Today we’re taking you to Disneyland Resort to say “Welcome back!” to the World of Color nighttime spectacular in Disney California Adventure!

We’re celebrating the show’s return (and reserving guaranteed seating) with a World of Color Dining Package! Both Wine Country Trattoria and Carthay Circle Restaurant offer the Dining Package, and our reservation was for Wine Country Trattoria.

We were glad to have made reservations for the Dining Package upon arrival. When we received a text message from Wine Country Trattoria advising that our table was ready, we returned to the host stand and noticed about 20-30 guests to check in for either the stand-by list or their reservations and another 10-15 guests nearby who appeared to have already put their names on the wait list.

We were seated in the outside patio (the upper level of the location was closed at this time) in front of the “Wine Country Trattoria” arch. For the most part, this seating area is nice and shady, with only a few seats on the outer edge in direct sunlight (which may be what you crave if you’re on a Disneyland escape from the winter).

The ambience was beautiful and surprisingly peaceful — not at all what you expect in a crazy busy theme park. On this cool-yet-sunny day, it was just SO nice being outside. We even got to enjoy the view of Pixar Pier all while having our meal in a beautiful setting.

Guests dining with the World of Color Dining Package receive a dedicated prix-fixe menu as the meal includes a full-service, 3-course meal and a non-alcoholic beverage. (Just click to enlarge the menu image.)

We also received a cocktail and wine list.

We placed our order, and it seemed that within no more than 5 minutes our starters were out… and no more than about 5 minutes after that, our main courses came out! We were surprised at how fast the dishes were prepared. We were also a little skeptical because of how quickly it came out too… One might associate a short food preparation time with, say, pre-packaged food or food that was cooked a while ago and sat in some warmer until ordered.

So… how did things turn out?

Well, our meal started with a French loaf along with balsamic and olive oil for dipping. The bread was soft and warm, and it paired really well with the balsamic and olive oil dip.

We were able to order both Starter options. The Italian Insalata is a slice of Iceberg lettuce with pepponcinis, Kalamata olives, roma tomatoes, cucumbers, and shaved parmesan with a red wine vinaigrette.

And it’s really enjoyable! The lettuce was nice and crisp, and all the ingredients were very fresh. Neither the vinaigrette nor the parmesan were too strong. Everything went really well together and made for a great, fresh taste.

The other Starter dish is the Soup del Giorni (Italian Wedding Soup).

It’s basically a broth that contains meatballs and Acini di Pepe (small pasta balls). The top of the soup was a little spotty with oil, but nothing outrageous.

The meatballs were tender and blended well with the soup. And the pasta balls were so soft that it almost felt that we weren’t chewing anything. We personally had no problem with it, but if you prefer your soup pasta to be more on the “Al Dente” side, this might be too soft for you. Overall it was a nice light transition to the main course.

For Main Entrées, we decided on a “surf and turf” experience, choosing the Salmon as well as the Rib-Eye Steak. We were pleasantly surprised with the Wine Country Trattoria’s Salmon dish!

The salmon itself was really cooked to perfection—there was a slight crisp on the outside, and then the inside was nice and soft.

The marinade made for a great flavor that wasn’t too salty, and it paired nicely with the dill butter cream sauce that came with the fish. The salmon was served with a salad that included roasted potatoes, tomatoes, and an olive oil dressing. Much like the starter salad, the arugula salad was fresh and delicious!

We ordered our Rib-Eye Steak medium well.It’s served with creamy garlic stacked potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon bits and honey.

The rib-eye cut was relatively thin, very well marbled, cooked exactly as requested, and — despite how thin it was — remained juicy until the last bite!

The garlic stacked potatoes (tender, creamy, thinly sliced potatoes) had a thin layer of baked cheese on top that made for a perfect side dish.

The roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and honey tasted terrific, too!

Slightly crisped on the outside causing it to burst with flavor, this was the preferred side dish between the two.

The third and final course is Dessert, and we once again ordered both menu options.

The Chocolate Panna Cotta is an Italian custard dessert comprised of three layers. The top layer was a caramel flavored custard and the middle layer was chocolate flavored custard. The bottom layer was what made this panna cotta unique. It was a chocolate cookie layer.

Our server explained that the way they prepared the panna cotta was different from the way the dish is traditionally served in most restaurants in that they included the cookie in order to hold the dessert together so that it could stand alone, as opposed to serving the custard in a small cup or bowl by itself.

The cookie was a great addition, as it added a nice, thick texture to the dessert. The custard was topped with whipped cream and cookie crumble, and it was also served with raspberry sauce and two small biscotti biscuits on the side. Overall, it was yummy and not too sweet.

The Trattoria Tiramisu… all we can say about the flavor is, “HELLO, coffee!!!” For coffee lovers, the tiramisu is pretty amazing!

The coffee flavor is strong yet not so overbearing, so it was terrific. The sponge cake is layered with cocoa and espresso — soft, moist, and delicious! Underneath the cake was an espresso chocolate syrup that added an extra kick of coffee flavor to the dessert. The strawberry was a nice touch and complemented the tiramisu really well.

As it turned out, the timing of our meal — which concerned us in the beginning — ended up being just right in regards to both the quality of food and also thanks to the excellent, efficient, and helpful service from Cast Member Cassie!

World of Color Viewing Experience

The cast members at the restaurant all recommended that we arrive at the World of Color “Preferred Dining Entrance” about 15 minutes before showtime, which would have been at 9:45 p.m. as the show begins right at 10:00 p.m.

However, as guests who are used to large crowds already forming hours before Disney nighttime shows begin, we decided to scope out the area at 8:00 p.m. Sure enough, there was already a short line forming outside the “Preferred Dining Entrance” line when we got there right at 8:00.

Cast members opened the entrance and allowed us to stand in the viewing area at around 8:30 p.m. By the time 9:45 came around, it was already very crowded in our assigned viewing area. People arriving at this time stood towards the back. Luckily for us, we were able to snag the front row of our viewing area. S,o if you want to be as close as possible to the front of the viewing area, we HIGHLY RECOMMEND lining up much earlier than the suggested time.

It is important to note that the viewing area for the Wine Country Trattoria dining package puts you front and center, but it does not get you to the ABSOLUTE FRONT section for watching “World of Color.”

The absolute front section requires the regular FastPass which visitors can pick up at the “World of Color” fast pass kiosk. However, this front section is also considered to be the “WET ZONE,” and some prefer not to get wet from the all the water fountains that shoot up during the show.

The Wine Country Trattoria viewing area puts you directly behind the wet zone, but it is elevated so you are standing about 3-4 feet above the wet zone. So although there is a group of people in front of you, the elevated view allows you to still be able to see everything!

Being a bit further back also allowed us a wider view to be able to capture and film the entire show from end to end. So overall, it was a great viewing area for “World of Color.”

Reservations for a World of Color Dining Package can be made up to 60 days prior to your visit online, by phone (714-781-3463, 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Pacific Time), or in person. The listed prices are per person and are separate from park admission, tax, gratuity, and/or alcohol. (Disneyland Annual Passholders receive their regular food discount on dining packages). Prices for Wine Country Trattoria Package start at $49 for adults and $25 for children ages 3-9.

Read our review of the World of Color Dessert Party by clicking here!

Are you hoping to see World of Color now that it’s made its return? Please let us know with a comment!