Friday, July 16, 2010

Walk Around The World With Ridge--Magic Kingdom Lunch Time Part Duce



So I have told of Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, now on to my other favorite luncheon spot in the Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House. There have been a few changes to the menu in the last couple of years but it is still worth a stop by for a bit to eat and a moment of peace in the cool (both for the surroundings and the ambient temperature.)

Columbia Harbour House (CHH) is located in Liberty Square, which as previously discussed in the Hall of Presidents post, is arguably one of my favorite locations in the park. CHH is situated right on the edge of Liberty Square before the transition to Fantasyland across from Haunted Mansion. The outside of the building matches up with the other architecture in that land and has the feeling of walking into a tavern from the 1790s, or Disney's approximation. It is much cleaner, better lighting, air conditioning and has an industrial kitchen behind it. All that aside, use your imagination and you'll know what I mean.

Inside dark woods abound, sailing implements adorn the walls and right in the middle of the main room is the order station. Now when my sister and I first really started enjoying this spot was when I had just started college and we took our first trip down without our parents. We both had annual passes and a four day weekend so we made some last minute reservations at All Star Music and went to play like the big kids we are. This is also when we found out that even though I am a big guy the Captain's Plate was big enough to share and we did so on every trip after.

If you haven't been to Columbia Harbour House in a while, I do have a little disappointing news, the chicken fingers are gone and in their place are chicken nuggets. I guess this was an attempt to both cut cost and appeal more to the kids. Also as I said before the menu has changed a little, the Captains Special which consisted of two pieces of fish and two chicken strips and fries is now two pieces of fish, chicken nuggets and fries and isn't called the Captain's Special any longer; now it is just simply "chicken breast nuggets and fish.” In an attempt to be a healthier option you can now get apple slices instead of fries. We were hit with this change back in 2007 so it has been long enough to get over it, but we'll always remember the good times. The food here is on par with everything else in the park at a quick service location. We tend to stick with the same menu items here, but I have heard good things about the rest of the offerings. For a look at an updated menu check out www.allears.net/men_chh.htm. Or for you folks with iPhones, the WDW Dining app is awesome; I will be reviewing iPhone apps soon.

Now for my tip on CHH, the upstairs seating area is almost never as crowded as it is downstairs. Caveat: Everywhere is crowded if it is a really busy time of the year, which we try to avoid these days. Even then we will alter our lunch time to miss some of the standard middle of the day screaming kids (and adults.) My sis and I have made a ritual of getting the same table upstairs near a window that looks out over Haunted Mansion. The second floor is almost always quiet and there are condiment stations so you don't have to load up on all of that downstairs and juggle malt vinegar on a slippery tray. There are also a set of restrooms upstairs which are also usually not busy.


We love Columbia Harbour House and are partial to the fish and chicken basket. What is your favorite menu item here? Do you also use CHH as a brief escape from the heat and the crowds? Please leave your comments below.

7 comments:

  1. I love Columbia Harbour House...the theme and the food. I do miss the chicken strips.

    It's fabulous to be upstairs looking at the crowds bustling between lands while you are relaxing in the air conditioning (and usually quiet) with some good eats.

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  2. I have not eaten here yet, although I really want to. We always end up at Pecos Bills.

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  4. Typos =)

    Sippy, I think you'll like CHH. If nothing else, the chairs are more comfy since Bill's went to those backless stools.

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  5. Dollywood is soooooo much better. Disney is so over hyped with their $12 sucky burgers!

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  6. It's OK to disagree, but how about you try using descriptive words that give an opinion rather than its just "sucky". Also if all you have for comparisons are burgers and Dollywood, your argument is officially invalid. Thanks for playing, please come again.

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