Review: Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Package
Plaza Inn restaurant is offering dining packages for Main Street Electrical Parade with reserved seating and an all-in-one meal featuring Disneyland’s famous fried chicken. This review covers whether the premium parade viewing is worth the money, along with info about what it entails, how to book the MSEP dining package, and more.
Let’s start with some quick background. Main Street Electrical Parade has once again returned to Disneyland, for like its 37th “farewell” run. It’s like the Terminator T-1000 or McRib of parades at this point–just when you thought it was gone for good, BAM! It’s back and ready to attack/taste delicious/light up the night, as the case may be.
This time is (slightly) different. It’s Main Street Electrical Parade’s 50th Anniversary, featuring a new finale float, special merchandise, food & beverage, and a lot of hype. There’s also the little matter that Californians have been without most of Disneyland’s iconic nighttime spectaculars (sorry, Mickey’s Rad Rave doesn’t qualify as “iconic”) for over 2 years. All of this is a recipe for chaos and crowds.
While this review is being published early in Main Street Electrical Parade’s 50th Anniversary comeback run, it’s safe to say viewing the parade is going to be a challenge for the foreseeable future. Pent-up demand remains strong, the park reservations system means a steady supply of locals, and there’s a lot of enthusiasm and emotion around getting back to normal and enjoying a sentimental favorite.
It was a similar story when Main Street Electrical Parade returned during the “off-season” following the Diamond Celebration. The nostalgia-drenched parade marketing blitz in the Los Angeles and Orange County markets drew monster crowds in months that would normally be slow, and locals camped out for hours. Prime parade viewing areas were multiple rows deep long before showtime. It’s going to be the same scenario for the Main Street Electrical Parade 50th Anniversary run.
With that said, let’s turn to details about the Plaza Inn Dining Package for Main Street Electrical Parade. Disneyland’s buffeteria restaurant at the end of Main Street offers this option daily from 1 pm until 3:30 pm (savvy move to put the popular package during off-peak dining hours).
The cost of lunch with the Plaza Inn Dining Package is $40 per adult and $25 per child plus tax. Discounts are available for Magic Key Passholders.
The Plaza Inn Dining Package for Main Street Electrical Parade can be booked online via Disneyland.com or the app, up to 60 days in advance.
If you’re having trouble booking this, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, it’s incredibly difficult. We were able to score a spot, and haven’t seen any availability since. I’d hazard a guess that the entire reserved viewing area accommodates fewer than 100 guests, which is very limited. It’s always possible Disneyland will add more reserved viewing areas or cancellations will occur, so we’d recommend that you keep checking as your travel dates near.
Next, let’s turn to the food offered for the Plaza Inn Main Street Electrical Parade 50th Anniversary Dining Package:
Adult Dining Package Menu
- World-famous Plaza Inn fried chicken
- Oven-roasted carrots
- House-made smoked mac & cheese
- Bacon and pickled onion wedge salad served with house-made ranch dressing and blue cheese crumbles
- Mickey-shaped sweet honey corn bread
- Decadent berry cheesecake
- Choice of one beverage: 20 oz. fountain beverage or 20 oz. Dasani water
Child Dining Package Menu
- World-famous Plaza Inn fried-chicken leg
- Oven-roasted carrots
- House-made smoked mac & cheese
- Apple sauce
- Mickey-shaped sweet honey corn bread
- Decadent berry cheesecake
- Choice of one beverage: small Dasani water or small low-fat milk
Our reservation at Plaza Inn was for the 2:30 pm “seating,” but it’s likely that we could’ve shown up at any time between 1 pm and 3:30 pm.
The restaurant is still operating as a regular buffeteria during this timeframe, with guests able to order the normal menu from all of the bays except one. There are no reserved tables or servers for this–it’s the normal Plaza Inn lunch/dinner experience with open seating both indoors and outside.
Upon arriving, we checked in with a Cast Member outside, who pulled up our reservation on an iPad. He then sent us inside the restaurant to a line at a cash register set aside for the Plaza Inn Dining Packages.
There, we paid for the meal and were given paper FastPass-style tickets to enter the reserved seating section along with cool custom lanyards to wear while in the viewing area. The Cast Member at the register advised that we save our receipt just in case we lost the lanyards and/or paper FastPasses.
From there, we moved on to the buffeteria bay to pick up our plates.
What’s served for the dining package isn’t one of the normal entrees, but it’s sufficiently similar to determine the value of the package. Given the $19 price of the fried chicken alone, the meal itself is about $25 to $30. Of course, “value” is in the eye of the beholder.
I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for Plaza Inn, but I think its pricing has gotten out of hand. I still remember when the chicken was $13. (Old man shakes fist at cloud.) Additionally, it seems like the quality has been more hit or miss–dropping $19 for dry chicken is not my idea of a good time.
Our chicken was flawless. The amount of breading, texture, seasoning, consistency, juiciness, tenderness, and overall flavor were all pitch perfect. If I could always be guaranteed fried chicken of this caliber, I’d drop $19 and do every meal at Plaza Inn. The only disappointment about the meal was the house-made smoked mac & cheese, which was basically mac minus cheese.
Although the Plaza Inn Main Street Electrical Parade 50th Anniversary Dining Package indicates it’s a set menu, entree substitutions are allowed for those who are allergic (or whatever) to glorious fried chicken. Sarah made such a substitution, ordering the Chipotle-Pineapple Glazed Salmon.
This salmon is an ambitious and tasty dish by buffeteria standards, offering a perfectly-prepared, flaky fish with a unique and fruity glaze. However, it’s also significantly smaller than the fried chicken. That’s obviously to be expected. When you roll up to Nobu, they’re not handing you a heaping bucket of salmon, Colonel Sanders style.
Even with the smaller salmon and cheeseless mac & cheese, we have no complaints about the food served as part of the Plaza Inn Dining Package. It was a fantastic meal. (If you could get the mac & cheese swapped out for mashed potatoes, you’d be living the Disneyland dream.)
We left full, and didn’t eat again for the rest of the day. Easily $25 here in value, which puts the reserved seating at around $15 per person. Given that guests were already camping out to claim Main Street Electrical Parade spots in mid-afternoon when we left Plaza Inn, that’s probably not too steep of a price for the viewing area.
The paper FastPasses are for reserved seating during the first performance of Main Street Electrical Parade.
These tickets indicate that you should check in at the Town Square flagpole approximately 30 minutes before the parade steps off. You’ll want to arrive much earlier than that. Disneyland fans love nothing more than to camp out for things; when it comes to stuff like this, there’s always a line for the line, so to speak.
The seating area is on the back side of Town Square, facing the Main Street USA Train Station.
It’s a large section, and there was plenty of breathing room for people even in the second and third rows to sit down and spread out a bit. The downside of this was that guests scrambling for last minute spots kept asking if they could squeeze in. (The above photo doesn’t adequately illustrate how packed other sections were versus this area.)
Technically, this is a viewing area and not a seating area. Disneyland promises a reserved viewing, and nothing more. Unlike seating sections, there are no chairs here. Also, you might have to stand if you arrive late or if the people in front of you are standing. Just because everyone around us was able to sit down does not mean that’s how it’ll be in the future.
In terms of Main Street Electrical Parade viewing locations, I’m more or less neutral on this spot.
The view is perfectly fine; I just prefer the more iconic perspective with Sleeping Beauty Castle in the background for photos. My one recommendation would be to sit on one of the far sides of the viewing area; this should give you a little more space and also a better perspective of the parade floats rounding the corner.
Ultimately, we highly recommend booking the Plaza Inn Dining Package for Main Street Electrical Parade’s 50th Anniversary. If you’re taking a vacation to Disneyland, you’re going to want to try that famous fried chicken regardless, and that puts the cost of the reserved seating area at $15 per person. While that’s not an insignificant expense for a family of 4, the time and headaches saved in not having to camp out hours in advance and “guard” your turf is worth that amount.
We’re normally not particularly keen on paying a premium for only okay nighttime spectacular viewing areas (looking at you, Magic Kingdom fireworks dessert parties), but it’s just different at Disneyland. Locals with time to kill stake out spots for hours, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. We’ve already decided that we’ll be (attempting to) book this again for Sarah’s mom, as she loves Main Street Electrical Parade and the added cost is worth avoiding the aforementioned chaos. Also, I’ll take any excuse I can get to eat more Plaza Inn fried chicken.
Planning a Southern California vacation? For park admission deals, read Tips for Saving Money on Disneyland Tickets. Learn about on-site and off-site hotels in our Anaheim Hotel Reviews & Rankings. For where to eat, check out our Disneyland Restaurant Reviews. For unique ideas of things that’ll improve your trip, check out What to Pack for Disney. For comprehensive advice, consult our Disneyland Vacation Planning Guide. Finally, for guides beyond Disney, check out our Southern California Itineraries for day trips to Los Angeles, Laguna Beach, and tons of other places!
YOUR THOUGHTS
Have you booked the Plaza Inn Dining Package for Main Street Electrical Parade’s 50th Anniversary? Think this is a good or poor value? Having trouble scoring reservations for this dining package? Are you excited for the return of Main Street Electrical Parade or is yet another farewell run too much? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment on crowds and the hassle of saving spots for the parade? Any questions? 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!
Where exactly do you sit when you get a reserved seat? Bleachers?
You sit on the ground/sidewalk. No actual seating.
I have been reading your reviews all morning. I love the humor you add. And the honesty. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Thank you so much for this review. We have booked this dining package for next week and can’t wait! How is this spot for viewing fireworks after the parade is over? Would you be able to get to Main Street for a castle view or do the crowds close in too quickly to make your way over there?
Our package was on a night that they weren’t doing fireworks, so I can’t speak to how fast the crowds fill in. In my opinion, you would definitely want to be closer to the castle for fireworks viewing though. Have fun!
Our package was on a night that they weren’t doing fireworks, so I can’t speak to how fast the crowds fill in. In my opinion, you would definitely want to be closer to the castle for fireworks viewing though. Have fun!
Does anyone know the largest party size they will accommodate? I booked my party of eight for 2 separate lunch times to get a reservation, and I am assuming there is only 1 viewing area, so shouldn’t be a problem. But if I can manage to book us all at once on a different day of our trip it would be nicer to eat at once together.
I was able to book a party of nine, so I know it’s possible – just a matter of availability.
Thanks Tom for your terrific posts and details. They are so helpful! We’ve managed to reserve the MSEP package on a night with the DL Forever fireworks. From the parade viewing location, if one turns to face the castle, do you think it would offer a decent view? Not sure if they’re rushing people out of the viewing location right after the parade or letting them find a spot for fireworks viewing. Appreciate any tips you can provide please!
No, it’s not a good fireworks view. You’re too far from Sleeping Beauty Castle and there are trees in Town Square blocking the view. After the parade passes, you should get up ASAP and move quickly down Main Street to grab spots. You’ll be fighting some of the crowd leaving the park, but many other people will be trying to get fireworks spots, too. It can be a bit of a cluster.
Silly question but berry allergies in our family, is there any other option for dessert even just a cookie or something?
First of all, I just have to say I love your detailed posts! It is a highlight to read each day! How would I go about booking this? I checked under things to do, plaza inn dining packages but there is no “check availability” button-is that just a glitch and I am in the right place just have to check back? Would you be able to shed some light on the World of Colour dessert party also? Thank you so much!
We have the dining package for Jun 1st – I booked it the day they opened. We have an adult daughter with Autism, and I thought it would be better if we had a designated place to go to for the parade. The problem is, she is also a very picky eater and asked me when I showed her the menu, “What can I eat?” It’s good to know we can substitute, it’s just a question of what will they have that she will eat. We’ll ask a CM when we get there, I guess and hope for the best. Otherwise, I may be paying $40 for her seat and STILL have to buy her a corn dog!
Do they also have this at the Walt Disney world in Florida
No, Main Street Electrical Parade was moved from FL to CA.
Somehow, the Disney gods smiled upon me today and I was able to snag a reservation for May 16th! I’m just a party of one so maybe that was how I got it. I’m super excited as this will be my first visit to Disneyland in over 40 years!
How do you think this would work with both my parents in wheelchairs? We are planning a mid November trip.
There were guests around us with ECVs–it seemed to work great for them!
I was one of the people sitting to the right of Tom and his bride at the April 22nd opening of Main Street Electrical Parade and we had a scooter and it worked out really well. My suggestion is make sure you get there early with your parents and get a good spot for for them and their wheelchairs where people can’t stand in front of them. It also helps with the wheelchair or scooter to keep people out of the viewing area that aren’t supposed to be there. Unfortunately we had to help police this. I would avoid the far right-hand corner even though it looked like a good spot and we were able to get the scooter in there, we would often be blocked by the fact that this was a Street crossing area and they would let people congregate in behind us blocking our view of the parade from the right-hand side until they could cross the street so I kind of felt it was little unfair that they let these people stand there for half the parade before they had across the street blocking part of our view.
“cool custom lanyards” is a Tom-ism if ever there was one,.. It is possible to be so square that you are genuinely cool!
I promise, no one who knows me would ever accuse me of being “genuinely cool.”
Sounds like a good value. Plan on taking advantage of this option.
Just one question – how does Plaza Inn fried chicken compare to Mrs. Knott’s fried chicken?
I’d say Mrs. Knott’s probably has the edge, if only because it’s more consistent. When Plaza Inn is firing on all cylinders, they are neck and neck.
Ok, but how was that salad? Pickled onion?!?! 🙁
I thought it could’ve used a bit more dressing; Sarah thought it had too much dressing. 😉
To be clear: this is a seating area, everyone is sitting on the ground? Or do some guests show up at the last minute and stand?
Thanks, as always, for your DLR coverage!
It’s technically a “viewing area” meaning that not everyone is guaranteed a seat. If you arrive early enough and get the front row (or go off to the side), you should be able to sit, though.
How much earlier do you recommend getting in the line for the line for the reserved viewing parade spot? An hour earlier, 90 minutes beforw?
It’s hard to say how that’ll change over time. If the MSEP return hype dies down, 30 minutes could be good enough. For now, I’d say at least an hour.
Hi Tom, thanks for this review. Do the plaza dining packages get released at the same time each day as the other dining reservations?
They should, but what should happen and what does happen with Disneyland dining are not always the same thing.
I was online at 7 am when the reservations were released on the 14th, thankfully. With two kids and older parents we don’t have the patience to wait for hours for a parade. I think the price is a good value. We are looking forward to doing this in June!
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! 🙂
Just another example of Disney trying to make another billion. Pay to sit for parades and fireworks that were always free. Pay for shuttles to and from airports. Pay for fast pass type arrangements. What’s next? Pay to breathe their air or visit their shops?
Terrible signs of things to come.
I think you might’ve had a point back in 2009 when Disney debuted dessert parties and dining packages.
Even then, the argument was that some people valued their time more than other guests. A first-time visitor with only a day or two to do Disneyland has a different cost-benefit analysis than a local doing their 472nd visit, who doesn’t mind camping out for 3 hours to get a good parade spot.
Hi , how do you book MSEP ?