Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Review
Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café is a counter service restaurant in Tomorrowland at Walt Disney featuring American fast food, much of which is stereotypical theme park food. The restaurant is one of the highest volume locations in Walt Disney World (rumors swirl that it’s the ‘busiest restaurant in the world,’ although I have no clue if these are true) and is organized into three bays for ordering: “Chicken,” “Burgers,” and “Sandwiches/Soup-Salad.” It participates in the Disney Dining Plan, and it offers excellent value on the Disney Dining Plan thanks to its diverse menu.
While it may not sound like anything special, it is. Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café is a super galaxy franchise. The menu is from outer space, including the fries! Seriously, it’s the coolest place to eat in all of Walt Disney World. Without a doubt (even if its food isn’t as good as Sunshine Seasons in the Land pavilion at EPCOT). Situated right in the best land in all of Walt Disney World, Tomorrowland, it features arguably the most interesting unique present-day Walt Disney World character, Sonny Eclipse. Mr. Eclipse is from the planet Zork (Yew Nork, specifically)and he plays the Astro Organ, with back-up vocals from his amazing Space Angels. Sonny’s act lasts about 23 minutes, at which point he repeats it for new guests.
I enjoy his performance so much that I’ve actually found a recording of his act, and it’s now one of my most played songs in iTunes. Entertainment-wise, no other restaurant in Walt Disney World can compete with Sonny Eclipse. He performs an entertaining 20-some minute loop of music that is infused with corny jokes. It’s actually quite catchy, and he’s great entertainment in what is otherwise a lightly-themed restaurant. Try to grab a seat somewhere in the restaurant where you can hear Sonny Eclipse (which is most seats) or outside with a view of Cinderella Castle. Due to the relatively sterile theming beyond Sonny Eclipse, Cosmic Ray’s can be a bland experience if you don’t eat in one of these spots.
Photo courtesy of Peter E. Lee
Sonny Eclipse has a cousin, Officer Zzzzyxxx, at the exit of Star Tours out in Tokyo Disneyland. I’m actually so enamored with him that I’m thinking of taking a visit to Tokyo Disneyland Resort! (Well, to see him, and Tokyo DisneySea!)
With that said, it’s probably abundantly clear that my review of Cosmic Ray’s may not be the most unbiased in the world. Objectively, I do think the restaurant is one of the top counter service restaurants in all of Walt Disney World, especially for solo travelers or people who enjoy burgers, thanks to the toppings bar, where you can customize your burger and make it substantially larger than the average burger at Walt Disney World. In itself, the burger at Cosmic Ray’s is nothing special. It’s not bad, it’s just nothing to write home about. The toppings bar is what makes it a solid meal, especially for the value-conscious.
In 2011 and 2012, Disney experimented with the menu at Cosmic Ray’s to give it some unique options. One of these options was an atrocious Angus Pizza Burger (pictured below). I tried this once, and while I give Disney points for experimenting with the menus, this burger tasted like something Cheech and Chong made at about 3 am after raiding their freezer. It was unquestionably bad and I actually became sick after eating it. It was quickly removed from the menu, as were other (better) options, like the Angus Burger with Guacamole. As of 2013, the menu is fairly normal again. It’s still diverse, but it doesn’t really have anything adventurous. It basically consists of items you wouldn’t be surprised to find at an American fast food restaurant.
Although these test items didn’t make it onto the permanent menu, there are still several healthier and interesting options at Cosmic Ray’s, most of which can be found at Bays 1 and 3. I prefer Bay 2, which serves burgers, and I think the burger quality did improve a bit when Disney switched all of its burgers at Cosmic Ray’s to Angus. Still, it would be nice to see a “signature” burger added to the menu at Cosmic Ray’s like many other restaurants have had added in the last couple of years.
As of right now, the “signature” burger of Cosmic Ray’s is a “toppings bar special,” which isn’t exactly on the menu. I’m always a bit surprised at the high praise for Pecos Bill and its toppings bar, when Cosmic Ray’s offers the exact same bar, yet receives no such praise.
Well, today it will receive praise. The toppings bar contains lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, relish, green peppers, mushrooms, grilled onions, BBQ sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and cheese sauce, and really helps you get great bang for your buck if you order a burger. My claim to fame (seriously, I’m sure they’ll put it in my obituary some day!) is loading up on toppings, especially mushrooms. This makes for quite a filling meal, so typically order a single cheeseburger without fries, which in turn makes dining at Walt Disney World much cheaper.
If you’re not paying out of pocket, but are on the Disney Dining Plan, as mentioned above, Cosmic Ray’s is also provides a good option for maximizing your value. The 1/2 Chicken and BBQ Rib Combination with Mashed Potatoes and a seasonal vegetable costs guests paying out of pocket over $15, but is a standard option for a counter service credit. While I’ve found the chicken to be dry on occasion, this is generally a good meal, and is large enough for two average eaters to split. If you don’t like sharing, it provides a nice mini-feast for one.
One downside of Cosmic Ray’s is that the separate bays for Chicken, Burgers, and Sandwiches only serve those things. That means that families with parties wanting different options will have to get in separate lines. However, depending on the attitudes of your fellow party-members, getting a little break from the other people in your group may not be such a bad thing!
Few things are as satisfying as sitting in booth at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, in the heart of Tomorrowland, late at night during Evening Extra Magic Hours, scarfing down a mushroom, tomato, onion, cheese, etc. laden burger while the symphonic sounds of Sonny Eclipse cascade into your ear drums. That experience alone makes this place a “Must Do” on a trip for us, and jettisons Cosmic Ray’s rating out of this world onto the planet Zork! If you’ve only ever eaten at Cosmic Ray’s during the lunch or dinner stampedes, you owe it to yourself to experience it during this tranquil time of day.
If you look closely, you can see Sonny through the windows!
Overall, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café provides great ambience, a great location, great value, and pretty good food if you know what to order. Sonny Eclipse is like an attraction all by himself (one of our favorites at Walt Disney World!). On the downside, the offerings are not as unique as, say, Sunshine Seasons, and there is no busier restaurant in all of Walt Disney World during the lunch and dinner rushes. Plus, separate ordering bays can make things difficult for families. If you plan on eating at one of the busier times, or want to stand in line with your family, Cosmic Ray’s may not be the best choice for you. However, for a pretty cool show to go along with an off-hours meal, Cosmic Ray’s is second-to-none.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Cosmic Ray’s? Do you think it’s one of the best Walt Disney World counter service restaurants, or do you think I’m overhyping it because I really, really like Sonny Eclipse? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Read our other Walt Disney World restaurant reviews and Disney Dining Plan resources.
Overall Score: 8/10
24 Responses to “Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Review”
Trackbacks/Pingbacks
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- Part XVI: Coast-to-Coast Disney Trip Report - Disney Tourist Blog - [...] is that I can spend $9 on a double cheeseburger and fries, and thanks to the toppings bar at ...
- Maximizing Counter Service Credit Value on the Dining Plan - Disney Tourist Blog - [...] values,” but we made up for that by eating at Cosmic Ray’s many, many times that trip! In my ...
- Disney Dining Reviews Index - Disney Tourist Blog - [...] Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Review [...]
- Disney World Dining Tips - Disney Tourist Blog - [...] to share. For years, our go-to meal to share has been the 1/2 Chicken & Barbecued Rib Combo at Cosmic ...
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- Tomorrowland's Magical "Disney Details" - TouringPlans.com Blog | TouringPlans.com Blog - [...] to release a Sonny Eclipse t-shirt or plush. One of the biggest reasons I want to go to Tokyo ...
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Great review! I’m excited to try this place out. Can you tell me if they have any vegetarian options here? I know that Pecos Bills has a veggie burger. Do they have the same? thanks!
I can’t say for sure, but I think every restaurant has a vegetarian option (right?). The burger menu is very similar to Pecos Bills, so my guess is that if Pecos offers it, Cosmic Ray’s offers it.
I was totally pulling for a 10/10.
It came very close. Very close. For me personally, it’s more like an 11/10. But here on the DTB, we have high levels of journalistic integrity, so I looked at the place from an objective standpoint. The 3-bay system plus the frustration of attempting to eat there at lunch bring it down a peg.
We LOVE Cosmic Rays, too! My wife and I went on a mini trip early January and shared the 1/2 chicken Rib Combo and it is a great value.
BTW, Disney lost money on you taking a close look at the picture of the heaping mound of tomatoes and mushrooms.
The last picture on this review is amazing!
Ha, they might lose money on my burgers, but they more than make that money back everywhere else!
If you like that last photo, click it. It’ll take you to the photo’s Flickr page, where you can download a full size copy.
Thank you for the review. I’m not even sure when DH and I are going back to Disney World. However, you inspired me to start a list of things we do when we go back. You convinced me. Cosmic Rays definately makes the list.
When Sarah and I went in 2009, we made a list of the 30 things we were looking forward to the most. It was REALLY fun to make the list and post the photos on Flickr–I highly recommend it. Check out our list here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tombricker/sets/72157621404301012/detail/
Catching up on my blog reading and sending a big “AGREE” with eating at Cosmic Ray’s during Evening EMH. Back in September there were maybe four other families in the lower dining area with us. The dimmed lighting was relaxing, and after they ate, my younger two danced around to Sonny’s serenading. Oh, and by the looks of that photo, you weren’t kidding about loading up on mushrooms!
Cosmic Ray’s is another must do on our list for ALL the reasons you described above! I just read to my husband your description of the Chix/Rib/M-Pot/vege combo…… we are on it!!!!
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I love love love cosmic ray i have to go hang with him everytime i go there (many times) i also think it is one of the coolist things at disney…he is so fun to watch the food well over the years its gotten better all of disneys food has gotten better over the years but i would eat dog food if thats all they had at this place cause the show is sooooooo cooooooool sometimes i just get coffee and take a break ok now i am getting sad cause i am in chicago and not at disney
Maybe my experience was just crappy then because when I ate at the Cafe, the burgers tasted like school cafeteria food…They were terribly dry, and almost had a pre-packaged taste to them. But maybe it was because I didn’t drown mine in toppings so I could taste that even more…The atmosphere was nice, but i don’t know, the food was just not to my liking.
The food isn’t the best in the world, but I think the burgers have gotten better (there are a few gourmet ones) recently. When did you last eat there?
Guys,
It’s Walt Disney World, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, The 4 Seas, ETC.
NOt the 5 star French Food Academy. Be happy you are there, eat a burger and shut up. JEESH, you people are tearing the food apart like you are all experts. HARDLY ! I love you but you are all pains! Add some some more mustard and ketchup and STOPYERGRIPPIN!
Meet you there,
Mermaid.
What, exactly, did you expect when you opened a blog post with the name of a restaurant and the word “Review” after it? Isn’t a restaurant review inherently critical?
This idea that you should ‘shut up and be happy’ because you’re at Walt Disney World is ludicrous. Walt Disney World is a business, and guests should not be admonished when the product they’ve purchased fails to meet their reasonable expectations.
I love Cosmic Rays mostly because of Sonny Eclipse! Where did you find a copy of his music set ? I would love to get a copy.
mousebits.com
My husband I were in WDW in September, my first trip in 20 yrs, his first, ever. We loved the food at Cosmic Rays! The BBQ sandwich was great and my husband raved over the veggie burger. I’m just disappointed that we missed Sonny Eclipse! Apparently, we were so busy eating we didn’t take the time to take in our surroundings…neither of us knew a thing about him until now!
Tom, we are huge fans of Sonny, we stay through his entire set every time. The food is 8/10.
It said your flickr site was private?
That Flickr photo was provided by another user.
I loved this review! When i read what you wrote about enjoying a burger late at night during extra magic hours while watching Sonny perform I thought for a second that my husband hacked your site and wrote this review himself
We have have spent many nights doing the exact same thing. And you cant go wrong with a topping bar that offers cheese for your fries! It is definitely underrated in our opinion. Cosmic rays is a must do for us, we love it!
My family LOVES Cosmic Ray’s! They have a chicken and rib combo that my husband and I split ever time. And the kids love Sonny
I love Cosmic Rays! On my first trip to Disney World in 1986, I ate at this restaurant by pure chance. Now I eat there on every visit! Back in the 80′s and 90′s they had Philly Steak-style sandwiches with the topping bar. They were wonderful. On our last trip (October 2012) I had the turkey sandwich, which was great, for lunch, and went back for a burger for supper. I agree that the burgers are fine but not amazing, but the toppings bar makes a big difference. Lastly, of course, I love Sonny!