Space enthusiasts who are also Walt Disney DIS fans have a good reason to cheer the recently opened Space 220 restaurant at Epcot Center, Florida, as it features NASA-inspired glimpses for guests dining in at the immersive restaurant, Space.com reported on Thursday.
What Happened: Space 220 restaurant opened this week after a five-year countdown and features a "Stellarvator," which mimics a vertical track to space, to board the restaurant, a panoramic view of earth from 220 miles up, and offers “space” food.
As per the report, the Walt Disney Imagineering team created all the concepts and there were no consultations with NASA.
Space 220, when it was conceived, was named so to represent the distance at which the International Space Station was suspended above the Earth's surface — 220 miles. The idea has since then moved to the Centauri space station, a fictional destination at the same general height as the real space station.
The panoramic depictions are inspired by real-time weather conditions at Epcot, where the restaurant is located.
See Also: Elon Musk's SpaceX Successfully Launches All-Civilian Crew Into Space, Inspiration4 Reaches Orbit
The data for the weather conditions is secured from meteorological satellites, such as the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite Program run by NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the report noted.
The meals — priced at $55 for a two-course lunch and $79 for a three-course dinner — come close to what actual astronauts would eat. The list includes, among other things, the starry calamari, blue moon cauliflower, celestial cosmopolitan, zero-proof cocktails and freeze-dried drinks.
Why It Matters: Disney has been trying out space-related immersive themes to capture audience interests. The move coincides with the space tourism race being led by Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk's SpaceX, Amazon.com Inc AMZN founder Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic Holdings SPCE.
Disney had in August revealed the prices for the two-day, live-action, role-playing Star Wars-themed luxury hotel, currently being built near Disney's Hollywood Studios, in Florida.
The ticket prices for a family of four stretches to $6,000 for two days and includes what Disney calls a “part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life, role-playing game.”
Price Action: Disney shares closed 1.50% higher at $176.25 on Thursday.
For news coverage in French, Italian, or Spanish, check out Benzinga France, Benzinga Italia, or Benzinga España.
Photo: Courtesy of Disney
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