Paint the Night Dining Packages

Image: Loren Javier, Flickr (license)

Price (per adult): $38-99

Additional perks: A reserved viewing/seating voucher for Paint the Night

If grabbing an Uptown Chili Dog from Award Wieners and booking a parade voucher with your MaxPass isn’t your style, you can pick from one of three dining-and-FASTPASS Paint the Night combo deals at Wine Country Trattoria and Carthay Circle.

Wine Country Trattoria is the most affordable option, beginning at $38 per adult for a three-course, prix fixe lunch and topping out at $49 for dinner. The parade vouchers will grant you access to a reserved, standing room-only area when Paint the Night rolls through Disney California Adventure later in the night.

Carthay Circle, naturally, is a little fancier. Lunch isn’t an option here, and a four-course dinner starts at $99. Granted, Carthay Circle will always have a higher price point than surrounding restaurants in the park—think of it as DCA’s Blue Bayou—but it’s worth pointing out that you can opt out of the package deal and still get a four-course dinner there for around $65. The voucher is good for a spot in a reserved seated area close to the restaurant, though again, it may not be worth an extra 30 bucks.

Is a Paint the Night dining package worth the hype? Avoid the unnecessary $30-per-person markup to secure parade seating by Carthay Circle. The quality of the food may be superb, and the comfort of sitting down during a parade unmistakable, but you’re far better off booking an affordable lunch at Wine Country Trattoria instead. Think of all the money you’ll save (and subsequently spend on alien macarons and Mike Wazowski bread).

Frozen – Live at the Hyperion Dining Package

Image: Patrick Pelletier, Flickr (license)

Price (per adult): $89

Additional perks: Reserved seating for Frozen – Live at the Hyperion

This package may have come in handy when Frozen first debuted at the Hyperion Theater in 2016, but it’s still a worthwhile option if you are determined to skip the crowds prior to the show or simply don’t have enough time to jump in line to get a good seat.

The only restaurant currently participating in this offer is Carthay Circle, where guests can select dishes from a three-course, prix fixe menu before trekking over to the edge of Hollywood Land for the performance. Dining options reportedly include roasted chicken breast over coconut red rice, an herb-crusted petite filet, and an ambiguous dessert called “Olaf’s Summer Dream Vacation.” As with the Paint the Night packages, keep in mind that you’re still paying $30-some just for the privilege of sitting in the first few rows of the theater.

Is a Frozen dining package worth the hype? This entirely depends on how important Frozen is to you. It might be worth gambling on a pricy meal just to say that you did it, but in all honesty, you can find cheaper, better food before the curtain rises—and, if you get back in line early enough, a decent seat, too. If it’s your kids that are clamoring to see Anna and Elsa up close and personal (and not you; no shame either way), it makes more sense to grab a bite with them outside of Carthay Circle, where you won’t need to dish out an additional $59 per kid.