Ok, to be fair this list is 90% food and 10% drink. 😉 I suppose if you let your ice cream melt it could technically count as a milkshake, but truly my focus whenever I hit the parks is definitely the food.
There are umpteen blogs out there related to the craziest foods, the most iconic foods, the secret foods, the healthiest foods, and a plethora of other categories. This blog is not one of them. It's classic, it's decadent, and it's a countdown of my all time favorite ten things to eat and drink throughout both parks combined into one easy to follow list.
One of the coolest things Disney has introduced in the past year was mobile ordering. Currently there are 21 restaurants and food carts that offer this service, twelve of which are in Disneyland and nine of which are in California Adventure. On the Disneyland app, you would hit "order food" and choose from the list of available locations. Next you would chose the arrival window {when you want to pick up your food, either as soon as possible or at a specific time in the near future}, select the food and drink items you would like to purchase, continue through to the review page, and then place your order. Once placed, you would get an order number, and instructions for pickup. They also update the order page when your items are ready for you! We did this several times, and it was convenient and quick. Also, to skip a crazy line and go right up to the counter where your food is waiting is admittedly very satisfying. Any lines you can avoid while eating at Disneyland just means more time having fun in the rest of the park.
Ok, back to the favorites!
I will include descriptive markers so you can be sure to know exactly where to find each of these incredible items, so settle in ... and maybe grab a snack. Because if you're not hungry yet, I almost guarantee you will be by the end of this list.
10. Beignets {Jazz Kitchen, Downtown Disney}
This one is a freebie, since you can get them without a pass into the parks {Disney sells Mickey-head-shaped beignets in the parks}. However, I highly doubt a trip to Disney would be complete without a bag of southern fried sweetened dough smothered in more powdered sugar than you can possibly eat. They are soft, warm, and completely addicting. And you can get them at the Jazz Kitchen, which boasts an express checkout counter to get a taste of New Orleans without the wait of a sit down meal.
9. Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor sprinkle dipped cone {Main Street, Disneyland}
The classic waffle cone, dipped in sprinkles and filled to the brim with your choice of Dreyers Ice cream {my favorite has long been cookies and cream}. A single scoop is more than enough to share, although I doubt you'll want to. {Conner sure did not}. This parlor offers a variety of sweets treats including a chocolate chip cookie hot fudge sundae, a firehouse Dalmatian mint sundae, and a slew of ice cream floats.
8. Chicken-Fried Chicken dinner {Carnation Cafe, Disneyland}
As comfortable as food gets, this complete dinner is a must try for any new or returning patron who loves to dine Disney style. Buttermilk fried chicken is served with creamy mashed potatoes, country gravy, steamed veggies, and a soft yeast roll. The gravy is magnificent. Full of flavor, it compliments the crispy chicken to perfection. It is your choice whether or not to use that roll to sop up all the extra. I vote that you absolutely DO.
7. Dole whip {just inside Adventureland, Disneyland}
This was a point of mock contention between Richard and I, as he firmly believes the Dole Whip reins supreme as Disneyland's most decadent treat. He is not an excess sort of guy, but he has multiple dole whips on each Disney trip we take! This is one of the only food carts where I've seen the line rival that of some of the more popular rides. Wait times can get upwards of an hour, and yet the people come. This treat is one of a kind, and it's truly refreshing in every aspect. Soft serve pineapple ice cream tops sweet pineapple juice, and the simplicity does nothing to detract from how absolutely incredible this tastes, especially on a hot day in the Southern California sun. Good news for those who prefer to not wait in line: This qualifies for Disney's mobile ordering, so with a press of a button you can skip the line and grab your item(s) from the pickup counter. Refreshment just got a whole lot more convenient.
6. Cheesy scalloped potatoes {Blue Bayou Restaurant, Disneyland}
Admittedly this is not an order alone item, it comes as a side dish to the Roasted Chicken Maison {which itself is a wonderful main dish}. But these potatoes ... I dream about them. Chalked full of cheesy garlicky goodness and baked to golden perfection, they definitely earned a spot on my most coveted Disney food items. I found a blogger who got the exact recipe mailed to her, so I've included that here! I have yet to make them, but you'd better believe that they are coming out for Easter dinner this year. Also, this blogger notated that if you ever want a recipe for something Disneyland makes, you can request it from City Hall and they will even print it off for you right there on the spot! I will be making good use of this information next time for sure, extensive food list in hand.
5. Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl {Royal Street Veranda in Disneyland and Pacific Wharf Cafe in CA Adventure}
Steamy and creamy clam chowder is nestled in a large, hollowed out bread bowl, and the top is included so you can smother that bad boy with several pats of pure butter, or dip it directly in for max bread to soup ratio. I always use butter, because in my mind, it's basically a food group unto itself. My husband disagrees ... this usually happens about two seconds before I commandeer all of his butter. #winwin
4. Raspberry Rose macaron {Jolly Holiday Bakery, Disneyland}
A combination of sweet and tart, this decadent cookie is sizable enough to share, but not too large to eat on your own. Fresh raspberries compliment the raspberry rose creme sandwiched between two delicate macaron shells. It's a must for me every time I visit, and even the $6 price tag per cookie isn't enough to keep me from enjoying at least one per trip.
3. White chocolate chip Cookie {Bakery walk through from the Penny Arcade, Main Street Disneyland}
This cookie is inaccurately named, in my humble opinion. It boasts chunks of white chocolate, for sure, but it also has large chucks of semi-sweet chocolate and buttery toffee to make this one of the most irresistible cookies I've ever had, at Disneyland or anywhere else! It is thick and soft on the inside, with a decent crust on the outside. A perfect blend of cookie magic, they are sold prepackaged in Downtown Disney's confectionary, so you can take several home and postpone that after-vacation diet as long as humanly possible.
2. Corndog Castle corndog {CA Adventure}
My top non-dessert Disney food item is hands down the cornbread-battered classic dog from Corndog Castle in California Adventure. Situated to the right of the pier in Paradise Gardens Park, this walk up food stand offers a hot and spicy version of the classic {my husbands all time favorite as he loves anything spicy}, and also a breaded cheese stick for those opposed to the link center in it's entirety. Either way you go, this crunchy and meaty {or cheesy} delight is a must have, and alas ... for the hungry and/or impatient, also qualifies for mobile ordering so you can grab your dogs and go in record time.
1. Classic cinnamon churro {Disneyland and CA Adventure}
The number one treat, the granddaddy of all disney desserts hands down goes to the classic cinnamon churro. It's iconic, and comes in a variety of flavors that you can snag in a cart close to ESPN Zone in Downtown Disney {another freebee for those who don't have park passes and are in the area}. I used to think it was pure perfection on it's own, and I still do ... but two visits ago we discovered that the Cozy Cone in Carsland, CA Adventure sells Churros as well ... with a thick, warm, and sweet caramel dipping sauce on the side that might actually improve on this incredible as-it-is-treat by just a little bit! I was shocked at how good the combo was, as I'd only ever tried store bought churros dipped in glaze at home once prior to this trip when I was craving them something fierce. But truly with or without the caramel from Carsland, the cinnamon churro takes my top spot for the most craveable and satisfying Disney treat. And talk about convenient ~ there are churro stands just about every which way you turn, so you definitely do not need to go very far to enjoy one {or several} of these deliciously fried and cinnamon-sugared pastries.
Honorable mentions: The steak gumbo bread bowl served at Royal Street Veranda is a spicy and hearty option for those wanting a quick and meaty meal at a decent price. My husband always gets this dish, while I opt for the clam chowder version. Also, we tried Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland just outside Tarzan's Treehouse for the first time this past visit, and we were impressed with the flavor and variety of skewers available. We tried the bengal beef skewer in a sweet zulu sauce, and the pork belly skewer with a hoisin sauce that were both incredible. Mobile ordering helped out here as well, as this part of Adventureland can get bottlenecked quickly when the Indiana Jones line gets backed up. We will definitely be back to Bengal on our next Disney Adventure. Finally, I have loved the addition of Starbucks into both parks and Downtown Disney over the past several years. It's my favorite coffee chain with regard to both flavors and consistency, plus the familiarity of ordering my regular drink while on vacation at my favorite place makes me all sorts of happy.
{RIP Tower of Terror and Bugsland, but alas, Starbucks remains}
Of course there are SO MANY other amazing restaurants and entrees, snacks and drinks that this blog alone could've been stretched out to several different articles. But part of why I chose ten was that it is a nice, achievable number, and any person could easily try part or all of this list on their visit to the parks. Next time we go, I will make a point of trying a few new places and foods to expand my ever growing list of the best places to dine in the happiest place on earth.
Next up is Part three : Rides and Attractions!
Next week my three part series on Disneyland comes to a close with a chunk of our favorite attractions inside both parks! Included in this will be fast passes versus the newer Max passes, that always helpful baby swap program, and how we do one park per day to maximize our time in each park while still seeing all of the shows and attractions we want to see!
Stay tuned for that and as always, if you have questions please don't hesitate to reach out! I am thrilled to talk Disney and help you plan the best and least stressful trip to this magical place.
OX,
~Heather
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