Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park completely defy the expectation that theme park food must be bad. There are items at both of these parks that we dream about when we are home. Today, we are taking a bite out of our favorite places to dine in the parks of Disneyland Resort. In no particualr order, here are our top 5 favorite places to eat in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park:
San Fransokyo Square in Disney California Adventure Park
The cultural fusion baked into the very theme of this little land (San Francisco + Tokyo, courtesy of Big Hero 6) is also integral to the food offerings of the quick service eateries found here. From a Beef Bulgogi Burrito at Lucky Fortune Cookery to Yuzu Bread Pudding at Aunt Cass Cafe, the dishes here are some of the most inventive you will find anywhere in the parks.
Maybe it is a little sneaky of us to include a group of restaurants under one entry here, but mobile ordering makes it incredibly easy to efficiently order from multiple locations and then carry all of your food over to the combined wharf-side seating or even take the “secret” path to the patio for Flo’s V8 Cafe in Cars Land. (We should note that the bread pudding offering mentioned here changes seasonally, and that’s part of the fun.)
Blue Bayou Restaurant in Disneyland Park, New Orleans Square
Let’s get this out of the way: Blue Bayou is a pricey place to dine. Still, there really is nothing else like this lovely restaurant, so it makes the list. Blue Bayou Restaurant is INSIDE the Pirates of the Caribbean. While not an opening day attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean was a pet project of Walt Disney himself, and the opportunity to dine inside this special place is a quintessential Disneyland experience. The tables are grouped onto a patio overlooking the peaceful bayou portion of the ride, and the gentle lantern light and moss draped trees will convince you that you are seated waterside on a New Orleans summer evening. The food sticks with the theme of the restaurant’s home land, New Orleans Square, and beverages, both alcoholic and otherwise, are available.
With the cost, this is certainly not an every-trip stop for us, but the memories are vivid enough to sustain us until our next visit. Blue Bayou is one of our favorite and most memorable places to eat in Disneyland Park.
Pym Test Kitchen in Disney California Adventure Park, Avengers Campus
This is another pick that combines tasty food with a fun location. Pym Test Kitchen is not inside an attraction, but the outdoor seating overlooking Avengers Campus allows for an excellent view of the excitement happening around this land. Particular highlights are glimpses of wandering superheroes and a decent view of the show that periodically takes place across the way at (and ON) Avengers Headquarters. Plus, the restaurant also has a fun theme: the food has been subject to the shrink-and-grow technology of Pym Labs. For picky eaters, this restaurant provides some familiar foods with a playful twist: an oversized Bavarian-style pretzel with cheese sauce, a jazzed-up grilled cheese and our favorite Choco Smash Cake.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland Park
Well, we are sneaking another whole land into one entry here, but again, mobile ordering makes it so easy to order from multiple restaurants in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. In this case, one member of our family loves the plant-based Felucian Kefta & Hummus Garden Spread at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo while another person craves the—decidedly meaty—Ronto Wrap at Ronto Roasters. These are two of a variety of tasty and inventive options in this immersive land, and we like grabbing our favorites and finding a seat where we can watch the residents of Batuu go about their day. All of Star Wars: Galaxy’s edge is a fun and delicious place to eat in Disneyland Park.
Keep in mind that, at the time of this writing, entering the land’s popular Oga’s Cantina typically requires an advance dining reservation or a decent wait.
Harbor Galley in Disneyland Park, Bayou Country on the waterfront
This one qualifies as a personal sentimental favorite from decades past, but Harbor Galley is also consistently GOOD. For years, the soup in bread bowls here have warmed us on cold days and provided a great energy boost even on hot ones. The Disneyland app refers to this as a “seafood shanty,” as it is more of a window than a restaurant, but the setting on the Rivers of America is picturesque, and the small menu has just what we want. This eatery also serves cookies that have become a very popular choice in recent years. The cookies have been known to sell-out.
We hope you enjoy a bite to eat in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
For a primer on using mobile ordering at the quick service restaurants of Disneyland Resort, click here. We think our guide will save you some time! For a step-by-step guide to planning a visit to Disneyland Resort, food and all, click here.