Planet Hollywood Observatory Review

Disclaimer: Our dining experience at Planet Hollywood was free of charge for us to be able to try the food and provide media coverage. As always all opinions are our own.

Do you remember when Planet Hollywood used to be a big blue planet with “The Jenny” boat from Forrest Gump parked outside? We sure do and we have to admit we probably haven’t actually visited since then. With the redo of Disney Springs the restaurant received a facelift in 2017 to fit the new theming and we were definitely due for a visit to see the remodel. Last week we had a hankering for some American food and went to go check out the redone Planet Hollywood Observatory which included a different menu too. We have always been big movie fans so were also excited to see the memorabilia inside too. Read on to hear about our dinner at this fun themed spot…

About Planet Hollywood

Planet Hollywood, first started by a group of famous celebrities, has been a world-renowned trademark since 1991. The restaurant has changed a bit over the years but is still rooted in being inspired by the popular portrayal of Hollywood. The Disney Springs location now features a 4-story “observatory” filled with artifacts from blockbuster movies and a 4,500-square-foot immersive video wall.

A view of the Planet Hollywood Observatory behind us.

The Restaurant

The outside of the restaurant looks way nicer than the old 90’s version from before. The observatory dome can be seen from far away but isn’t as intrusive as it used to be. The main entrance can be found close to the Coca-Cola store. Upon entering a large space leads you up stairs that go between many movie prop displays. Once inside the main restaurant it is very open to the curved ceiling above. A HUGE screen projects different things such as music videos, movie montages, and brief sing alongs. We had heard that things could be way too loud and obnoxious but we didn’t find that at all. We did find on the bottom level it was a lot to look up at the tall screen. We may have preferred some of the upper levels that were more decorated with movie memorabilia on the walls and would probably request that next time. We also liked that the restaurant tied in some space themed details such as star patterned carpets/fabrics, colorful lighting, and some elements to hint at the observatory theme. We do prefer this new style compared to the older version which was a crazy collage of memorabilia plastered to the dome ceiling. This new version feels cleaner while still having fun aspects.

The outside blends in with the Disney Springs brick style.

Here is a view of the multiple open levels.

The huge screen plays different music and movie scenes.

We loved the space accents in things like the carpet.

Planet Hollywood has a store with fun merchandise as well.

The Artifacts

Make sure to take a peek around the restaurant when you visit. There is an unbelievable amount of star-studded memorabilia on the walls, in the stairwells, and even in some of the table tops! It is all real and is specially curated world wide from the most extensive collection. We were able to spot items from some of our favorite movies like Star Wars, Ghostbusters, A League of their Own, Back to the Future, Hunger Games, Batman, and more. The upper levels seem to have the displays compared to the bottom level.

A wide collection from different sci-fi films.

A dress from Hunger Games.

The door from Titanic.

Look it’s Chewie!

Items can be found on the walls and inside some of the tables too!

The Menu

The Planet Hollywood menu features American style dishes like salads, sandwiches, and entrees. An exclusive selection of burgers and sandwiches have been created by celebrity chef Guy Fieri. Plus, anticipate an assortment of shareable starters, upscale choices like a NY strip steak and the return of the World-Famous Chicken Crunch.

View fullsize

Planet Hollywood Menu Part 1 (Click to enlarge)

View fullsize

Planet Hollywood Drink Menu Part 1 (Click to enlarge)

View fullsize

Planet Hollywood Drink Menu Part 2 (Click to enlarge)

View fullsize

Planet Hollywood Menu Part 2 (Click to enlarge)

The Drinks

Planet Hollywood has a drink menu with lots of favorite resort style drinks. You will find some colorful drinks and bar staples such as a Mai Tai, Margarita, and Pina Colada. Most drinks have the option to come in a take home souvenir glass as well. (If you bring your souvenir glass back you can get cheaper refills too!)

Drink: The Black Pearl Mai Tai $17.99 (in a souvenir glass, $12.99 without)
Cruzan white rum, lime & orange juices, real passion fruit syrup and grenadine with a Myer’s dark rum float

This was a pretty standard rum cocktail. Pretty similar to what you would get at a resort or on a cruise boat. Definitely a “vacation” drink, and sometimes there is nothing wrong with that.

Drink: It’s Showtime Mojito $17.99 (in a souvenir glass, $12.99 without)
Bacardi Superior rum, fresh lime juice & real blueberry syrup with fresh blueberries and mint

This was a different twist on a mojito with the blueberries. It had a blend of sweet, tart, and minty and was pretty refreshing.

A Mai Tai and Strawberry Lemonade.

The “It’s Showtime Mojito”

The Food

Starter: High Roller Sampler $36.99 (Serves 4)
Our World Famous Chicken Crunch, Texas Tostados, Buffalo Wings, Five Cheese Dip, and Fried Jumbo Shrimp

Planet Hollywood definitely wins for presentation. This extra large appetizer is presented on a metal ferris wheel. (We were told it actually used to spin too, but they ran into some trouble with certain guests being able to work it properly boo). This appetizer was fun and had a great assortment of classic bar food:

• World Famous Chicken Crunch 
  All-natural chicken tenders hand-breaded with a crunchy sweet coating, served with our signature Creole mustard sauce 
  These have been a staple on the Planet Hollywood menu even before the redo. The Captain Crunch breading adds a hint of sweet to the crunch. We love that the spice sauce counteracts the sweet.

• Five Cheese Dip 
  A flavorful, gooey dip made of Swiss, mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses with spinach and artichoke hearts, served with toasted herb flatbread  
  This was a good standard spinach dip with a blend of cheeses, we could mostly taste the parmesan. The flatbread was a great choice to pair with it too.

• Twice-Cooked Buffalo Wings 
  Chicken wings baked and then fried to perfection and tossed in buffalo sauce, served with celery, carrots, and blue cheese dressing
  These were another good standard item. On par with many other American restaurants with a good buffalo sauce. 

• Texas Tostados 
  Crispy gyoza skins topped with BBQ chicken, sautéed onions, blend of cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and drizzled with sour cream and BBQ sauce, served with pico de gallo 
  These looked really good and tasted really good. We love eating a tostada like this vs nachos since the toppings are very even. The addition of BBQ sauce was a nice touch too.

• Fried Jumbo Shrimp
  Served with spicy Sriracha sauce and cabbage slaw 
  These shrimp were really large. A pretty standard fried shrimp, but the addition of the sauce was delicious. Andrew really like the coleslaw too. 

The ferris wheel made for a fun presentation.

Creamy cheese dip and flatbread.

Tostados with BBQ sauce.

Famous Chicken Crunch

Julie always loves wings.

Fried shrimp with delicious sauce.

Main: BBQ Ribs $29.99
Slow-cooked in-house St. Louis-style pork ribs smothered with BBQ sauce, served with triple fries

Once Andrew spotted these on the menu he was excited to try them. Another dish with a fun presentation as the meal comes out on a mini picnic table. Though the ribs lean more towards the dry side vs juicy side there was plenty of delicious sauce. The fries were really good too. Do you ever find you like a certain restaurant because you like the shape of their fries? Well Planet Hollywood has come up with a way to please everyone with Triple Fries - three different shapes are fried together (waffle, regular and wedge cut). We do think this meal would have been nice with maybe one more side, like a bit of coleslaw or something for the price.

Steakhouse Salad $19.99
Superfood blend of kale, julienned broccoli, slivered Brussels sprouts, cabbage and romaine, sliced bistro steak, bacon, bleu cheese crumbles, Parmesan, crispy onion straws, croutons and Caesar dressing 

We know some of the menu items were slightly modified due to COVID-19 so this salad was a little different than the standard menu description but Julie still loved the avocado, blue cheese and creamy dressing. The steak was really good and cooked just the way she wanted. In all honesty the price for the salad seems very fair considering the higher priced ingredients and the ginormous size of the salad!

Dessert: Supernova Shake - Cosmic Cotton Candy $14.00
Hand-dipped cotton candy milkshake topped with sprinkles, candy, cotton candy, and a whirly pop 

Dessert: Supernova Shake - Chocolate Comet $14.00
Hand-dipped cotton chocolate milkshake topped with various chocolate candy and a brownie

Another win for presentation. How fun are these shakes? The mugs looks like a piece of art and are fun to admire. We recommend sharing since there is so much sugar between picking off candy to eat and the milkshakes. The milkshakes were more liquidy than a thick consistency but the flavor good, we aren’t sure if they might melt a bit by the time everything else is piled on top? Andrew loved the chocolate and Julie found the cotton candy to be a really unique flavor and not too sweet, almost like that yummy milk leftover after a childhood cereal.

How fun are these Supernova Shakes?

The Service

Our service at Planet Hollywood was great. From being greeted at the front host stand to a check-in from the manager. Our server Cody was excellent. He was great to chat with and he offered a lot of recommendations. He also went above and beyond with little moments like adding fun drawings to our take-out boxes and such too. We felt very well taken care of during our whole visit.

Enjoying our dinner at Planet Hollywood.

Final Thoughts

Planet Hollywood felt like seeing an old friend from years ago. It was comfortable and familiar but had changed over time. Seeing the memorabilia felt nostalgic and some of the out-of-the-box presentations for certain menu items were really fun. While some things looked innovative, overall the menu items themselves were pretty standard, but sometimes folks are in the mood for standard American dining. We have seen some poor reviews of the restaurant when compared to other fine dining or innovative dining experiences but that is like comparing apples to oranges. Different restaurants fit different needs.

We find at Disney Springs that there are so many restaurants to choose from we have started to place things into different categories depending on what we are looking for in that meal. Sometimes we want an affordable quick service option, other times we want a date night with craft cocktails and charcuterie. Sometimes we want something more fancy or innovative, sometimes you just want some comfort food. Planet Hollywood for us seems a great option for a “taking family visiting from out of town” dinner. It’s theming is fun, the menu has classic options with something for everyone (especially picky eaters who get scared away from other spots that are too fancy), and the experience can provide some fun vacation memories with unique presentations. We were glad to be able to experience this redone classic and will definitely be back in the future when the right occasion arrises.

Disclaimer: Our dining experience at Planet Hollywood was free of charge for us to be able to try the food and provide media coverage. As always all opinions are our own.