There’s a deserted restaurant in the middle of Magic Kingdom, and we’re starting to get worried!

There can’t be better real estate for a restaurant than right smack-dab in the middle of Magic Kingdom, so WHY hasn’t Disney reopened this quick service spot yet? Right now, it’s just taking up a whole lot of space. Let’s take a look at what the restaurant is, what it’s been, and what we think it SHOULD be!

The deserted restaurant that we’re talking about is, of course, Tomorrowland Terrace. This is a quick service spot that’s located close to the front of Tomorrowland, with entrances off of Main Street, U.S.A., and right as you enter Tomorrowland.

What’s Going On with Tomorrowland Terrace?

To be fair, it’s not necessarily weird for Tomorrowland Terrace to be closed. Even several years ago, this restaurant was usually only open during particularly busy times.

When it was open, it served typical quick-service fare like chicken strips, cheeseburgers, and salad.

But what IS weird is for it to be closed for this long! Tomorrowland Terrace closed down with the rest of the park in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, when the park reopened, it was open for a little while as a temporary replacement for Columbia Harbour House, which remained closed longer than some of the rest of the park.

Now that Columbia Harbour House has reopened, Tomorrowland Terrace is closed. It’s been closed for a couple of years now, and we’re wondering if and when it’ll ever reopen.

The ONLY Time It’s “Open”

There is ONE time each day when Tomorrowland Terrace is “open”: during the Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Parties! These parties offer guests a place to watch the iconic fireworks with refreshments like drinks and dessert.

They take place at Tomorrowland Terrace, so at least the space isn’t being completely wasted right now.

During the day, sometimes the dining room area is open so you can hang out and relax there in the shade.

Other times, however, it’s roped off to keep people out.

What Should Disney Do With It? Here Are Our BEST Ideas

So what SHOULD Disney do with this deserted restaurant? Here at DFB, we have a few EXCELLENT ideas.

We could make it an Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter-themed restaurant as a nod to that bizarre attraction that used to be found in Tomorrowland (which is another now-deserted area of the park — there are more of those than you’d expect!). Who doesn’t want a terrifying alien to hang out with them while they eat lunch?

Another DFB team member suggested a character dining restaurant with the family from Carousel of Progress, which we think is an awesome idea! I’m only going if Rover is there, too. Maybe it could have a menu of eats that feature popular dishes throughout the decades, like an appetizer that was popular in the ’50s, then entrées that were big in the ’60s, and finally desserts that people loved in the ’70s!

Someone brought up that Disney should bring back their “Dine with an Imagineer” experience and move it to this location, and guests could talk with Imagineers about all the future Disney projects they’re currently working on. That sounds like an awesome concept for a land that’s all about looking forward to tomorrow.

Remember the restaurant from Disney’s Starcruiser hotel? There were lots of interesting, futuristic eats there — Disney could bring them all to Tomorrowland Terrace as a nod to the now-closed Star Wars-themed hotel!

Just one more idea: We are all members of the (unofficial) Sonny Eclipse Fan Club, so we think Disney should turn the Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant into a fan meet-up. (If you’re confused, Sonny Eclipse is the alien DJ at the Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café restaurant in Tomorrowland.) Maybe there could even be a Sonny Eclipse character meet-and-greet! And the Space Angels could be there serenading everyone!

Clearly, we have a lot of fantastic ideas about what Tomorrowland Terrace could be. We’re just waiting for Disney to ask for our input now. In the meantime, you can enjoy lots of other Magic Kingdom quick service spots, like Cosmic Ray’s (for burgers and chicken tenders), Columbia Harbour House (for seafood), and Pinocchio Village Haus (for flatbread pizzas).

With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. 

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news!

Click here to learn more about Tomorrowland Terrace.

What do YOU think Disney should do with the deserted Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant? Let us know in the comments!