Lean in close friends, we have a sad (and hunger-inducing) Disney story to tell.
Inside Landscape of Flavors
In the Most Magical Place on Earth (a.k.a. Disney World), you’ll find the oh-so-colorful Art of Animation Resort and its equally as colorful Landscape of Flavors food court. The food court is beautifully decorated with callbacks to some of Disney’s most popular films (really, take a second to check out those designs), but its food menu has changed dramatically over the years. Did you know that you could once get tandoori chicken thighs here with NAAN bread?! It’s true, folks. So grab a tissue (and a snack) and join us for this sad tale.
The Landscape of Flavors That Once Was
Once upon a time, there was a Disney World value resort food court that DARED to dream. It did not let the good value of its surrounding hotel rooms dictate its menu offerings and reduce it to serving only hot dogs and chicken tenders. NO. This food court had goals — it had the desire to be at the TOP, to be UNIQUE! And unique it was.
Landscape of Flavors
Back in early 2012, we here at DFB were savoring every detail released about Landscape of Flavors. At that time, the focus of the food court was customization, giving guests lots of “make your own” options to pick from.
Salad Sides
There was a make-your-own salad/soup/sandwich option, a “World Flavors” shop with things like Tandoori shrimp with naan bread…
Tandoori Shrimp Landscape of Flavors
…and Portuguese sausage…
Tandoori Portuguese sausage. With pickled veggies, roasted butternut squash, wild rice, and naan bread.
…a Pizza shop, a Burger shop (including the ICONIC surf and surf burger with a crab cake and fried popcorn shrimp, and a pastrami burger)…
Surf and Surf Burger
…plus GELATO. Not just one or two flavors of gelato though. This was a FULL ON GELATO BAR.
GELATO
There were other customizable things at breakfast, too, like a create-your-own fruit bowl option, create-your-own yogurt parfait, and a cereal BAR (no, not a joke).
Choices from the cereal bar.
Breakfast also featured a breakfast chicken burger with a Mickey-shaped egg (you gotta love it).
Breakfast chicken burger with darling Mickey-shaped egg.
And lunch/dinner had more customization with the make-your-own pasta area.
Assembling the ingredients for my make-your-own pasta. I chose shrimp, peas and olives.
You could even customize your own smoothie!
Cast member making my smoothie.
Truly, this food court was a sight to behold, full of customizable options. Back in 2012, we were truly impressed. The flavors here were bold, the ingredients were fresh, and many items were cooked to order right in front of you. The amount of customization was, honestly, staggering.
But it had its downsides. With all that customization and fresh cooking, there could be a lot of waiting. For those who were not in a hurry, that might not have been a problem. But those with larger families ordering a lot of food at different stations could become easily frustrated. And we have a feeling that may have led us to where we are today.
The Landscape of Flavors That Exists Today
The current Landscape of Flavors offerings are but a shadow (if even that) of their former selves. Take breakfast, for example, gone is the chicken sandwich with a Mickey-shaped egg and other unique customizable options. Instead, you’ll find much more standard fare nowadays — a waffle platter, an omelet, scrambled eggs, your choice of cereal with milk, and a basic yogurt parfait with fresh fruit and honey granola.
There’s nothing wrong with a good Mickey waffle, but it’s just not the same as some of the more unique creations from before.
Character Waffles From Landscape of Flavors
Lunch and dinner have also lost that intense sense of customization and uniqueness. Tandoori chicken remains on the menu, but the Tandoori shrimp and Portuguese sausage are gone. (Instead, you’ll find shrimp and grits and braised beef, as well as some other entrees.)
And what was shocking to us as we were researching this menu as compared to the Pop Century Food Court menu just across the way, was that the menus are literally exactly the same save for two entree options…including the Tandoori chicken below. EXACTLY THE SAME?! When Landscape of Flavors used to have so much innovation happening, this is a step in the wrong direction.
Tandoori Chicken
Pasta remains on the menu, but you’re limited to things like Pasta with meatballs or Chicken-Parmesan pasta.
Menu March 2023
In terms of burgers, the current Benedict Burger is more unique than your standard fare (Grilled Signature-blend Burger with Canadian Bacon, Fried Egg, Hollandaise Sauce, Lettuce, and Tomato on a Toasted Brioche Bun), but the Surf and Surf and Pastrami burgers are long gone. The other burger options are much more “standard” — cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger, and a grilled chicken sandwich.
Hot food stations
There are plenty of salads to pick from, but they’re not those uniquely customizable options from before.
Greek Salad
Gone is the gelato bar. You will find some great cupcakes here, to be sure, and other snacks, but they’re more along the lines of the “standard” eats you’ll find at Disney food courts.
Pastries and Sweets
Oh, old Landscape of Flavors menu, how we miss thee. Perhaps the customization and longer waits we experienced way back in 2012 were simply too much for this food court to handle with a full set of guests trying to quickly get their eats before scurrying to the parks or their hotel room. Perhaps the more elaborate menu items simply required too much effort for them to make sense financially.
The pre-packaged snacks area
Are some of the eats at Landscape of Flavors still tasty? Sure! During a 2023 visit, we found the Greek Salad to be surprisingly tasty. But the Tandoori chicken was lacking in flavor and spice.
Is it the customizable paradise full of unique eats that it once was? Sadly, no. Now, it’s mostly made up of a few food stations with more standard eats, a pre-packaged food area, and the drinks/condiments station. There are some things on the menu that’ll go beyond your basic chicken tenders and fries, but it’s not quite as special as before.
Landscape of Flavors
What food court do you think reigns supreme in Disney World? Tell us in the comments. And be sure to drop us a comment if you ate at Landscape of Flavors back in the day when it was different.
Landscape of Flavors
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What do you think about Landscape of Flavors? Tell us in the comments.
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The Gelato is Gone! That was the best pistachio Gelato! OH I’m so bummed. I keep sending people over there to get it! Woops
All the food was under heated lamp . I remember ordering omelettes fresh just five years ago . We went outside Disney to eat for first time for breakfast
Yeah, we stopped by there out of necessity for lunch last summer, and while it wasn’t the worst it was definitely subpar. Hopefully it’ll get some love at some point.
All the resort quick service food has went massively downhill in the last 2 years not just Art of Animation.Riverside & French Quarter actually cook the food before lunch & wrap it in foil,this makes the burger buns /prime rib rolls soggy or hard (if left too long) it’s disgusting .
We go to art of animation or pop culture to rent their suite. I am a cast member so I get a discount. But you are correct that food court is lacking. We have been going to Disney world for over 20 years. Last 8 were at the above resorts. Service is great and accommodations are great but we eat elsewhere most times. Bring back the great food choices
Unfortunately this is the trend with so many Disney restaurants. What once was a foody experience and well worth the money is now mediocre and overpriced at best…and too many pre fixe menus!!
I caught the soft opening of the AoA on my last trip in 2012. The food was phenomenal. How many theme park food court restaurants have make your own yogurt parfaits or make your own salads or pasta bars? It was truly one of the things that made Disney on the top of the pile!
We stayed at AofA in a lion king suite right after they opened. We ate in the food court like twice. The food was good, but it was too much of a hassle for us. At the time, we had a 9 year old, 5 year old, and a 2 year old. Everything had a different line. So, for example if one person wanted a burger, and one wanted pasta, and one wanted Gelato, that was three seperate lines to get food, then you went and lined up to pay. With kids too little to get their own food by themselves, it took forever to get food, even with the adults going in seperate lines. It was also super crowded. I definitely am disappointed in the current menu, but maybe that contributed to it?
Food has always been the weakest link in the Disney Vacation chain. The middle of the road stuff with some quality and flavor are being driven out by the quick prep and delivery plan. Great meals once heralded for years like O’hana, Whispering Canyon, and some of the buffets are loosing their edge with too many changes that guests are now walking away from. O’hana was always a must on any Disney trip, but now, no delivery on the spit, the pineapple bread is a loaf, not a pull apart cake, noodles over cooks, no filet, no pork or turkey, and No pineapple/caramel desert. I think I am done at O’hana, after 34 years…. Last visit to WDW I dined from the on site McDonalds twice, and a subway twice, all during a 6 day stay at the Poly. The food is getting more expensive and less flavorful
for a few of the runDisney weekends when I traveled by myself, I’d stay at Pop Century and then walk over to Art of Animation’s food court. The customized pasta center was the best! Sad to hear that so much has been downgraded at this food court — sometimes we don’t want just a burger and slice of pizza!
We even staye there recently. Food Court was terrible. Walked to Skyway and made a stop at Riveria’s counter serve. Amazing Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! And their coffee cafe is to die for!