What to Eat and Drink (and not to Eat and Drink) at Disneyland
I’m no foodie…in fact, I’ve been accused of being full after “eating air,” but there are certain things I made room for that I would recommend you not miss at Disneyland! And certain things I would say to go ahead and, well, let it go…
DISNEYLAND
Adventureland
Tiki Juice Bar
Dole Whip Float – DO IT
Right in front of the TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI TIKI ROOM is the Tiki Juice Bar. You have a few options here, but nothing beats the Pineapple Dole Whip Float.
New Orleans Square
French Market Restaurant
New Orleans Salad – DO IT
Surprisingly, this was pretty good. I had to guide my salad organizer (salad artist?) towards adding more of the good stuff she left in the bowl actually onto my plate (eggs, bacon bits, cheese…basically the whole reason anyone eats a salad because it certainly isn’t for the vegetables) and extra dressing, but despite this service setback, it was great.
Mint Julep – DO IT
Also at French Market, this non-alcoholic drink is the perfect amount of sweet and refreshing for a hot Summer day at Disney!
Mint Julep Bar
Mickey Beignets - DO IT
Laurel insisted we follow salads with dessert (naturally). These warm, sugary donuts are to die for.
Tomorrowland
Galactic Grill
Fried Chicken Sandwich and Fries – SKIP IT
Eh. It’s nothing special. The only thing exciting about this was I mixed mayonnaise and mustard to make a single sauce in order to spice things up a little. In fact, I was the most exciting thing that happened to those fried chicken sandwich and fries.
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
Oga’s Cantina
Blue Bantha – DO IT
I wowed my party and myself when the bartender confirmed that I correctly guessed the floral notes in the drink – hibiscus. This drink is also comprised of a coconut and rice milk mixture and includes a “bantha-inspired vanilla-butter sugar cookie” on top. I’d never tasted anything like this before. It was phenomenal. (Keep in mind, the Blue Bantha at Oga’s Cantina is not frozen like the one you’ll find at the Milk Stand, but I personally LOVED this extremely smooth, smoothie-like texture.)
Batuu Bits – DO IT
“A light crisp snack mix from the galaxy.” You can’t go wrong.
Oga’s Obsession – DO IT
Oga’s obsession is my new obsession. I’m a germaphobe, but it was worth digging into this petri dish for the “Odwalla lemonade, cotton candy flavor, blueberry popping pearls with a bursting dried fruit mixture.”
Fuzzy Tauntaun – DO IT
One of the galaxy’s most popular drinks - “peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice with tangerine, pure cane sugar, ‘buzzz foam.’” The buzz foam is apparently made of the same stuff you find in a lip plumper and causes a delightfully tingling and numbing sensation in your mouth. I know, I know. I heard it too.
California Adventure
Cars Land
Cozy Cone Motel
Red’s Apple Freeze – DO IT
Think frozen sparkling apple cider. According to TheMainStreetMouse.com: “Red’s Apple Freeze is made with 100% frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow and passion fruit-mango foam.” It was divine.
Pretzel Bites with Cheesy Sauce – SKIP IT
It was okay.
Paradise Gardens Park
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
Five-Cheese Ravioli with Pesto Sauce and Toasted Pine Nuts – SKIP IT
This is made-to-order so I was excited because I figured it would have to be fantastic. I was wrong. Something was definitely missing. In retrospect, it needed more salt. Like any amount of salt at all.
Disney is a powerhouse brand. With that, the world has certain expectations – incredible gourmet dishes you find in Ratatouille, for example…nothing unreasonable. While Disney does everything requiring a spoonful of sugar (or more) super well, their fast casual savory dishes, for the most part, are a bit limited and dare I say…pedestrian.