ABC Commissary

is a counter service location in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

And a new style of fast-casual dinner service has just made its debut at this location.

Though not required at the moment (and we’ll talk about this in greater detail later), guests can now make Advance Dining Reservations to book their dinner at ABC Commissary. However, the spot has retained its Quick Service status (much like breakfast and lunch at Be our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, which also accepts reservations for these Quick Service meals).

So we thought we’d stop by to check out the “new” meal and explore the ins-and-outs of ABC Commissary’s fast-casual dinner.

Atmosphere

ABC Commissary just reopened from a recent refurbishment, and the reopening delivered refreshed tables, chairs, and carpeting in the location.

However, for the purposes of today’s visit, we’ll discuss atmosphere in regards to how the new style of dinner service affects the general flow of the meal. Guests arriving for dinner will check in at the stand as seen above, then proceed to the counter to order much like you would at any counter service location.

After placing your order, you receive a Place Tracker so your meal can “find” you wherever you seat yourself in the restaurant and be delivered once it’s ready.

Again, it’s very much like breakfast or lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant, or other fast-casual locations like D-Luxe Burger in Disney Springs.

We did experience a few kinks as the Cast adjusts to the new service style. For instance, we were supposed to be handed cups for the newly open refillable drink stations (Hooray for refills, by the way!), but those were forgotten so we had to ask about them. But small instances like that will likely work themselves out quickly in these opening weeks.

Speaking of those beverage stations, lids were not available for drink cups. But we were informed that they are — as of press time — still available by request. Paper straws were available at the drink stations.

Other changes include the availability of reusable utensils.

Note that there are stations in place for bussing your own table if you wish, but mainly since it is standard to do so during the regular lunch service. But Cast Members also collect plates and such in the dining area during dinner.

Again, dinner at ABC Commissary now accepts Advance Dining Reservations, but we had no trouble getting in as a walk-in… not now, anyway. In these beginning weeks, in fact, they have only opened a limited number of reservations while getting used to the new system. However, once the crowds in Hollywood Studios greatly increase after the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on August 29th, an Advance Dining Reservation may well be needed.

Eats

The menu for dinner has remained fairly steady since our last visit to ABC Commissary.

The only change in regards to entrees is that a new Pot Roast has replaced the Braised Beef and Enchilada Platter.

And a new Watermelon Margarita has joined the specialty beverages.

The new slow-cooked Pot Roast is served atop root-vegetable mashed potatoes with brown gravy and crispy onion straws. It’s plated on a ceramic dish as opposed to paper, which is a nice touch.

And it is, in a word, delicious. The juicy, tender beef is further enhanced by the flavorful gravy.

The crispy onion straws add a good bit of tasty crunch.

And the mashed potatoes are complete with carrots and parsnips (the root veggies) to lend some uniqueness to the serving.

It’s certainly a good dish and above par for what you’d expect from a typical quick service meal. But… well, let’s explore our final thoughts in our next section.

Overall

Taking the Pot Roast as an example of the ABC Commissary dinner options, it is nearly $17 so it is a little more expensive than most quick service entrees around Disney World. This does work out well in favor of guests utilizing the Disney Dining Plan, as the meal maximizes use of a Quick Service Credit. And so, for guests on the Plan, this new meal gets a thumbs up! However, guests paying out of pocket may want to stick with counter service options in the park such as Woody’s Lunch Box and Backlot Express which are less expensive and offer more fun theming, to boot.

We definitely do, though, want to give some additional credit to ABC Commissary overall. Because even beyond the new Pot Roast dish, the food offerings and quality here have much improved over the past couple of years. And as the changes have taken place, things are only looking up!

Will you be trying the new dinner service at ABC Commissary? Please let us know with a comment!