The Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney’s California Adventure (DCA) is a two-third size reproduction of the Carthay Circle Theater where Walt Disney premiered the first feature length animated film, Snow White. The restaurant is located in the center of DCA in Carthay Circle and has been blinged out for Disneyland’s 60th anniversary.
The restaurant gives off an old Hollywood vibe right from the moment that you walk in the door. Hanging on the walls are pictures of Hollywood celebrities, including the Seven Dwarfs, at the premiere. The lounge area is located to the right of the entrance and has its own menu. Many dining guests spend time in the lounge when they are waiting for their reservation, but it can also be a great place to just grab a few drinks if you don’t want a full meal.
My husband and I had a reservation for noon and were seated almost immediately after we checked in. From the waiting area, we were brought upstairs to a central dining room where we were transported back to the golden age of Hollywood. The whole restaurant has deep dark woods on the walls and the central dining room features a massive painted vaulted ceiling and multiple large chandeliers that add to the elegance. The dining room also features wine bottles displayed in the center of the room and on the walls, adding to the elegant vibe. But while the decor is formal and fancy, Carthay Circle offers its dining guests a welcoming atmosphere and we didn’t feel out of place in theme park clothes.
Ordering off of the World of Color menu, we had a three course prix fixe menu for $43 plus tax and tip. We both started the meal with the salad which they were happy to give us without the vinaigrette dressing, and they also brought very good bread, always a great way to start a meal.
For my entree, I chose the Carthay 8 oz. Angus Burger with cheese and nothing else. This was an excellent burger; it was thick and juicy and the bun was also thick and tasty. My husband had the Salmon, which he asked for without glaze and with French fries instead of rice. He also thought his meal was very good. For dessert we both had the Chocolate Cookies n’ Cream Cake, which was okay but not great.
Our waiter was very nice and kept our drinks full throughout our meal. The service overall was good, willing to accommodate our special requests and attentive to our wants, and we finished our meal in just over an hour. The quality of the food was superb, and the Burger was one of the best that I’ve ever had. (My husband is tired of hearing about how much I’ve wanted another Carthay burger since we’ve returned to Massachusetts.) But I think the real draw to this restaurant is the atmosphere, which offers guests the opportunity to experience the best of Los Angeles dining in the 1920s.
The Carthay Circle reserved area for World of Color was designated by a green sign across from the Little Mermaid ride. We arrived around 7:45 for an 8:30 show on a Monday evening and got a front row spot against the railing on the second level up from the lagoon. It was an excellent, centered view of the show except that there was a light pole down in the front that was sometimes blocking Neil Patrick Harris. Since I wanted to eat at Carthay Circle for lunch anyway, the package was definitely a good deal.
If you’re going to spend the day in Disney’s California Adventure, I cannot recommend experiencing the Carthay Circle dining experience enough. Not only is the food great, but you’ll feel like you’re back in Los Angeles in the golden age of cinema and that Walt Disney might be dining just a few tables away with his Imagineers. A can’t miss for any true Disney enthusiast.
