Louisa M.
Yelp
After a long day at the parks, we thought a nice little break for a couple of cocktails sounded lovely. I kept checking the Disneyland app and grabbed a last-minute afternoon reservation at Carthay Circle Lounge.
This is one of those places where Disney could do SO MUCH BETTER, but they just don't put in enough effort. This replica of a very important theater in Walt Disney's legendary history should be more of a showpiece of California Adventure park, but instead it just kind of bland. The decor looks like an old Holiday Inn lobby and feels worn out. I wish there was more theming to make it feel more magical.
THE BAD:
* The lounge is nondescript and generic. The lighting is far too bright, and there's nothing "special" about the setting. The Imagineers need to put some thought into this place.
* The prices are extremely high, especially for the food. The cocktails run around $18-$20, which is the norm in a "nicer" bar. But the food is ridiculously overpriced, with very small portions that are laughable.
* The food is supposedly shareable, but the portions are so small that one person would need at least 3 to make a decent meal / snack. The curry potato dumplings ($16) had three extremely small bites with a watery and bland sauce. The chilled shrimp ($20) was good, but again, just three shrimp! The beef lettuce wraps ($16) were the most flavorful, but the portion was again far too tiny (especially for the price). See my photos with a fork in the pic for a comparison.
* I couldn't pass up a Brandy Alexander ($15.25), which is one of my favorite old timey drinks. Sadly, I found it to be lacking in all aspects. The bartenderforgot the nutmeg, and the serving size was about 3 sips. I do not recommend this cocktail.
* Hubby also tried the signature Tequila Daisy ($19.50) cocktail and really hated it. He said it was just too sweet and had a weird taste.
THE GOOD:
* Fun menu of retro cocktails! We love Manhattans and Sidecars, and the lounge had two very good ones. The Manhattan ($19.50) was elegant and large, and hubby said extremely tasty. My Sidecar ($18) was excellent, with a lovely sugar rim and a pretty lemon twist.
* Discounts for Magic Key holders on the food (yay!) but not on the drinks (boo!). The discount was only 10% for us with a Believe Key, but I guess saving something is better than nothing.
* They accept Disney gift cards for payment, so spend 'em if ya got 'em.
OVERALL:
I mean, you're a captive audience at Disneyland, so this is one of the better cocktail menus in the parks. I would return to the Carthay Circle Lounge, but I certainly wouldn't order food again.