This summer, Disney California Adventure in Disneyland Resort premiered its new nighttime spectacular — World of Color. Because they knew demand for viewing would be high, they also announced World of Color Dining Packages and World of Color Picnics that guests could book ahead of time to lock in their viewing spot! Heather Sievers, the multi-talented inventor of Time Out Spots AND our Disneyland correspondent and food expert, got the chance to try out the World of Color picnic recently! Here’s her review…
Since we like to explore all Disney dining options, and my family had already done the World of Color Premium Dining at Ariel’s Grotto, our next step was to check out the World of Color Picnic Meals.
Picnic Specifics
I have to say for the price, you really can not go wrong. Picnic meals can be ordered one to 30 days in advance. You must order them online and then pick up your “voucher” at the main entrance ticket booths. Meals are just $12.99 for annual pass holders and $14.99 without a pass (still a bargain!) and must be picked up just around the corner from the Wine Country Trattoria. There are a handful of options, but in our case, we ordered “All Americans” all around.
World of Color Picnic Options -- Click for Larger Version
The “All American” Picnic includes:
Cold-honey stung fried chicken
Green and red cabbage cole slaw with apple cider dressing
Old fashioned potato salad with sweet onions and dill relish
Apple pie
Choice of bottled Coca-Cola® product or Dasani® water
World of Color All American Picnic -- Adult
The Junior “All-American” Box includes:
Souvenir World of Color light-up bracelet
Chicken leg
Goldfish crackers
Apple wedges
World of Color confetti vanilla cupcake
Choice of small low-fat milk, 100% Minute Maid® juice box or small Dasani® water
World of Color Junior All American Picnic Box
Eats
My husband and I were both really impressed with our meals and the kids ate theirs with no complaints as well. The cold honey stung fried chicken was very tasty, and my favorite side was the potato salad with sweet onions and dill relish. The apple pie slice was like a little pastry and the crust was divine.
Dining Al Fresco before World of Color
Each meal came in a cute, reusable World of Color handled tote and the kids LOVED the light up World of Color bracelets that came with their meals.
World of Color Picnic Bag
Souvenir World of Color Light Up Bracelets Come with Junior Boxes
All picnic meals ordered online reserve you a spot for the evening’s first showing of World of Color. Please note that this is the best way to go as the later shows do not have the “pre show” entertainment which includes singing, dancing, and the parading of light up giant puppets: think Genie, Sebastian, Mike Wazowski, Tigger and more! They do sell picnic meals on-site, but the reservation is for the later show.
World of Color Picnic Show Ticket
Mike Entertains the Crowd Before World of Color
Pick up time is from 11:30 a.m. (which means you can use it for lunch if you want to) until one hour prior to the first World of Color showing on the day of your visit. We picked up our meals about one hour prior to the show and had an excellent viewing spot. In fact, our spot was better this time than when we paid big bucks to eat at Ariel’s Grotto…
World of Color
Things to Remember
Make sure that you line up at the show entrance as soon as possible. We went directly to the line after eating and they let you in to the area to claim your spot an hour before the show starts. If you have little ones, look for an area with stairs. You ARE allowed to sit on the stairs and hold your spot. When the show starts, the stairs are great to stand up on because it puts you above the people in front of you for a better view.
ALSO, stay away from the pretty “World of Color” popcorn. It’s very beautiful, but after spending $6.00 on each kid, neither of them liked it. It’s not the standard Disney popcorn or kettle corn, it’s candy coated with funky flavors and was not at all fresh. We just assumed it was “colored” caramel or something, we should have asked…
World of Color Flavored Popcorn
Thanks again, Heather! I’m so excited to have you on board reporting from Disneyland!
Click this link for more information about ordering World of Color picnics online! And to see more information about World of Color dining, check out our guest reviews of Ariel’s Grotto World of Color Dining Package and Wine Country Trattoria World or Color Dining Package!
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Looks good–sort of like the picnic options they have in the Animal Kingdom. I can’t believe that the childrens option is the same price as the adult option, and it seems like you get much better food in the adult option (minus the nifty glow bracelet….)
Can’t wait to get out to CA to see this! Hopefully soon!
Great review Heather!
For $14 a person this really doesn’t seem like very much food for what you are paying. I also find it quite odd that they have the Child’s food prices the same as the Adult food prices. They should be different in price since most kids do not eat as much as adults do.
Totally agreed that the child meal shouldn’t cost as much as the adult meal, but for us it was more about reserving a spot to watch the show. Not having to fight the crowds for that is worth the price alone!
I hated everything about my picnic experience. The chicken was cold. Who eats cold fried chicken?? It was also a very limited amount of food. The bags were the coolest part of the meal. Not to mention that they call it a picnic yet you have to eat it before the world of color show.. The way they advertised it with the ‘preferred seating’ it was like you could sit down and eat your dinner while watching the show. like an actual picnic. However, this was not the case. To me the ENTIRE process was falsely advertised and disorganized. They place we were STANDING in our ‘preferred SEATING’ was the same place that the free ‘fastpassers’ were standing. Guess I will just do the free option next time!
Becca — Thanks for your review!
the whole thing sucks,the food is so overpriced and not very good no reserved seating, totally disorganized which disney usuallly is not, the picnics are totally misrepresented and fraudulant. it says reserved but it is first come first served, small kids can’t see because everybody stands up.ripoff stay away. no benefits of buying meals which they tell you after you buy that you should eat first and they also sell tix right up to showtime at 10:15 all this does is help sell overpriced food at a restraunt that has no customers
According to a lady at the Dining customer service number, they do not do the dining box lunches anymore as of two years ago. 🙁 I’m so sad.