Competition keeps theme parks healthy, and this is certainly true in the area of dining. It is often assumed that Walt Disney World holds the crown for Orlando-area theme park dining—after all, many adults would argue that the food is their favorite part of a Disney vacation. In most cases, this is true, even if you narrow down the contest to The Most Magical Place on Earth and their primary rival, Universal Studios Orlando.
There is, however, one significant exception where Universal holds the edge in this rivalry.
Mythos at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is a restaurant so well-themed to its surroundings that some might pass it by assuming it to be a ride. Others may see the luxuriant interior and dismiss it as an ultra-fine dining experience well out of the average family’s price range. Both of these misconceptions are incorrect, and there are good reasons why Mythos has been consistently ranked as one of the top theme park restaurants in Orlando. Indeed, our experience there was so surprisingly pleasant that it made us wonder if Disney could learn a few things from this standout restaurant.
Don’t get me wrong. There are a number of areas where Universal Studios has a lot to learn from Disney, especially in areas like crowd control, cast member attentiveness, and—why this is an issue, I can’t guess—air conditioning. However, Mythos truly stands out among Orlando’s theme park fare, even in competition with Disney. We actually noticed five significant areas where, perhaps, Disney absolutely could learn a few things from Islands of Adventure’s flagship table service restaurant…
1. You can tell a story without intellectual properties
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
The Lost Continent—the otherworldly section of Islands of Adventure where Mythos is located—remains one of the most incredible theme park lands in Orlando. Its backstory as a spiritual successor to the unrealized “Beastly Kingdom” expansion at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a fascinating read. The fact that The Lost Continent survived the cataclysm which was the arrival of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is also remarkable—indeed, it lost half of its mass to Hogsmeade. It currently only hosts one attraction of any substance, Poseidon’s Fury, an immersive walking tour in serious need of an update, as well as a uniquely sassy fountain. Despite all this, The Lost Continent remains a favorite land for many Islands of Adventure fans due to its incredible scale and immersive feel.
Most significantly, The Lost Continent does not reference a single well-known intellectual property.
Intellectual properties are recognizable characters and stories that studios like Universal and Disney are well-known for. At Disney, these are usually characters from Disney’s films and cartoons. Universal casts a somewhat wider net, with rides and lands surrounding intellectual properties ranging from Jurassic Park to Dr. Seuss. In its current state, every land at Universal Islands of Adventure holds ties to intellectual properties except the Lost Continent (who lost its only IP tie-in when The Eight Voyage of Sinbad closed).
Mythos takes up a good chunk of space in The Lost Continent, and the serene walking paths that surround it are one of the most peaceful places you will find in Islands of Adventure. The larger-than-life mythological themes displayed outside the restaurant carry into the interior, where guests are led into a peacefully lit grotto carved by seas and artisans from another age. The effect is captivating, and not once are you ever left wondering where the familiar characters are. You’re free to just experience the atmosphere without needing to mentally tie anything to known films or characters.
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Disney has made a sharp shift in the last ten years towards favoring attractions and dining experiences that surround intellectual properties—in some cases, even to the detriment of pre-existing mainstays. A perfect example of this was the recent transformation of Artist’s Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge into a Snow White character dining experience. While the addition might make sense from a family standpoint, it doesn’t when you consider that Artist’s Point was recognized by several national publications as one of the only world-class culinary standouts on Walt Disney World property (besides Victoria and Alberts). This pattern has repeated throughout Disney’s recent history, with park elements that surrounded original stories repeatedly being refurbished to tie into intellectual properties.
Mythos proves that IP tie-ins are not necessary to make a successful theme park dining experience. The immersive atmosphere of the restaurant might bring to mind films like Aquaman or the Sinbad series, but there’s no smothering sense of marketing. It makes for an extremely relieving dining experience.
2. An atmosphere for adults (that still mesmerizes kids)
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
The first thing I noticed about Mythos was how insanely soothing the interior was. You just can’t help but gape at the cavernous ceilings, the soft lighting, and the gorgeous views of the sun shining or setting over the park. Glowing glass sconces formed to look like aquatic flora cast an ethereal light over the dining area, while the stone walls are carved to bring to mind mythical beasts. Fountains flow in the corners, creating an ever-present feel of water around you. If you can visit during a season that isn’t too busy, eating at Mythos is almost a spa-like experience for adults.
Disney certainly has some standout examples of adult-centric dining with incredible theming: Epcot’s Coral Reef, Tutto Italia, and Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge are all great examples. However, Mythos does something truly incredible: it sets an atmosphere that is simultaneously peaceful and classy for adults while totally mesmerizing kids.
We mentioned before that the atmosphere feels like something out of Aquaman. The larger-than-life setting of the Lost Continent and Mythos gives kids plenty to take in while you eat. To you, it feels like a fine dining restaurant. To them, Mythos feels like the setting for an adventure—a sea king’s palace or the long-lost location of a cursed treasure. Thanks to this versatile atmosphere, Mythos has been able to ride the tide from starting out as a fine dining restaurant then morphing into a family dining experience that feels surprisingly upscale.
3. Quality food without signature prices
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Now, I will be the first to say that Disney has several restaurants that are easily on par or have better food than Mythos. Most are found in their resorts, but within the parks, you could argue that Monsieur Paul, Tutto Italia, Tiffins, and possibly Be Our Guest fit the bill. Mythos has some seriously good food, but I wouldn’t say it matches the quality of Jiko, The Flying Fish, or California Grill.
Despite these standouts, in the vast majority of Disney restaurants, there has been a defined shift away from the rich quality of yesteryear, especially since the arrival of the Disney Dining Plan. Even mainstays like Le Cellier, The Garden Grill, and The Brown Derby have waned in excellence. Many of Disney’s restaurants have adjusted their menus and ingredients to accommodate serving big families large amounts of food quickly rather than cultivating a unique culinary experience. More and more of the food at Disney feels homogenized and mass-produced, even at formerly-excellent locations.
Disney could learn a lot from Mythos in this area. For one thing, it is possible to produce an experience that feels like fine dining but is accessible to families. Mythos’ eclectic Mediterranean menu included some wonderfully delicious dishes, from their zesty Mezze Platter appetizer to the surprisingly rich Wild Caught Pacific Flounder. For families with picky eaters, the menu also includes a traditional cheeseburger, a grilled chicken sandwich, and a range of familiar salads (as well as a kid-friendly menu).
The other area where Mythos shines over Disney is that they prove you can offer an exquisite theme park culinary experience without an exorbitant price tag. We loved how reasonable the prices were at Mythos. Across the board, Universal Studios tends to have more tempered dining prices than Disney, but we were surprised that this carried over to Mythos. At Disney, even with a Passholder discount, prices are painfully inflated, especially at table service restaurants. Like the shift in quality, some blame this on side effects of the Disney Dining Plan, but Mythos proves that you don’t have to hike prices to produce a superb dining experience.
4. Service that matches the reputation and atmosphere
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
Once again, this isn’t a knock at Disney’s world class service. We love Disney cast members and have so many stories of out-of-this-world service at their parks and restaurants. In the past, our experience has been that Disney’s cast members tend to go the extra mile more often than those at Universal, and we’ve run into surly cast members more often at Universal than Disney.
Once again, Mythos stands out as a unique exception. The hosting and wait-staff service felt like what you would expect at a Disney signature restaurant. We never felt rushed, and our servers were extremely attentive and helpful. We mentioned that visiting Mythos feels a bit like a spa experience for adults—the wait staff really reinforces this. While Disney dining cast members are usually awesome, there have been plenty of times we felt rushed to get through a meal quickly at Disney table service restaurants. At Mythos, the servers flowed at a speed that felt perfectly congruent with the atmosphere. Food was brought quickly but not at a pace that felt rushed. Drinks were refilled regularly, and our server was genuinely friendly. Nothing felt forced, it was just an entirely pleasant experience—once again, without the signature price tag.
5. It’s all in the details
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
One of the biggest things that stood out to us during our visit to Mythos was the incredible attention to detail in every portion of our experience. Other than dessert (we’ll get to that shortly), every element of our meal felt like it was crafted with care. Even the bread brought to our table was excellent and tasted like it fit with the theme. I feel like I remember music playing, but I can’t say for sure because all of the theming fit together so smoothly that the atmosphere just sweeps you away. The plating of our food was beautiful, echoing a fine-dining feel without creeping into ostentatious. You could probably visit Mythos a dozen times and find something new on each visit.
Now, there is no doubt that Disney shines at getting the details of theming right. Entire Instagram accounts exist highlighting brilliant but tiny details in Disney theming (especially in ultra-immersive restaurants like Satul’i Canteen). However, with Disney lately, it has felt like either the food or theming get priority. The most brilliantly designed restaurants have suffered quality decreases, while many of the most exquisite culinary experiences at Disney may have beautiful décor but don’t really feel like they’re telling any particular story.
The details at Mythos, from nuances in the food to hidden details in the atmosphere all come together to produce a dining experience entirely unique to the Orlando theme park scene. It feels like stepping into a story that hasn’t been fully told yet, a story you get to hear, touch, see, smell, and of course, taste.
Oh, and they had air conditioning– glorious air conditioning. Take notes, Three Broomsticks…
What could Mythos learn from Disney?
Image: Jett Farrell-Vega
While we loved our visit to Mythos, we would be remiss if we didn’t point out one or two areas where they could learn some things from Disney. While some dishes, like the Mezze Platter and Flounder stood out as excellent, others could still use some improvement (the Pad Thai, for example, was a bit too sweet). The presentation kitchen was a very nice addition to the restaurant, one that Disney has delved into before in locations like California Grill. However, we did notice some instances where the cooks at Mythos seemed to run into audible disagreements and flow problems, even within the sight of guests. We have never noticed this issue in presentation kitchens at Disney. It was a small problem that didn’t last long, and the food still came out fast and at great quality.
Finally, in the area of desserts, Disney absolutely has Mythos beat. While we didn’t get an opportunity to try everything, of what we tried, the hazelnut crème brulee was tasty but lost all sense of the exotic theming—indeed, it felt like an Oreo cookie dusted crème brulee, an odd mismatch with the rest of the restaurant’s Mediterranean fare. Also, the chocolate zabayon dessert shot was not a zabayon, which is supposed to be a light and tasty wine custard from Italy. It was the least impressive item on the menu and tasted just like a chocolate mousse and cake shot that had been sitting in the fridge too long. With a few exceptions, even some of Disney’s weaker restaurants tend to shine in the area of desserts and matching them to theme. It surprised us that Mythos fell short in this area, but it would be easy for them to improve this.
Despite these small negative points, we would absolutely go back to Mythos. Lines can be long to get into this popular restaurant, but you can avoid all this by just calling Universal’s reservation line. Especially if you have only experienced Disney theme park dining, you will be in for a treat visiting this surprising gem within Universal’s Islands of Adventure.
Have you ever been to Mythos? What was your experience there? Did it meet the hype or fall short in any areas?
