Paint the Night Dining Package at Wine Country Trattoria

Sometimes people wait over an hour to see fireworks or view a popular parade or show at a Disney theme park. Because of this, some park visitors jump at the chance to pay for the luxury of having their spot locked in via pricey dining packages that include a meal and access to special viewing sections. In this review I’ll go over the pros and cons of the Paint the Night dining package at Disney California Adventure’s Wine Country Trattoria restaurant.  My reservation for dinner includes a starter salad or soup, one of eight entrees, and a dessert. Soda, coffee, or tea is also included (alcoholic beverages can be added on for an additional charge). Wine Country Trattoria isn’t the best full-service restaurant in Disneyland Resort (we’d pick Carthay Circle, Napa Rose, Blue Bayou, and even Carnation Cafe over it), but the menu is solid. It’s one of those restaurants that is good for a theme park, but it’s probably not somewhere you would eat outside of one. For my starter I ordered the Italian Wedding Soup, which was very good, garlicky, and fresh. The entrée I selected was the Osso Bucco (slow-braised lamb served with polenta and seasonal vegetables). The lamb was excellently prepared, and the meat was so tender that I was able to easily cut through it with my fork. The sauce that the Osso Bucco was smothered in was a bit too rich, so if you’re not in to that sort of thing you may want to order it on the side. My friend ordered the Chicken Parmesan, which she enjoyed thanks to the light breading and flavorful sauce. My dessert selection was the Tiramisu which I thought was delicious, but my friend did not enjoy due to it being too sweet and having an odd and soggy texture. 

After paying for the meal ($49 per adult and $25 per child for dinner, $38 per adult and $21 per child for lunch) we were given our FASTPASS tickets that would allow us access to the viewing section for Paint the Night. We were given instructions to arrive at the viewing section by 8:15 PM (this is also printed on the FASTPASS ticket) for an 8:45 PM showtime. After dinner my friend and I went back to touring the park, assuming we’d have plenty of time to kill before we had to be back at the viewing section. At 7 PM I thought it may be a good idea to check out the viewing section to see if was even set up yet. To my surprise not only was it already set up, but it was quickly filling up. Not wanting to waste the reserved viewing that we paid for, we secured a spot and started to wait the hour and 45 minutes until the parade started. Other dining package guests steadily arrived over the next hour until the viewing section was jam packed. Do not buy this dining package if you expect the viewing section to have a little breathing room between you and other viewers–it can get crowded. Also, be advised to arrive well before the 8:15 PM cut-off time. Not everyone will get a spot right along the parade route. The viewing section was stacked three people back. The viewing area is located across from the entrance to Cars Land, near the Disney Vacation Club kiosk. The view itself is the same you would get from any other part of the parade route.As for Paint the Night, it’s the same great parade with infectious soundtrack that ran in Disneyland a few years ago. Monsters Inc., Cars, Toy Story, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid are all represented, along with over 75 energetic performers. We rate the parade 5 stars and think it’s not to be missed. Demand for the parade is high, but thankfully DCA’s parade route is over half a mile longer than Disneyland’s. This makes it much easier to get a viewing spot, which also lessens the need for a dining package.

Is the Paint the Night dining package worth it? I’m going to say no due to the amount of time you still need to dedicate to waiting for the parade. In terms of value it’s not too bad considering how overpriced Disney food is. If you were to dine Wine Country Trattoria and order the same items off of the regular menu it would cost you around $40 dollars. Personally, I would dine at a quick-service restaurant and then grab a spot an hour before the parade started. It’s worth mentioning that Carthay Circle Restaurant also has a Paint the Night dining package which includes actual seats. It is priced at $100.

Have you experienced the Paint the Night dining package at Disney California Adventure? If you haven’t, does the package sound worth it to you? Let me know in the comments below.