Something WEIRD happened in EPCOT today.
Spaceship Earth
Strange and unexpected things can happen sometimes in the Disney parks — whether that’s sudden weather changes, surprising ride closures, or major delays. But today’s event relates to something truly near and dear to our hearts — FOOD.
When we stopped by around 11:46AM ET, a Cast Member at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue (in the American Adventure pavilion) told us they were not open yet. The Regal Eagle operating hours were supposed to be 11:45AM-9PM on the day we visited (Tuesday, February 21st).
Uh Oh!
The Cast Member indicated that they could open soon (in just about 5 minutes) or it could be a few hours. They were, at that point, waiting for the “signal” to open.
Pretty Empty
Another Cast Member informed us that their grills went down and they were working to get them back up but they did not have an estimated opening time yet.
If you were hoping to grab lunch at Regal Eagle Smokehouse, you’ve got a problem! The grills are currently down, and cast members don’t have an estimated time for them to be running again! pic.twitter.com/XT5BdB2ma7
— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 21, 2023
©Disney
While this is a strange occurrence, it still serves as a good reminder that ANYTHING can happen in Disney World. If you have a very strict plan where everything is timed down to the second, a disruption like this could seriously mess up your day.
New Loaded Fries
So what can you do to plan for the unexpected? First, make a schedule that is flexible enough to accommodate sudden changes like this. Add in lots of wiggle room so you can make changes on the fly but still get your must-dos done.
Second, have backup options in place. Lunch at Regal Eagle isn’t going to work out? Okay, what’s our next go-to? Fish & chips in the UK pavilion? A few snacks scattered throughout the pavilions? Having a backup plan in place can help that adjustment not feel so harsh.
What’s Your Backup Plan?
It’s not always easy to adjust to these sudden changes, particularly if you have your hopes set on trying a certain thing, but adding flexibility to your plan can help you make the most of your day. Our final tip is to keep checking for updates. Sometimes an incident like this will be resolved quickly, or it could take hours. Check on the My Disney Experience app for any updates and speak with Cast Members near the restaurant to see what they might know.
Regal Eagle eats
We’ll continue to look for updates like this and let you know what we find!
Click here to see our review of Regal Eagle’s eats!
Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know
The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!
See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide
The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants
The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants
The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants
The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants
The Best Disney Springs Restaurants
Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools
Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants
How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
Have you had something like this happen to you in EPCOT? Tell us in the comments.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Anything CAN happen! We were at Rose and Crown on Friday night. The fire alarm went off, and we all had to evacuate. It went on for a while, so they finally told everyone to just leave. No charge. We were almost done with our meal. So we left the area and did give the server a tip. Why should he be penalized. We were doing the dinner package and, even though we didn’t have to pay, we received our tickets. That’s Disney magic.