Tourists looking for a taste of the familiar on their Disney vacation will be pleased to know that the comforts of their neighborhood Starbucks will be waiting, albeit in a slightly more magical environment. New locations in Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as Disneyland Paris, have drawn strong crowds eager to experience their favorite lattes, mochas and macchiatos. The popular Seattle franchise offers guests its full menu of specialty drinks and eats, but it is not the first coffee house to ply its trade on Disney's streets.
First on the scene was Maxwell House in Walt's original park. Debuting on Main Street, U.S.A nearly five-months after Disneyland opened its gates, the Maxwell House Coffee Shop was ideally located to service arriving guests on the eastern side of Town Square, beside the Opera House. When Maxwell departed two years later in 1957, another coffee purveyor popped up in its place. The much longer-lasting Hills Bros. Coffee House and Coffee Garden was, like today's Starbucks arrangement, made possible by an outside coffee company who supplied the ground goods and brand name. Comfortable and fondly remembered, the Hills Bros. house even warranted mention in park announcements broadcast at the main gates. The coffee house closed its doors in 1976 to be replaced by the full-service Town Square Café.
With the arrival of Starbucks, Disney took great care to make certain its first in-park presence was up to snuff. Having to meet both Disney and the coffee giant's exacting expectations of quality, Imagineers designed the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café to impress. Featuring extensive wood and glasswork typical of its 1920's setting, the oddly-named establishment is also stuffed with backstory. The narrative, described in memorabilia around the shop, tells of a singing trio with a passion for coffee.
A celebrated success, this first outing allowed guests to enjoy the taste of home at their Disney destinations and paved the way for new coffee houses on both coasts. Whatever the brand or whenever the decade, coffee has been the perfect way to start your Disney day.
