In honor of the grand opening of Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios, I thought I would review somewhere you can probably still get a meal without waiting an hour or more in line. PizzeRizzo is a counter-service restaurant set behind the Muppet Vision 3D, formerly smaller and named Pizza Planet. For such an out-of-the-way dining spot, it has cavernous seating options downstairs, upstairs, and even balcony dining. There is also a neon room for what purpose I cannot even begin to imagine.
Multiple lines await your order. Photo by Roan Poulter
Ordering is standard counter-service style. Note that the gluten-free pizza is not only available, but very good. Beer, wine and a pretty darn good margarita are also available.
The kitchen seems unornate, but they make a great pie. Photo by Roan Poulter
And that's about it. There aren't many frills or thrills, though I will take an air conditioned sit down to take a break in the summer heat as fair recompense any day. Small details can be had, but, in comparison to Mama Melrose's, it's pretty tame.
A small detail encouraging you to bus your own table. Photo by Roan Poulter
What We Had:
Meat Lovers Pizza (topped with sausage, pepperoni and served with pasta salad): We changed ours to a side Caesar salad, which we were all pleased with. The pizza is amazing for counter service. The crust is a thicker bread style, but cooked appropriately, chewy with a hearty sauce, bold sausage and meats, all properly baked to a crispy outside and tender interior. We did not find them big enough to share.
Meat-Lovers Pizzas overload a tray with side Caesar salads. Photo by Roan Poulter
A little closer look at the pizza. Photo by Roan Poulter
Meat Lovers Pizza – Gluten Free: This option does take an extra few minutes, which many will find annoying as the rest of the meals get cold waiting on your special order. But for a gluten-free pizza, which there are some truly horrific versions of out there, this one stands out as a winner. Instead of the deep-dish bread style of the standard pizza, the gluten-free option is a thinner, New York-style of pizza. Not quite as crispy as I would have liked, but overall a triumphant effort to accommodate the gluten-intolerant crowd.
The much ballyhooed gluten-free pizza. Photo by Roan Poulter
Our ratings are as follows:
- Dad (42): 4.5 of 5—Nothing particularly outstanding here, but everything is enjoyable and we had our pick of seating options. This is what I would consider a workhorse dining option, somewhere that can serve and seat the hordes that will come to see Toy Story and Star Wars Lands.
- Mom (42): 4.5 of 5—It was nice to have a salad to balance out the pizza.
- Daughter (19): 4.7 of 5—Finally, a gluten-free option that's better than the standard.
- Son (17): 4.5 of 5—It was good. Felt like the portion was right for one person if you're not starving.
As a little extra treat, this decoder will allow you to translate the hidden messages in the Star Wars Launch Bay. Photo by Roan Poulter.
Reviewer's Request: If you have a restaurant you've always wanted reviewed, please let me know in the comments. Otherwise I'm wandering the parks, forced to stumble upon some worthy establishment by dumb luck. Please realize that I won't be able to eat at Victoria and Albert's every week, I live on a budget, too, ya know.
