Does anyone know about the 'Mickey's Kitchen' restaurant? The location, information, and pics would really help me. All I know that it failed and it was Disney's last attempt selling food other than out of the parks. Thanks

The only one I recall was in Montclair Plaza in SoCal. I don't know if they built any more.

I only went once. Kind of like a mini food court. Looked like it could do fairly well but then the head of The Disney Stores (and this prototype) at the time...one Paul Pressler...apparently made a bonehead anti-synergistic announcement at the Grand Opening to the effect of "We're going to have one of these in every community in America. We're going to go head-to-head with McDonalds!"

I guess he wasn't reading his Synergy mail at the time because as it happened, The Walt Disney Company was right on the heels of signing a huge godzillion dollar worldwide Strategic Alliance partnership deal with that very McDonalds. And Paul's enthusiastic declaration of war didn't sit too well with the Golden Arches folks.

Apologies and backpedalings later, McDonalds signed. And shortly thereafter Mickey's Kitchen quietly shut it's doors. Disney would never say that they knocked off their newborn to appease McDonalds because of Pressler's comment, but that's what many say to this day.