Disney California Adventure Magic Key Terrace Review

Today we’ll be reviewing the Magic Key Terrace at Disney California Adventure. This lounge, formally known as Alfresco Tasting Terrace, is a dining location open exclusively to Disneyland Resort Magic Keyholders and their guests. Is it a hidden oasis with must-try food and drink, or is it a shameless attempt to gouge more money out of the Disneyland’s loyal Keyholders? Keep reading to find out.

The Magic Key Terrace is located between Wine Country Trattoria and Mendocino Terrace in DCA. It’s accessible via an elevator or staircase.

When this dining venue was known as Alfresco Tasting Terrace it was relatively obscure and in my experience sparsely attended. Disney was smart to create an sense of exclusivity by making it exclusive to Key Holders. Before you could walk up and get a seat even during the most busy days of the year, but now advance dining reservations fill up quickly, as does the walk-up wait list for the day.

Two pieces of original Disney’s California Adventure art adorn the walls. Another fun touch is the original background music loop from the park’s former entrance corridor plays in the lounge. The means while you dine you’ll hear tunes such as I Love LA, Hollywood Nights, California Dreaming, and other California songs.
The dining area is open air, pleasant, and decently shaded. Heaters are available for times when it gets a bit chilly.

One side of the terrace overlooks this lovely hillside with trees and vegetation.

While the other has a view of the ugliest building in Anaheim. You may even catch a glimpse of the cat that calls this area of the park home, Nutmeg.  Here’s a look at the menu. As you can see every item is named after attractions formerly and currently in Disney California Adventure. This is a nice touch. I especially appreciate the name of the drink called Ultra Flight, which is what Soarin’ Over California was called during its development. That’s a deep cut.

Speaking of drinks, here’s Heimlich Chew Chew Juice. This non-alcoholic drink is made up of lemonade with Granny Smith apple syrup, and includes a slice of fresh watermelon.

On the receipt this drink was labeled as A BUGS DRINK.

On to the food, the item my party enjoyed the most was Condor Flats-Bread (duck confit, goat cheese, seedless grapes, green salad, and fig jam). Some may find this mix of toppings unusual but it all comes together perfectly and we found this item to be delicious. We also found this to be the most substantial item on the menu, meaning you could actually eat this for a meal and be satisfied. It’s also perfect for sharing with multiple people.

Here’s the Mulholland Meatballs (house-made meatballs, spicy creamy tomato sauce, charred broccolini, orange segments, pickled red onions, whipped burrata, and shaved crostini). Another wonderful dish with a great variety of flavors. We especially enjoyed the spicy creamy tomato sauce, which had a nice kick to it.

Pictured here is the Screamin’ Cauliflower Ceviche, made up of citrus-marinated cauliflower, cucumber, tomato, mango, onions, cilantro, jalapeños and avocado, and served with tortilla chips and mango-habanero sauce. I was skeptical about how good ceviche served in a theme park could be but overall it was delicious and refreshing. It’s also surprisingly spicy, but that’s a good thing.

Finally we had the Slider Invasion (beef tenderloin or Impossible sliders with chimichurri and pickled red onions). Don’t get me wrong these were tender and delicious, and the chimichurri is fresh and savory, but good lord the price is way too high. $18 for two tiny sliders is too much. The three previous items in this post aren’t cheap either (the flatbread and meatballs are $16 each, while the ceviche is $14) but at least you can make a meal out of each on of them or easily share them between a group of people.

Overall the food at Magic Key Terrace is great but pricey. The Condor Flats-Bread is not only the highlight of the menu, but easily one of the best table service entrees in the park. If you’re going, I recommend avoiding the sliders, but getting a few entrees for the group to share. But be warned you probably wont want to share the flatbread.

Have you dined at Magic Key Terrace, or are planning to? Let me know in the comments.