In the last few months, Disneyland has brought back more nighttime entertainment than it’s offered since before the pandemic, regularly running shows like Main Street Electrical Parade, World of Color, Disneyland Forever fireworks and, as of May 28, Fantasmic. But while any visitor can enjoy these family-friendly experiences, the park is also offering more expensive, hard-to-get versions: dining packages that include seating for the shows, for a big ticket price.

This week, Disneyland reopened the Skyline Lounge, an elevated area in Tomorrowland that’s one of the best fireworks viewing spots in the park. For $60 a person, Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience includes what the park website describes as “a scrumptious meal” and “breathtaking views — including fireworks when on display.”

It sounds so enticing that all available bookings sold out — for the entire 60 days that Disney initially released — within minutes of going live on the Disneyland website.

Even before the shut down, Disneyland offered a special ticketed Tomorrowland event to guests willing to pay for a lounge-like experience, which cost $45 for a box of desserts and a unique view of the evening’s fireworks show while you sat on cozy couches. Now that the park feels like it has peak summer crowds any day of the week, I sought to find if the reimagined Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge was worth the additional cost for a more enjoyable park evening.

The answer is: maybe. Here’s how my experience went.

The food at the Skyline Lounge

Rather than offering a sit-down meal, this experience has guests ordering food at the quick-service Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland and carrying our own food up to the lounge. As we were making our selections, I was told there were no kids meals available or menu substitutions for my seven-year-old son.

For children above the age of 3, the ticket will still cost $60, as it did for my son. (You can bring in littles 2-years-old and under for free, but they must lap sit in the lounge). The menu wasn’t provided at the time of booking, so I paid in advance for unknown options, never thinking there wouldn’t be an accommodation for kids.

That left the adult options. The menu had three entree choices: a “Meaty-Or” Sandwich, which is “Smashed Meatloaf with space sauce, onion aioli, hash browns, arugula and havarti on a brioche roll;” a “Chicken Star-mesan” sandwich, “Breaded chicken breast topped with zesty marinara, provolone, herb medley and pesto aioli on a ciabatta roll;” or a plant-based “Supernova Pasta Bake,” which is a “Blend of broccolini, artichokes, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes and chef's choice of pasta tossed in zesty marinara sauce and topped with dairy free cheese.” For dessert, we had a choice of a chocolate “orb” cake or raspberry cheesecake, and unlimited soft drinks.

Our reviews of the food were mixed. My favorite element of my “Meaty-Or” sandwich was the hash brown patty — I’m a sucker for breakfast elements pushed into dinner — but I eventually opted to eat my son’s “Chicken Star-mesan,” which he didn’t want. I loved the very crispy texture and generous pesto. And while we didn’t try it, the “Supernova Pasta Bake” looked quite lovely with large pieces of artichokes and other vegetables.

The unlimited drink options felt generous. My son had never tried ginger ale or sparkling water before, and they encouraged him to take both to try and come back for something different if he wanted.

The presentation was lacking, however. The “to-go” style containers and small side portions of fries or pasta salad made the food feel less than special. For dessert, the chocolate cream-filled orb was very decadent and the cheesecake was fine, but there was no indication of what the dessert options would be from day to day, as the menu lists “assorted dessert options.”

What are the entertainment options? The “Skyline Lounge” is the second-level balcony of what is now the still closed Star Wars Launch Bay. Pre-pandemic, this experience had more of a lounge feel, but this reboot has metal chairs and bar seating.

Our assigned seats were ours for the event duration, so we could come and go as we pleased in the lounge. The metal bar top or table top chairs were not incredibly comfortable, so after eating, we took the opportunity to ride Hyper Space Mountain and Star Tours before the fireworks.

A cast member told us that an appearance by Mickey and Minnie was originally slated to be part of the entertainment, but was temporarily cut because of staffing issues. He expected they would be joining in the future.

For our night, we had other entertainment options: games like Jenga and a giant Connect 4 set. They felt better suited for a backyard evening at home and not exactly on brand for a sunset dinner party in Tomorrowland.

A friendly cast member also worked his way through guest’s tables playing hangman and trivia with fun themes. There were also blankets and phone chargers to plug in at your seat, as well as a few oversized photo frames as props for pictures.

The best part of the Skyline Lounge experience Even though they use vague language about the experience offering fireworks “when available,” in execution, Disney very much boasts that this as a fireworks offering. Even the lanyard reads, “Reserved Fireworks Viewing.” From our perch, we had a very clear view of the Matterhorn, and fireworks over the castle and behind it.

Recently, people have been staking out spots for nighttime shows three or four hours in advance on some nights. Given the congestion and time required standing in place for a good fireworks viewing spot, I appreciated the comfort and access of the lounge.

Would I do it again?

Personally, I was happy to pay $80 for the World of Color Dessert Party the week before, which came with drinks and a single plate of assorted desserts. It was better organized and offered better food.

From that experience, I know Disney has the capability to do this better. The food could have had a more elevated taste profile and was lacking kid-friendly options, but that seemed to be something they are still working out.

As a Magic Key holder, I would do this again for a special occasion, but I would not recommend this to an occasional visitor, or someone seeing the fireworks show for the first time. If we didn’t already know the story line of the fireworks, I would have felt disconnected from the Disneyland Forever show without seeing the accompanying projections. The leisurely atmosphere, although well-suited for a seasoned passholder looking for a different experience, would take away precious time in the parks for a casual vacationer.

If Mickey and Minnie show up for meet-and-greets, though, that would have tipped the scales for me.