We’re huge followers of secret areas and hidden gems within the parks and resorts. This Listing of the High 10 Quiet Corners of Walt Disney World shares a few of them, and common readers know that we routinely sing the praises of Magic Kingdom’s little-known balcony within the busiest space of Fantasyland and one other close by stress-free respite from the crowds.
Sadly, there aren’t as many areas that provide a reprieve from the chaos and crowds at Disneyland Resort. The extra consolidated and cramped format of the California parks imply there aren’t as many locations to flee different folks. That is one thing of which we’ve change into acutely conscious whereas looking for quiet areas to assuage a fussy child.
What if we instructed you there’s not solely a secret house that checks all the precise containers, whereas additionally being one of many 24 Greatest Eating places at Disneyland. The truth is, it’s one of the vital gratifying eating experiences in both park, and even Downtown Disney and the motels, for that matter. The delicacies is crowd-pleasing, the meals is enjoyable–it checks the precise containers from a culinary perspective, too!
We’re speaking about Lamplight Lounge in Pixar Pier at Disney California Journey, the reimagined restaurant that took over the areas of two totally different eating choices, and gives all kinds of seating outdoor and inside in consequence. Even longtime Disney diehards who steadily eat at Lamplight Lounge could not know this secret eating room exists. Heck, we didn’t till after eating right here a few half-dozen instances!
For starters, Lamplight Lounge is one among our favourite desk service eating places in both park (behind solely Carthay Circle Restaurant in DCA). It’s a laid again spot that’s embellished with Pixar artwork and different objects, and feels prefer it might be an worker lounge in Emeryville the place the fabled animation studios is headquartered.
Lamplight Lounge is incredible for lunch or dinner, however our favourite meal is the “good brunch” at Lamplight Lunch (full evaluation), which has a slew of standouts. The vibes are immaculate for brunch, with open air seating boasting huge views of the bay. Precisely the kind of decompressing expertise we crave after Early Entry and racing round at rope drop.
Anyway, let’s head contained in the unique eating room at Lamplight Lounge, which is one among Disney’s coolest secret spots within the parks that you just won’t know even exists. This spot is tucked away on the decrease degree together with the remainder of the principle eating rooms at Lamplight Lounge. After checking in and taking place stairs, you head straight by way of to the far reverse aspect.
From there, you’ll head “backstage” at Lamplight Lounge, heading past the principle eating room into an space vaguely paying homage to the boiler room at Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout.
This, as it’s possible you’ll acknowledge, is a upkeep service elevator vault door, nonetheless in operation, ready for you. We invite you, in the event you dare, to step aboard as a result of in tonight’s episode you’re the star. And this elevator travels vault door on to . . . The Twilight Zone The Workplace.
Okay, kinda mixing attraction references right here, however for no matter cause, once I first headed again to the key eating room, it gave me severe Tower of Terror flashbacks. I used to be half-tempted to ask the Solid Member introducing it how good his Rod Serling impersonation was, however feared listening to “who?” or simply typically coming throughout as a weirdo.
Anyway, entry to the key eating room is fastidiously guarded behind the vault door. And as hinted at above, the key eating room is called “The Workplace.” (So no, that was not an odd reference to a different tv present above.)
The Workplace’s vault door can also be no strange vault door, and has a present factor–you provoke a gap sequence, for lack of a greater time period. It’s nothing wonderful or something, however it’s sufficiently enjoyable that everybody in our occasion wished to (and did, because of a affected person Solid Member who I assume hears the very same request from nearly each group seated right here) do it themselves.
Opening the vault door is a kind of little issues that’s immensely satisfying, like a very good again crack or pulling the lever in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Disney wants extra of those tactile moments that don’t look like a lot, however are in some way immensely cathartic. Not the purpose of this put up, although.
Upon coming into The Workplace at Lamplight Lounge by way of the vault door, you’ll see an intimate house that seats as much as 13 folks. You may just about see all of it in my picture above: one sales space plus one other round wood desk with leather-based seats and a wooden desk.
Purple partitions with hand-drawn sketches of Pixar animators, plus one other shadowbox with coasters signed by extra animators and Pixar executives that includes doodles and messages to the opening workforce of Pixar Pier and Lamplight Lounge.
Above the leather-based seats, there are additionally video games on the wall that you would be able to take down and play.
It’s a fairly easy house, however there are some things that make The Workplace particular. First and most evident, it’s unique. If there’s one factor Disney followers love, it’s exclusivity. You might scoff at that, calling it superficial or no matter, however it’s 100% true. What number of of you’ve Membership 33 in your bucket checklist? Who amongst us hasn’t purchased Annual Passholder-exclusive merchandise–even the stuff that’s a bit ugly as a result of they added one too many graphic to it?!
One factor we love as Disney followers is being “within the know” or a part of a choose group who appreciates and enjoys the parks on a unique degree than the common visitor. Issues like figuring out backstories or having the ability to spot little particulars–issues of that nature additionally qualify. That is essential to many people additionally as a result of it’s what helps separate Disney theme parks from strange amusement parks.
The Workplace has that high quality in spades. It’s not simply the exclusivity of figuring out about and attending to dine on this secret house. It’s additionally the present of getting inside, and what the room itself options within the type of artwork from the Pixar animators. You’re really feel such as you’re in a particular place.
It’s arduous to convey this, and I’m in all probability not doing it full justice. For me, the most effective instance is Tiffins or Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Like Lamplight Lounge, these spots aren’t themed within the conventional sense of the time period. As an alternative, they’re embellished with inspiring and aspirational messages about journey, and objects from the Imagineer Joe Rohde and his inventive workforce.
A giant a part of what’s particular about Tiffins and Nomad Lounge for Disney followers is the sense that it’s a spot designed by Imagineers, for Imagineers. It’s straightforward to think about them unwinding there after an extended day engaged on Pandora, as a result of they in all probability did!
Lamplight Lounge is like that, however for Pixar Animation Studios. Extra particularly, The Workplace appears very very like an area that Pixar creatives may’ve pushed to have put aside for themselves in the course of the design means of Pixar Pier. It’s not arduous to think about John Lasseter–a passionate parks individual with loads of energy at the moment–wanting The Workplace to exist so he had someplace quiet to hang around along with his household or buddies when visiting DCA.
Even when that’s not precisely the story of how this secret house got here to fruition (and I’ve no clue, to be clear), that’s what it feels like. As in the event you’re hanging out in one of many outdated haunts of Pixar workers–the place they may’ve sketched out concepts for upcoming animated motion pictures on the again of napkins. It has an “if these partitions may discuss” vibe, very like the Tam O’Shanter. That’s one other restaurant that involves thoughts when in The Workplace, and the sketches on the wall are paying homage to the Brown Derby. So there’s undoubtedly an outdated Hollywood sense to the house.
I nonetheless really feel like I’m failing to articulate what makes The Workplace really feel particular. I assume it’s a kind of “if you recognize, you recognize” varieties of issues. If not, that is all in all probability nonsensical rambling, so hopefully a majority of you recognize!
Whereas the key room itself is a comfortable escape from the remainder of Lamplight Lounge and Disney California Journey, it’s price noting that you just don’t need to completely forfeit the “huge views” of Paradise Bay if eating right here.
You even have the most effective of each worlds, as simply exterior The Workplace, there’s a non-public patio that faces Pixar Pier and affords a superb vantage of the Incredicoaster launch.
All of this could sound nice, and it’s. Now time for the dangerous information. You may’t reserve the key room at Lamplight Lounge. Not solely that, however being seated right here requires an incredible quantity of luck and/or Solid Member magic, fortunate timing, and being the precise occasion dimension.
I discussed earlier within the put up that we hadn’t been seated right here (and even heard about it) our first half-dozen or so instances eating at Lamplight Lounge. Effectively, that’s as a result of on each a kind of events, our group was 2-4 folks. The possibilities of a pair (and even two) being seated in an area that accommodates as much as 13 is exceedingly uncommon.
So the first step for being seated within the secret room at Lamplight Lounge: make buddies. Or have an enormous household, however that’s going to take longer and be dearer, so perhaps simply go the chums route. That is a kind of uncommon events the place an enormous group is a bonus fairly than a drawback for Disney eating.
You probably have a bigger occasion, ask concerning the secret eating room on the host stand. Along with that, go to the restaurant proper when it opens for the day and make the request to have your occasion seated in The Workplace. On the finish of the evening is an alternative choice that may work, or on a wet day or throughout a tough ticket occasion.
Principally, I’m simply itemizing events when demand is prone to be decrease and, in flip, it’s much less possible that The Workplace is already occupied. Any of these situations will increase your odds of being seated within the secret eating room, and a few of them would possibly even work for smaller events.
Dumb luck is one other huge one. From what we’ve heard, that’s the commonest state of affairs for being seated within the secret room. It typically comes all the way down to a visitor celebrating a birthday or a Solid Member opting to make some magic for somebody. However you’ll be able to’t actually plan for dumb luck, and also you’re studying a put up concerning the secret eating room in order that’s presumably not going to be your strategy, anyway.
Actually, I wouldn’t stress out an excessive amount of over being seated in The Workplace. It’s a cool house and I do assume that each diehard Disney or Pixar fan ought to attempt to see inside no less than as soon as. However you keep in mind that rambling part of this put up the place I attempted to clarify why it’s so particular? If that rationalization didn’t “click on” for you, it might be as a result of this sort of house received’t resonate with you. (It is also as a result of my writing isn’t lucid.) And there’s nothing incorrect with that!
If we had been taking Disneyland first-timers or household, we truly would not request The Workplace. As cool as I feel it’s, I even have the flexibility to “learn the room” and know that my dad and mom or our normie buddies wouldn’t really feel the identical method. They’d surprise why the heck I’m so excited a few windowless room…and why we handed by ample quantities of open air seating with views of the bay on a superb California day. Hopefully that angle is pretty widespread, and can both reassure you that The Workplace isn’t a must-do…or make it simpler so that you can rating a spot on this secret eating room at DCA!
Planning a Southern California trip? For park admission offers, learn Suggestions for Saving Cash on Disneyland Tickets. Study on-site and off-site motels in our Anaheim Resort Opinions & Rankings. For the place to eat, take a look at our Disneyland Restaurant Opinions. For distinctive concepts of issues that’ll enhance your journey, take a look at What to Pack for Disney. For complete recommendation, seek the advice of our Disneyland Trip Planning Information. Lastly, for guides past Disney, take a look at our Southern California Itineraries for day journeys to Los Angeles, Laguna Seaside, and plenty of different SoCal cities!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What do you consider The Workplace? (No, not the one with Dwight, Jim and Pam?) Would you favor sitting in right here or within the regular eating rooms at Lamplight Lounge? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions we may help you reply? Listening to your suggestions–even once you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
