Carthay Circle

[granismith]

I've heard mixed reviews. How is the food here? Also can we see fireworks from the terrace and is it hard to get seated out there? What about the lounge? Is it possible to try the bisquits at the lounge? Is there outside seating at the lounge?

 

[Dentam]

It was our best meal of the trip the last time we were there (last January) and is top on our list for our trip this April! I don't know about the lounge - can't remember what it looked like or what the seating situation is there. Also not sure on the fireworks. The food was great though!

 

[MrDisneyFan]

I've ate in the dining room just once with a WOC package. The food was just okay IMO. I would like to try a regular dining experience instead of the WOC which is a prix fixe menu. I LOVE the lounge there. It is a favorite spot of mine! No outside seating and I'm not sure about the biscuits. But the Vietnamese Twice-cooked Beef Tacos are awesome! I love the Side Car and the Tequila Daisy. Great cocktails and a nice place to chill out for a bit, especially on a hot park day.

If you do a WOC package you'll arrive at the pre-arranged area for preferred viewing. The spot was great for viewing.

 

[figment_jii]

I've heard mixed reviews. How is the food here? Also can we see fireworks from the terrace and is it hard to get seated out there?

I have mixed feelings about the food at Carthay Circle. I think it's generally well-prepared, but my family hasn't been terribly fond of dishes of late. They do change the menu seasonally, but some items remain the same. We like some items (the House Biscuits), but our last meal there wasn't one of the trips highlights. Nothing was bad (in that nothing was was badly prepared), but we didn't really love the flavors or styles. In terms of the terrace, that's an interesting question because for all of the times I've dined at Carthay Circle, we've never been seated out there. I think it is something you will have to specifically request and it's possible that they don't use it all of the time (I haven't noticed folks dining up there that often, so I don't think they use daily). Yes, I think some of the tables on the terrace can see the DL fireworks; it would have to be those that have a view of Buena Vista Street.

What about the lounge? Is it possible to try the bisquits at the lounge? Is there outside seating at the lounge?

The Lounge has a different menu than the restaurant and unfortunately, you cannot order from the restaurant when at the lounge. I asked about the House Biscuits because those are my favorites and we've been consistently told that we have to be dining at the restaurant to order those. There is no outdoor seating at the Lounge; it's entirely indoors and very limited. It's first-come-first-serve and there can be a pretty good wait, especially on weekends.

 

[granismith]

So the bisquits is what drew me. The menu is a little scary for my crew. Is it worth going for those???

 

[theluckyrabbit]

We really like the food at CCR, but we were familiar with the chefs when they worked at NR, so the menu was no surprise to us. We know what we like and how we like it. The kitchen has always been completely accommodating with our requests. Service has always been quite good, although not the same as the standard at NR. I would say that if California-style/Napa-style cuisine isn't your thing, then you might not enjoy CCR or the lounge for food (although the lounge menu is quite different from the main dining room menu). Look over the menus online to see if anything looks appetizing to you. Cocktails in the lounge get consistenly high ratings from my friends, so that might be an option if the food doesn't call to you.

The biscuits are delicious, but are not like regular buttermilk or baking powder biscuits. They can be rather spicy, depending on the jalapenos used. If that is the only thing that looks good to you, then I would probably skip CCR for another restaurant. It doesn't seem worthwhile to pay so much for food that you might not enjoy.

 

[taniahappy]

I LOVE Carthay Circle.

 

[MillauFr]

For the prices they charge, I always thought why not just go to Napa Rose?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Because the prices are higher at NR and there is no AP discount there. At least at CCR there is an AP discount to soften the blow somewhat. We go to NR more often than we go to CCR, but not everyone has that flexibility. Also, CCR offers the WOC FP meal, while NR does not.

 

[DahliaRW]

We loved CC. The food was fantastic when we ate there. We made our reservation to overlap with the pixar parade and requested a table on the verandah. We watched the parade while we ate!

 

[Iceman93]

I often tell people that Carthay Circle is the finest restaurant inside a theme park anywhere in the world.

 

[emmybee]

My husband is hard to please, and he has always enjoyed (and complimented !) the CC. It's a bonus for me because fancy atmospheres do not impress him without excellent service to back it up, and the CC has both in spades.

 

[Sally_fan]

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal at Carthay Circle!! We had a bunch of appies & drinks in the restaurant. We are def planning to go back on this coming trip.

 

[choirboy501]

I had the WOC dining package for Carthay Circle when I was there last September, and loved it.

It's a beautiful restaurant, well decorated with memories of early Hollywood and the premiere of Snow White at the Carthay Circle Theater in 1937, very nostalgic. It's one of my favorite spaces at DLR.

About the lounge: when I was there, cast members were only allowing those with ADRs in, and no earlier than 30 minutes prior to your seating time. I'm assuming the lounge is pretty popular. I enjoyed it, service was good, but didn't order any appetizers since I would be having the prix fixe menu.

Service for dinner was fantastic - just the right amount of attentive. My server was extremely knowledgeable about all menu items, how they were prepared and the ingredients included. I had a couple of extra requests, they were met with graciousness and a smile.

The prix fixe menu does limit your choices, there were a couple other entrees I would have liked to order from the ala carte menu, but I still enjoyed what I ordered.

Again, I'd like to stress how exceptional the service from the staff was. I stopped by Guest Relations to fill out a couple cards so they could be recognized.

That night, the lounge, restaurant and later show, was one of the highlights of my trip. I will be traveling to DL at least once in the next 8 months, and plan on dining at Cathay Circle again.

 

[msteddom]

I've heard mixed reviews. How is the food here? Also can we see fireworks from the terrace and is it hard to get seated out there? What about the lounge? Is it possible to try the bisquits at the lounge? Is there outside seating at the lounge?

I love both the restaurant (upstairs) and the lounge (downstairs), they have completely different menus though. The biscuits are only available in the restaurant. You can see fireworks from the terrace, but I have no idea how difficult it is to get seated there. There is no outside seating in the lounge.

Melissa

 

[kkendle]

So when I look at the lunch and dinner menu on the Disney site...are those the items you pick from when you get the WOC package? I am a little confused since people keep referring to a prix fixe menu.

 

[Nonsuch]

So when I look at the lunch and dinner menu on the Disney site...are those the items you pick from when you get the WOC package? I am a little confused since people keep referring to a prix fixe menu.

The WOC package does not offer the full menu. Some sample menus are posted at AllEars.
Menu items change seasonally.

 

[calilou]

We've always enjoyed our meals at Carthay Circle. The decor and atmosphere are great. Ask to sit in the main dining room rather than one of the side rooms or on the terrace. They have great cocktails too!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

But if the OP wants to see the fireworks from the terrace, sitting in the main dining room won't work. We love that room, too, but there is no view outside from there.

 

[Malcon10t]

So the bisquits is what drew me. The menu is a little scary for my crew. Is it worth going for those???

The biscuits are fantastic. I agree with the menu being scary. They do have a steak on the menu, and at lunch you can get a burger. It isn't a cheap burger, but it can cover the need. Lunch is an easier meal for us compared to dinner.