Cosmic Rays

[2hapykdz]

Is Cosmic Rays really that bad? Going to be a 1st timer to WDW and it seems many people tend to have a low opinion on this place compared to a Pecos Bill? Why?

Frank......Cosmic Rays is actually really good! Just depends when ya go. If you go 11:30-1:30 or 5:00-6:30....it's gonna be jammed with people and the service and food quality might suffer. I read somewhere that it's the top fast food restaurant in the country (by volume...or gross$$$$) just by the sheer volume of people that visit WDW. They have a great fixings bar that can supplement the meal. It's an OK burger....but they have grilled ckn and pulled pork sandwiches that are pretty good and usually have a specialty seasonal sandwich. Here's the thing...go at an off time....and if you have an issue with a meal you get, grab a manager...there are usually 2-3 roaming around and they are extremely attentive!

 

[freshmanjs]

Apologize if this ruins anyone's high opinion of Cosmic Rays but my recent experience has ruined both Rays and Pecos (or others with toppings bars) for life. In the past, I've favored Rays over Pecos a bit because it had bigger selection, the prime location with views of the Castle, crowds. We typically went to both places ea. trip at least once. I ate the mushrooms/onions from the toppings bar at Rays and got such a stomach bug that I was up literally all night, and missed much of the next day (and really shouldn't have gone out but my stubbornness for missing my trip over that overruled any good sense). So this was the maybe the most embarrassing moment of my life being that sick, which came on suddenly while on the bus back to hotel, if you can imagine.

There are not many decent QS choices at MK IMO, we have the QSDP next week and sticking with only Columbia Harbor and Pinocchio's with one time going for a hot dog on Main St., funnel cake once at Sleepy Hollow.

How could you possibly know that the toppings bar caused the stomach bug? Depending on what virus / bacteria / toxin infected you, the incubation can be anywhere from 6 - 72 hours. It's impossible for one individual to tell. The CDC has a hard time figuring it out, even with many data points.

 

[soarin2018]

I like Cosmic Rays for a quick bite to eat and a break from the heat! I always like getting a table facing Sunny Eclipse and watching the crowds race past in Fantasyland. The food is very very standard. Not bad but just okay with the high Disney price. My family tends to like the atmosphere more than the food so just go with that in mind!

 

[ABZDisneyFan]

We always end up in Cosmic Ray's late in the evening on MVMCP nights, the food is not as bad as people make it out to be, its never going to serve up Signature restaurant quality food but it does serve standard Disney quick service burgers, chicken, hot dogs & fries.
As usual we were in there last November during a party night & ended up having a long chat to a cast member about Star Wars, Disney & Harry Potter, he recognised our UK accents & chose to talk to us, it was one of the best cast member interactions that we had during our 10 night stay.

 

[Nick6300]

How could you possibly know that the toppings bar caused the stomach bug? Depending on what virus / bacteria / toxin infected you, the incubation can be anywhere from 6 - 72 hours. It's impossible for one individual to tell. The CDC has a hard time figuring it out, even with many data points.

I’m no expert, or even have much experience in this, I’ve only had food poisoning this one time and I’ll never forget it. But the infected food was a Disney restaurant given we were in the middle of a long trip, and while there’s a chance it could have been someplace else at Disney, I think it was likely at cosmic since articles I’ve read stated symptoms almost always start within 2-6hrs from consumption, and veggies are among the most common infected foods from infected leached water and bacteria growth since sprouts require warm weather. The onions, mushrooms, lettuce and such I ate from the toppings bar could also have been sitting out at room temp. for a long duration.

Snacks are exclusively ice cream for us at WDW. But this day we just had 2 meals: lunch at noon, and 8pm at Cosmic (after 2-6 hrs since lunch), late dinner before HEA. And the symptoms hit me hard after the fireworks. I don’t have a strong stomach or immune system, I doubt I could go 3 full days or last even 3 hrs before feeling sick.

We ate here few weeks ago twice and thought the incredibles burger (with a trip to the toppings bar) was good and w/our incident. Still prefer Columbia Harbour (esp the upstairs) and Pinnochios, and it’d be nice if there were 1-2 more QS options at MK.

 

[chupacabra]

My daughter loves watching sonny eclipse and we have a meal there every trip. Its not terrible food and for the atmosphere its worth going once in my opinion.

 

[Mikey15]

Reading low opinions of Cosmic Ray's is funny to me because my wife and I aren't big meat eaters. We're in LOVE with the falafel burger and toppings bar. It's the best vegetarian (vegan without the tzatziki, I think) quick service option at Magic Kingdom. We stop there every visit.

I know it's not gourmet-level food, but it's nice having a quick service option (other than BoG lunch) that's not just hot dogs / pizza slice / nachos.

 

[ENJDisneyFan]

I’m no expert, or even have much experience in this, I’ve only had food poisoning this one time and I’ll never forget it. But the infected food was a Disney restaurant given we were in the middle of a long trip, and while there’s a chance it could have been someplace else at Disney, I think it was likely at cosmic since articles I’ve read stated symptoms almost always start within 2-6hrs from consumption, and veggies are among the most common infected foods from infected leached water and bacteria growth since sprouts require warm weather. The onions, mushrooms, lettuce and such I ate from the toppings bar could also have been sitting out at room temp. for a long duration.

Snacks are exclusively ice cream for us at WDW. But this day we just had 2 meals: lunch at noon, and 8pm at Cosmic (after 2-6 hrs since lunch), late dinner before HEA. And the symptoms hit me hard after the fireworks. I don’t have a strong stomach or immune system, I doubt I could go 3 full days or last even 3 hrs before feeling sick.

We ate here few weeks ago twice and thought the incredibles burger (with a trip to the toppings bar) was good and w/our incident. Still prefer Columbia Harbour (esp the upstairs) and Pinnochios, and it’d be nice if there were 1-2 more QS options at MK.

It may have just been a stomach virus and not food related at all. If there was truly infected food at a place like Cosmic Ray's that serves hundreds, if not thousands, of people each day, it would be all over these boards.