CityWalk Expansion

[ynnoj]

Pretty psyched for Hot Dog HoF, simply because a good dog is such a rarity over here and I like baseball.

All of the new offerings look great, can't wait to try them out.

 

[Macfr3ak]

Man im just glad Moes and Panda are staying lol :look:

 

[grizzlybarely]

Okay, I have got to stop reading these comments on Facebook. I totally respect major Disney-focused outlets for posting the news, because it's big news. But it's just negative comment after negative comment from Disney fanboys and fangirls. They clearly didn't read the press release. Some people were absolutely livid at the fact that Disney news sources were posting Universal updates. Some were saying Universal is copying Disney because they are opening Disney Springs. I love both resorts, but man, some fans... I love you, Orlando United.

 

[MrRoamer]

Did anyone notice hot dog man in the image of Hot Dog Hall of Fame?

 

[grizzlybarely]

Did anyone notice hot dog man in the image of Hot Dog Hall of Fame?

Yeah, the franchise has three mascots. Wouldn't be surprised to see Molly Mustard near the mustard bar.

 

[jtsalien]

I'm disappointed that Cowfish is the specialty burger place they went with since I personally don't eat sushi. I was hoping that Bobby Flay's Burger Palace had a chance since he's such a name, but I wasn't expecting it. However, a good classic american burger joint would have been nice. I've always found Coldstone highly overrated. I will probably only really ever try Hot Dog Hall of Fame or Bread Box. I'l have to try and stop by whenever I'm in the area of HDHoF in PA.

 

[JBProdu]

Either Pranzos or Bread Box. Quick and quality pasta dishes and sandwiches are a must for me. Now if only they added a salad bar, my options would not be so limited.

 

[ralphoutloud]

This is all stuff Universal should've had years ago.

It's exciting that they're starting to realize the food possibilities. It's really dumb though to replace Latin Quarter with Antojitos. I can see making Pastamore this new Pranzo's spot but Latin Quarter was top to bottom the 2nd best restaurant in CityWalk in terms of food quality and "goodness" behind Emeril's.

Antojitos should've just been an addition, not a replacement, two different types of cuisine.

My only complaint is 2 of the additions are ice cream spots which seems unnecessary. I agree with Menchie's and the demand for Frozen Yogurt. Cold Stone is give or take but could've easily been a relevant dessert novelty shop instead of outdated overpriced average ice cream. They can easily build a hand-dipped ice cream kiosk in CW on the cheap.

They really need to get rid of the Whopper Bar/Moe's/Panda disaster of space. They're all poop. Replace it with a Chipotle/Pei Wei deal.

It does suck that the most exciting thing they're adding is another burger spot. I love the NBA and NBA city is cool, but that and Nascar have to go. They have pretty much the standard American fare you can find anywhere. HRC, Margaritaville and Gump should be the only "American" restaurants in CityWalk, everything else needs to be diverse.

I'm surprised they haven't added a gourmet Chinese or Japanese option it's literally a no-brainer and I hope one is coming. A gourmet Asian spot with a Noodle Bar would kill it.

What I'd like to see from Universal with the next expansion

• A full-service Asian restaurant (I.E. PF Chang's, Benihana or an original Asian spot with Noodle Bar with Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Korean influence), no brainer
• A replacement for BK/Moe/Panda in terms of more casual quick service places like Chipotle, Pei Wei, Panera, etc. I'd like to see them go for a quick-service cafeteria type deal like THIS in Los Angeles - http://www.figat7th.com/taste/
• A moderately priced steakhouse (I.E. Saddle Ranch or Texas Roadhouse or an Original). Most guests aren't venturing over to HRH to drop $48 at the Palm for a steak, no brainer
• A full-service BBQ restaurant, literally this is also a no-brainer.
• A casual Greek/Mediterranean restaurant, also a no brainer, Gyros, Falafel, Shawarma, Greek Salads, Pastries, Hummus Platters etc.
• A full-service or quick service Indian restaurant. If they go quick-service this is perfect - http://www.saffronindia.com/
• A quick-service soup & salad location (I.E. SaladWorks)
• A replacement for thegroove to make it into an actual nightclub
• Actual relevant shopping options, I think an H&M would kill at CityWalk, a quick electronics store for on-the-go, either original or something like a Bluwire (http://www.bluwire1.com/) and more.
• A novelty dessert place, like a Sprinkles or Crumbs cupcake shop, easily another no-brainer.

And I think CityWalk would be good.

 

[TylerDurden]

^where are you getting that some of these are "no-brainers"? I mean Greek food? Cmon...

Im not knocking your suggestions but youve gotta look at Universal's logic before condemning them. People dont go to Universal or other tourist destinations to experiment with food. In fact, I'd say that for most visitors trying to get the most out of their day, eating is more of a hassle than anything. People at theme parks just kinda want to eat what they know they like and keep riding rides (or sleep lol).

Now granted, Citywalk does attract locals but is the demand really there for a barbecue restaurant or Greek diner? Do folks want to buy an AP/pay for parking when they can just go to 4 Rivers or Greek Flame? Look at what theyve announced...
-Antojito's--familiar Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on convenience
-Bread Box--simple sandwiches
-Red Oven--simple pizza with emphasis on convenience
-Menchies/Cold Stone--self-explanatory
-Hot Dog Hall of Fame--American classic
Pranzo's--this is for the more relaxed visitors amd even then, its familiar Italian.
-Cowfish is the only real gamble here, and even then its a blend of a classic and a growing trend (sushi)

At the end of the day Citywalk isnt meant to reinvent the wheel or be a Worlds Fair...its just trying to feed on-the-move tourists.

 

[JungleSkip]

I was hoping that Bobby Flay's Burger Palace had a chance since he's such a name

I'll be honest, the burgers at Cowfish look 100x better than BBP's. Those ones are okay, but nothing to write home about.

 

[tielo]

I actually like them all (except for the Universal store that looks out of place).
I voted for Antojitos. I love that kind of food but the brightly coloured outside looks very off putting. Why is what we see now in gray/blue with white when they gonne go crazy with a bunch of spray cans? I hope it are projections for the night or something because I'm not going to risk becoming coloured blind.

 

[SeventyOne]

You can get a "handcrafted" sandwich at Publix!! Breadbox is just another Earl's.

Uhm, The Earl had a line with at least a dozen people out the door today. Why wouldn't you copy that? It's clearly a niche that tourists and locals want. How much can you do with a quick-serve restaurant anyway? A Publix-quality sandwich sells itself, no gimmicks necessary (with apologies to the late Chris Candido).

Still hoping Phase II is about revitalizing the nightlife aspects of CW, but for their apparent Phase I goals, this looks like it knocks it out of the park.

 

[jtsalien]

I'll be honest, the burgers at Cowfish look 100x better than BBP's. Those ones are okay, but nothing to write home about.

Like I said, it's mostly that I don't touch sushi that I'm not interested. I know Bobbys isn't the best burger place in the country, but it's got a fun variety and they are good.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

They all sound great, and my mind keeps changing, but right now Antojitos sounds the best. But I also love Cowfish and Pranzo (working title).

 

[Teebin]

So, I take it Cowfish is the only IP in this expansion? Their menu is almost too much, it goes on and on to the point of "shoot-yourself" indecision.

 

[natespf]

Like I said, it's mostly that I don't touch sushi that I'm not interested. I know Bobbys isn't the best burger place in the country, but it's got a fun variety and they are good.

They'll probably have chopsticks and flatware if you don't want to touch the raw fish

Raw fish can be quite delicious if handled properly. It is kind of funny that sushi is what "hit it big" recently, because it is a tiny amount of premium product wrapped in a lot of cheap filler. But there are many delicacies where it is common to drown out the actual flavor

But for me Cowfish seems like an awesome mix of complimenting flavors, multiply the deliciousness. :happy:

 

[Parkscope Joe]

So, I take it Cowfish is the only IP in this expansion? Their menu is almost too much, it goes on and on to the point of "shoot-yourself" indecision.

This is a massive problem I have, I feel like this place could have five burgers, five rolls, and two rolls to chose with your burger besides fries. Tada, done. Plus I hate non-traditional sushi.

 

[ralphoutloud]

^where are you getting that some of these are "no-brainers"? I mean Greek food? Cmon...

Im not knocking your suggestions but youve gotta look at Universal's logic before condemning them. People dont go to Universal or other tourist destinations to experiment with food. In fact, I'd say that for most visitors trying to get the most out of their day, eating is more of a hassle than anything. People at theme parks just kinda want to eat what they know they like and keep riding rides (or sleep lol).

Now granted, Citywalk does attract locals but is the demand really there for a barbecue restaurant or Greek diner? Do folks want to buy an AP/pay for parking when they can just go to 4 Rivers or Greek Flame? Look at what theyve announced...
-Antojito's--familiar Mexican cuisine with an emphasis on convenience
-Bread Box--simple sandwiches
-Red Oven--simple pizza with emphasis on convenience
-Menchies/Cold Stone--self-explanatory
-Hot Dog Hall of Fame--American classic
Pranzo's--this is for the more relaxed visitors amd even then, its familiar Italian.
-Cowfish is the only real gamble here, and even then its a blend of a classic and a growing trend (sushi)

At the end of the day Citywalk isnt meant to reinvent the wheel or be a Worlds Fair...its just trying to feed on-the-move tourists.

If they want to outdo Disney, they need to be more than just regular food. You need to have variety and unique options. CityWalk in LA has crazy variety in a smaller space with better shopping options. Sushi isn't a growing trend it's practically a staple. If they want to be a destination, you need more than safe pizza and burgers and sandwiches.

You think people wouldn't eat at a BBQ restaurant or a Mediterranean spot if they existed at CityWalk? These aren't gamble worthy places, they're practically staples in metropolitan areas. The only real gamble I mentioned is an Indian restaurant. Orlando has a terrible food reputation compared to other cities (everything is a chain) and making a diverse selection of food available at a top destination would help shake it.

When I'm on vacation I want to be WOWed by food and atmosphere of restaurants in addition to everything else. It all helps creating the allure of an elite vacation destination. Universal doesn't even have a great seafood option, you have Lombard's and that's it. They pretty much gave us more stuff that should've existed already.

Universal has a lock on adding new entertainment, they are doing great in that regard, in terms of food-service they still have a LONG way to go. CityWalk should not only be a vacation destination, but locals should WANT to go eat dinner and shop at CityWalk as they do in Hollywood.

Why should the only place on property to get a GOOD steak be The Palm (which a lot of guests don't even know exists)?

One thing Disney does great is food service. Any type of food you want is ON WDW property. Universal shouldn't want people to go to I-Drive to eat after a day at the parks, everything needs to be accessible.

 

[TomTheRiddle]

If they want to outdo Disney, they need to be more than just regular food. You need to have variety and unique options. CityWalk in LA has crazy variety in a smaller space with better shopping options. Sushi isn't a growing trend it's practically a staple. If they want to be a destination, you need more than safe pizza and burgers and sandwiches.

You think people wouldn't eat at a BBQ restaurant or a Mediterranean spot if they existed at CityWalk? These aren't gamble worthy places, they're practically staples in metropolitan areas. The only real gamble I mentioned is an Indian restaurant. Orlando has a terrible food reputation compared to other cities (everything is a chain) and making a diverse selection of food available at a top destination would help shake it.

When I'm on vacation I want to be WOWed by food and atmosphere of restaurants in addition to everything else. It all helps creating the allure of an elite vacation destination. Universal doesn't even have a great seafood option, you have Lombard's and that's it. They pretty much gave us more stuff that should've existed already.

Universal has a lock on adding new entertainment, they are doing great in that regard, in terms of food-service they still have a LONG way to go. CityWalk should not only be a vacation destination, but locals should WANT to go eat dinner and shop at CityWalk as they do in Hollywood.

Why should the only place on property to get a GOOD steak be The Palm (which a lot of guests don't even know exists)?

One thing Disney does great is food service. Any type of food you want is ON WDW property. Universal shouldn't want people to go to I-Drive to eat after a day at the parks, everything needs to be accessible.

LA is very different than Orlando. Let's start there. You have a lot more foreign visitors coming from South America and Europe. They generally do not go to those foreign restaurants. Hell, I hardly see the foreigners eating inside Emeril's. The execs at UO aren't idiots. A Greek restaurant /is/ a niche market and is not going to perform as well as familiar Italian places. That's just fact.

I would argue that Disney is very similar in their food options. They have a lot of restaurants in their parks, including an entire theme park dedicated to food with some rides thrown in there (that's what Epcot is, right?), and a lot of restaurants at their hotels. A guest is no more likely to go to Ohana than any of Royal Pacific's restaurants. Downtown Disney is not much better as far as choices. Especially not high quality or affordable restaurants. I'd frequent Cowfish more than the break the bank Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex.

I see where you're coming from though. We can squeeze in some better options once we're rid of Nascar and NBA. Right now, it's about killing the bad and replacing it with better. Come June, it'll be about replacing the 'meh' options.

 

[lazyboy97o]

So, I take it Cowfish is the only IP in this expansion? Their menu is almost too much, it goes on and on to the point of "shoot-yourself" indecision.

Menchies, Cold Stone and Hot Dog Hall of Fame are all pre-existing as well. I am hoping the Menchies will include Pinapple Dole Whip as a regular choice.