We had a delightful cosmic dining experience at Space 220 in EPCOT recently! My husband is a huge Sci-Fi and all things space fan, so the themed restaurant has always been on our list. We finally made the reservation and went during our last Walt Disney World trip. There were things we really liked, but a couple of things that did not impress us as much as expected.
The Concept
First, you need to understand the concept of Space 220. Located in the World Discovery area, the restaurant figuratively takes guests to outer space for a culinary experience. Guests board a “special space elevator” and ascend 220 miles above EPCOT to dine in the Centauri Space Station. An expansive view of space entertains guests while they eat.
The elevator really does make you feel like you are ascending into the above! You can look down and look up to view your progress as you ride. EPCOT grows smaller, while the ambiance of space looms larger.
Lunch or Dinner
The restaurant offers both lunch and dinner. Lunch is served between 11:30 am and 3:30 pm, and dinner is served between 4:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The menu is prix fixe, and currently lunch is $55.00 per adult and $29.00 per child. Dinner is $79.00 per adult, and $35.00 per child. The Disney Dining Plan is not accepted at this location. Lunch includes a “lift-off” (appetizer) and a “star course” (entrée). Dinner also includes a “supernova sweet” (dessert). A drink is not included in either the lunch or dinner option. For the price, I feel like a non-alcoholic beverage should be included. We chose lunch as it was more affordable, but also because I knew I would already be eating my desserts in the World Showcase!
The Menu
The menu can be a little intimidating as the names are made to fit the theme. We spent some time reading all the descriptions before making our selections. For us, the lift offs took the prize! We chose the Blue Moon Cauliflower and the Apollo 16 Shrimp Tacos. The cauliflower is tempura fried with a house-made hot sauce and blue cheese topping. The shrimp tacos have marinated shrimp, lettuce, and shallots in a crispy wonton shell. Both were delicious!
Our star courses were also very good. I had the Galactic Miso Salmon, which includes a miso-glazed salmon fillet, sauteed leeks, tempura-fried mushroom, and a curry blood orange beurre blanc. I wasn’t sure about the sauce, so our waitress had it put on the side. It turned out to be very tasty! I liked everything but the mushroom, which was fried a little too heavily for my liking. This surprised me as I really liked the fried cauliflower appetizer.
My husband had the Interstellar Steak & Frites, which includes a New York strip steak, roasted garlic butter, haricots verts, and French fries. He enjoyed it all. We recommend this dish for less adventurous eaters or those like my husband, who want a good steak. Other Star Course options are Rocket Flame Seared Tuna, Titan Crater Flatbread, Mangala Roasted Chicken, Space Pad Thai, and a Gemini Burger.
The Service
The staff were efficient and friendly. A cast member checked us in at the podium, and another cast member escorted us and a few others up through the elevator. Once we were seated, our waitress was soon over to introduce herself and begin our dining experience. She was very well-rehearsed and had a themed line and response for everything! This was nice, but hearing her give the exact same lines several times to other guests at other tables made it seem mundane after a while. If I were her, I would expand my standard sayings and vary them throughout the hour at my tables. Overall, she did a great job and did not rush us through our meal.
The Ambiance
The restaurant is clean, crisp, and contemporary with a stereotypical space feel. The view of space was interesting, but this is where I was somewhat disappointed. I expected to see much more happening than I did, but when I remembered the concept of being on a stationary space station, it was more understandable. Our waitress was good about pointing out and explaining a couple of things that did happen.
My husband thought the ambiance fit well with the theme park it is located in. It has a classic EPCOT feel like the old Living Seas Pavilion. It isn’t tied to a particular intellectual property but still immerses you in a futuristic realm.
Our Final Impression
Overall, we enjoyed our cosmic dining experience. We thought it was expensive at first, but after looking at other EPCOT table service menus, we realized that the pricing was on par with other locations.
If you are a Sci-Fi fan, definitely give it a try. It is also a wonderful place to escape the Florida sun and enjoy a relaxing meal!
