Back on January 27th, the first soft opening day, I had the chance to be among the first to dine at the newly redesigned Planet Hollywood Observatory. I really enjoyed the refreshed feel and new menu but only had a short visit that you can read about here. Now, I am not going to lie, prior to that opening day I was not a huge fan of previous incarnation of Planet Hollywood.The food was just okay at best and the interior was always very cramped and loud. Thankfully, almost all of that was rectified with the remodeling into the Observatory.
With three levels of dining plus the outside patio and Stargazer Lounge, the seating is much more comfortable and open. Having eaten on the second level both times, I can say there is plenty of room to “Dine Amongst The Stars” now. When I was talking about my problems with the previous incarnation of Planet Hollywood, I mentioned it being loud — not the type of loud where you could enjoy and still have a conversation with someone but LOUD don’t bother trying to talk. Yes, The Observatory still is loud, it is that fun kind of loud where you talk to the people next to you a little bit closer, but when one of your favorite songs comes on the massive 4,500 square-foot immersive video wall, you want that volume to drown out the singing of some of those around you or you to them.
Now for my biggest surprise of the newly redone Planet Hollywood Observatory: the food! Again, as I said, I was not a huge fan of the food prior to the reopening. The menu felt like it was trapped in 1994 when the location opened and some of it tasted like it was left over from opening. But, thankfully, the all-new menu, with the help of Guy Fieri, has some amazing new dishes and lots of fun appetizers, drinks, and desserts.
High Roller Platter, a celebration of “best-ofs” with the Chicken Crunch, Texas Tostados, Buffalo Wings, Cheesy Spinach Dip, Peri-Peri Shrimp served in a uniquely designed Ferris-wheel dish.
Between the amazing options and the fun presentations, even if I was not taking pictures for this article, I would have been taking pictures. The High Roller Platter was a great start because it did offer something for everyone, but if you wanted something a little less deep fried, I really enjoyed the Hummus Trio with some new takes on an age-old food.
Hummus Trio – Roasted Red Pepper & Black Bean Hummus, Edamame Hummus & Garlic Hummus
The main courses are HUGE and very tasty! I went with the Bacon Mac-N-Cheese Burger for the second time but took “samples” of all the other offerings and thoroughly enjoyed each. Each of these plates would have been more than enough for two, so make sure to bring plenty of space to fill or expect a to-go box or two leaving with you.
Bacon Mac-N-Cheese with applewood smoked bacon, six-cheese mac-n-cheese, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, crispy onion straws, Fieri’s signature Donkey Sauce, garlic-buttered brioche bun
Bird is the Word – Crispy fried all-natural chicken breast, buttermilk ranch dressing, pickles, cheddar, slaw and honey hot sauce on a garlic-buttered brioche bun
Turkey Pic-A-Nic – House-roasted turkey breast, cranberry, relish, Swiss, BBQ kettle chips, LTOP and donkey sauce on a garlic-buttered pretzel bun
I am a big burger/sandwich guy just because I grew up with the BBQ’s at my grandparents each weekend and you can not go wrong with any of the ones that I tasted. Of course, you can’t talk about a BBQ without some ribs and, don’t worry, they have them, and they even on your own picnic table. If those ribs are a bit much, they also have some of the cheesiest Mac-N-Cheese I have tasted in a long time.
BBQ Ribs – St. Louis-style pork ribs, BBQ sauce, french fries and coleslaw
Six Cheese Chicken Macaroni & Cheese – Sliced all-natural chicken breast, cavatappi pasta, mushroom and baby spinach in our creamy six cheese sauce, finished with ricotta cheese and seasoned bread crumbs
For those of you that prefer a nice salad or some sea food, you won’t be turned away either — but, again, HUGE portions, so better be ready.
Citrus Kale – Superfood blend of kale, julienned broccoli, slivered Brussel sprouts, & cabbage, feta, fresh grapefruit & oranges, cranberries, sunflower seeds, & refreshing agave dressing
Sesame Ginger Salmon – Grilled soy-ginger glazed salmon, served with house-made cilantro rice and green bean blend
If I can pass on one thing for your visit to the Planet Hollywood Observatory, it’s to save room for dessert or just skip the meal all together and get a Supernova Shake and the Brownie Sundae Martini dessert. Yes, as you may have heard the shakes are $14 dollars each, but I would say are well worth it and in comparison to another place in the Orlando area that has specialty shakes for a little less. In my opinion, The Observatory shakes are much better with more substance than fluff.
Cosmic Cotten Candy, Chocolate Comet, and Strawberry Big Bang (with a whole slice of birthday cake) are dwarfed by the Brownie Sundae Martini
Needless to say, I would recommend this MUST DO on your next trip to Disney Springs. For more information or to make reservations click HERE or call Disney Dining at (407) WDW-DINE.
Disclaimer: the items reviewed in this article were provided to the author free of charge, but opinions are his own.