The Hilarious Reason Disney Had To Replace A Guest's Mac And Cheese
Anyone who's been to any of the Disney parks learns that going there is an experience like no other, and the food that gets served is a huge part of why. Not only are the offerings creative, unique, and fun to eat; they're also delicious as ever. People come from all over the U.S. to eat Disney's Dole Whips and Mickey waffles, and every year, Disney World hosts its own international food festival, the Taste of EPCOT.
Disney's Mac and Cheese is also one of the fan favorites and apparently, one that birds like just as much as people do — so much so that one guest at Flame Tree Barbecue, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom, had it stolen from them by a hungry stork before they could even enjoy it (via The Takeout). The stork landed on a full table of food and proceeded to go to town on the guest's pork mac and cheese. Fortunately, a Disney cast member intervened, though it was already too late. This was followed by an offer to bring out a complimentary meal to the unlucky customer.
Bird interruptions are common in Animal Kingdom
Inside the Magic explains that Disneyworld's Animal Kingdom has the most outdoor dining out of all the Disney parks. That means local birds often make themselves at home amongst the customers and steal food. On the day of the mac and cheese incident, the cast member who helped shoo away the stork reported eight other food thefts by birds incidents within a single hour. (The Takeout said nine other incidents occurred.) Of course, Disney is known to have exceptional customer service and therefore has no issue replacing food stolen by birds.
Considering random birds are willing to force their way onto crowded tables, it's safe to say Disney's mac and cheese recipe must be pretty tasty. According to Karen McClintock, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts' Food and Beverage Content Relations Manager, the flavor of the signature mac and cheese partly comes from a combination of Boursin cheese, yellow cheddar, and white cheddar (via Disney Parks Blog). Technically, it's not a good idea for birds to eat soft, creamy cheeses (via The Spruce), but clearly, that stork didn't care.