Famed Disney Character Orally ASSAULTED
By Dave Shute
Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.
EATING MICKEY MOUSE AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
By Jim Korkis
One of the most creative appearances at Walt Disney World of Mickey Mouse is not in the stage shows, parades, his own attraction, merchandise or even the countless Hidden Mickeys, but in multiple food offerings at the parks and resorts.
Certainly, Mickey Mouse’s three-circle head silhouette is one of the most recognizable shapes on the planet, and it appears in the form of everything from ice cream to pasta to vegetables to pancakes and much, much more. It all began with Mickey Mouse pancakes in Frontierland at Disneyland in 1955, expanded to Mickey Mouse ice cream bars, and has since grown into a lengthy menu.
At Walt Disney World, Mickey Mouse-shaped food can fill a breakfast, lunch or dinner, and several desserts.
Each year guests consume roughly three million Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, one million Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches, over 700,000 Mickey shaped pats of butter, and about 50,000 pounds of Mickey pasta.
(c) ABC
Walt Disney World Executive Chef Michael Pythoud said that the trend will continue and expand, but with some limitations. “The food is successful with the kids and adults but we don’t want to overfill how many food items are Mickey-shaped because if the guests see Mickey Mouse everywhere, it’s not as much fun or special anymore.”
Product Developer for Attractions Merchandise Sheila Hamblen said, “It just adds that extra touch to what we do. Guests love it when they see it.”
Chef de Cuisine Brian Piasecki feels the food is a major guest satisfier: “It’s really a kind of ‘wow’ factor or ‘look how cool that is’ kind of thing. It’s all about the guest and if we can adjust presentation or produce something fun with that Mickey-shape, it really enhances the guest experience, which is really what our job is. It definitely brings a smile to faces.
“At Epcot, we’ve done things like working with Horticulture to create a mold that grew cucumbers into a Mickey head-shape, and serving kids’ food on a Mickey-shaped plate.
“Even at Rose and Crown we’d pipe mashed potatoes into the form of a Mickey head onto the plate for the kids. Every opportunity that we can use to incorporate that Mickey shape into the food has really always been our practice.”
Among the many items that can be purchased across property include Mickey-shaped pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, waffles (most places also offer a gluten free version), sandwiches, birthday cake, Rice Krispies Treats, brownie, cookies, pretzels, cupcakes, sugar cubes, pizza, cinnamon roll, lollipop, funnel cake, candy apples, cake pops, donuts and even a Mickey Mousse as part of a dinner buffet.
In The Land pavilion, the Mickey head shape in the mold is extruded throughout the length of the growing cucumber, so that when the lumpy and odd-looking cucumber is sliced, each flat slice resembles Mickey Mouse’s head. That began in 2003. In addition, The Land has since produced Mickey Mouse head shaped pumpkins (starting in 2004 and some weighing up to 80 pounds) and watermelons.
Some of these items come in different varieties and it has been conservatively estimated that over sixty different Mickey food items are available at WDW. Long time Walt Disney World guests also know that if a Mickey-shaped treat is only offered on the children’s menu, an adult can still order and enjoy it.
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Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!
In the meantime, check out his books, including his new books Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.
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