REVIEW: Take a ‘Flight to the Moon’ or a ‘Mission to Mars’ with 50th Anniversary Food Celebrating Tomorrowland’s Past from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom

Matthew Soberman

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REVIEW: Take a ‘Flight to the Moon’ or a ‘Mission to Mars’ with 50th Anniversary Food Celebrating Tomorrowland’s Past from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café at Magic Kingdom

The World’s Most Magical Celebration is underway at Walt Disney World, bringing over 150 new food items to celebrate the resort’s 50th anniversary. Today, we’re going back to the future at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in the Magic Kingdom for some dishes honoring Tomorrowland attractions past and some favorites of Walt Disney himself.

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Let’s blast off and see what’s on the menu!

Walt’s Chili-Cheese All-Beef Foot-long Hot Dog — $13.49

Walt’s All-Beef Foot-long Hot Dog topped with Walt’s Favorite Chili Recipe, and Cheese served with French Fries

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This was a basic chili cheese dog, much like the ones from Casey’s Corner.

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There’s a good amount of chili and cheese, but it’s unremarkable. If you have a hankering for a chili dog, it’ll hit the spot.

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It’s a great option to share because of the large portion size.

Walt’s Chili-Cheese Fries — $6.49

French Fries topped with Walt’s Favorite Chili Recipe and Cheese

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These are classic Disney fries with a generous helping of chili and cheese.

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They’re a generic crowd pleaser and never a bad option.

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There’s nothing special to them, but they’re a solid choice.

Mission to Mars — $12.99

Burger topped with Bacon and Macaroni & Cheese served on a Bun dusted with Crushed Cheese-flavored Puffs and served with French Fries

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This burger honors the attraction of the same name, which took guests on a journey to the red planet from 1975 to 1993.

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There’s a good portion of macaroni and cheese, and the crispy bacon added a nice variety to the texture profile.

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It gives a good cheesy bite thanks to the addition of the crushed cheese-flavored puffs on top.

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It’s a basic Disney burger underneath, but the toppings make it fun and tasty. We’d order this again.

Burger to the Moon — $11.49

Impossible™ Burger with Guacamole, Tomato and Cabbage Slaw, served with French Fries

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This is the plant-based option of the specialty items, named after the attraction Flight to the Moon, which operated from 1971 to 1975.

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The Impossible patty itself isn’t bad, but it doesn’t have the hamburger taste we hoped it would, or come at least close to it. Still, it’s a decent patty, and if you’re a fan of the Impossible Meats, this is a good choice.

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The guacamole offers some freshness, but it makes the burger, on the whole, feel soft with no crunch to break that.

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The powder on the bun doesn’t offer anything other than to give it a moon-like appearance. It’s probably the weakest option we’ve tried, but it’s a solid choice for those looking for something plant-based.

1971 Meal — $19.71

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich topped with Kale Slaw served with Walt’s Chili & Cheese Fries, Fountain Beverage and a 50th Anniversary Themed Cake Pop

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At various venues around the park, you can find “1971 meals,” modeled after the meals available in the park when it opened (plus a celebratory cake pop for the anniversary).

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The chicken on the sandwich was decent but a little dry. We were given a good-sized portion of the barbecue sauce, which helped.

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Given how generous they were with sauce, the bun held up quite well.

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We wished there was a little more of the kale salad because it added a crunch and freshness that elevated the dish.

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Overall, this is a decent option.

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This is more akin to a traditional piece of cake than the pops we’ve had around the parks before.

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The exterior tasted like a basic white chocolate coating colored pink and purple. Unfortunately, the icing melted pretty quickly once we took it out of the package.

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The cake wasn’t dry and serves as a nice treat to finish the meal.

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We still prefer the pops at Main Street Confectionery, but this isn’t bad.

Overall Thoughts

The burgers were a fun nod to two past Tomorrowland attractions and a little different from the normal fare with their toppings, while Walt’s chili items are a trip back to traditional theme park fare and a good option as well. They’re a nice change from the usual menus, especially with one of them being plant-based.

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