Sad About The Loss Of Alfredo's

[jakeybake]

Hi,

First, a brief history. My wife has always called me a sentimental fool. I'm the guy who breaks out the honeymoon pictures constantly, goes through old bins in the basement and stares at all our old stuff for fun and is constantly saying, "Remember that time......" to my wife.

Because I am a "sentimental fool" I always feel like a small piece of me dies (dramatic I know) whenever an attraction, restaraunt or resort closes or changes. I always go back to places we have stayed at, rides we have been on or restaraunts we have eaten at because the memories to me are sacred and the great feelings flow the second I walk through the door.

I am starting to get a feeling of profound sadness (sounds like the words to a pharmaceutical add for some anti-depressant)that Alfredo's will be shutting it's doors and I will never be able to walk through those doors again and turn to my wife and say, "Hey look, that's the chair I sat in when you took that picture of me on our honeymoon!" for the 100th time while she laughs and rolls her eyes at me.

Alfredo's was the first WDW restaraunt my wife and I ever ate at during our 2 week honeymoon back in '91, which for the record was my first ever visit to WDW. It has always held a special place in my heart because of that and I am really, really going to miss not being able to revisit those wonderful memories again.

One of my favorite pictures of my wife and I was taken of us there on our honeymoon and it saddens me to know that we won't have before and after pictures when we are an old married couple in 20 or so years.

We are going down for a week from 8/26-9/1 and are staying at the Beach Club with the free Dining Plan. I upgraded us to the Beach Club so we can have such wonderful access to Epcot and all their wonderful restaraunts, Alfredo's in particular. I'm sure some will laugh but I have made ADP's at Alfredo's for each night of our stay. I'm hoping that farewell dinners there might help ease the pain, though I doubt it.

So if you happen to see a slightly (well maybe moderately overweight is a bit more honest) overweight man with salt and pepper hair (when did that happen?) weeping uncontollably in the Italy Pavillion and standing with a beautiful redhead, rolling her eyes and looking like she just stepped off of a magazine cover, feel free to come over, give me a hug and tell me it will all be alright!!! I'm sure I'll need it!!

Old Softy!!!

[DREAMADREAM93]

aw! ill be sure to give you a hug! [and im sure your wife would love the lovely compliments you gave her!]

JOrdan:]

[glar42]

I understand some of your feelings regarding the closing of Alfredo's. We too have eaten there on every trip.

My funny story.....When my daughter was about 3-4 she was going through that phase of "autographs" from everyone. She had our waiter sign her book. Fast forward ahead 10 years and we once again go to Alfredo's for dinner. The SAME waiter still worked there and we got him to sign her book again. We always laugh about it!

Counting down the days.....146!!!!!

[DizNee143]

aww that is soo nice you have all those memories of Alfredos...i dont have those kind of memories for the place..but i too am going to truely miss this restuarant!!! i didnt always make it there every trip to disney..but non the less it is/was my favorite restuarant in all of Disney...unfortunetaly things change...and this is one change i really really dont like!!!

[Golf Grumpy]

We like Alfredo' as well, and very sorry about the situation! Although we would like the $$ to go down some, the food and atmoshphere is great and we love it.

[tinksmom02]

What a moving post. I feel so sorry for you that Alfredo's is closing! We never made it there--we walked past in January & my mom said that looked like a place she'd enjoy. We had ADRs at LeCellier so I told her "next trip." Oops.

I think it's so sweet that you have ADR's for Alfredo's the whole week. Try to cram in some last-minute memories, and take lots of pictures!

[Polynesian Dweller]

Thanks for sharing your story. In its earlier days it was one of the great places at WDW and we loved it. It was one of our must do places.

Somewhere along the way it seemed to lose its sense of customer service (at least for us). The last two times we were there (about 5 years ago) the staff were surly, seemed to be annoyed at having to provide service. The food stayed good but the atmosphere had changed. Too bad, but you are only as good as your staff.

Hope you get one last great experience there and keep the memories of how good it was.

[jenperich]

I also do not have the same memories as you, but Alfredo's is a wonderful restaurant, and it will be sadly missed. :-( Hopefully the next Italian restaurant will be just as good and you can make new memories that are just as great as the old memories. I'm sorry that you're so sad about it though.

[Ian]

From one sentimental old fool to another ...

I HEAR YA!!!!!!!!!!!

[disneyjo-91]

I am going to miss alfredo's myself.. Just as I missed Flaglers when they took that out of the Grand Floridian..

I am curious... Does anyone know if they are putting another restaurant in its place?

[jakeybake]

Funny you should mention Flagler's. The sentimental fool here stayed that the Grand Floridian for two weeks for our afore mentioned honeymoon and we ate at Flagler's at least 4 or 5 times. I was so sad when that closed as well.

I had heard that they were opening another restaraunt in Alfredo's place, though it will never replace my dear, departed Alfredo's

[Sharon1026]

please don't cry. there will be more food. I promise!!

[snifflesmcg]

I happen to like sentimental fools. I am one too. My BF rolls his eyes every time I take MORE pictures. Make sure you take pictures of your dinnerS at Alfredo's and that way you can still show off your before and after photos. Just think, you can make new memories in the new restaurant.

[Tinkerfreak]

We also have fond memories of Alfredo's from our very first trip with our girls. They still talk about seeing the pasta hanging in the window. I wish we had gone there one last time on our last family trip in Dec. but we didn't. It will be closed when we go in oct./nov. and I hope the new one is good also. I'm not sure we will get to try the new place this trip but that is more reason to make another trip.

[cindymouse6]

Numerous people have a disdain for Alfredo's and I don't get it. My husband speaks fluent Italian and it our ABSOLUTE favorite place to eat -- we go to WDW several times a year and eat there at least twice -- the best Alfredo I have everhad ---- can't imagine another Italian place being as authentic and good. My husband lived in Italy and the food is very authentic --- granted different regions of Italy prepare things differently thereby causing many people to complain it isn't authentic, but we love it and have had great service 100% of the time since 1997.... am quite devastated it won't be there --- but go figure -- every place we like or dish we like disappears, like when Rainforest got bought out by Landry's -- all our favorite dishes disappeared overnight --- have never returned.

We ate there about 5 times on our honeymoon so understand the sentiment.

Wish I could purchase copies of the photos on the walls of the celebrities. Anyone know if they would be available???? A waiter told us the NY Alfredo's will remain open (didn't know they had one) -- perhaps the artificats will be sent there. Just love the history of the place! So old Hollywood!

[Clotho]

Add me to among those who don't understand the disdain. Now, I understand having one bad experience, but you don't judge anything entirely on that. I guess anything beyond that is racked up to "different strokes", right?

We have been the one time, and I found the food to be excellent! We caught it on our last day of an 8 day trip, a last-minute choice to go to lunch there, and yum! One of our favorite meals (though admittedly, so much was incredible for foodies like us!). I am glad we will get to go for dinner and see it more bustling, since lunch was kinda low key But I am sad it will be our last visit ever...and on the LAST day it will be open. I am curious how it will be different--I hope more festive than ever, but fear a melancholy. Any opinions?

[cindymouse6]

Interestingly ---- we went March for spring break; I had found the news here on Intercot about the closing and asked our waiter about it --- he didn't know ---- a lot of the staff didn't know. One of the "older" more senior waiters came over and answered some questions --- and stated that you don't want everyone to know it's closing till closer to the date --- some knew it would happen but didn't know it was August. They asked what site I got my info and shared that with them. I imagine the staff will be transferred to another location while it is being renovated. Their lack of knowledge caught me by surprise....

[Dawneeeey]

I promise you it will be ok.

Also, at least you have pictures to remember your experiences there!! Just take a whole bunch more on your upcoming trip and then you can look at them later on and say "remember when" and have happy memories all over again!!!!

[cindymouse6]

And we have the recipe for Fett. Alfredo in our Disney cookbook! Fab. recipe, by the way.

Just want to buy some of those pix of my favorite classic Hollywood Celebs off the wall though.....

[MickeyMousse]

We had a great dinner at Alfredo's when while on our honeymoon in '91, too......some years later we returned in '99 for our son's first trip and he loved the singing, clapping....and yes, even the food! I am sad to hear that another "original" is going away........