Food at Disneyland
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Non-chain type restaurants?
March 2010
Is it possible to visit Disneyland and stay nearby in a hotel that isn't surrounded by chain stores and restaurants? I could tolerate a chain hotel, but is it possible to just even find nearby restaurants with nice dark, leafy, green salads or interesting vegetarian choices on the menu? Some healthy, organic choices?
Or am I fooling myself into thinking that I could find a nice hotel close to Disneyland that either has nice food or is close to a nice restaurant that isn't a chain?
I'm just not into that kind of stuff and have gotten too used to the Brk-Oak-SF tasty restaurant and quick bite scene. I know I sound like a snob, but I just feel like the choices at TGIFs & what not are just not my style.
We're heading down there mostly because some overseas relatives are going to be visiting the U.S. and Orange County-Santa Ana area. We thought we'd take our 6 year old daughter to Disneyland while we're there. Now we're all thinking we'll stay in a hotel near Disneyland. From what I hear, however, most of the choices are across the street from malls, PF Changs, Best Buys, etc.
Any thoughts/suggestions? Afraid of So Cal
OK, I'm a food snob also. It comes out whenever I get away from the Bay Area... Anyway, I was in Disneyland last year and stumbled across a McCormicks in an upscale mall right next to Disneyland. You can probably google it to figure out where it is because I am not sure of an address. We stayed at a Doubletree near Disneyland last year. It was a 'suite' hotel, or at least the room we stayed in was a suite, i.e. bedroom and living room which is a little nicer for spreading out and having some privacy.
One issue, fyi, is transportation to the park. Last year we tried to drive to Disneyland and park. It took forever to get into the parking lot. On another trip, we stayed at a hilton hotel a little far away from the park and tried taking the shuttle bus that picks up at various hotels in the area. It was crowded and slow, and I was only offered a seat because I was trying to keep my balance and hold onto a sleeping 3 year old (nightmare). If I could afford it, I would stay at one of the Disney properties to avoid the transportation issues. Otherwise, we stayed one time at the Sheraton which provides it's own shuttle to Disney. I found it dated and a little smelly (musty) and would ony go back there because of the convenience of the shuttle to Disneyland. But hey, you don't really end up spending much time in your hotel room anyway... yes, I try to go to Disney once a year
Sorry to say that So Cal is pretty much that - chain stores and strip malls. I grew up in OC and still have family and friends all over So Cal that we visit regularly. You can always order a salad and most places will have vegetarian burgers, but you are not going to get the kind of food there that you do here. Prepare your body for a bit of a shock. Newport Beach has a wonderful place called Mother's that serves vegetarian fare. It's about 15-20 minutes from Anaheim. Really close to the beach if you want to get some beach time in. Newport is pretty kid friendly - Balboa Island is very SoCal, but also very easy with kids. be afraid, be very afraid :)
Believe it or not, your best bet in Anaheim for non-chain restaurants and hotels is at Disneyland or Downtown Disney. Unless you want to stay at one of the gorgeous OC beaches and drive into Disneyland, it's best at Disneyland. Yes, it's all man-made, but at least it is nicely landscaped, while the rest of Anaheim is concrete and strip malls. None of the Disneyland hotels (Grand Californian, Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier) are chains, but they are all pricier than the chains surrounding Disney.
Your best bet for food is in Downtown Disney or on property. There are chains (like RainForest Cafe) but you can get very good salads at Storyteller's Cafe in the Grand, and terrific sandwiches on artisanal bread (you can also pick up a loaf or muffins) at La Brea Bakery in Downtown Disney. Catal/Uva also has terrific Mediterranean small plates, lots of vegie options.
They sell lots of fruit in the park itself now (again, pricey, it's worth a grocery store run for snacks), and there are some decent Mexican places too. Guest services is VERY helpful with dietary needs -- they will give you a list of vegie options, gluten-free options, etc. -- and most of the sit-down places will make stuff to order. A lot of families with food allergic kids love Disney for this reason. I'm not saying it's Bay Area food -- it's not -- but it's good for a theme park. And the food IN the parks or Downtown Disney is definitely better than in Anaheim.
And if you really want to splurge and treat your out-of- town relatives to a Bay Area type meal, go to Napa Rose in the Grand California. The chef is from Auberge in Napa, and all the waiters are sommeliers. It's one of the best restaurants in So. Cal. and it has an exhibition kitchen where you can sit at the chef's counter, talk to them, and watch them cook. Check out Disney restaurants from one of the guideboooks and hopefully you'll find something that works.
Remember in the summer you will want to make reservations for the restaurants in the hotels or on property (called Priority seating or something like that) - - you can make them 60 days in advance. Berkeley Mom
This is a tough one...you have to realize that Disneyland is in the middle of what is really not a very nice neighborhood. It is not an affluent area and local patronage does not support the type of foodie culture that it sounds like you want. The 'nicer' restaurants cater to tourists and are mostly chain restaurants. Now some are very nice chains: Morton's & Ruth's Chris steakhouses (sorry, I gathered that you were a vegetarian, but these are examples), Roy's Restaurant (hawaiian fusion), etc.
We usually stay at the Residence Inn Anaheim Maingate (yes a chain hotel), which is an all-suite hotel which can be very cost-effective for large groups. The rooms have a full kitchen, which allows you eat some meals (if you want) and organize your own snacks. The hotel serves a pretty nice buffet breakfast. It's about a mile from the park, so walkable. It used to be pretty isolated, but now you walk past a mall on the way to the park (sorry).
Downtown Disney has a bunch of restaurants, many not chain restaurants and some are very good, especially Catal. The other option would be to find an are that suits your tastes, but put up with a longer drive to Disneyland. It might be logistically difficult, though, if you want to maximize your time at the park. Carrie
Best recipe for DL success is to chill a bit, and see what you find. You certainly can find hotels that aren't surrounded by chains, and they'll probably even be cheaper. The reason all the hotels are surrounded by those types of restaurants is that people are coming from all over and they tend to flock to places that are familar and quick. Now, if you're looking for more diverse or upscale selections, you might want to try going to Little Saigon for Vietnamese food-not far, and very good (check yelp or chowhound), or check yelp/chowhound for other options (can't remember off the top of my head), or go down to Newport Beach--Roys, for example, is very yummy and quite pricey, but there are other options in between--or just not go. It is Orange County, by the way. It's not Berkeley. I will also mention, however, a couple of options that might also work for you that are a little more convenient.
In Disneyland itself, there's an upscale restaurant or two. One is dark and quiet and overlooks the quiet, interior portion of the Pirates of the Caribbean. I've never been there but hear it's nice. Another is near there and is more upscale and requires other advance reservations.
My personal favorite in the park is the salad that you can get at the Plaza Cafe at the top of Main St in DL. It's quite filling, and if you skip the cheese, it's relatively healthy and comes with bread on the side. And it's cheap.
Another option that I was pleasantly surprised by was Mimi's, which is on Harbor Blvd just a block north of the park entrance. I had an inexpensive, reasonable, healthy & tasty dinner that included a good salad, and it was quiet and not at all DL- like.
Of course, w/ a 6-yr old, I'd recommend you bite the bullet and do the character dinner at the DL Hotel, and you can just fill up at the salad bar. Your guests would enjoy it too. And for a quick bite in the parks that is NOT healthy but IS delicious, try the hand-dipped corn dogs at the red wagon near the plaza cafe, or the place at Cal Adventure (can't remember the name). THere are also some good salads in Cal Adventure-one at the bread place, and a chinese chicken salad at the place near there (right next to the bread & tortilla factories.)
Lower your expectations, take a deep breath, remember it's temporary, and focus on your kid and your guests, and you'll have agreat time.
I was looking at the responces with interest because I haven't been to Anaheim in years and wanted current tips myself. I also like nice, well recommended places to feel absolutely safe when taking my kids but by the responces, I have to add this perspective: There are tons of cheaper than Motel 6, one of, places along Katella and Brookhurst Avenues. They are all pretty much fine I think.
The only name I absolutely know at least was OK 5 years ago, is The Pater Pan Motel..a lot of these places don't have a strong internet presence and you can still telephone around for rates. (remember the phone book?)
OK, for food, they don't call Anaheim 'Little Saigon' for nothing! There are tons of absolutely fantastic restaurants all over the area. A short (1 mile radius) drive out any street away from Disney proper will expose a huge variety of South Asian and Palestinian markets, shops, and restaurants. Did I mention Mex? Fabulous Liquado stands....anyway, the particulars come and go but Anaheim is funky!
Drive around a bit and enjoy the topiary garden shops over by the Chrystal Palace! Yes Disney goes green, Amazing! Great!
And what about Knotts Berry Farm? Kitch lives Y'all! Check out the Bowling Alley on Brookhurst!
Disneyland Food on the Cheap?
June 2007
Hi- We are heading to D-Land in two weeks (me, hubby, 3.5 year old boy and 13 year old girl). Airline, hotel, transportation and tickets are all taken care of. Now, I am wondering about places to eat while we are there. Our breakfast is included in our hotel, but where can we eat for lunch and dinner that won't run us 50+ bucks at each meal? I am a Disney veteran many times over, but I have never been with my son, hubby and sister, and I want to find decent food near the hotels that won't require a small loan and that will appeal to the finicky teenager and preschool contingency. Any ideas? I checked the archives and other than the ''bring in your own snacks'' I didn't see much as far as cost savings once you are there. I want to have fun but don't want to owe Mickey my second born. Thanks for any suggestions! deniene
There are a lot of different options for food obviously. Here are some of the things we have done to plan eating.
Within the parks: There are a variety of different food options within each park that range in price. Check out the following website to see prices and menus for the various dining locations inside the parks.
http://www.allearsnet.com/dlr/tp/dl/dl_rest.htm
You can call Disneyland in advance and make reservations at many of the dining locations that offer table service. We do this for one meal per trip... usually a character meal. The breakfast buffet at the Plaza Inn is a little expensive, but is all you can eat (good for teens) and has MANY characters who come to see you at the table (good for little ones).
Outside the Park, but on Disney property: There are many places to eat in the Downtown Disney area. These are not necessarily any cheaper than in the park, but do have a different ''taste''.
One way we balance the meals is to eat a breakfast item purchased in the park over in tomorrowland (cheapest meal of the day) at around eleven and then have an early dinner at the Rain Forrest Cafe at around four. (You cannot reserve Rain Forest Cafe in advance through Disneyland, but they will give you the phone number so you can call yourself. If you don't have a reservation be prepared to wait unless you are eating at 2 or 3 in the afternoon.)That may not be what you had in mind, but I find dinner in Disneyland to be the least pleasant so I always try to find a place to eat outside of the park if possible.
Off Property Food Along S. Harbor Blvd. there are MANY places to eat including but not limited to IHOP, Denny's, Tony Roma, Mimi's Cafe, and McDonalds. Also, the Tropicana Hotel on S.Harbor has a mini market that sells bread, fruit, milk and cereal, etc. The prices are inflated, but cheaper than in the park.
We've had good luck ordering pizza to our hotel room. (We don't stay in Disney hotels, so I don't know how they feel about that.) In fact the hotels we've stayed in have usually got a list of delivery places in the room that include more than just pizza.
I know you said you were flying down, I don't know if you are planning on renting a car. If you are, ask directions to the local grocery store and pick up food there. When we do this I pick up sandwich stuff but flip the meals... we eat hot food in the park for lunch (cheaper prices at some locations) and sandwiches in the room for dinner before we go back to the park after our afternoon swim/naps.
Have fun... we're going down later in the summer and just can't wait! Rose
Disneyland--bringing food in?
Nov 2005
I've read on the BPN website about folks brining their own food into Disneyland, but I've read on the Disneyland website that outside food is not allowed. I'm wondering, is this a new rule or just one that doesn't get enforced? Do they search your stuff? Can you not even bring in water bottles or snacks for a toddler? Kim
I took my children (ages 3 and 5) to Disneyland in June. We brought in milk in insulated bags, fruit, nuts, crackers etc. No one inspected our stroller. A friend, who goes there often with her 3-year-old does the same, and hasn't had any problems. Karen
You can most definitely bring your own water, which is a good thing if you don't want to pay $3 a bottle. We found the food to be disappointing, though better on the California Adventure side. Michael
It's confusing isn't it?
First, you can't bring hard-sided coolers in, nor hard ice (like Blue Ice). You can put them into lockers outside the gate, and once you pay for a locker, you can go in & out as much as you want during the day (which is nice). I was able to put 2 small coolers into one small locker (but it was a challenge). I think that was $5/day. You get (and keep!) a slip that gives you the locker # and the electronic ''combo.''
Second, you technically can't bring food into the parks. Really, though, we brought it in several times. I usually had it in a small zippered cooler bag (with a Ziploc of ice) in the basket of the stroller. Not an issue (and great to have a snack to head off the Uglies in your kid!).
Third, there are picnic tables at which to eat (kinda hidden to the left of the Disneyland entrance), but we enjoyed eating out on the plaza, people watching and planning the rest of our day. Hope this helps. Jennie
I've taken food into Disneyland (snackey stuff, not full meals...) and never had a problem. I grew up in OC, and my mom ALWAYS took in sandwhiches, although we usually finagled burgers, fries and churros out of her anyway. The last time I went was about a year ago, and I just took in a diaper bag which they peeked into and let me pass... We like to take the monorail to downtown disney to eat (more options for your $$) and stay really close, that way we can leave the park to rest. So you could always leave food in your room and catch a shuttle back to the hotel/motel to munch on it. Good Luck, and Have Fun! Sarah
I've been going to Disneyland for almost 30 years now. I've never ever had a problem bringing in food. I definitely don't think it would be a problem to bring kid-related snacks. They do check your bags now, but they're looking for dangerous items, not whether or not you're packing Goldfish. Have fun! karen
The no outside food rule at Disneyland has been around a long time (at least since my first visit in 1990). However, it is not vigorously enforced--particularly for something like toddler snacks. I think you would have to lay out a tablecloth and a full picnic spread before anyone would notice, much less call you on it. I always bring water bottles at the very least, and last time had lunch box full of bottles and snacks for baby, and had no problem at all. There is a picnic area located outside the entrance to the park, if you want to follow the letter of the law. Been there, done that
We went to Disneyland last Christmas with our 2 and 4 year old and brought all of their food in practically (there is very little food there that my kids are used to) We just carried in our little soft sided cooler pack filled with PBJ, fruit, sippy cups, snacks, sat on a bench whenever they needed some nourishment and didn't think twice about it. If there is a rule, it is definately not enforced. We really saved a ton of money that way, in fact, our Disney vacation was really reasonable as we didn't spend much beyond the admission ticket. The one big splurge was the character dinner at California Adventure which was more for the characters as my kids didn't eat the meal. But the primary reason we brought the food was so we didn't have to wait in line, take a chance they wouldn't eat what we bought, and could feed them at a moments notice, it worked great. A healthier, less expensive vacation for all!
We were in Disneyland a month ago and it was no problem bringing food in. I brought a soft cooler that fit in my pack and even though they thoroughly check everything, they never once questioned the food or drinks. I brought plenty in - enough for lunch and snacks so it wasn't just a few items. Even with bringing food we still spent some money on treats, so Disneyland is definitely not losing out. If you have any other questions please feel free to email me. We had a great time in both California Adventure and Disneyland. marissa
We brought in sandwiches, chips, fruit and snacks for the kids in a soft-sided cooler. I don't remember anyone checking for anything other than cans or bottles. Of course we had diaper bags and lots of other gear, too. It was definitely worth it to avoid the outrageous food prices in the park, other than drinks. Alison