My Favorite Restaurants at Disneyland
Most of the time when I go to the parks, I insist on acting like a 10-year-old on an unsupervised school field trip. Steady diet? We don’t know her, never met her, so anything goes! Churros for breakfast and wash it down with a soda before Space Mountain all before 10am. Dole whip swirls and Jack Jack cookies for lunch and if I can still see straight on this sugar high by night time, Ghirardelli shake for dinner. I don’t make the rules, I just play the game. However, there are times when I sit down to eat and collect my thoughts and either plan out the day or wait for my fast pass times to come up and when I do, here are my favorite places to do so:
Corn Dog Castle- Paradise Garden Park, California Adventure
Lets be fair- ANY corndog at Disneyland is going to be good, but I prefer the vibe at the Corn Dog Castle over the beloved Little Reg Wagon corndog stand on Main St. I love looking out to Pixar Pier while I eat, and they have a seating area, so you don’t feel rushed to hurry up and finish your meal. The corndog is huge of course so this keeps me full for a while and I usually hold the chips or apple slices (depends on my mood) until later to snack on while I am in line.
Award Wieners- Hollywood Land, California Adventure
I must admit, I am a sucker for a chili cheese dog and this place has a good one! They have a small menu, but crazy hot dog flavors and my friend loves their carne asada fries. They have ample seating in the shade, but on days when it is too hot or too cold, I usually finish my meal across the street in the Animation Academy where you can grab a seat on a plush couch while singing to the top of your lungs to some amazing Disney tunes.
Hungry Bear Restaurant- Critter Country, Disneyland
If I have plans in Batuu, I am most definitely eating at the Hungry Bear. It is a quick service restaurant located in amazing shade near the entrance to Batuu on the outskirts of Black Spire Outpost. That is where I eat if I have a boarding pass for ROTR towards the afternoon/ early evening. In my opinion Batuu is far, so I like to do everything in that area near boarding time, just so I am not rushing to the back of the park when my number is called. This place has a little bit of everything, and it is all good! I tend to stick to the chicken strips and fries (because amazing) and if I am starving or in the mood to be a greedy goose, I have to get the churro funnel cake. I think the H.B.R. is the only location in the park that has this churro funnel cake, so I tend to base my day around that if I am in the mood for it.
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta- Paradise Garden Park, California Adventure
This place has good pepperoni pizza period. Some prefer Alien Pizza Planet in Disneyland, but I don’t. The pizza here taste more authentic to me. The slices are huge and depending on the time of the year, you can watch live entertainment while you eat in the designated area. My friend loves their pasta and salads, but I am #teampizza all day. They also have a kids menu with a wide variety that I sometimes order off of if I don’t want to fill up on real food because I have my eyes on ice cream or a shake for later.
The Golden Horseshoe- Frontierland, Disneyland
Air conditioning and chicken strips. What more does one really want? This is one of those restaurants that will never let you down. I have never had a bad experience at the Golden Horseshoe food wise no matter what time of the year or how busy. Their chicken strips are clutch, and their fires are always piping hot.
Galactic Grill- Tomorrowland, Disneyland
This is my breakfast spot when I go at opening, simply because they have my favorite thing- French toast sticks. I can eat them morning noon or night. Depending on what type of trip it is going to be, if breakfast is in the cards, then this is where I am going. They have a really good breakfast burrito as well, the only thing it needs is SOUR CREAM. It’s such a forgotten condiment but it is amazing on a breakfast burrito. Yes, I bring my own from home, no I am not ashamed.
Lamplight Lounge- Pixar Pier, California Adventure
What was once the Cove Bar is now the Lamplight Lounge and I am not entirely sure how I feel about it. Once upon a time, the Cove Bar was a place that had mainly drinks, 5 food items and no wait. It was tucked away and for a long time, many people just walked right past it, but since my friends love a good cocktail, we went there almost every trip. It was fun, it was quick, the food and drinks were good, and it was in the shade. The star of the show was always the Lobster Nachos but I was always partial to the tri tip sliders. Within its last year, the Cove Bar got VERY popular- like name on a list 45min wait popular which blew my mind, but once word gets around Instagram, secrets don’t stay secrets for long. Lamplight Lounge definitely has a grown feel to it. The drinks are amazing, and they still serve the lobster nachos. If you want to be extra and dramatic, get the surf and turf nachos that has lobster, chicken and steak. You will not be disappointed. They have an amazing brunch menu and with a place like this, reservations are a requirement for me- I don’t wait well when it comes to food.
Plaza Inn Character Dining- Main St, U.S.A., Disneyland
Every year for my birthday I have breakfast here with all the characters and I simply adore it! Breakfast is my favorite food genre, and they have an omelet station, assorted pasties and endless mickey waffles. There is no downside here. I always make reservations since my birthday is during spring break, however if they somehow fill up because I dropped the ball, the wait is never long and they just seat you outside where Minnie takes her photos. The characters come in and out for endless photo ops and it is my favorite thing to do on my birthday.
Hopefully we share the same favorite places, if not, I look forward to seeing what your favorite places are in the park!