Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe Review

Yes, this place can get very busy, but we have never been served bad food here in the at least 10 times we have had a meal here. It’s quick service. It isn’t gourmet. You’re looking at burgers, soup, and they used to have roast chicken and ribs. They also had green beans and mashed potatoes which were always a happy reprieve from the all too familiar french fry. People love to dislike this place! It’s not all bad all the time.
 
My kids love this place. Mostly for Sunny. The food has always been decent when we’ve gone. We’ve done burgers, chicken and ribs.
 
Yes, this place can get very busy, but we have never been served bad food here in the at least 10 times we have had a meal here. It’s quick service. It isn’t gourmet. You’re looking at burgers, soup, and they used to have roast chicken and ribs. They also had green beans and mashed potatoes which were always a happy reprieve from the all too familiar french fry. People love to dislike this place! It’s not all bad all the time.
I have found that the truth is somewhere in the middle when it comes to these restaurants. Sometimes it is good, sometimes it is not good. Sometimes people have positive experiences, sometimes they are negative. I think a healthy perspective and low to medium expectations can be helpful!
 
Our Ratings of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café: (*Rev 03/09/2018*)
. . . food price value: C
. . . food quality: D
. . . food quantity per serving: B
. . . food prep speed: B
. . . food selection: C
. . . seating quantity: C
. . . seating comfort: C
. . . eatery atmosphere: C
. . . eatery convenience: B
. . . staff friendliness: C
. . . staff attentiveness: C
. . . character interaction: n/a

Our Recommendations:
. . . appys:... n/a
. . . entree:.. Cheese Steak, Turkey Wrap
. . . dessert:. Carrot Cake

NOTE1: Cosmic Ray is the second largest fast food eatery in the world, THE REAL WORLD. It seats over 1,100 people. It has three separate ordering/serving stations for different foods. It used to be the best fast food in WDW, but has slipped quite a bit in quality and speed, and the "fixin's bar" for sandwich condiments has been greatly simplified as a cost reduction. The new multi-grain buns fall apart in your hands, and the burger formula has been changed. Not a good quality eatery; for Magic Kingdom, Pecos Bill's and Harbor House greatly surpass Cosmic Ray's for quality, tastiness and price value. One favored aspect for kids and adults is the performance by the audio animatronic "Sonny Eclipse" and his invisible backup singers "The Space Angels" - a nice touch during meals.

NOTE2: Our Food Rankings at Cosmic Ray's, in Order from Average-to-Avoid:
. . . Cheese Steak Sandwich
. . . Turkey Bacon Wrap
. . . Rotisserie Chicken
. . . Grilled Chicken Sandwich
. . . Vegetable Burger/Wrap
. . . Chicken Breast Nuggets
. . . BBQ Rib Meal
. . . BBQ Pork Sandwich
. . . Cheeseburger, Single or Double (Due to new buns and meat recipe changes.)
. . . Hot Dog, All Varieties (Due to new buns and meat recipe changes.)



NOTE3: Sonny Eclipse Factoids
Sonny’s amazing Astro Organ keyboard has a mind of its own and will occasionally play itself without anyone’s hands on the keys. Sonny purchased Astro second-hand; the pawn shop records indicate it was previously owned by a blue Ortolan jizz-wailer named Max Rebo, who claimed he sold it for a song (because once the Red Ball Jett organ came out, the Astro Organ just wasn’t in demand). Sonny Eclipse’s backup singers are the invisible Space Angels, but no one is sure if they are a trio, a quartet, maybe even more (or less. The Space Angels first began singing with Sonny during a gig on the planet Mars, but the girls’ planet of origin remains a mystery. Sonny’s stage crew includes a technician named Mike Feedback, who occasionally pulls double duty as Sonny’s announcer. Sonny is believed to be the ‘cousin’ of Officer Zzzzyxxx from the Star Tours Spaceport in Tokyo. While Sonny hails from Yew Nork City on the planet Zork, Officer Zzzzyxxx’s employment records suggest he originated in a region called Joo Nerzey on the same planet. Inhabitants of this world call themselves Zorkies and their skin pigmentation can range from standard human fleshtones to more colorful hues like ‘blue or pink or polka dot and purple-green’. During his act, Sonny makes passing mention of various members of his family, including his six-eyed, twelve-nostriled estranged wife (Luna), his parents (father Sola and mother Parsha), and his mother-in-law (Tota Leigh Clipse), but he never mentions his cousin Officer Zzzzyxxx, the only other member of the Zorkie race who currently resides on Earth. Some theorize that the two had a falling-out over Sonny’s childhood dream to pursue a musical career.

Sonny’s play list includes eight songs: the auto-introductory "My Name is Sonny Eclipse"; an untitled ballad about the loveliness of Earth; the self-explanatory "Gravity Blues"; the 50’s style doo-wop number "Hello Space Angels"; the spoonerism extravaganza "Yew Nork, Yew Nork"; the jazzy "Starlight Soup and Salad", which is basically Cosmic Ray’s menu set to music; the obligatory love song "O Bright Little Star", dedicated to Sonny’s estranged wife Luna; and an awesome little upbeat tour of our own solar system entitled "Planetary Boogie". Sonny banters in true lounge-crooner style in between songs, and the whole act repeats approximately every 25 minutes.

Even though two of Sonny’s songs, "Gravity Blues" and "Planetary Boogie", might almost seem to be educational, especially compared to Schoolhouse Rock classics like "Victim of Gravity" and "Interplanet Janet", there are in fact only passing similarites. Sonny’s offerings are intended solely to entertain, and as a result, occasionally the songwriters have sacrificed reliable facts in favor of better rhymes or more clever lyrics.
 
That sounds really gross I am sorry that it was that bad! When was that visit?

My DH says it was four years ago when our son was 12, not 8. When my son was young we used to eat there somewhat frequently because he loved Sonny Eclipse. I put up with it, but my son and DH liked it. I felt like it had been going steadily downhill for years until the experience I mentioned. We haven't been back since.
 
My DH says it was four years ago when our son was 12, not 8. When my son was young we used to eat there somewhat frequently because he loved Sonny Eclipse. I put up with it, but my son and DH liked it. I felt like it had been going steadily downhill for years until the experience I mentioned. We haven't been back since.
Interesting! I wonder if it has gotten any better, maybe? It sounds like it is really a grab-bag of quality.
 
Love the review. Cosmic Rays is one of my favorite dining locations because of Sonny Eclipse and the toppings bar. I notice on the menu now that the veggie burger seems to be gone. The only veg option looks like a salad now. Can anyone confirm or deny that?

-Signed, a concerned vegetarian Eclipse fan.
 
My kids don't enjoy this place at all. We have only eaten here twice and both times that food was just meh and the crowds and noise level is unbearable.
 
A very cool thing to see is during certain events when Sonny "goes up" into the "ceiling" and a stage with event performers "comes up" out of the Utilidor.:)
 
While I will agree that there is absolutely nothing about the food that stands out, It is decent park food and relatively quick. I've been eating once a trip at Cosmic Ray's since I was a kid and continue that tradition for one simple reason:

I love Sonny Eclipse. I've always loved the lesser known characters around the disney parks. While Figment has always been my favorite, Sonny is a pretty close second. He is enough of a draw for me to stop in and grab a burger to enjoy once per trip.

Again, the food isn't special (especially when considering other disney offerings) but Sonny makes it more than worth it.
 












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