Space 220 Restaurant Opens September 2021
Walt Disney World has announced that Space 220 restaurant at Epcot will officially open in mid-September 2021! This is another milestone in the transformation of Epcot, and happens in the lead up to the World’s Most Magical Celebration beginning only a weeks later. In this post, we’ll share the details from Disney, plus thoughts, photos, and a new video.
In case you’re unfamiliar with it, Space 220 restaurant is located backstage between Test Track and Mission: Space, with its entrance being located off to the side of the latter. In more than a couple of regards, it’s reminiscent to Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. For one thing, the Space 220 show building is not intended to be seen by guests.
Your immersive, fine dining experience begins as you check in to the Space 220 Departure Lounge in Future World. From here, you’ll board one of two “Space Elevators” that will transport you in what seems like 220 miles above Earth to Centauri Space Station. As you begin your ascent, you’ll look down through a viewport to see EPCOT shrink away; looking up you’ll see the Space Station come into view.
Once you’ve docked, you’ll head through the Centauri Space Station-themed dining area. Inside the dining area, you’ll experience a panoramic view of Earth below, and a variety of work and leisure activities taking place beyond the windows of the Space Station-themed restaurant.
The views at Space 220 restaurant are just part of the experience. Walt Disney Imagineers are excited to have created this experience for Executive Chef Marc Kusche to showcase his culinary wonders…
The Space 220 restaurant menu will feature stellar dishes and gourmet recipes, with a two-course prix fixe menu for lunch, and a three-course prix fixe menu for dinner. Rounding out the meal will be unique beverages, from fine wine to atmospheric cocktails and more. The upscale, contemporary fare will bring new meaning to “the height of dining.”
Here’s a video that Walt Disney Imagineering has shared offering a look inside Space 220:
View this post on Instagram
I think this looks absolutely awesome. Previously, I’ve referred to this as Coral Reef: Space Edition, and that still seems apt. My expectation is that this will be even more immersive, with a themed experience and storytelling from start to finish. (Hopefully with better food!)
To me, this also seems like an appetizer for what Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will attempt to deliver, but in a more bite-sized form that’s more accessible–from both a practical and price perspective. Not everyone is going to have the time or inclination to do the live action role playing thing for two days, but two hours is a totally different story!
With all of this said, it’s worth noting this is still not an official opening date–just a timeframe. Anyone who has followed the “Space 220 saga” knows we’ve had this before…more than once.
Originally, Walt Disney World announced that Space 220 would open by the holiday season two years ago. Once it became obvious that construction was far behind schedule, Disney quietly reworded the opening timeframe to “this winter.” That was all pre-closure.
However, it’s also worth pointing out that circumstances are very different now. Construction delays were an ongoing and persistent issue with Space 220 prior to the parks closing–that’s what initially caused the delays. Much like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, work long ago resumed and finished on the interior of Space 220 restaurant. The entrance and marquee have both been installed, and are simply covered up with temporary wood boxes (see above photo).
Suffice to say, physical work long ago ceased being the barrier to Space 220 Restaurant’s blast off. For a while, the problem shifted to physical distancing–but that’s also no longer an issue. Then it shifted once more to staffing, as Patina Group (the company operating the restaurant) faced the same hiring woes and staffing shortages plaguing virtually every other restaurant in Central Florida. (Space 220 also had its own unique issues on that front, but that was ages ago.)
Two months ago, Patina Group began the hiring process for Space 220 restaurant. The venue is now believed to be properly staffed and set to begin training at one of Patina’s Disney Springs locations later this month.
Suffice to say, it’s a very different scenario now than a couple of years ago when Walt Disney World set an overly aggressive “opening this winter” timeframe for Space 220. Unlike then, it’s not going to be a scramble to get everything finished and ready in time–there’s no race against the clock. Basically, Patina Group just needs to train its employees. Delays are always a possibility, but seem pretty unlikely at this stage in the game.
In terms of when Space 220 restaurant will open…that’s still anyone’s guess. I’m honestly surprised that Walt Disney World announced a “mid-September” opening rather than October 1, 2021. They could’ve soft opened Space 220 in mid-September on a walk-up basis only and had no issue filling tables. (To my recollection, that’s what was done with Takumi Tei for a couple weeks; that was the last table service restaurant to open in Epcot.)
We also don’t know when Advance Dining Reservations will open for Space 220 Restaurant. If my math is correct, mid-September is less than 60 days away (fact check needed), which means they could go live at any point. Our guess is that Walt Disney World will make another announcement very soon, rather than just dropping ADRs at random. That could potentially come later today–Boma and Flying Fish reopening news seems likely soon. Space 220’s ADR drop date is the kind of info that could be bundled with that news.
My guess is that September is forecast to be a slow month at Epcot–hence a full calendar of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure previews–and this is one way to “pull forward” demand among locals, Annual Passholders, and DVC Members. It’ll also be nice from regular guests with September trips booked.
We’re hearing increasing discontent from some of these guests, who are wondering whether they’re being ignored as Walt Disney World gears up for the 50th. (My response to that has been the big benefit of visiting in September v. October will be dramatically lower crowds. Personally, I expect September to be an awesome month at Walt Disney World.)
Ultimately, we’re really looking forward to Space 220 restaurant. Going to space almost certainly will not be cheap–we’re expecting something on par with Be Our Guest Restaurant, albeit with more upscale cuisine and prices to match. Patina Group seldom disappoints on the culinary front, so we have every reason to believe the food will be good.
Beyond that, this is an ambitious concept from Imagineering, and we have high hopes from the atmosphere and overall experience at Space 220 restaurant. Well-designed, immersive environments is what differentiates Walt Disney World dining from its real world counterparts, and this could instantly be one of WDW’s best themed restaurants. We’re hopeful that this lives up to the concept art and backstory to deliver a guest experience that suspends disbelief.
Planning a Walt Disney World trip? Learn about hotels on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews page. For where to eat, read our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To save money on tickets or determine which type to buy, read our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets post. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips post takes a unique look at clever items to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will help. For comprehensive advice, the best place to start is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for everything you need to know!
Your Thoughts
Are you excited for the Space 220 restaurant at Epcot? Does the concept of Coral Reef…but in outer space…appeal to you, or will you wait and see how the menu looks? Any guesses as to pricing for the prix fixe menu? Do you agree or disagree with our advice? Any questions we can help you answer? 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!
To be honest I was more excited before seeing the Instagram video. The “space station corridors” have an “space shuttle” era vibe that reminds me of an exhibit that might have opened at a big city science museum in the late 80s. The dining area (carpet, tables, etc.) looks like it’s channeling the aesthetic of a mid-scale airport Hyatt, except the windows are looking out onto “space” instead of tarmacs. But even the graphics in the window panels don’t have the realistic effect I was anticipating based on the concept art (could be that it just doesn’t translate into a video).
Maybe my standards are way too high? But as Tom noted, a themed experience with storytelling elements (and the big kicker — a fun and delicious menu) could definitely still make this a winner.
Looking forward to trying this in Feb 22, my science-kids will absolutely love it. Hoping its priced like Coral Reef but the food is more early-days BoG. One can dream right?
Haven’t seen it mentioned here Tom, but since you brought up Sept WDW dining reservation issues…. Reservation booking for Disneyland is an absolute nightmare right now. DL has never been competitive in the past like WDW and maybe it is post-Covid, but that’s not the main issue. The problem is unpredictability. Hours and reservation openings for late Sept and Oct seem to get posted at random and unpredictable times within 60 days. Being online at 2-3am PT at 60 days is not even enough. The only way to get an in-demand reservation is to log in throughout the day or pay for a notification service. This is not even for reopening restaurants, but places like Oga’s and Lamplight that have been running for months now. Its like the DL team is *trying* to drive guests crazy at this point. Pick a time/date and stick with it!
I’m interested to hear if you have any insight to that – perhaps worth a post.
Going Oct 7th-13 this is the one thing hubby wants to do so I’m SO ready to see if my TA can get us booked soon as it opens
Wish this was with characters, Star Wars themed and at HS….then it would be worth the money. This looks just okay to me.
still no menu?
I’m floored you think highly of Patina group. Their restaurants have always had the WORST service and the food quality is iffy at best. (I mean like really, really appallingly food poisoning + nonexistent service level bad)We’ve had enough of their restaurants that they went on the never again list. We wish this was run by anyone but them.
Not Space 220 but Epcot related. I love reading this blog and your writing style, and I just want to thank you for paying off financially for me. Last night at trivia there was a Disney category with bonus points at the end being given out for each Epcot country you could come up with. So I guess I owe you half of my free drink we won. Keep up the informative and entertaining work.
Just got in last from our 2 week trip to Disney. Crowds were large but fell off dramatically as school started some places and Covid grew. All the restaurants were complaining about lack of staff as were food stands.
I remember hoping we could eat here during our May 2020 trip. That certainly seems a long time ago.
I’m a little disappointed in prix fixe (it is rare for me to ever have more than one course at a restaurant) , but I understand why they are doing it. Was the cupcake phenomenon at BoG really a big deal? Whenever we ate there everyone always seemed to be eating full meals (just not perhaps 3 courses).
I wish they would quit being so evasive about what kind of food this place will be serving. The theming looks great, but can I get a cheeseburger there, or what?
I’m wondering how many people just read the article title and go straight to the bottom to ask a question without reading it…
I hope it’s better than BOG, which was good the first time, then not great, then just average. We will only go there now if someone who hasn’t been there wants to. Skipper Canteen and Plaza are both better.
Hoping for a Christmas week reservation but I suspect it’s going to be impossible to ADR this even if you log on at the exact moment.
I left a dinner spot available for our Epcot day on Sept 30th for this, banking it would either be open or that we could just eat festival food. Now I’m glad I did, though I suspect reservations for this are going to be difficult to snag…
Hah! Tom, I watched the video and thought to myself, “Ok, so this is the Coral reef floor plan, but with space outside the windows…also kind of like Halcyon light…” Your next two paragraphs had me chuckling. I hope the food is interesting. This should be fun!
I’ve been looking forward to dining here on our vacation, but I wasn’t expecting prix fixe and two dining credits (assuming that will be the case). I’ll be anxiously awaiting your review. I just can’t imagine any restaurant being worth two dining credits.
Any idea when reservations will be open?
Looks really cool! I just hope there are tablecloths in space, or some other sound-dampening accoutrement.
That is my last day as well. I am hoping there may be a soft opening one of the nights of our stay, I have been dying to see it. I am planning on asking concierge at the resort when we get there on the 3rd..
Sounded intriguing but looking at the video it’s more meh to me and just another excuse to rip families off even more.
Is there a chance mid-September can yield an opening by our last day on 9/10? I’d cancel reservations to get a spot there!!