Paris owned and operated hotel.
Park admission into Disneyland Park is required and the restaurant is open seasonally for lunch and dinner, during park opening hours of course.
Nice review! Wish we would have known about this place a few years ago when we were at DL Paris as I would have like to try it!