50’s Prime Time Café Fantasmic! Dining Package Review

If you want to maximize your time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (arguably the most popular park at Walt Disney World right now), purchase a Fantasmic dining package. Along with authentic midcentury vibes and comfort food classics, booking a Fantasmic dining package at 50’s Prime Time Café guarantees reserved VIP seating for Fantasmic! in the center rows of the curved amphitheater where the epic nighttime spectacular takes place.

By making a Fantasmic dining package reservation, you can enjoy a relaxing table service dinner and then spend some extra time taking in the attractions at Hollywood Studios, knowing you have reserved seating for Fantasmic! in a premium location, no matter how far in advance you choose to arrive.

In this review, I’ll break down the details of what a 50’s Prime Time Café Fantasmic dining package has to offer, review the food, and explore our viewing experience so you can then make an informed decision about whether or not a dining package is worth the cost for you.

50’s Prime Time Café Fantasmic! Dining Package Price

Disney offers Fantasmic! dining packages at five Hollywood Studios restaurants: 50’s Prime Time Café, Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, Sci-fi Dine-In Theater, and The Hollywood Brown Derby. Every package includes either a full buffet or two courses – an entrée and an appetizer or an entrée and a dessert, one non-alcoholic beverage, and one VIP ticket for reserved area seating at Fantasmic!. It’s imperative to make an advanced dining reservation for this experience, and you'll need a park reservation for that day as well.

At $51 per adult and $22 for kids 9 and under, the 50’s Prime Time Café Fantasmic! dining package is second in pricing only to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, which is $49 for adults and $22 for kids.

Every other participating restaurant is $54 or more for adults and $22 and over for kids – the most expensive being lunch and dinner with Minnie and friends at Hollywood and Vine ($71 for adults and $47 for kids) and The Hollywood Brown Derby ($73 for adults and $29 for kids).

I paid a total of $216.38 at 50's Prime Time Café Fantasmic dining package for my spouse, my 11-year-old, my 6-year-old, and myself, and that included tax and a generous gratuity because our server went above and beyond in terms of service and fun.

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50’s Prime Time Café Atmosphere

If you’re like me and appreciate midcentury style and décor, you’ll enjoy the careful attention to vintage detail evidenced in every cone sconce, brass wall hanging, Formica tabletop, and kitschy display piece at 50’s Prime Time Café.

Stepping into the lobby is like being transported into a 1950s living room with wood paneling, floral wallpaper, orange and teal accents, sunburst clocks, and shelves full of iconic figurines and bookends.

The cast members here really do their part to immerse guests in the “Mom’s kitchen” theme, and the retro black and white TVs beaming 50’s and 60’s footage of Walt Disney and Disneyland into each time-capsule-worthy dining area help sell the nostalgia of eating a home-cooked meal in an honest-to-goodness midcentury family home. This restaurant is a popular choice for a Fantasmic dining package.

Each server plays the role of an extended family member, and ours was Uncle Dale, who cheerfully needled us for not setting the table upon our arrival and told us he was going to go finish his mojito while we remedied the situation. In addition to being fully attentive to our dining needs, Uncle Dale was a hoot, and his interactions with each of our kids sent them into fits of giggles. From what we witnessed, the three other tables in our section were getting similar treatment, the lot of us looking up from our entrees at one point to see Dale poking his head through the curtains in the “kitchen window” to make sure we were all eating our vegetables and keeping our elbows off the table.

50’s Prime Time Café Food Review

With impeccably solid old-fashioned offerings like Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken, Grandpa Jean’s Chicken Pot Pie, Cousin Megan's Traditional Meatloaf, and Mom's Old-fashioned Pot Roast, it’s hard to go wrong here. My husband and son both went with the fried chicken, which came with garlic mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and corn. They both agreed the chicken was crispy and well-seasoned on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside, except for the large breast piece on my husband’s plate, which was just a smidge too dry. The mashies and gravy were tasty and smooth and complimented the chicken well, and even the corn was better than average.

This entrée was too much food for my grown spouse and my pre-teen, and both said they definitely could have shared, so that's something to keep in mind for those who may be paying by the plate and not choosing menu items as part of a package deal.

I can’t resist homecooked pot roast, so I opted for Mom’s specialty, smothered in brown gravy atop a mound of garlic mashed potatoes and garnished with onions, carrots, and celery. It was “fork-tender,” as described, and exactly as comforting as I had imagined. The carrots and onions had more crunch than I wanted – I like mine cooked slow-cooker soft, but I realize that’s a personal preference, and these were perfectly adequate. I don’t do celery, but it enhanced the flavors of the meal so much, I’m glad I didn’t ask the dish to be served without it. Of course, Uncle Dale gave me a good ribbing for pushing it to the side. My daughter created her own kid’s entrée with Aunt Betty’s Chicken Strips, Grandma’s Macaroni & Cheese, and a vanilla cupcake. The mac and cheese was good enough that I finished it for her, but the cupcake was undoubtedly the highlight of the meal.

No trip to 50’s Prime Time Café for a Fantasmic dining package would be complete without a Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake, and although it isn’t officially on the dessert menu, Uncle Dale made it happen for us by subbing the fan-favorite for our appetizer/dessert option. It was the same classic peanut buttery, ice-creamy goodness we have come to expect over the years, if a bit thicker than it has been in the past. Still, it was no less satisfying spooned out of a metal cup than sucked through a straw, and we left full and happy.

If you're ever in the mood for a cold treat at Hollywood Studios but don't have a dining reservation at 50's Prime Time Café or a Fantasmic dining package, you can always walk in and order the same vintage soda fountain delight at the Tune-In Lounge next door. This bar and lounge area has its own entrance but is situated inside the 50s Prime Time lobby area. You can order a variety of adult beverages here, with or without one of Dad's experimental electric ice cubes for effect, and the full Prime Time menu is available at the bar as well.

Fantasmic Dining Package View

Typically, viewing Fantasmic! from a decent location within a stadium intended to seat 7,900 people (but which can hold around 10,000, including standing room) requires a somewhat daunting waiting period. Guests begin to line up along the paved, winding path to the entrance as far as 90 minutes before the innovative, multi-media spectacle begins, and I have been among them many times, my aching feet silently screaming in protest all the while. This time, instead of lining up early, our dining package vouchers allowed us to ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, thoroughly explore Galaxy's Edge, and do some shopping along Hollywood Boulevard after dinner, all before heading toward the amphitheater 25 minutes before showtime (Disney requests that guests with reserved seating arrive at least 25 minutes in advance). This is another perk of doing the Fantasmic dining package.

A cast member ushered us right in, and we found seats in the center section of the stadium only a few rows back from the front, which we preferred because the rails in front can obstruct the view for guests sitting in the first few rows. This is our view of the island/stage from our VIP seats for the Fantasmic dining package. We were just in time to participate in a unifying Disney World Fantasmic! ritual – “the wave” – with the thousands of other guests filling the stadium before the speakers announced the start of the show.

Although the price tag on this experience is significant for a family of four, we would absolutely recommend it in terms of value. We enjoyed an excellent table service meal at an incredibly well-themed restaurant, saved an hour of wait time we were then able to spend soaking up the sensory candy at Hollywood Studios and experienced the magic of Fantasmic! from the best seats we have ever had. We would 10/10 purchase a Fantasmic dining package again in the future.

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