Tuesday, July 9, 2013

REPLACING TRAVEL DILEMMAS WITH TRAVEL OPPORTUNITIES:  Here's a list worth coming out of retirement for:  the 22 best amusement park restaurants in America.  #1 on the list is Boma, which is not only the best amusement park restaurant I've ever been to, but one of my favorite restaurants, period.  Going through the list really underscores how one's life changes upon procreation. #4, the Brown Derby at Disney Studios, is where two-year-old Cosmo Girl face-planted onto the table for an epic nap, permitting Mr. Cosmo and myself a relaxing two-hour lunch. #15, the SciFi Dine-In Theater, is where Cosmo Boy threw up in the back of a convertible after barely surviving the Tower of Terror. #16, Graeter's Ice Cream at King's Island, isn't a place I have visited personally, but a friend sent us a 12-pack of Graeter's when Cosmo Boy got his tonsils out.  (Cosmo Boy got the Breyer's.  Mr. Cosmo and I kept the Graeter's for ourselves. Yum.)

Anything missing from the list?

19 comments:

  1. Does Boma count, since it's not in a theme park proper, but rather in a theme-park adjacent hotel? (It and Jiko are both great.)

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  2. Eric J.11:25 AM

    In fact all of the Epcot inclusions seem a bit like cheating.

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  3. The Epcot ones are in the park, at least.

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  4. Roger2:26 PM

    To me, the *private club* (Club 33) seems like the biggest cheat.

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  5. Jordan2:32 PM

    651. Buzz Lightyear's Pizza Planet, Disney's Magic Kingdom, Orlando, Florida-After eating here, you won't want to eat anything else during your vacation. Or be physically able to.

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  6. Marsha2:54 PM

    The only one of these that I have ever been to--and am likely ever to go to--is Nathan's, which is much more amusement-park-adjacent than amusement-park-restaurant. Delicious, to be sure, but cheating.

    I have, however, had Graeter's, courtesy of an Ohioan friend in Chicago who gets it for her annual ice cream social. It is, indeed, yum.

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  7. lisased3:38 PM

    We are big fans of the macaroni and cheese at the Rose and Crown in Epcot.

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  8. I also think we have a title for Kim's memoir/tour book--"Places CosmoBoy Threw Up."

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  9. I'm glad to see Das Festhaus on the list -- it's a must when you're looking for a nice cool lunch (and perhaps some beer and pretzels and oompah music) partway through Busch Gardens. I love Jiko, but haven't yet been to Boma. I also enjoy the sci-fi drive-in place. If we're counting park-adjacent restaurants at the Disney hotels, I'm surprised not to see Victoria & Albert's, which by all accounts is phenomenal (and phenomenally expensive).

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  10. KCosmo4:29 PM

    Oh dear Lord yes. It's not as bad as it used to be, but yes.

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  11. Christy in Philly4:52 PM

    I ate at Phoenix Junction at Knoebel's two weeks ago and it was as good as ever. Been going there for nearly 25 years. Their pierogies are awesome. Calling it a restaurant seems like a stretch though. It's counter service, not a restaurant! About the same stretch as my calling the giant sundae from The Old Mill I ate that night "dinner."

    To any Philly folks who have never been to Knoebel's, it's worth the drive. Best wooden roller coaster anywhere (the Phoenix). You can buy tickets instead of a crazy expensive wrist band, which is great if you have a little one who is too young to go on most things or a grown up who doesn't do rides. Carousel where you can catch the brass ring (my mom caught it the last time she was on it- you win a free ride). The food is great. There's also camping for those who are in to that kind of thing.

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  12. bristlesage4:59 PM

    Knott's Chicken Dinner! A solid inclusion. Much Knott's Berry Farm itself, it is better than you expect it to be. Man, a lot of fond memories.

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  13. KCosmo5:02 PM

    Also, next time you ride the Tower of Terror, please note the gratings on the floor. They're there for a reason, and they really work.

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  14. Jenn.5:18 PM

    Nice to see a KCosmo post!

    I've been to the Three Broomsticks and the French place at Epcot. Both were good options, we thought. I was actually pretty impressed by the Three Broomsticks---you could actually get a pretty decent meal for a family of four at a (fairly) reasonable price. Also, Butterbeer.

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  15. Adam B.5:49 PM

    It's a total cheat. If you don't have to pay admission to get into the area where the thing is, it doesn't seem to meet the category. But, damn, I have such fond memories of the original Nathan's (and those crinkle-cut fries.)

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  16. Marsha6:06 PM

    Me too. My dad used to take me there - and I always did like the fried better than the hot dogs. My dad worked there in the summers in high school, and he never ate another hot dog after that. Couldn't resist the fries, though...

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  17. isaac_spaceman6:48 PM

    They have those on the escalators at the BART stations too. Same reasons, mostly.

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  18. I was unlikely to ever ride Tower of Terror. I believe this information solidifies my decision not to.

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  19. Adam C.5:19 PM

    Sorry to be late on this one (and I'm guessing no one is still checking the comments) but I have to weigh in on the Sharks Underwater Grill at Sea World Orlando. I mean, have these people not SEEN Jaws 3D?

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