From fast-casual fare to haute cuisine, the menu of dining options at the Disneyland Resort offers something for every guest. Here, waffles with the Disney characters are as celebrated as the spectacular creations at Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge.
The rise in fine dining at the Disneyland Resort is often an unexpected delight. At the hotels, top award winners are Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel. A stellar wine program has elevated the quality of dining service throughout the Resort, with trained and advanced sommeliers in restaurants including Napa Rose, Steakhouse 55 and Storytellers Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park.
Healthful Initiatives
Even though vacation may be a time for indulgence, Disneyland chefs also provide healthful options. For lifestyle dining options, or for requests from guests with food allergies or intolerances, there are a wide range of choices, from kosher to gluten-friendly, vegan and sugar-free.
For families, the Disney Check makes it easy to identify healthier food options in the all of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, part of an ongoing program that launched in 2006 with nutrition guidelines. Choices that receive the Disney Check must meet Disney Nutrition Guidelines that limit calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar. For example, Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland Park offers sustainable fish or chicken served with pasta, seasonal vegetables and fresh fruit for kids. (Kids’ Complete Meals must be ordered without substitutions.)
The Disney Check also appears on some Disney-licensed food products sold at retail locations, and on menus at restaurants at the Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts.
Theme Park Eats
At Disney California Adventure, Carthay Circle Restaurant and Lounge is one of the premier dining locations at the Disneyland Resort. The cuisine is the star, with artisan ingredients, locally sourced produce, seafood and meats from throughout Southern California. Also found on Buena Vista Street are three spots for quick bites: Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe serving Disney baked goods and Starbucks pastry items along with Starbucks coffee and espresso beverages; Mortimer’s Market with whole and cut fruits, bottled water, juices and soft drinks; and Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream.
Cars Land has three spots for guests to fuel up: Flo’s V8 Cafe with a menu of pit stop classics including burgers, salads, fried chicken and house-made pies; Cozy Cone Motel with tasty cone- theme treats from churros to chili “cone” queso; and Fillmore’s Taste-In with whole and cut fruits, bottled water, juices and soft drinks.
Also at Disney California Adventure, guests can grab a sandwich or bread bowl at Pacific Wharf Café. Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill offers tacos with steak, pork, or grilled chicken.
Hearty Asian creations are served at Lucky Fortune Cookery, with beef, chicken or tofu with vegetables, rice and your choice of four sauces.
At Pixar Pier, guests may enjoy food and beverage offerings with a Pixar twist. Lamplight Lounge offers gastro-pub cuisine playfully presented, complimented by unique signature cocktails and many exciting menu items – from the carne asada roll to unique potato skins and the creamy PB&J roll for budding artists. Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats offers delicious soft serve treats in chocolate, vanilla, and non-dairy lemon. Jack-Jack Cookie Num Nums awaits guests at the exit of the Incredicoaster, with warm chocolate chip cookies inspired by the blockbuster film, “Incredibles 2.” At Poultry Palace, guests enjoy delicious chicken drumsticks and coleslaw, jumbo smoked turkey legs and corn on the cob. Señor Buzz Churros serves the popular Disneyland Resort treat with a sweet and crispy Spanish flair. Angry Dogs offers spicy and not-so-spicy hot dogs, chips and beverages.
The dining pavilion in Paradise Gardens Park provides plenty of seating and two restaurants. Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta offers something for everyone, from hearty pasta dishes to delicious salads and pizzas with flavors from traditional cheese to vegetarian with roasted seasonal vegetables. Next door, the Paradise Garden Grill transforms to reflect seasonal celebrations such as Lunar New Year and Festival of Holidays.
Corn Dog Castle serves a popular beach snack in three flavors, original, hot-link and cheddar cheese stick. Bayside Brews offers domestic and specialty beers on tap for guests 21 years of age and older, along with a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and warm, salted pretzels.
To while away a lunch or dinner, guests may dine al fresco at Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery, with a menu of traditional Italian appetizers, pastas and California wines by the glass. The Alfresco Tasting Terrace, on the second floor of the Golden Vine Winery, offers small plates of classic Mediterranean favorites complemented by wines from the “Disney Family of Wines,” a collection whose vintners have a personal connection to the Disney name.
In Disneyland Park, a new exotic marketplace, The Tropical Hideaway, is now open in Adventureland. Set along the Jungle River waterfront, this new spot serves as an outpost for guests to relax between adventures and discover delicious tastes from all corners of the world.
Favorite quick bites include Disney baked goods and Starbucks pastry items along with Starbucks coffee and espresso beverages from Market House on Main Street, U.S.A.; cheddar broccoli soup or clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl and shrimp salad from Harbour Galley in New Orleans Square; sandwiches and sweets from the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café on Main Street, U.S.A.; easy-to-eat skewer snacks at Bengal Barbecue and the legendary Dole Whip at Tiki Juice Bar in Adventureland; Mickey-shaped beignets from Mint Julep Bar in New Orleans Square; hot pizza from Alien Pizza Planet (transformed from Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port for Pixar Fest) and a variety of Star Wars-inspired menu items from Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland Terrace, both in Tomorrowland.
For a relaxing meal, spots such as Carnation Café on Main Street, U.S.A., serve generous salads and the legendary loaded baked potato soup, along with Walt’s favorite meatloaf and fried chicken. Guests will find lunchtime favorites like chicken wings, pepper jack chili mac and ice cream sundaes, in an entertaining indoor setting at the The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland. Enchanting Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square, one of the most-requested reservations, offers diners specialties such as gumbo, bone-in rib-eye and surf & turf.
Café Orleans, also in New Orleans Square is the perfect spot to people watch and grab a bite;
fan favorites include the bourbon street chicken and famous Monte Cristo sandwich. Casual, family-friendly eats are on the menu at Plaza Inn on Main Street, U.S.A., and River Belle Terrace in Frontierland, a table-service location serving up barbecue favorites. For authentic Mexican, Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland dishes up tacos and burrito platters for lunch and dinner. Hungry Bear Restaurant, nestled in the shady trees in Critter Country, is a favorite for Disney fans who recommend the burgers and funnel cake.
Mobile Ordering through the Disneyland app
In both parks, guests may choose to order food and beverage from select quick-service restaurants through the Disneyland app with Mobile Order. This new feature allows guests to choose a participating location, select an arrival time window for pickup, choose items and place an order. When guests arrive at the chosen location within their arrival time window, they simply hit “I’m here” and the food will be prepared. Some favorite spots for mobile ordering are Bengal Barbecue, Red Rose Taverne and Flo’s V8 Café.
Dining with Characters
For a leisurely way to enjoy a delicious meal plus time with Disney characters as they stop by each table for photos and autographs, guests may reserve a Character Dining Experience. These include:
Disneyland park: Plaza Inn on Main Street, S.A., daily Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park.
At the hotels: New is Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures, debuting this spring at Napa Rose, with an upscale experience where guests savor an elegant three-course brunch, encounter several princesses, enjoy storytime, activities, a private portrait location and receive premium keepsakes. Mickey’s Tales of Adventure at Storytellers Café, located in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, offers a delicious breakfast buffet, while Goofy and his pals entertain at Goofy’s Kitchen at Disneyland Hotel for daily brunch and dinner. At Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, Donald and friends entertain at Donald Duck’s Seaside Breakfast at Disney’s PCH Grill.
Advance Dining Reservations are recommended, and can be made by visiting Disneyland.com/dine or by calling 714-781-DINE (714-781-3463).
Downtown Disney District
The Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort is a fresh, one-of-a-kind Disney experience, immersing guests by day and night in an exciting mix of family-friendly dining, shopping and entertainment, conveniently located just steps from the theme parks and hotels. In 2018, the Downtown Disney District embarked on a promenade-wide transformation, introducing multiple new venues and significant refurbishments to marquee establishments.
Ballast Point Brewing Company is the latest in the line-up of newly unveiled restaurants and outlets. As the first-ever brewer in the Downtown Disney District, Ballast Point offers 50 different craft brews across 100 taps, with some limited edition labels exclusively brewed on site. Brewpub-style dishes and ship themed décor are inspired by this San Diego-based company’s love of the sea.
Guests may enjoy the taste-provoking ice cream from the new Salt & Straw, is known for its handmade, seasonal and imaginative flavors, created with local ingredients in collaboration with artisans, chefs and farmers.
The new Splitsville Luxury Lanes is not only a go-to destination for bowling and entertainment but delicious dining as well, serving an eclectic menu that includes pizza, sushi, salads, burgers and more. For California-inspired cuisine, guests may take a seat at La Brea Bakery and try a grilled panini or homemade soup.
For authentic southern Italian cuisine, visit the newly reimagined Naples Ristorante e Bar and adjacent Napolini for create-your-own thin-crust pizzas, pastas, soups and sandwiches across four different indoor and outdoor seating areas in the Naples corner complex. For Mexican, it’s Tortilla Jo’s featuring handmade tortillas, tableside guacamole and more than 100 tequilas set in a modern pueblo atmosphere.
Wetzel’s Pretzel’s, an innovator in fresh, soft-baked pretzels, recently reopened its flagship store in the Downtown Disney District with an all-new, California inspired design by local artists with 12 hidden pretzels in a mural and bronze-sculpted, pretzel-shaped door handles.
Diverse flavors offer a variety of choices for any palate in the Downtown Disney District, from pasta jambalaya and blackened salmon at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen to steelhead salmon and suckling pig at Catal Restaurant and Spanish tapas at the outdoor Uva Bar.
Two Starbucks locations at the Downtown Disney District brings one of the coffee company’s most engaging experiences to guests with technology and content designed for this store, including an interactive touch screen and 10-foot video installation. In addition to its regular beverage and food selection, the store offers some of the rarest coffees available.
Other spots for delicious eats and treats include Earl of Sandwich, Jamba Juice, Sprinkles cupcakes and a number of innovative snack carts.
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes will open its first California location in the heart of Downtown Disney in spring 2019.
For more menu details and location refurbishment updates, guests may check Disneyland.com.
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