Planet Hollywood – The newly christened ‘Planet Hollywood Observatory’ will re-open in the fall at Disney Springs.
The restaurant will include indoor and outdoor bars and lounges, plus enhanced videos. Orlando’s Planet Hollywood was at one time one of the highest-grossing restaurants in the United States. The celebrity-themed restaurant hopes to return to that position in Disney Springs, a dining and entertainment complex that used to be called Downtown Disney. Planet Hollywood has been closed for several months for an estimated $25 million renovation, but plans to reopen in the fall with a new name, upgraded audiovisuals and a star-studded menu.
“We’re doing the best we can in every category, from decor to audiovisuals to the menu itself,” said Robert Earl, the founder and chairman of Planet Hollywood International, a brand that also has restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, London and Paris.
Chef, restauranteur and TV personality Guy Fieri will introduce a burger and sandwich menu in the Orlando flagship location, which will be known as Planet Hollywood Observatory. The lineup includes a Kobe-inspired burger, lobster roll and turkey sandwich.
“People enjoy his twists on food and his attitude, as opposed to stuffy chefs,” Earl said.
Burgers and sandwiches are just one part of the menu, however. Planet Hollywood fans should expect the return of a few favorites including Chicken Crunch, or chicken fingers with a Cap’n Crunch cereal coating. The rest of the menu will range from from salads to steaks and ribs.
There will be indoor and outdoor bars and lounges as well as different types of beverages, from milkshakes to cocktails.
Planet Hollywood Observatory — named for the turn-of-the-20th-century observatory being created from the building’s iconic globe — won’t just focus on dining.
Earl said it will be one of the most experiential of Disney Springs’ lineup of restaurants, which range from fast-casual eateries such as Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza and B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. to more upscale dining such as Morimoto Asia and STK Orlando.
Earl wouldn’t elaborate on what the attraction aspect would be, only to say millions had been spent on audiovisual equipment.
“It’s soaking up the whole experience while you’re there,” he said. “It’s going to be an attraction in itself.”
With new parking and better roads, Earl is hopeful that more local residents will make their way to Planet Hollywood Observatory.
“I just really think Disney has got it right,” he said.
It helps that the restaurant is now “ground zero in Disney Springs,” Earl said. It sits just outside the Orange parking garage and across from the movie theaters.
“It’s a 10 out of 10 spot to be in,” Earl said.