If you’re a fan of Marvel comics and Marvel movies, get READY. There’s a NEW Disney spot you may be very interested in…and we’ve got an EXCLUSIVE first look at it right here!

The Disney Wish is the newest ship to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet, and with a new ship comes all sorts of new experiences. We were recently invited to be some of the first guests aboard the ship as part of a special media sailing and we’re getting to explore the WHOLE ship (and bring you along, of course ). We shared all kinds of details about the ship’s christening, a full stateroom tour, and shared a look at the menus for restaurants onboard. But now we’re exploring something on the Disney Wish that you won’t find anywhere else — a MARVEL-themed dinner experience! Is this spot worth it? Is it unique enough to make you book a trip on the Wish? Let’s dive into our FULL review and find out together!

We first heard about the Worlds of Marvel restaurant on the Disney Wish back in April of 2021. We got a TON more details a bit later in 2021, and we got a first taste of the food in late 2021. But recently we got to see the full thing in action and order from the official menu.

This first-of-its-kind Marvel cinematic dining adventure features an original storyline starring Ant-Man and The Wasp (and some other heroes) and it’s an action-packed adventure.

Atmosphere

At Worlds of Marvel, you’ll experience something called “Avengers: Quantum Encounter.”

As you walk into the area, your dining experience starts with some pretty incredible carvings/artwork pieces featuring some of your favorite super heroes. There’s one with Iron Man, Black Panther, and more.

And you’ll find another with Spider-Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel, among others.

Take a second to look at these up close. The details are stunning!

The story behind Quantum Encounter is that Ant-Man and The Wasp are going on their first speaking engagement for the Avengers and are hosting a presentation of some super powerful Super Hero technology.

On your way to the restaurant, you’ll go through some long hallways…

…as you eventually get closer and closer to the restaurant itself!

There are truly so many details to look at throughout this space, and the colors and lighting really make it feel futuristic.

The restaurant itself is actually pretty large at around 700 seats (120 tables).

But, Disney has divided up the space to give it a more intimate feel.

The setting certainly follows the futuristic theme.

Blue lights and chrome are everywhere the eye can see, and it does feel like you’re in a super high-tech restaurant!

The tables are fairly long and seat multiple parties together.

At each table setting, you’ll find a pretty great charger plate with the Avengers symbol.

There are also silverware, drink glasses, napkins (again with some sort-of Marvel-inspired designs), bread baskets, and more.

In every table, you’ll also find a quantum core.

At some points of the dinner experience, the Quantum Cores will light up and make sound effects. They can even sync their lighting across the tables. One Imagineer explained them as essentially remote-controlled PYM particles. They may even be able to cause a target in the restaurant or the ship to shrink or grow!

These were a cool touch on the table, but we really wish they had been more interactive. They really only come into play in a big way during certain parts of the story and we would have liked for them to have a more interactive element throughout the “slower” parts of the dinner experience.

As you look around the space, you’ll notice that there is a glass wall spanning essentially the entire restaurant. The big benefit of that feature is that it lets Disney create some seriously special effects during the meal, like “power downs,” “red alerts,” and more.

What? You didn’t think everything would go perfectly smoothly with that display of super hero tech did you?

Also throughout the restaurant you’ll find over 100 monitors. These are used to showcase some of the story points during dinner.

In terms of the story, there are 3 “acts” to get you through dinner. RED ALERT: We’ll try not to give away too many spoilers here, but be aware that we will discuss some of the story points you’ll see in this experience, so if you want to know about the food, but want to keep the story a secret, skip ahead to our “Menu” portion of the review!

Okay, ready for a tiny bit of spoilers, readers? Let’s go!

Act 1 starts after you order your food. During this act, you’ll experience some dimming of the lights and Ant Man and The Wasp will come on the screens to talk about quantum tech.

Then, it’s time to relax, enjoy dinner with your family, chat about ALL that time you spent riding the AquaMouse (Disney’s first attraction at sea!), and just catch up. As you enjoy dinner, you’ll get to look around at the monitors in the room, which will be giving a “presentation” of sorts about Super Hero tech used in the Marvel films.

You’ll see graphics and more about the technology.

Then, the fun really begins. Act 3 is where things pick up. During this experience, Friday has been the AI that guides the story along. In Act 3, there’s a sequence involving some of our favorite heroes, as well as the villain of the story — Ultron!

Turns out Ultron is trying to get his hands on the Quantum Cores and…well…it wouldn’t be good if he does!

Ultron tries to get the information he needs, and things escalate into a battle! Ant Man and The Wasp could use some help, so they reach out to Captain America…

…and Captain Marvel for some assistance!

You’ll even see Ms. Marvel help the gang!

On the screens, you’ll see the heroes and Ultron engaged in an EPIC battle right there on the Disney Wish — fighting in the hallways, on the upper decks, and elsewhere on the ships. WHEW. Lucky you’re right in the dining room so you aren’t caught up in the fight!

We got dinner AND a show at Worlds of Marvel aboard the #DisneyWish #mediaevent #hosted pic.twitter.com/rj9fg2XYLg

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 30, 2022

 

 

 

 

Then, it’s up to YOU to help thanks to the Quantum Cores at your tables. Once Ultron has been defeated, then Ant Man and The Wasp will come by and thank you!

Be sure to have those cameras ready for when these two come in!

Overall, in terms of the story here, we wouldn’t say we were disappointed, because everything really does look the part — it all feels very futuristic and cool. But, we do wish there was more to the overall experience than scenes on the screens in dinner between the bigger show elements.

Disney seems to have kept things slow at some periods purposefully — to give families that more quiet time to eat, and that is beneficial. We didn’t want the show to be disruptive, and it wasn’t, but we feel like there could have been a bit more there to really keep Marvel fans entertained and excited!

In our opinion, the star of the “show” element of this experience is truly Ant Man. He was incredibly funny and even addressed some fan theories about what Ant Man could have done to kill Thanos — it’s hilarious.   And it was great to see some other super heroes make appearances too.

Having the heroes really break the fourth wall and truly “exist” in our world was really great. Plus, some of the effects in the restaurant (like special lights and flashes) were also fun — but we wish there had been more effects of that nature. Overall, we thought things could be a little more thrilling to really take this experience to the next level.

Alright, enough about the atmosphere and the story, let’s talk about that menu!

Menu

The menu at Worlds of Marvel is inspired by some of the cuisines from your favorite super hero films.

There are dishes that take inspiration from “African Wakanda, Eastern European Sokovia” and even New York.

For the appetizers, you’ll find salmon, bao buns, and more — many of these have a seafood component to them.

There are also salads and soups if you’d prefer to head in that direction!

For the entrees, there are a few options, including a Berbere Spiced Pork Chop, Chicken Schnitzel, and pasta (p.s. how great it is that the entrees section is called “entrees assemble”?!).

There’s also a steak underneath that pasta selection.

You’ll also find some vegetarian entree items…

…and “lighter” dishes.

Last, but certainly not least, we’ve got to check out dessert! It comes in the form of a TOP SECRET message, which we love!

Here’s a look at the menu.

There’s a Subatomic Sticky Date Pudding, Key Lime Pie, and more.

There is also a sugar-free dessert available — the Wakanda Flourless Chocolate Beetroot Cake. And you’ll find a special doughnut sundae available too!

Kids get their own “Super Hero” menu here that includes appetizers…

…entrees…

…Disney Check Meals…

…and “daring” desserts!

There are also a variety of drinks available here, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic specialty items.

There are quite a few options.

You’ll also find a variety of wines available.

Just remember that the specialty drinks are typically NOT included in the price of your cruise, so you will need to pay extra for those!

With all those options to choose from, we had a dilemma on our hands — what were we going to order?! We made some difficult choices and got ready to fill up on some Marvel-inspired treats.

Eats

Our meal started with some complimentary bread and dipping sauce! The bread served was marble bread (get it — marbel, marvel — we see what you did there Disney!), and it came with a red bell pepper dipping sauce.

One of the marble breads was pink and soft, and it was SO fluffy on the inside! It was slightly sweet, and overall was really nice. It wasn’t anything wildly extraordinary.

Had it been served nice and warm, we think it could have been a fantastic pastry bread. But, as it was, it was still pretty good.

The other bread we got was more crumbly and stiffer in terms of texture on the outside. It was more crunchy too. So if that’s the type of bread you’re looking for, be sure to try and find that one in your basket!

One of our team members thought that the red bell pepper sauce these came with was light, fresh, and DELICIOUS! In their opinion, the sauce was creamy, tasted like fresh red bell pepper, and went really well with the bread. They didn’t think it was anything life-changing, but it was still good, and sometimes it’s nice to get that fresher (sort-of healthier) taste before STUFFING your face with tons of food on a cruise.

Another member of of team, however, felt that it was just all okay — nothing special.

Next, we got the Steamed Bao Buns for our appetizer. These are made with seared ginger orange pork belly, toasted sesame seeds, pickled daikon, spring onions, and a mirin soy honey glaze.

These were really nice! The ginger added a good flavor, but wasn’t super overpowering. Instead, it gave it more of a delightful ginger-y aftertaste (again, in a good way). The toasted sesame seeds and honey glaze really tied the whole dish together, and the spring onions added a nice crunchy texture. The bao bun itself was wonderfully soft, thick, and fluffy. Overall, it was a pretty traditional bao bun, but was good!

We also grabbed the Crispy Breaded Fried Shrimp from the appetizer menu. This item is meant to feature white cheddar and corn grits, bell peppers, collard greens, and a smokehouse barbecue sauce.

We really didn’t get a lot of flavor from the white cheddar and corn grits or bell peppers. The shrimp tasted very clean and fresh, which might be good for some, but it felt like a bit of an odd combination with the barbecue sauce for one of our team members.

But another one of our team members shared that they didn’t think it was quite as good if you did not get the barbecue sauce off of the sides of the bowl.

For our entrees, we first tried the Delmonico Rib-Eye Steak with black truffle butter. This dish is served with whipped Yukon gold potatoes, green asparagus, and a Cabernet reduction.

One of our team members felt like the steak was, unfortunately, not impressive. It was pretty fatty (which ribeye generally is), so if that’s something you like, then maybe you’ll really enjoy this. That member of our team did, however, feel like the steak got much better toward the middle.

For that team member, the black truffle butter didn’t really seem to add anything in terms of flavor, but the pepper the server added was the true saving grace. They gravitated quite a bit toward the Yukon gold potatoes just because they felt like they were the best thing on the plate, but in reality they equated them to your average mashed potatoes (not unlike the kind you could make from a box).

To them, the steak dish didn’t really jump out at them with any really unique flavors. But the asparagus was cooked well and was juicy, though they wished it had been roasted.

Another team member who tried the steak really enjoyed it! It was richer and juicer in the center, which was good! If you’re a fan of ribeye and like fatty steaks, we have a feeling this could be a better choice for you.

Next up we have the Chicken Schnitzel. This is made with Panko-crusted chicken breast, butter sautéed potatoes, caramelized onions, long green beans, lemon, anchovy, and capers. As one of the chefs explained, this is a guest favorite that they thought would fit in well with this restaurant concept.

The lemon with the chicken was AMAZING! This dish tasted really great and fresh, with that perfect mix of sweet and savory. But…there was only 1 lemon slice! We do wish the whole thing had more of a lemon-y taste to it, so maybe ask for more lemons when you go!

The green beans were plain, so we do wish they had added a bit more of a unique flavor there.

The caramelized onions were good though — well cooked and not dry, but not exactly juicy either. And the Panko coating on the chicken was a great touch with those bread crumbs.

While we didn’t get to eat it, we did get to see what the Berbere Spiced Pork Chop looks like as part of the media event. This dish is served with Wakandan Vegetable Pilau, Pomegranate, Red Pepper Sauce, Rainbow Chard, and Roasted Scallion.

As one chef explained, Berbere is a traditional Ethiopian spice blend. The pork chop is marinated for 24 hours. The chef explained that the pilau (pilaf rice) is their take on what Wakandan pilaf rice would be. It’s got carrots, bell peppers, and some spices (like tumeric).

Another item we got the chance to see is the Shiitake and Tofu Udon bowl. This was taken inspired by some of the Asian influences in the Marvel characters/movies. The bowl features Udon noodles, baby bock choy, tofu, red onions, kombu, enoki mushrooms, and a miso shiitake broth.

And we got to take a peek at the Lamb Shawarma Salad, which features slow-roasted cumin spiced pulled lamb leg in mini pitas, with iceberg, endive, romaine lettuce, sumac onions, vine tomatoes, pickled red cabbage, roasted chickpeas, cucumber, and lemon yogurt dressing.

Finally, it was time for dessert! We got some mini cookies to start with, which was fun! At the end of the Act 3 show element, you’ll actually see some heroes stroll through the room with a GIANT Mickey Ice Cream Bar and giant cookies. You get mini cookies to celebrate, which was a cute touch!

These were crunchier on the outside and softer on the inside, though they weren’t warmed up or anything. Overall, they were your average chocolate chip cookies, but a good option for picky eaters.

We also got the Quantum Key Lime Pie, which is made with Key Lime curd, raspberry gel, and whipped lime ganache.

This was suuuuper sweet and melts in your mouth. We do wish it had been a bit more on the sour/refreshing Key Lime side, rather than so sweet, but it was good. The gelatin dots on the plate were also fun, but the best part was really that crust! It was crumbly and chewy and just melted in your mouth — which was wonderful!

Finally, we ended with the Pym Doughnut Sundae, which is made with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream, Pecan Brownie, Caramel Fudge Sauce, a Chocolate Glazed Mini-Doughnut, and Whipped Cream.

The lighting in here is quite…blue! So things sometimes look a bit off. Here’s a photo of Disney’s “official” version of it, which we got a peek at as part of our special media event. You can see more of the full colors here.

The donut was fairly standard and was cold because it had been sitting on the ice cream. The dulce de leche ice cream though was DELICIOUS and very sweet. That pecan flavor was really strong in the pecan brownie, so just be aware of that!

While we didn’t eat it during this trip, we did get the chance to see a media version of the Wakanda Flourless Chocolate Beetroot Cake, which is made of a Chocolate Beetroot Cake, Pepper Creme Milk, and Chocolate Soil. 

We did get to eat a sample size of this back at another media event in 2021. Though that version was a bit different. That one had a Chocolate Cake, Pepper Beetroot, and Milk Chocolate Soil.

When we tried it at that previous media event we thought it was pretty good! The flourless cake had been done well, and the soil (a.k.a. cake crumbles) tasted good.

We also got the chance to see the Cheesecake Byte during the media event. This is served with Fresh Berries, Strawberry Jelly, and Whipped Cream. It definitely gets LOTS of style points!

Another dessert included in Worlds of Marvel is the Subatomic Sticky Date Pudding. This is served with a salted coconut macaroon, balsamic caramel glaze, and vanilla ice cream. Previously, this was going to be a Sticky FIG Pudding. This is what Disney showed it would be designed to look like…

…and this is the sample size portion we got back at a media event in 2021. Again, things have changed now and it is a Sticky DATE Pudding, instead of figs. It also now features a balsamic caramel glaze, whereas previously it was just listed as a balsamic glaze.

When we had the fig pudding version of this, we thought it was fine, and the balsamic glaze was interesting, with a more unique flavor. Keep in mind this version was different than what is now being served!

And that’s a FULL look at the food we got to try or see. Now, let’s move on to the drinks!

Drinks

We started off with a drink called Widow’s Bite. This drink is made with Scapegrace Gin and Fever Tree Indian Tonic and is priced at $10. This is definitely a drink for those who really like the taste of alcohol!

The alcohol here tastes, well…like pure alcohol! One of our team members said that the carbonation was nice, but overall they wished this drink had more of a sweet element to it. If you’re not a sweet drinks fan though, this could be a good pick.

BUT another one of our team members said that they felt like the drink was light and refreshing but didn’t have a strong flavor. So it just goes to show, whether or not you’ll like those flavors will really depend on what your taste buds are craving!

The next drink we tried is The Stinger. This is made with Zignum Mezcal Reposado, Blueberry, and Grapefruit, and is priced at $12. The mezcal in this drink is STRONG.

We appreciated the blueberry and grapefruit flavors included in there, but they just didn’t come through as strongly because of the way that the mezcal overpowered them. One of our reporters didn’t even feel like they got a blueberry taste at all!

And that’s it for the drinks! Now, let’s talk about our overall thoughts and whether this is a spot you CAN’T miss.

Nosh or Not

Don’t miss your dinner at Worlds of Marvel if…

• You’re a HUGE Marvel fan — Seeing the actors from the MCU reprise their role on the screens, plus seeing Ant Man and the Wasp in person, and checking out all of the other amazing Marvel details throughout the restaurant is a MUST for Marvel fans.
• You’re looking for some tasty dishes that have a slightly more unique spin — This isn’t your standard chicken tenders and fries, or burgers and chips. While the dishes weren’t super adventurous, they do feature some more unique ingredients
• You want dinner AND entertainment — While the entertainment doesn’t fill up all of your dinner time, it does add a fun element to your experience there and feels more like dinner and a show.

You may not LOVE Worlds of Marvel if…

• You’re looking for a TON of entertainment throughout ALL of dinner — While this definitely leans into the dinner-and-a-show category, the entertainment is mostly limited to the beginning and the end of dinner. In the middle, there’s not much aside from the screens. That might be great for you if you want to use that time to talk with your family and relax, but we personally would have loved more entertainment during that time!
• You’re looking for standard food or (on the other hand) food that is SUPER unique — These dishes fell somewhat in the middle. They have certain things that are accessible, with a touch of being more unique. If you’re looking for chicken fingers, or (on the other end of the spectrum) something you’ve NEVER eaten before, this might not quite satisfy your cravings.
•  You want a super quiet place to eat — Again, the entertainment here is focused mainly in the beginning and end of dinner, but it does cause a bit of a commotion during those times. If you want a super relaxing, quiet, more sophisticated dinner, this might not be the thing for you.

Overall

Overall, Worlds of Marvel is a fun dining experience with some good dishes. We enjoyed some of the food, but some dishes or specific items in those dishes fell flat for us. We also really liked the entertainment, but wished that there had been some more interactive elements throughout all of dinner.

We think it’s a fun experience Marvel fans will enjoy, but it might not necessarily BLOW Marvel fans away. Still, if you want a dose of super hero fun with a side of some tasty dishes, this is something you’ll probably really like.

We’re covering EVERYTHING you need to know about the Disney Wish, so be sure to check back with us for all the latest details!

Click here to follow along with us as we explore Disney’s new MEGA cruise ship — the Wish!

Want to learn more about the Disney Wish and Disney Cruise Line? Check out how the Disney Wish is honoring a special group of kids! Take a look at our sneak peek at even MORE restaurants on the Disney Wish, too.

What’s included in your Disney Cruise? Don’t worry — we’re breaking it down for you right here. Stay tuned for more coverage of the Disney Wish and more!

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Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. We were invited by Disney Cruise Line to attend their media sailing aboard the Disney Wish. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

What do you think of Worlds of Marvel? Is it a must-do for you? Tell us in the comments!

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