Space 220 Dining Review

Space 220 is one of Walt Disney World’s newest table service restaurants and one of the most anticipated additions in 2021. After a few setbacks, Space 220 opened its doors on September 20, 2021. It’s located near Mission Space in the World Discovery area of EPCOT.

Overview

The restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, serving a prix fixe menu for either option. The cost is $55 for a 2-course lunch and $79 for a 3-course dinner. Kids eat for $29 for both lunch and dinner. Alcoholic beverages are not included in the prix fixe menu pricing. The restaurant is owned and operated by the Patina Group, find the full menu here.

The main seating area can be booked via Advanced Dining Reservations on the My Disney Experience app or Walt Disney World website. There is also a lounge area, which is based on availability and a first come, first served basis. You can enjoy drink and appetizers choices from an a la carte menu if seated in lounge area.

I have had the unique opportunity to dine here on 3 separate occasions; once for lunch and twice for dinner, twice within the first week of the restaurant’s grand opening and once a few weeks later. All three experiences were fantastic! I love this restaurant more and more each time I dine there.

Note: At any point, if you prefer to view my review in stories, I documented my lunch and dinner dining experiences on Instagram. See that here:

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17894230289272249/

Dining in Space

So, how does one get into space to dine at this fabulous restaurant? Funny you ask!

Upon checking in, you’ll find yourself in the Space 220 departure lounge. While you wait to board the space elevator to the dining room, find yourself lounging in comfortable chairs available for you to sit and wait for your name to be called. Once called, you will be handed a “boarding pass” to enter with your party into the “space elevator” used to launch you into space.

Once inside the elevator, be prepared to look up and down as you “blast off” and away from EPCOT and Earth and head closer to the Centauri Space Station (be sure to look up just before you approach the space station).

Check out my TikTok video for a full view of blasting off into space!

Upon exiting, you’ll walk through tunnel-like hallways (complete with space lettuce!) and into the amazing dining area.

Dining in Space

The entrance to the dining area is spectacular. You immediately get a view of earth outside the windows. The atmosphere is like none other, it truly is impressive. You really feel as if you are in “space”. It’s one of those magical Disney moments!

Once seated (I was dining in the main dining area), you’ll be greeted by your server who will explain your space dining experience and answer any questions you have.

Lunch Visit

My first visit to Space 220 was for lunch. During the first week of opening, the restaurant was not accepting reservations, only walk ups. You waited in line to get yourself into a virtual queue, with a return time. My party and I chose lunch to dine.

When called back, we checked-in and soon after, launched into space. We were seated promptly in the dining area and were ready to begin our space dining experience.

First up, atmospheric spirits! Yup, you read that right. In other words, cocktails! You’ll choose from an alcoholic or non-alcoholic list of drink choices. Choose wisely, they all look fabulous! Each drink is uniquely themed to fit the overall vibe.

During my lunch visit, my party and I chose the following fabulous drinks:

• Atmospritz ($15 – New Amsterdam, Aperol, Blood Orange, Orange Juice, Prosecco, Cotton Candy Cloud)
• Planetary Punch ($15 – Bacardi Silver, Malibu, Blue Curacao, Guava, Coconut)
• Moon Rocks (Non-alcoholic: $12 – Coconut, Blue Cotton Candy Syrup, Lemonade, Moon Dust, and Moon Rocks served in a collectible cup, and includes a pack of Space 220 collectible trading cards)
• Lightyear Lemonade (Non-alcoholic: $12 – Fresh-Squeezed Lemonade, Butterfly Pea Tea, and Mint served in a collectible cup, and includes a pack of Space 220 collectible trading cards).

Next up, appetizers! Ordering from the “Lift-Offs” part of the menu, the options are amazing and all look and sounded delicious. I’m not sure you can go wrong with any of the choices. We selected the Blue Moon Cauliflower (Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese Dust) and Space Greens (Bibb Lettuce, Dried Cranberries, Roasted Pears, Spiced Pecans, Apple Cider Dressing).

I highly recommend the cauliflower appetizer, it’s so good. The cauliflower is coated with a tempura batter and buffalo sauce, it’s absolutely wonderful. It has a kick, but not too bad for those that don’t like a lot of heat. The Space Greens was equally as delicious and an awesome choice.

Our Star Course lunch choices consisted of the Flat Iron steak (Coffee Space Rub, Smashed Fingerling Potatoes, Cabernet Butter, Haricot Vert), Terra Bolognese pasta (Corn Linguine, Tempeh Ragu, Macadamia Nut “Ricotta,” Zucchini, Mushroom), and Roasted Free Range Chicken (Chicken Roulade, Mashed Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Roasted Garlic Thyme Jus) selections. Each was delicious, presented beautifully on the plate, and appetizing. All excellent choices and we would choose them again.

And even though dessert is not included in the prix fixe menu, we decided to order the plant-based Carrot Cake (Plant-Based Carrot Cake with Plant-Based Cream Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Toasted Pepitas) and the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (Dark Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Crunchy Pearls, Salted Toffee Drizzle ).

Both were absolutely excellent. Don’t let the “vegan” or “plant-based” scare you either, the carrot cake was delicious and had amazing flavor. 

Dinner Visit No.1

My first dinner experience was just as incredible as lunch. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we had.

During my dinner visit, we chose the following drinks:

• Moon Rocks (Non-alcoholic: $12 – Coconut, Blue Cotton Candy Syrup, Lemonade, Moon Dust, and Moon Rocks served in a collectible cup, and includes a pack of Space 220 collectible trading cards)
• Planetary Punch ($15 – Bacardi Silver, Malibu, Blue Curacao, Guava, Coconut)
• Celestial Cosmopolitan ($15 – Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Cointreau, Cranberry-Hibiscus Juice, Moon Dust)
• Jupiter Fizz ($17 – Hendrick’s Gin, Aperol, Grapefruit, Mango)
• Atmospritz ($15 – New Amsterdam, Aperol, Blood Orange, Orange Juice, Prosecco, Cotton Candy Cloud)
• Stargarita ($16 – Herradura Plata, Cointreau, House Made Agave Sour, B’lure)

For appetizers, we had the Blue Moon Cauliflower (Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese Dust. V), Big Bang Burrata (Burrata di Mozzarella, Grilled Artichoke Hearts, Arugula, Sunflower Seed Romesco), and the Space Greens (pictured above – Bibb Lettuce, Dried Cranberries, Roasted Pears, Spiced Pecans, Apple Cider Dressing V).

For the Star Course dinner, we enjoyed the Bluehouse Salmon (Glazed Carrots, King Oyster Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy, Ginger, Beurre Blanc), Slow Rotation Short Rib (Braised Short Rib, Cheddar Grits, Bacon, Haricot Vert), and the 8oz Filet Mignon (Cabernet Butter, Potato Leek Croquette, Haricot Vert. Add U 10 Shrimp 9.00 or Half Lobster 15.00)

And for dessert, we dined on the plant-based Carrot Cake (Plant-Based Carrot Cake with Plant-Based Cream Cheese, Candied Walnuts, Toasted Pepitas), which was light but sweet, Lemon Mousse (Lemon Mousse Sphere adorned with White Chocolate Rings, Lemon Custard, Marinated Blueberries, Lemon Curd), which wins for best presentation, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake (Dark Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Crunchy Pearls, Salted Toffee Drizzle), which is by far the richest of the desserts.

As a fun after dinner dessert drink, we tried the The Milky Way ($12 – Chilled Espresso, Spiced Brown Sugar Syrup, Caramel, Cream, Milky Way, and includes a pack of Space 220 collectible trading cards).  All non-alcoholic specialty beverages and every kids meal comes with a pack of Space 220 trading cards, which is a fun little edition.

Dinner Visit No.2

My second dinner experience was just as incredible as the first. I obviously love it at Space 220, for me to return for a third time. This evening was a dinner date with my husband, here’s what we enjoyed.

For starters, we enjoyed the following drinks:

• The Big Tang (Avion Silver, Grand Marnier, Tang-Infused Agave Nectar, Grapefruit, Strawberry, Served with Astronaut Ice Cream)
• The Nebula (Maker’s Mark, Pineapple, Honey, Passion Fruit, Angostura Bitters, Moon Dust). So delicious!

The Nebula is great especially if you like your drinks on the stronger side, although it still had a bit of sweetness to it. The passionfruit and honey is balanced by the bitterness and creates a really nice unique flavor. The Big Tang was ok, it wasn’t bad, but they have better options. This one was nothing special in my opinion.

From the “Lift-off” appetizer menu, we tried the Starry Calamari (Fried Calamari, Italian Cherry Peppers, Spicy Marinara, Roasted Pepper Citrus Aioli) and the Centauri Caesar Salad (Miniature Romaine, Classic Caesar Dressing, Parmigiano Reggiano). My husband and I agreed that the calamari was some of the best we’ve ever had and it’s a good size portion for one person. It can probably be shared easily.

For dinner, my husband ordered the Ribeye Steak (Cabernet Butter, Potato Leek Croquette, Haricots Verts) and I wanted to try something new so I got the X2 Duck (Roasted and Confit Crescent Duck, Butternut Squash Flan, Brussels Sprouts, Orange Glaze) and the brussels sprouts, which are amazing.

And finally, who can pass up dessert! It’s amazing here, there is not one I’ve tried on the menu I haven’t liked. We tried the Chocolate Cheesecake (Whipped Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Sauce, White Chocolate Crunchy Pearls, Cookie Crumbs, Dark Chocolate Shards) and one of my favorites, the Lemon Mousse (Lemon Mousse Sphere adorned with White Chocolate Rings, Lemon Custard, Marinated Blueberries, Lemon Curd).

The Dining Room Atmosphere

While dining, constantly watch out the windows into the atmosphere. There are new things appearing in space all the time – a space couple, a space dog (he’s the cutest!), two astronauts having a lightsaber battle, and so much more!

And what is even more cool is as the atmosphere changes from daylight to nighttime, the same transition happens to earth outside the window. You can actually watch the earth turning into nighttime as the sun goes down. It’s super amazing!

Overall, the dining room has a really cool vibe without being too kitschy and over the top. It’s the perfect atmosphere for fine dining. People seem to take their time eating too, and the staff does not rush you.  They’ve created a really relaxing ambiance.

Overall Review

I thoroughly enjoyed it and the service was fantastic. I would highly recommend this as an option when dining at Walt Disney World. 

Is it the most amazing meal you will ever have at Walt Disney World? No, probably not. But, is it an experience that you can’t get anywhere else? 100%! Absolutely! After all, you are dining in space, you are made to feel as if you have gone to space to dine! The mood is awesome, the music sets the tone, and the animations are the perfect amount of entertainment as you dine in space.

The whole experience is great from start to finish. I highly recommend it. I will admit, it’s not a cheap dining option, and I get that. If you want the experience “space” without the price tag, try the lounge. The lounge offers you the ability to have a drink or an appetizer ordered off of the a la carte menu. It is first come first serve so you may not get in right away, it is all based on availability, but it’s an option so you can experience the whole vibe without the cost. This is also a great option if you weren’t able to snag a reservation.

Right now reservations are hard to get, but I promise it won’t stay that way.  The restaurant is new and the reviews have been great, so it’s popular. Despite that, the initial hype will eventually die down and they will also open up more seating. Remember, Disney is still recovering from the shut down and still hiring on Cast Members. Since this is also a new restaurant, many times they don’t fully staff and fill all of the tables right away. It gives the staff time to adjust and on board into the new roles. So, all this to say, things change on a daily basis at Disney, if Space 220 is something you want to try, keep checking those dining reservations. Put a shortcut on your phone and check daily in your spare time. Something just might open up.

Space 220 is a definite two thumbs up and absolutely worth it!