Journeying to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, for the first time as a family was an exciting experience. Such an experience required a proper celebration of food…and Carthay Circle fit that bill!

Carthay Circle, located in California Adventure’s Buena Vista Street at the Disneyland Resort, boasts a grand marquee reminiscent of a movie theater of bygone eras. Inside, you’ll find this is exactly the aesthetic they planned for. Modeled after the Carthay Theater in Los Angeles where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs first premiered, you’ll find beautiful décor, intricate woodwork, and ambient lighting – you’ll feel like you should be wearing your best red-carpet attire!

The lobby houses tables and chairs while you wait. There is also a lobby sushi bar, which I am told, has some of the BEST sushi in Anaheim!  The second floor (accessible by a grand staircase or fancy elevator), is the ‘theater’ floor. Here, the main dining room houses celebrity photos and memorabilia of Disney Stars from years past.  A dessert window is flanked with theater curtains where the original movie screen would have been. An open kitchen concept allows diners to view these master chefs at work! A separate dining area off the theater offers a more private experience as well.

We booked a World of Color dining package. With this package, one can dine at Carthay Circle and be guaranteed VIP seating/viewing for the World of Color nighttime water and light show at California Adventure. A limited menu was offered for both adults and children. It was a three-course meal – with a beverage, an appetizer of soup or salad, entrée, and one of Carthay Circle’s famous desserts! House-made bread and sweet kinds of butter were provided before the meal began. The pumpkin soup appetizer was AMAZING. It tasted Italian inspired, much like a minestrone soup…but with pumpkin? It was delicious, and quite possibly the best part of my entire meal.  The pork chop entrée melted in my mouth! The kids’ menu also provided a wide variety of flavors – from traditional pasta to a salmon dish! Desserts ranged from ice cream and apple crumble, to a chocolate macaroon dream. Every bite of this meal was better than the last, and the service was impeccable.

The VIP seating provided by this package allowed us entry to the viewing area about an hour prior to the start of World of Color. While there are no actual seats, we were able to grab a spot at the front and center of our VIP section and sat and waited for the magic to begin. This VIP package viewing area was slightly elevated above the sidewalk next to the lagoon in California Adventure, and provided center positioning so we could enjoy the entire World of Color experience! We did get a bit wet, so bringing a cover-up, or even a poncho to this area would not be a bad idea!

This experience was well worth the signature dining price. Reservations are recommended for this dining package.

Your Me and The Mouse Travel Specialist can assist with these reservations starting 60 days prior to your desired date.

Don’t miss out on this exquisite dining and viewing experience!