July is National Hot Dog Month … Should We Head To Casey’s?

by Beth Keating

News/Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 3, 2020

It doesn’t matter that the National Hot Dog Council says National Hot Dog Day is July 22 this year. Hot Dog Day here in New York is July 4th, when Nathan’s holds its annual hot dog eating contest on the boardwalk at Coney Island. 

We watch – some of us in glee, and others in abject horror – as competitors from around the country vie to see who can scarf down the most hot dogs (rolls and all) in under ten minutes. You can watch it on national TV if you so desire. (Yes, Disney’s own ESPN offers coverage.) The big question is always: Will perennial champion Joey Chestnut take home the “Mustard Belt” again?  (In 2019, he took home his 12th win with a total of 71 hot dogs in ten minutes. Yes, 71. That’s an average of 7 hot dogs every minute. Or one every 8.5 seconds or so.) But given the coronavirus concerns, there will be no fans this year for the event.

If you prefer to eat your hot dog at a little more leisurely pace, may we recommend a trip to Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom when the Magic Kingdom reopens? Casey’s didn’t make the cut to open in the first round of restaurants serving ‘em up on opening day so far – we’re hoping it will be back in the game before too long. You deserve to celebrate July's "Hot Dog Month" in style!  

Among the menu selections at Casey’s is an All-Beef Hot Dog Meal with fries that will set you back $9.99. You can also get your dawg as Corn Dog Nuggets with cheese sauce and fries for $9.99. Foot-long Hot Dog Meals with fries are available for $13.49 as either a Bacon Macaroni and Cheese All-Beef Foot Long, or a Chili-Cheese All-Beef Foot-Long.  Plant based “sausage” dogs make an appearance on the menu as well for $9.49 for the sausage in a potato bun and fries, or $11.49 for the loaded slaw dog. Finish your meal off with a $4.29 baseball brownie if you’d like.

The quaintly Imagineered Casey’s gives a nod to the celebrated poem Casey at the Bat with its Americana baseball theme and classic baseball foods. (Disney turned Thayer’s poem into a cartoon short in 1954.) Casey’s Corner is a quick service, mobile order site, right on the hub in front of the castle, a perfect spot to grab a bite for lunch, or while waiting for the Festival of Fantasy Parade. (Yes, the parade is taking a COVID-19 break right now, but it won’t always be this way.)  We’ve also used Casey’s as a late night dining locale, scooping up a foot long and lemonade slushy while jockeying for the perfect spot to watch the Happily Ever After fireworks (no, they aren’t running right now either, but they’ll be back, Mickey willing.)

Some days you might also be fortunate enough to catch “Jim” or one of his fellow musicians in their red-striped vests, playing the piano on the sidewalk outside of Casey’s. They offer up some fun street-mosphere with happy ragtime tunes, occasionally taking requests from park visitors. “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” might be appropriate. 

Casey’s changes up its menu periodically, featuring a “hot dog of the month” and a specialty hot dog series around the holidays. We’re partial to the warm cups of melty cheese to dip our fries in – a Disney bargain at only $1.00 a cup.

If you are interested, the specific date of National Hot Dog day changes from year to year. According to the National Hot Dog Council, Hot Dog Day falls on July 22nd this year – it is actually based on when the North American Meat Institute hosts its annual hot dog lunch on Capitol Hill. (So, maybe with large gatherings being cancelled all over the place, Hot Dog Day won’t happen this year? Will Congress be quarantined out of their annual hot dog bash?) 

No worries… hopefully Casey’s will open soon!

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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.