Does Disney World’s Most Difficult ADR Live Up to the Sky-High Hype?
Despite it being Free Dining season, there actually aren't that many tough Advance Dining Reservations right now at Walt Disney World. Unless your party is larger than 4 people, you should have a relatively easy
Despite it being Free Dining season, there actually aren’t that many tough Advance Dining Reservations right now at Walt Disney World. Unless your party is larger than 4 people, you should have a relatively easy time scoring ADRs at most restaurants, even historically hard ones like ‘Ohana, California Grill, or pretty much any character dining meal–even 1900 Park Fare, Topolino’s Terrace, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and Artist Point.
In fact, there’s same-day availability right now for most of the aforementioned restaurants along with dozens upon dozens of others–and not just for a single time slot at an inconvenient time. Push that out one week, and a family of 4 could have their pick of pretty much any time and restaurant. If you search by research and do the range of dates, there’s an abundance of options.
This actually isn’t a new development. As discussed in our Guide to Advance Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World, this trend started last summer and surprisingly continued throughout the holiday season. We expected the dynamic to change with the return of the Disney Dining Plan. It did not. After that, we once again expected things to change with the start of Free Dining season, as it always had in the past. Thus far, that also has not happened. However, there is one restaurant that has remained steadfastly elusive when it comes to ADRs at Walt Disney World.
That’s Space 220 at EPCOT.
As discussed in our list of the Hardest Advance Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World, there are actually two different ADRs here: Space 220 Restaurant and Space 220 Lounge. Both are challenging, but Space 220 Restaurant does have availability in the next week for a party of 4 (a single time slot) and scattered options beyond that.
By contrast, Space 220 Lounge is nearly impossible. It has nothing at all for any party of any size in the next 60 days.
Space 220 Lounge has become a “white whale” Advance Dining Reservation for me.
We did the Space 220 Lounge a few times when it first opened, but have have tried to revisit it several times since, mostly on the lounge side. I’ve been able to join the Walk-Up Waitlist a couple of times on solo trips, so slight success there, but as far as ADRs go, we’ve been shut out for over 2 years.
That is, until 2024, when we finally had success scoring Advance Dining Reservations for Space 220 Lounge.
Space 220 Lounge is such a difficult ADR for two reasons–above and beyond regular Space 220 Restaurant: super low supply and an a la carte menu that can be cheaper.
There’s a third reason Space 220 Lounge is more desirable, which is the elevated view that offers a better view. As we’ve mentioned in our other reviews, the ideal seats are not the front row–you’re actually too close to the glass to have a properly expansive view into space and back at earth. You can only see a sliver of what’s happening.
By contrast, every table at Space 220 Lounge is farther back and on the elevated second level. It’s the perfect distance to have the whole ultra wide angle view. This may not make sense if you haven’t dined at Space 220, but think of it like an IMAX theater, and sitting in the front row versus middle row.
I’d hazard a guess that Space 220 Lounge has less than one-third of the capacity of the main restaurant, and all of the tables are for parties of 2 to 4. (In the past, solo travelers have been ‘blocked’ from booking ADRs; that’s no longer the case at other Walt Disney World restaurants, but I’m not sure about Space 220 Lounge.)
Space 220 Lounge also has its own menu of “Flight Bites” or appetizers that can only be ordered by guests with reservations for the lounge. Unlike the restaurant itself, you are not required to order from the pricey prix fixe menu–but you can if you want. Meaning that Space 220 Lounge guests have access to the full restaurant menu, but not vice-versa–restaurant guests cannot order from the lounge menu except in addition to their prix fixe orders. (I don’t know why anyone would want to do that–the prix fixe menu offers plenty of food.)
Currently, every single one of the “Flight Bites” on the Space 220 Lounge menu is under $20, versus the prix fixe menu for lunch costing $55 and dinner priced at $79. Those will inevitably increase given the popular of Space 220–I’m honestly surprised the lounge menu is so cheap. With far fewer tables and the chance to dine in space on a dime, it should be obvious why Space 220 Lounge’s popularity is higher than sky-high.
Before we cover additional basics, there are a few caveats to offer about Space 220 Lounge that may or may not apply to your meal–as we’ve found things to be hit or miss.
The first is that on a couple of occasions, I’ve been told the walk-up availability was bar seating only. This is not ideal, as the bar faces away from the glass looking out into space and over earth. There is a mirror so you can still look out into space, it’s just a reflected view. Personally, I’m not keen on this perspective, so be sure to confirm what’s available.
Second, sometimes there’s Walk-Up Waitlist availability in the My Disney Experience app and sometimes you need to literally walk up to the kiosk (tucked away by Mission Space). In my experience, it’s mostly the latter. The best times for this are right when the restaurant first opens or towards the end of the evening. I’d personally aim for earlier.
When it comes to Advance Dining Reservations, we’ve struck out repeatedly at and beyond the 60 day mark. Entirely anecdotal, but it seems like you need the full 60+10 window in order to score this elusive ADR this far out.
Our success with Space 220 Lounge ADRs has come entirely last minute. We booked once the night before at 11 pm and another time roughly 3 hours before our seating. In “stalking” ADRs on the My Disney Experience app, this seems like the best strategy.
I’ve seen options pop-up between 7 am and 9 am, and then at random throughout the day. These appear to be cancellations, meaning that only a single slot is appearing–you take whatever you can get. If you see something, book immediately–do not hesitate to ask your friends or family. I’ve had Space 220 Lounge ADRs booked out from under me because I paused for a second to ask Sarah what she thought.
Again, all of this is entirely anecdotal and reflective of our personal experiences–your mileage may vary.
If you’re looking for info on the theme and atmosphere of Space 220 Lounge, check out our Photos & Video: Inside Space 220 Restaurant at Epcot. That tour offers an exhaustive look around. Summarizing the storytelling, the premise of Space 220 is that you’re dining inside a space station with a celestial panorama of the stars and Earth 220 miles (hence the name) below.
Likewise, if you’re more interested in the main restaurant, see our Space 220 Restaurant Lunch Review and Space 220 Dinner Review for more comprehensive thoughts on each. Since Space 220 is among the hottest Advance Dining Reservations at Walt Disney World, you may not have much of a choice between lunch and dinner. (This review will also offer our updated thoughts on menu quality that apply to the prix fixe menus.)
Continuing with the basics, Disney Vacation Club Members receive a 15% discount and Annual Passholders get 10% off at Space 220 Lounge. Just like the main restaurant, Space 220 Lounge does not accept the Disney Dining Plan. That makes its stratospheric popularity all the more surprising. (Frankly, I don’t foresee Space 220 changing course and accepting the DDP until this dies down. So definitely not in 2025…maybe 2026?)
With all of that out of the way, let’s turn to the food in the Space 220 Lounge!
Let’s start with one of my personal favorites at Space 220, the Starry Calamari: Fried Calamari, Italian Cherry Peppers, Spicy Marinara, Roasted Pepper Citrus Aioli.
Anytime we review calamari, I always preface it with there’s no such thing as bad calamari–only varying degrees of good. I’m a sucker for the stuff, and you should know that I’m grading on something of a curve.
We’ve had the Starry Calamari a few times now, as it’s served on the lunch, dinner, and lounge menus. It has been consistent from meal to meal.
To that point, the Starry Calamari at Space 220 Lounge (or Restaurant) is fantastic. The breading is light but adds a nice texture and batter-y goodness to the flavor. The meat is tender and flavorful–a winner all around.
My only complaint after having the calamari twice now is that it has been a little heavy-handed with the salt. This could be a “me problem,” as I seldom use salt, but it’s something that stuck out to me. Not enough to dissuade me from ordering this fantastic calamari again, but enough to merit mentioning.
The Roasted Pepper Citrus Aioli is addictively good; the marinara is kind of basic (and not at all spicy).
We’ve also ordered the Short Rib Sliders with White Cheddar Cheese, Red Pepper Citrus Aioli, Lettuce, Tomato, Butter Pickles. These are one of the few “Flight Bites” exclusive to the Space 220 Lounge menu. There’s also deviled eggs, chicken wings, and pork belly.
The Short Rib Sliders are pretty good, with generous helpings of short piled that tastes fantastic, especially with the cheese and more of that addictively-good citrus aioli. The quality of the meat here is sufficiently good, and these two short rib sliders work out to about the same size as one standard burger.
These sliders remind me a bit of the sliders at Crew’s Cup Lounge, except inferior in every way. That’s not to say these are bad–they’re actually quite good–but you can just see the quality difference in the buns, meat, and toppings.
So as much as I enjoyed these, I was also left thinking, “dang, I wish we went to Crew’s Cup and had those instead.” Of course, that’s outside the park and doesn’t offer a view into outer space, so not exactly apples to apples. With that said, this is one of the items we would recommend ordering at the Space 220 Lounge.
Speaking of meat, there’s also the Gemini Burger: Signature Beef Blend, White Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Shredded Lettuce, Tomatoes, Roasted Pepper Citrus Aioli, French Fries.
The next couple of dishes aren’t listed specifically on the Space 220 Lounge menu, but as noted above, you’re able to order from either the lounge or the regular menu in the lounge (again, this doesn’t work in reverse).
This could also change at any time, so don’t bank on having this option if you’re planning far in advance. (I’m always hesitant to include ‘secret menus’ or options like this since the restaurant isn’t officially committing to it and could deny the option at any point.)
The Gemini Burger is tasty. As you can see, it’s a pretty unassuming burger, with regular toppings plus that addictive aioli, and accompanied by French Fries. But the burger is thick, juicy, and incredibly tender. The generous helping of white cheddar cheese and citrus (but not overly so) aioli brings it all together.
With that said, this reminded me of an inferior version of the burgers at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant. All of those are very similar at a foundational level, but then build on that with unique and interesting toppings. Of course, that’s at an entirely different park–and the Gemini Burger is probably the best burger in EPCOT, so there’s that.
Continuing with the meats is the Steak & Frites: New York Strip Steak, Roasted Garlic Butter, Haricot Vert, French Fries.
This is the dish that really got me thinking of counterparts to the dishes served at Space 220. It was like a stroll down memory lane, reminding me of a bygone era when just about every Walt Disney World restaurant menu had a New York Strip Steak. As these were always the best use of Disney Dining Plan credits–and I was big on hacking that–I ordered a lot of these steaks. And this was strikingly similar to those.
Admittedly, I’m big on Walt Disney World nostalgia so I rather enjoyed this blast from the past! The steak was mostly tender and tasty, and a sizable portion. I’m also a big sucker for roasted garlic butter, and had enough here for the steak and to make roasted garlic butter fries (the fries are otherwise rather pedestrian–this helped a lot).
But this is a review and I need to be objective. And objectively speaking, this New York Strip Steak had all of the same faults as its old school counterparts. The cut was not particularly high quality, with a lot of fat and gristle. There’s also a reason why it is absolutely slathered in butter, and that’s to mask the quality and add flavor. It also had a generous helping of salt. Just like the Le Cellier of a decade ago, before it went Signature.
Ordering from the a la carte Space 220 Lounge menu, I was fairly satisfied with the Steak & Frites. Probably not something I’d get again or even recommend, but it was fine. However, if I ordered this as part of the pricier prix fixe menu, I likely would’ve been a bit disappointed.
At the other end of the spectrum (meat vs. plants) is one of the best “Flight Bites” at Space 220 Lounge: the Blue Moon Cauliflower, consisting of Tempura Fried Cauliflower, Housemade Hot Sauce, and Blue Cheese Dust.
The two of us have very different opinions of cauliflower. One of us hates it, finding it to be cursed cuisine. The other loves it, incorporating it into just about every dish, even ones where it clearly does not belong. I probably should stop there before I get myself into trouble. The point is that I’m not a fan of cauliflower and I certainly wouldn’t risk my reputation on faint praise of the villainous vegetable.
With that in mind, the Blue Moon Cauliflower is the best appetizer at Space 220 Restaurant. The tempura batter gives it a nice texture and flavor, effectively masking the cauliflower itself, which still provides a substantive quality to the appetizer. The hot sauce and blue cheese are likewise great, making this more like buffalo tempura than cauliflower. I often find cauliflower hidden in my food, but I wouldn’t mind if that were the Blue Moon Cauliflower. It’s way better than it has any right to be. I’m not even entirely convinced this is even cauliflower, to be honest.
Our final “Flight Bite” is the Big Bang Burrata.
We’ve now had three iterations of the Big Bang Burrata, and even as the accompaniments change (and get smaller), the creamy mozzarella remains the star of the show. It’s exceptional, with the garnishments always further enhancing it.
With that said, this also reminds me of another superior take on this dish–the Burrata Salad at Bar Riva in Disney’s Riviera Resort. By comparison to that exceptional dish, this take is only okay.
What most struck me about our recent meals at Space 220 Lounge is these unfavorable comparisons to other restaurants at Walt Disney World. In most cases, those are to other bars/lounges or mid-tier restaurants. Space 220 isn’t bad; it’s just basic and boring. Not that anything we ordered should’ve been inventive or exciting, but it was all just so ordinary. There were no little touches or thoughtfulness in the preparation of the dishes. It was like a chain–fine but forgettable.
This is notable as it stands in sharp contrast to our original experiences at Space 220 Restaurant, when we felt that it was closer to the caliber of Signature Restaurants than other highly-themed dining experiences. At that time, we said it was well below resort Signature Restaurant quality, but arguably on par with Cinderella’s Royal Table, Le Cellier, and Hollywood Brown Derby.
That is no longer the case. This seemed evident over the last couple of years with Space 220 menu changes, as even the ingredients and descriptions suggested substitutions were made on the basis of decreasing costs. It is now very clear that corners have been cut, with cheaper and lower quality dishes being the end result.
This isn’t to say that Space 220 is bad or that you shouldn’t dine here. We’re still fans of the restaurant and lounge, but it’s for the complete package of the experience. Space 220 previously occupied the rare intersection of fine dining and themed restaurants–it was something special. Now, we probably would not return just for the food–but the same could be said of many restaurants at Walt Disney World. It’s the theme or atmosphere that’s make or break.
Given all of that, Space 220 Lounge is the perfect way to experience the setting, which remains at the top of our Top 10 Themed Restaurants at Walt Disney World. Since the food is nothing to phone home about, it thus makes sense to spend as little as possible by doing the “Flight Bites” rather than one of the pricey prix fixe menus.
As for the food, Space 220 now strikes us as being closer to on par with Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater or Coral Reef. That kind of makes sense, and is what we expected in the first place. It’s still a bit of a shame, as Patina Group is capable of so much more–as they’ve demonstrated with their new restaurants at Downtown Disney or, heck, even the original menu at Space 220!
Honestly, we’d rather pay higher prices for commensurate quality. There’s no real incentive for anything to change as long as ADRs are impossible to score, so unless there’s another new menu, we’ll probably be satisfied revisiting Coral Reef (similar idea, but under the sea), Le Cellier, or one of the nearby lounges we praised. Until that or Megatron takes an interest in outer space, we’re in no rush to return. That’s us, though, as Annual Passholders who have now dined here five times. Walt Disney World first-timers should still do Space 220, and they should probably dine in the lounge to get the best experience while paying the lowest price or at least having the most flexibility.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you dined at Space 220 Lounge (or the restaurant) at EPCOT? How was your experience? What’d you think of the cuisine quality? If you’ve eaten here recently (within the last year or so) what did you think of the quality versus the cost? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
