Back in February I had a chance to play tourist for a day with Matt Grass (Coaster Crew) and Cassie B (That Theme Park Thespian). The mission was two-fold: Get out for the day and get my piddly butt familiar with International Drive's plethora of stuff to see and do. (And yes, I DO know what a plethora means, all you 3 Amigos fans.)While going walkabout, we stopped into The World's Largest McDonald's for hot fudge sundaes. Yes, the very same restaurant that's been on networks like Travel Channel, etc.
Imagine, if the McDonald's we grew up with (not the new McCafe's) and Showbiz Pizza Place (remember those?) had a two-story McLovechild full of games, bowling, and very different food offerings. Oh, and throw in an aquarium and an animatronic for fun. Hold on to yer McLunch!
We'll start with the food offerings. All the usual McGoodness is there, but there are also some dishes you might not expect...like pizza. Yes! They really do serve pizza. There are also, turkey wraps, meatball sandwiches, pasta dishes, layer cakes, even Belgian waffles. Did I mention the taco salad or Bistro Gourmet Menu? No McKidding here!
Downstairs is where you order and get your food. There's several games along one wall and the main dining area is adorned with rope lights and Florida beach murals. In about the middle is an aquarium wall/bar (as in eating counter, not a place to get booze). Here you can sit and watch fishes or the nearby 42 inch tvs hanging from the ceiling. Toward the back of the dining room is a two lane mini bowling alley themed to Route 66, while off to the right is single animatronic moon man at a piano. Think Ray Charles meets the old Disney Pleasure Island mascot and you have Mac Tonight. Mac was an attempt to McOust Ronald for company mascot status years ago. While Mac was hip and cool in a Vegas Rat Pack sort of way, his 15 minutes of fame was up pretty fast. Even so, this animatronic is a neat and rare part of McDonald's history.
Upstairs is the main games area. It's mostly redemption games and simulators with some favorites like Skee Ball thrown in. There's also a Soft Play area with a tree house theme typical of most McDonald's restaurants. And when you've won a goodly amount of tickets from gaming, it's time to cash them in for McPrizes that are on par with places like Chuck E Cheese's, Incredible Pizza Company, and Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree. Yep, from stuffed animals to sack packs, it's all there at Mickey D's Gift Shop.
Whether you're a big kid (like me) or a little kid, this place is definitely worth a stop during an Orlando trip. You might even meet Ronald, Grimace, or the rest of the McDonald's characters.
2 comments:
I don't know if it's still there, but at one time, there was a McDonald's on Market Street in San Francisco that was decorated in dark mahogany wood, was two stories tall, and had a uniformed doorman. That was...interesting.
Eric, today you are my teacher. Had not heard of that one before. Kind of reminds you of Taco Bell in Demolition Man, doesn't it?
Enjoy joy your meal sir. ;)
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