Space 220 was a bust

I really wanted to like Space 220. After seeing all the videos online, I was excited to finally try it with my family. Unfortunately, it ended up being one of the most disappointing dining experiences I've had at Disney.

The biggest draw is obviously the atmosphere, but it just didn't live up to the hype for me. In videos it looks incredible, but in person it felt surprisingly sterile. I understand it's supposed to resemble a space station, but the dining room just felt like a giant black void. We were lucky enough to be seated by one of the "windows," but aside from the occasional astronaut floating by, there really wasn't much to look at. Maybe sitting at the bar offers a better view, but the overall ambiance wasn't nearly as immersive as I expected.

The food was where things really fell apart. I don't care for the prix fixe concept here because it felt like poor value for what you actually receive. My wife liked her chicken but the rice was not cooked properly at all.. it was sticky and wet....and my kids enjoyed their meals, so not everything was a miss. But my entrée was terrible.

I upgraded from the New York strip to the filet after asking the server how large it was, and I was told it was an 8-ounce filet. There's absolutely no way it was 8 ounces. I've spent years as an executive chef and used to cut 5-ounce filets myself, and this looked almost identical in size. At best, I'd call it 5-6 ounces.

To make matters worse, I ordered it medium, and it arrived dry with absolutely no juice left in it. It was mostly gray throughout with only the slightest hint of pink. It certainly wasn't the medium filet I expected. I sent it back and just asked for the burger instead.

That wasn't much better. It was a very basic burger on what tasted like a stale bun, served with the same generic fries you can get almost anywhere in the parks. For a premium signature restaurant, I expected a lot more attention to quality and execution.

The desserts were also just pure disappointment. The smores thing and apple pie were not good and we barely even ate it

The service itself was friendly and professional, so I have no complaints there. But when you're paying these prices, the food has to deliver, and for me it simply didn't.

The comparison became even more obvious the next day when we visited Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom. The food, atmosphere, value, and overall experience were on a completely different level.

For me, Space 220 is a restaurant that's built around the concept rather than the food. If you've always wanted to see it once, maybe stop in for a drink at the lounge. But based on my experience, I wouldn't recommend spending the money on the full prix fixe meal.