Capone’s Dinner Show Review: Kissimmee Becomes the Windy City in an Evening of Fun, Music, Acting and Improv!
Hi everyone!
We were invited to visit Capone’s Dinner Theater in Kissimmee. We have a friend who works there, and he thought it’d be fun for us to review it, whether we liked it or not (spoiler: we loved it). I researched the reviews on TripAdvisor and elsewhere to get an idea of what to expect.
Arriving to Capone’s, the outside is not much to look at. We were met by a “gangster” Kevin Dillon look-alike, who led us inside. The immersion starts immediately with a password to get in, and my striped shirt was the target of many prison jokes. We had our “mugshots” taken (they bring around pictures later, but there was no pressure to buy). I would say that I hope it is the only mugshot I’ll ever have taken in my life, but we hope to go back to Capone’s in the near future!
The 1/2 price deal for dinner and a show is currently $30, which is phenomenal. There is a VIP option for $10 more, which includes preferred seating, a pre-dinner drink with a souvenir glass from the available options, and a few other perks. Guests who purchased the VIP option were able to go to the buffet a little earlier than everyone else as well. The buffet is not open during the whole show, so definitely make sure to enjoy it early! Most guests will be seated with other guests at long tables – think Epcot’s Biergarten – but there are some smaller tables too. You might even find some of your table mates wearing highly themed clothing!
Generally, food at dinner shows is mediocre at best. There are exceptions, like the Hoop-de-Doo Revue at Walt Disney World, but overall I don’t expect much. We really enjoyed the buffet at Capone’s! They recently added a carving station, which includes London broil and turkey. The meat was delicious. Even the pasta – and pasta is something I rarely enjoy on a buffet – was good. The large handmade meatballs were yummy (and so large, I could only eat one)! The mashed potatoes were one of my favorite items, but the salad was average by comparison. Dessert came later – it was a pound cake, and not that memorable. But for the price of the show – $30 currently with the meal included (plus tax and gratuity) – Capone’s is a great value. Beer, wine, rum runners, soda, and iced tea are included and our drinks never ran dry.
On the official Capone’s Dinner Show website, it says about the show: “Prohibition hasn’t been repealed yet and Al Capone is Chicago’s finest distiller of bootleg spirits. Miss Jewel is your lovely and talented hostess for the festivities. Bunny-June and her sisters Honey and Sunny are not only some of the windy city’s finest singers and dancers, they’re gorgeous too! Fingers Salvatorio is one of the goofiest mobsters you’ll ever meet. Beware though, Bugs Moran is trying to take over the speakeasy and fireworks are sure to follow.”
The show itself was a LOT of fun. What surprised us most about Capone’s was the level of talent that they hire. We recognized several of the cast from Orlando area theme parks and resorts. We were very impressed by that! And most of the actors and staff have been there for many years. The word “family” came up on many occasions, both from management and from the actors themselves. I feel like I’ve really missed out, living here for so long and never seeing this show before!
The show does have PG-type innuendo and can be a little risque – but Miley Cyrus and her foam finger put it in perspective for me (the VMA’s were the same night as the show). It isn’t on the same level, not even close. All of the families we saw that night were having a great time! One of my favorite sections of the show was the improv, which lasts for about 10-15 minutes. Two actors sat down, and made stuff up on the fly. It reminded me very much of the old Adventurer’s Club on Pleasure Island. There is a lot of music, a lot of dancing – including a wonderful tap-dancing segment. The actress who played Bunny was absolutely phenomenal.
There are currently 2 shows running – the 15th Anniversary show titled “Bugs Creates Chaos”, which was recently brought back based on customer requests, and the 20th Anniversary show, which we’ve been told will be ending in October. We watched the 15th, though we hope to see the 20th before it leaves (I like the idea that they’ve had 2 shows running at the same time, it’s nice for guests to have an option – or to see both!)
Here is a short video that Jeff put together, showcasing some of what you’ll find at Capone’s! Photographs are allowed, videotaping isn’t – but Capone’s extended the invite to share some of their wonderful experience with our readers and viewers.
We have a 6 minute interview with the Capone’s Dinner Show cast from the evening we attended on our Mousesteps Weekly show.
Capone’s Dinner Show is located on 4740 West US Highway 192, Kissimmee, Florida. It is about 20 minutes from Walt Disney World, give or take a few depending on traffic.
There is also a gift shop with reasonably priced merchandise.