A love letter to Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
I don't care what anyone says, I'll miss this Hollywood Studios restaurant.
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano’s last day of operation at Hollywood Studios is May 10, 2025.
I wish I could’ve visited one more time before it permanently closes, but, sadly, that’s not going to happen.
Thankfully, I was able to enjoy one final meal in December 2024 — and it was a delicious one.
I don’t care what anyone says, I’ve always loved Mama Melrose’s. While some have dubbed this the “worst” restaurant at Walt Disney World, I don’t agree at all.
I never had one bad meal here. The service was always fantastic and Cast Members were always friendly. More importantly, I never left hungry or unhappy.
Mama Melrose’s first opened on June 15, 1991 as “The Studio Pizzeria” when Hollywood Studios was known as Disney-MGM Studios. In September 1991, the restaurant’s name officially changed to what we’ve called it for 34 years, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano.
I can admit that this was never the best Italian food you could order at Walt Disney World, nor was it one of the overall best restaurants. But, I never found it to be as awful as everyone expressed.
From the charm, to the coziness, to the ambiance, to the decent menu offerings, to being able to easily book reservations, I never had a bad experience at Mama Melrose’s.
While I am excited for the future of this restaurant and this area thanks to the upcoming Monsters, Inc.-themed land, it’s bittersweet saying goodbye to Mama Melrose’s.
This is the first big closure of the Muppets area, with the permanent shutdown of PizzeRizzo and Muppet*Vision 3D following not long after on June 8, 2025.
Lots of changes are coming and I know it’s hard for many, especially when it comes to Muppet*Vision. This was Jim Henson’s last major project he ever worked on, after all.
According to Disney, they are “having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.” What that means, we still don’t know.
In the words of Walt Disney, “Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
With that, I bid Mama Melrose’s adieu. Thanks for the good times, the good food, the good drinks, and the even better memories.