DL Guide - Dining
The Disneyland Resort is filled with places to eat with prices ranging from the relatively inexpensive to downright pricey and menus from burgers and hot dogs to slightly more exotic dishes.
Types of Restaurants
There are five basic types of food locations at the Disneyland Resort
- Table service restaurants
At these locations Waiters and waitresses take orders and bring the food. Table service restaurants are the most expensive in the Resorts. - Buffeteria
These locations are similar to a cafeteria in that you stand in line with a tray and selected the items you'd like. These locations usually offers one or two soups and salads, a few entrees and side dishes and a few deserts. - Scramble
A variation on buffeterias are locations that use the scramble system. The major difference is instead of waiting in one line that passes all the food, the different dishes are scattered about different locations, each of usually has a very short or no line, and guests go directly to the locations they want to get their food. At busy times you can usually get food quicker at scramble locations than buffeterias. - Counter Service
At these locations you wait in line at a counter, order your food and receive it just like at any fast food location. Disneyland has numerous counter service restaurants.. - Carts
Around Disneyland are several carts where everything from popcorn to ice cream is sold. You can also find fresh fruit, churros, funnel cake, corn dogs and many other items. Usually only a small selection is available at each cart.
Complete Lists
Below are links to all lists of all the restaurants in each of
the theme parks, hotels and Downtown Disney. There is also a link to a list of
every restaurant in the Disneyland Resort.
- Disneyland List
- Disney's California Adventure List
- Downtown Disney List
- Grand Californian Hotel List
- Disneyland Hotel List
- Paradise Pier Hotel List
- List for the entire Disneyland Resort
Recommendations
Here are some of our favorite places
around the Disneyland Resort.
Disneyland Park
- Blue Ribbon Bakery: Baked goods, sandwiches and specialty coffees
- Bengal Barbecue: Beef and chicken skewers
- Rancho Del Zocalo: Mexican food and BBQ
- Carnation Cafe: Casual table service dining on Main Street.
- Blue Bayou: The most elegant restaurant in Disneyland. Features a bayou atmosphere as boats from the Pirates of the Caribbean pass by.
Disney's California Adventure
- Baker's Field Bakery: Baked goods, sandwiches and specialty coffees
- Taste Pilot's Grill: Burgers with a large condiment bar
- Pacific Wharf Cafe: Soups, salads and baked goods
- Ariel's Grotto: Character fixed-priced dining with The Little Mermaid and other characters.
- Cove Bar: Appetizers and a full bar in a wonderful outdoor setting overlooking Paradise Bay.
- Sam Andreas Shakes: Mmmm....shakes! Lots of flavors including date shakes.
- Wine Country Trattoria: A casual sit-down restaurant.
- The Vineyard Room: One of the most elegant restaurants in the Resort. Food is incredible!
Downtown Disney
- ESPNZone: Good food and sports!
- Naples Pizzeria: Casual Italian food with a large menu
- La Brea Bakery: Expensive but excellent food. Available for quick service or table service.
- House of Blues: The setting can be loud, but the place is friendly and the food is very good.
The Hotels
- Storyteller's Cafe (Grand Californian): Casual table service dining with a fairly varied menu and sometimes an optional dinner buffet.
- Goofy's Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel): Dine with the characters at this all-you-can-eat buffet.
- Whitewater Snacks (Grand Californian): Counter service but the food is great and the indoor and outdoor seating is very comfortable. Regulars at the parks know this is the place to go for a quick bite and a rest in the middle of the day.
-
The Napa Rose (Grand Californian): The best restaurant in the Disneyland Resort. Elegant (but not stuffy), expensive, great wine list and the food is incredible.
-
Yamabuki (Paradise Pier Hotel): The only Japanese food in the Resort can be found here.
Tips
- Just like anything else at the theme parks, to avoid long waits to things when others aren't. Eat a late breakfast or early lunch, then eat an early or very late dinner. However, pay attention to the closing times since not all locations are open late.
- Downtown Disney and the Hotels are very close to the theme parks. Don't forget to consider them when it's time to eat.
Reader Comments
Below are tips and comments from
readers on
food at the Disneyland Resort
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Based on my experience, the best Los Angeles and Orange Counties have to offer are the Disneyland Premium Annual Passport and The Napa Rose Restaurant. We love the Blue Bayou---the salad and the ambience is wonderful and cannot be beat---but always have reservations We love the Blue Bayou---the salad and the ambience is wonderful and cannot be beat---but always have reservations We have the places we have to eat at, along with certain foods we have to eat during our trips. Cinnamon roll at Main Street Bakery. Breakfast at River Bell, Churro's for my sister, sweet tamales during Christmas season. Sour balls from the candy store on Main Street. Mint Julep. And clam chowder in a bread bowl. Redd Rockets and Hungry Bear also. I highly recommend eating at the Blue Bayou at least one time in your life. Have lunch there around 3:30 and you can save a few bucks. The Monte Cristo is really a treat and their Prime Rib is super. I have never been disappointed duing by 10 or so visits there. One word of warning - it is quite dark inside. First of all, expect to spend a lot of money for food. There's no escaping that, unless you eat out of the park. I strongly recommend the Blue Bayou restaurant. It is expensive, but worth it. The atmosphere is great, and the portions are huge, and the quality of the food is better than most other restaurants in Disneyland. I recommend to do an early dinner, and have a small lunch before hand. The other food place that you should take advantage of is a place with Character Dining. There, you don't need to stand in a huge line to see the characters, because they come to you! Even if you don't have children, it is worth it. :) First of all, expect to spend a lot of money for food. There's no escaping that, unless you eat out of the park. I strongly recommend the Blue Bayou restaurant. It is expensive, but worth it. The atmosphere is great, and the portions are huge, and the quality of the food is better than most other restaurants in Disneyland. I recommend to do an early dinner, and have a small lunch before hand. The other food place that you should take advantage of is a place with Character Dining. There, you don't need to stand in a huge line to see the characters, because they come to you! Even if you don't have children, it is worth it. :) Churros are the best food ever! Eat at the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square. It has great foods and great eat at the Royal Street Varanda. They have the best clam chowder in bread bowls you have ever tasted. I promise you that! Note: Information in reader comments is sometimes based on rumors or incorrect information and should not be assumed true. Reader comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion of LaughingPlace.com or its editors.
-- DeanA (10/5/2007)
-- KCCHIEF (4/8/2005)
-- KCCHIEF (4/8/2005)
And of course not in Disneyland but the Rainforest Cafe can't be missed!
-- CariACros (11/3/2002)
-- radsmom (8/25/2002)
-- coleynoonle (8/15/2002)
-- coleynoonle (8/15/2002)
-- DisneylandDomonique (4/14/2001)
views of Pirates of the Caribbean. And it's also nighttime here, even in
the day. It has Monte Cristo sandwiches, which I love. They should also
add four snack spots in Disneyland. I will name them, describe what it
serves and where they would be seen. They should have the Canteen on Tom
Sawyer Island and it would have soft drinks, pretzels and ice cream.
Fantasia Gardens in Fantasyland would have soft drinks, ice cream cones
and even fruit salad. The scenery would be in the form of statues and
topiaries of characters from both Fantasia movies. It would be sponsored
by Nestle. Space Place FoodPort in Tomorrowland would have sandwiches,
ice cream and soft drinks and Soft Landing, which would also be in
Tomorrowland, would have frozen yogurt and ice cream. The ice cream
would come in cones, sandwiches, bars and sundaes. Soft Landing would
also be sponsored by Nestle. Those are the new additions they should
have.
-- bugs85 (3/11/2001)
-- disneyprincess420 (1/5/2001)
-- Last Updated May 13, 2003 (except reader comments)
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