Following up the flushing success of the Tangled Bogs at Walt Disney World–arguably one of the best loos anyplace–Imagineering has doubled down on Rapunzel with extra than simply restrooms. This Snuggly Duckling evaluate and picture tour takes you contained in the second in-park restaurant devoted to Blondie and Eugene Fitzherbert.
The Snuggly Duckling is a counter service restaurant in Fantasy Springs, the brand new port-of-call themed to Peter Pan, Tangled and Frozen at Tokyo DisneySea. Considerably like New Fantasyland over a decade earlier than it, Fantasy Springs blends a number of mental properties right into a single land in method that works. See our Fantasy Springs Assessment: Nice Land, Good Port for extra on that.
Rapunzel’s Forest is the smallest space in Fantasy Springs, transporting friends into the world of the Walt Disney Animation Studios movie, Tangled. On this miniland, friends can get pleasure from Rapunzel’s Lantern Pageant, the primary Tangled attraction anyplace on this planet to convey the story of Rapunzel to life in what could be Disney’s most romantic trip ever (as mentioned/debated in our trip evaluate).
The opposite spotlight of Rapunzel’s Forest is the Snuggly Duckling restaurant, which is impressed by the tavern frequented by the ruffians within the movie. Regardless of the Tangled space being smaller than its counterparts impressed by Frozen and Peter Pan, that is the most important restaurant of the bunch in Fantasy Springs, with a colossal 620-seat capability.
This model of the Snuggly Duckling builds on the thought of the unique Tangled Tree Tavern at Shanghai Disneyland and expands upon it considerably, with a number of indoor and outside seating areas. The very best comparability might be Gaston’s Tavern, both the model in Magic Kingdom or the bigger one subsequent door at Tokyo Disneyland. The Snuggly Duckling is considerably bigger than all of these eating places, however the concept of a ‘Tangled Tavern’ is analogous.
The Snuggling Duckling is like stepping onto the ‘set’ of Tangled, with the outside completely pulled from the movie. The tavern’s facade is hidden behind the foliage of a large tree that’s partially rising into the constructing, with the long-lasting Snuggly Duckling signal by the doorway welcoming friends inside.
As soon as inside, you’ll discover loads of creative liberties taken, as this can be a high-capacity counter service restaurant inside a hangout for ruffians. The order and pickup areas alone are most likely concerning the dimension of Gaston’s Tavern in Magic Kingdom. Talking of which, friends want a Cellular Order simply to enter the Snuggly Duckling restaurant, and there’s no ordering on the money registers inside.
We’d count on this to alter in the end, as we’ve seen that Cellular Order hasn’t actually caught on at Tokyo Disney Resort (strides have been made, however Japan shouldn’t be a cashless nation). For now, demand exceeds provide–regardless of the Tangled tavern’s large dimension–so Cellular Order spots are filling up.
There’s no substitute for seeing inside your self, so let’s begin with a glance across the numerous eating rooms of the Snuggly Duckling:
There’s no two methods about it–the Snuggly Duckling is a large mess corridor. It’s one of many largest eating places at Tokyo DisneySea, behind solely Zambini Brothers and Casbah Meals Courtroom. Additionally like these colossal counter service eateries, it manages to really feel way more intimate because of distinctive themed design work and the area being damaged up into a number of eating rooms.
There are a complete of 4 such seating areas–3 indoors and 1 exterior–together with the large ordering space. Every have a defining thematic ingredient (this jogged my memory of Be Our Visitor) that units the tone. One has a piano for Hook Hand to play, one other encompasses a fire and exquisite bear chair, and the ultimate room is highlighted by a shocking murals and art work painted by Rapunzel.
Very like the ruffians and the tavern within the movie, the Snuggly Duckling presents a pleasant dichotomy of manly males and female enjoyable. You’ll spot weapons caught within the partitions, partitions broken from roughhousing and various antics, kegs and casks, skulls and bones–that kind of stuff. Then you definately’ll see magical unicorns, flowery princess work, and so forth.
In every single place you look, there’s one thing to see. The inside itself is strictly what you’d count on of a tavern–masculine woods and rustic allure, with uncovered beams, stone archways, heat lantern lighting, and that sort of factor. The decor is an train in tonal contradictions, there’s a variety of it, and it’s very amusing. Imagineering did a superlative job of balancing the park’s sensible want for way more counter service eating capability with the expectation that this provide Tokyo DisneySea-caliber design and a focus to element. Mission completed.
With the attractive themed design on the Snuggly Duckling out of the way in which, let’s flip to the menu.
That is the place the Snuggly Duckling goes to go off the rails for many of you.
The Snuggly Duckling is one among Tokyo DisneySea’s crowd-pleasing eating places, with a menu consisting of burgers, sandwiches, and even a plant-based possibility. I do know what you could be pondering: “Unbelievable–lastly one thing for my household!” You’re most likely improper.
That is, primarily, American theme park fare as reinterpreted for Japanese tastes. And you know the way folks complain about World Showcase at EPCOT not providing really genuine delicacies from [insert any of the countries]? Identical concept right here.
Let’s begin with the Fried Shrimp Burger. This may be bought as a sandwich-only, or as a part of a set with a salad or fries and selection of soppy drink.
The fried shrimp patty has a pleasant crunch and texture, the slaw provides a little bit of taste, and so too does the sauce–which struck me as a cross between thousand island dressing and tartar sauce.
This can be a first rate possibility when you get pleasure from this kind of factor. I like seafood and eat a variety of it in Japan, however would somewhat have grocery retailer sushi (which is definitely fairly good!) than this. Sarah preferred it even lower than I did. However, I ought to most likely share that each American we all know most well-liked this to the opposite primary possibility on the Snuggly Duckling.
That’s the Duckling Dream Cheeseburger. This can be purchased as a burger by itself, or as a part of a set with salad or fries and delicate drink.
Each American we all know hates this. Each Japanese Disney fan we all know loves it. Each of these statements are just about throughout the board. There’s one huge exception: we considerably preferred this!
And the “we” there isn’t simply me talking for the weblog. I’m most likely going to smash her wholesome residing avenue cred, however Sarah considerably preferred this, too. I can’t even start to explain why–maybe it was that we have been craving American consolation meals after a month-plus of sushi and ramen? I don’t actually know, actually. I usually hate TDR burgers, however I nearly preferred this (nearly). It’s really edible and borderline pleasing.
This burger’s sauce is much like the fried shrimp sandwich, minus the tartar sauce. These burger is topped with tomato, a thick slice of highly-processed ham, and slaw. The patty is low high quality, typical of what you’d discover at different counter service eating places round Tokyo Disney Resort. It seems terrible (above is the finest wanting model of this we acquired).
But one way or the other, it comes collectively and tastes kinda good. Nearly addictively so? Once more, no clue why. My principle is the hunk of ham melds with the sauce and the random chemical compounds which might be absolutely within the numerous substances and one way or the other–in opposition to all odds–presents a singular and fascinating taste.
Look, I can’t clarify myself and I do know “this seems terrible, is low-quality, highly-processed, and shouldn’t style good…however does; I can’t additional clarify why or how” shouldn’t be precisely compelling critique. However I additionally know this wasn’t a one-off. We ate (I’m nearly embarrassed to say the quantity) 4 of the Duckling Dream Cheeseburgers over the course of our visits to Fantasy Springs.
With that stated, there are two huge causes for repeatedly revisiting this dish. First, this burger prices like $6 because of the low worth and change fee, and the one different full meal various is the way more costly Frozen restaurant. Second, you may’t precisely come and go from Fantasy Springs as you please proper now because of the stringent digital queue and timed entry. However for that, we’d’ve solely eaten on the Snuggly Duckling as soon as.
For its specialty drink, the Snuggly Duckling serves up Rapunzel’s Magical Milk Tea.
This milk tea is creamy and candy–an ordinary sweetened black tea, plus milk, and tapioca balls together with a touch of fruitiness. Sarah discovered it to be a bit too candy, however I assumed it was good.
I may get this repeatedly–and actually, I did. The Trip Bundle consists of limitless drinks, and I put down a few half-dozen of those puppies over the course of in the future. Now that was an excessive amount of sugar.
The primary dessert served on the Snuggly Duckling is the Caramel Duckling Muffin.
What you see is what you get right here, which could really be reward contemplating the remainder of the menu. This can be a common spice-cake muffin topped with cream and stuffed with caramel. It’s delicate, moist and flavorful. It tastes precisely prefer it ought to, with no discernible faults or psychological gymnastics required for a constructive evaluate.
With that stated, it’s a quite simple dessert in a park that has over a dozen spectacular snacks. Although it’s low cost, there are higher makes use of of your restricted abdomen area except you’re actually into muffins or have like 2 weeks at Tokyo Disney Resort.
Lastly, there’s the Sweets Ever After dessert, which is arguably the flagship menu providing given it’s served in Rapunzel’s signature skillet.
That is positive. Let’s be trustworthy with each other–you’re ordering this for the picture, doin’ it for the ‘Gram, as the children say. Proper? And it’ll fill the position of creating fellow followers envious.
As for the style, the Sweets Ever After sadly isn’t something particular. It’s topped with tasty strawberry and blueberry, together with a lemon cream that gives a sweet-but-artificial tartness. No complaints about any of this. It’s the pastry itself, which is deflated within the center and method too chewy all through, that makes this dessert a dud. (I’d fortunately revisit this sooner or later if I see photographs that look puffy and ethereal, which is how I assume this needs to be.)
Finally, the Snuggly Duckling is an stable addition to the restaurant lineup at Tokyo DisneySea. The park desperately wanted extra counter service eating capability, and that is simply the ticket: a high-capacity and fully-fledged counter service restaurant. It’s mainly Tokyo DisneySea’s reply to Tomorrowland Terrace at Tokyo Disneyland, however with a a lot better setting.
The Snuggly Duckling is an effective possibility for choosy eaters who discover the park’s different counter service eating places to be unapproachable for no matter purpose. With that stated, I may see a variety of American palates being put-off by the feel and consistency of the burger and every thing concerning the fried shrimp sandwich. So I suppose extra precisely, it’s an excellent possibility for Japanese choosy eaters, which can not aid you a lot when you’re studying this English language evaluate.
Thematically, the Snuggly Duckling can also be very sturdy. If this have been a brand new quick-service restaurant at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, we’d be showering it with reward for the lavishness and a focus to element. But it surely’s not. At Tokyo DisneySea, that is per different huge meal halls, however–at finest–center of the pack total from a thematic perspective.
All issues thought-about, it’s very troublesome to actively advocate the Snuggly Duckling except you’re a hardcore Tangled fan, want a plant-based possibility, discover the opposite menus unapproachable, or are caught consuming in Fantasy Springs and don’t wish to splurge on the Frozen restaurant. Although we preferred the burger that everybody else likes to hate, this wouldn’t crack my high 10 locations to eat at Tokyo DisneySea.
In a perfect world, you’d use the Trip Bundle to see the within of the Snuggly Duckling and check out Rapunzel’s Magical Milk Tea. Failing that, Cellular Order one of many Dream Burgers to share, see if we’re out of our minds, and use that as your ticket inside. The Snuggly Duckling is unquestionably value seeing, however even with probably the most charitable potential evaluations of the menu, it’s not value your restricted abdomen area except you will have very, very particular tastes.
Planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? For complete recommendation, one of the best place to begin is our Tokyo Disneyland & DisneySea Journey Planning Information! For extra specifics, our TDR Resort Rankings & Opinions web page covers lodging. Our Restaurant Opinions element the place to dine & snack. To economize on tickets or decide which sort to purchase, learn our Suggestions for Saving Cash submit. Our What to Pack for Disney submit takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. Venturing elsewhere in Japan? Seek the advice of our Final Information to Kyoto, Japan and Metropolis Information to Tokyo, Japan.
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you ever dined on the Snuggly Duckling? What’d you order? Did you like or hate the meals? Assume we’re loopy for kinda, sorta having fun with the burger? Ideas on how the Tangled restaurant stacks as much as different choices at Tokyo DisneySea from a thematic perspective? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluate? Any questions? Listening to your suggestions–even whenever you disagree with us–is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!
