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Show Summary
You don't have to get dining reservations to have your taste buds tickled at Disneyland and California Adventure. Don't limit yourself to hamburgers and pizza! You can get everything from tacos, gumbo, lobster rolls, and soup in bread bowls at quick service locations around both parks.
Celina and Robyn walk through some of their favorite options including some places in the park they recommend you avoid!
Chapters and Time Stamps
0:00 Intro
8:45 Talking Turkey Legs
9:50 Baked Potatoes
14:16 Mobile Order Tips
15:20 Red Rose Tavern
15:40 Refreshment Corner
15:51 Coffee Talk
20:41 San Fransokyo Delights
22:09 Paradise Garden Grill
23:58 Try the Churros
24:27 Dole Whips
27:04 Lightning
Show Transcript
Welcome to the Park Magic Podcast, your place for insider tips for your next Disneyland Adventure. Whether you're a first-timer or first-time-in-a-while visitor, we're here to unwrap the secrets to creating and simplifying your dream Disneyland vacation.
Robyn:
Celina and Dining without a Reservation at Disneyland
Welcome back to the podcast. I am so excited because there's so much talk about Disney foods and what Disney foods to get. My friend Celina, you've been going to Disneyland since you were, like, too young to talk, right?
Celina:
Not quite that young, but my sister was about, she was just barely talking. So, my first trip, I was six years old, and I'm 30 now, so.
Robyn:
That was a very strategic cough. I like that.
Celina:
Yeah, I don't know what happened.
Robyn:
Well, in your, so your family has gone, like every year you've taken your kids, like Disney is like a part of who you are. And one of the biggest things that I want this podcast to be about is people will come to us and say, 'I'm going to Disneyland, tell me what to do.'
I think that there's so many things about like the reservations and there's some amazing sit-down restaurants at both Disneyland and California Adventure. But there are also some really, really good food that is available without a reservation and is a lot less money.
Celina:
There is. Yes. And I get so frustrated when people talk about Disneyland and they talk about the food as though it's, oh, uh, another amusement park or state fair food. And if anyone goes to Disneyland and says that they just had burgers and fries the whole time you did it wrong. There’s so many choices. And there are some stellar burgers there too. So if you did do burgers and fries the whole time, I hope you went to the right place and I'll tell you where to go. But there's so many wonderful options, and you don't have to do a reservation 60 days in advance to get that really good food.
Robyn:
Especially in California Adventure, but in both parks, there's food that you can order from the counter that is very unique, very delicious. And there's some things that are like, really great creature comforts. You know, like we were talking about how like the only place to get grilled cheese is Jolly Holiday, but there are most things in the park. Yes, there's pizza. Yes, there's pasta. I feel like some of the hamburgers are pretty darn good, but like the pizza and the pasta, in quick serve, is gonna be kind of meh. I don't know. I haven't had the regular pasta in a while, so correct me if I'm wrong there.
Celina:
No, you're spot on. So, the Alien Pizza Planet is the first thing that comes to my mind, where if you can steer away from that, please do. I encourage it. That's usually one of my top 10 pieces of advice that I give.
Robyn:
Yeah, because it's been sitting there for a bit. It's kind of like a buffet, you know, or golden corral pasta. It's not great.
Celina:
It's really not. Yeah. the texture is off. And if you're at all a texture person, you are not gonna enjoy the pasta in Tomorrowland.
Robyn:
For Those That Like Small Servings
And they're going to have kids' menus at each location. And one of the benefits of quick Serve is if you're somebody that likes smaller portions, you can order the kids' menu. If you've got somebody who's really gonna only eat chicken nuggets in your party, and that's okay. They have some of those kids' items, and you can order those. Just beware, anything that's marked as a toddler meal is basically like. Three bites so it looks cheap. It's not a value.
Celina:
And you know what, though? It's food a toddler would eat. My son's first trip, he was 15 months old, and that's what we got at nearly every quick service because it was guaranteed to be something that he was going to eat if we had exhausted our own snacks at that point. 'Cause I had absolutely no idea how he was gonna fare. But yeah, that yummy cheesy macaroni, there are some goldfish crackers that are part of that. And lately it's been the GoGo squeeZ applesauce pouches. So that's, it's always a hit with my kids.
Robyn:
Yeah. I accidentally ordered my 15-year-old a toddler mini slider, and it was literally like an inch and a half, and he was like, 'What is this?' Then I was like, 'That was me making the wrong order. I'm sorry.’
Celina:
Do you remember which location that was at?
Robyn:
It was actually at Tangaroa Terrace.
Celina:
Oh, okay.
Robyn:
It was especially funny because I ordered it on a gluten-free bun. Right. So it was this big, you know, adult-sized bun with this itty-bitty little tiny size. So, you know, you have a toddler, they are great meals. There's some meals that are quick serve that are really, really shareable.
Shareable Meals at Disneyland
So if you're trying to keep costs down, for me, I usually will split a Turkey leg and a couple of corns. You don't need a reservation for that or, I feel like Rancho del Zocalo has a lot of things that are really shareable as well.
Celina:
They do. And here's where I'm gonna talk about my two favorite places in Disneyland that are very, very shareable, Tropical Hideaway. It's so easy to grab a couple of the buns there, which again, very unique to have this, you know, Asian-style dumpling in a Disneyland park. So there's something that's not fried right there. You can get a Dole Whip. And someone can go to Tropical Hideaway and someone else can go over to Bengal Barbecue and get a few of those skewers also very shareable. And you've got a really delicious meal. Now they've got that expanded seating next to Bengal Barbecue, so you can grab a table. You don't need a reservation, but that's my favorite shareable spot.
Robyn:
And I think the skewers at Bengal Barbecue are really good. So if you like really good food, they're really tasty. I think if you're really on a tight budget and you've got teenagers, probably not the best option money-wise. But I think as far as Tasty piece, they're pretty darn good.
Celina:
Oh, yes. I agree. Teenagers, though, I'm not, it's been a while since I've been one, but your kids?
Robyn:
So, you know, at Disneyland, we'll get like the half chicken at Rancho del Socalo, and then we'll get extra tortillas. And then usually we can get one of those and like a side of tacos. And then, if we're gonna like pre and post snack, then that's a good meal. And that's like, you know, 40 bucks for like four of us. I really like Jolly Holiday. I really love the grilled cheese and tomato soup. I don't know why it's such a simple thing, but their birria grilled cheese. Somebody gave me a little bit of the birria from the inside 'cause I'm gluten-free, so they won't make it gluten-free birria, but it was really good.
Celina:
I didn't know that they were doing that at Jolly Holiday, but that is another very good shareable one because the sandwiches are massive. And, um, last time we went there, I got that and my husband got a caprese sandwich and we just kind of swapped. We got a side of soup as well, and it was almost too much food.
Robyn:
Where to and Where NOT to Get Burgers At Disneyland
Let's talk about the burgers, because there are places, especially in Disneyland, to get burgers and to not get burgers.
Celina:
I know what you're talking about.
Robyn:
Like you and I are on a mission, so if you're at Disneyland and you really want a burger, I would highly recommend that you not go to Galactic Grill.
Celina:
If you want a burger in Disneyland, go to the Hungry Bear. Do not go to the Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland. Don't eat in Tomorrowland unless it's the churro cart that's over there. That’s my general recommendation. Hungry Bear is definitely the way to go. Their burger is really good. So are their fries. And they also have chicken, chicken sandwich options, which are also really tasty. And that could be another shareable one. And if you're doing a mobile order, which I do recommend for Hungry Bear because that one tends to get really crowded, if you get the kids size burger, that's enough food for an adult right there.
Robyn:
And there are some things that are not shareable but are like really well renowned. And I think that we, can we can't do a thing on quick service at Disneyland without talking about it.
Celina:
Corndogs at Disneyland and California Adventure
Oh my gosh. The corn dogs. The infamous corn dogs. Yes. it's a must. a must for my family. We always have to do. The Little Red Wagon. but that's one. I don't know if mobile order always makes it faster. I think it depends on the time of day but what's been your experience with that one lately?
Robyn:
So I can't do Red Wagon 'cause I don't have a gluten-free option.
I remember it being fantastic and I look longingly while people enjoy it. My daughter really likes their corn dog there as well and she's pretty darn picky. But I do wanna say that the corn dog there is different than the corn dogs that are in California Adventure. So if you're only gonna get one corn dog, I think it's better to get it at the little red wagon.
Celina:
Yes, They are different. But I will say, If the line at Little Red Wagon is too long and maybe you miss the boat on the mobile order, if you pop around to Frontier Land at the Stage Door Cafe, that corn dog over there is nearly as good.
Robyn:
How do you feel about the Turkey legs?
Celina:
Team Turkey leg. I never have.
Robyn:
Talking Turkey Legs
I go through phases where we love it. And then my son is 16 now, right? And so he eats like a garbage can. I mean, he's just like a never-ending pit. And so the Turkey leg is really good. I don't wanna eat a whole one, but, he really likes them. And I do like them kind as long as they've got something else because they are kind of salty.
Celina:
Yes. I remember that the last time I did have one, which was many, many moons ago.
Robyn:
Yeah, I mean, I don't know if I'd wanna eat one by myself but I think it's a good shareable food. I think the alternate at California Adventure is poultry palace, the three chicken leg meal and those are gluten-free. And they have just like a bunch of spices on them and they come with a little coleslaw and those are pretty good if you're looking for something and then I don't know why, the corn is 5.29, which is kind of expensive for a corn on the cob. But I love the roasted corn.
Celina:
Me too. No, that's a table for me as well, for as far as quick service at the cart.
Robyn:
Yeah, they've got all sorts of things. Like, so there's a place over by where the Lion King Show is kind of over by Small World that has like, uh, baked potatoes.
Celina:
Baked Potatoes
Yes, I was gonna bring that up next. Troubador Tavern. That is one of my favorites for quick different kind of snack that ends up being pretty shareable. They have these stuffed baked potatoes that are surprisingly delicious.
Robyn:
Harbour Galley and the Lobster Rolls
Now because I'm gluten-free, I haven't eaten at Harbour Galley in a long time. Is that one good? I mean, I know people talk about the lobster a lot, but I haven't, I mean, I've been gluten-free so long. I haven't had that.
Celina:
It's good. That's another one of my favorites. It's so funny because I'm thinking like, oh, there's only one quick service that I recommend to everyone. Bengal Barbecue. And as we're going through this, I remember, oh yeah, I love Troubador Tavern. Oh yeah. I love Harbour Galley. It is good. And it's usually a fairly quick line. I actually really like to sit there for the atmosphere as well, which you wouldn't necessarily think of a quick service location, but it's right there on the Rivers of America. It's just outside of the Exit for Haunted Mansion. So depending on where you sit, you can get a view of Haunted Mansion, which. Halloween and holiday time is super fun. And then you get to do all of the boat watching off of the Rivers of America. But as for the food itself, yeah, there's the lobster roll, which is very good. I have had it before, but you can also get some of the soups over there. If the line is too long over at Royal Veranda, then we can get the chowder over there. And I believe from time to time they offer the mac and cheese in a bread bowl. One time, a seasonal thing they did was a lobster mac and cheese. Very, yeah. That was delicious.
Robyn:
Soup and Mac and Cheese in Bread Bowls
And the mac and cheese bowl's always available at Ant Cass's over in San Fransokyo. so if you're looking for carbs on, carbs, on carbs, macaroni, and a bread bull is available over there. Before I was gluten-free. I loved the place where the bread bulls are over by Pirates of the Caribbean.
Celina:
Royal Veranda yeah.
Robyn:
Yeah.
Celina:
They've got Gumbo, I think there's a steak version and a vegetarian version. And then, the clam chowder in, in a bread bowl. And that's pretty much all that they have to offer over there with, with some fountain drinks but the line can get so long, it's become this really infamous bread bowl spot in Disneyland. But that's, that's another really good quick service one. Again, something that's not fried, corn or soup.
Robyn:
And shareable. Very shareable 'cause that bread bowl fills you up.
Celina:
It's massive.
Robyn:
Yeah, it's the size of a five-year-old's head.
Celina:
Yes. I have a five Year old. Yes. It's about the size of his head and he has a big head.
Robyn:
When to Dine to Avoid the Lines
So let's talk about the lines at quick service. Because if you go right at noon, or right around lunchtime to some of the more popular locations, you might end up spending 30 minutes in line and then the additional time for them to make your food. If it's gluten-free, you should plan on it being an extra 10 or 15 minutes. For most people, it comes out pretty quick. But there are a couple of ways that you can avoid those lines. And I think the most important thing, if you have kids, is to make sure you do not wait until you are hangry to go eat.
Celina:
Yes, what I did on the last trip with my two kiddos, who at the time were five and two, I knew their routine at the time both went to preschool. So I knew when they would eat lunch at school, and it was anticipating when they would get hungry. And so I knew around 10:30 was about the time that I had to put in my mobile order if we were going to do something really popular. And there was one day we ended up eating at Hungry Bear. So I was walking into the line at Smuggler Truck. And while I was waiting in line, putting in our mobile order at 10:30, because I knew they weren't going to do well if they had to wait. So either anticipating it a little bit early, if you don't have kids, if you can wait a little bit, get yourself a snack, a nice mid-morning snack and then wait till after the lunch rush. Nothing wrong with having a late lunch after the peak rush.
Robyn:
And there's kind of two benefits in doing your lunch a little earlier or a little late. The first is that you'll spend less time in line. The second is that there'll be more seating available. And so you will not have people standing over you while you're eating trying to get your table to if you can try to eat kind of off times. But just a warning. After about nine o'clock, especially at Disneyland, the food options dramatically dropped down. There's a lot of places close. So if you're somebody that eats dinner really late, just make sure that the restaurant that you're looking at doing for quick service is still open.
Mobile Order Tips
I usually tell people know what you want for lunch at one or two places. And then when you get into the park the first time you have a little downtime, do your mobile order for lunch, even if it's like nine or 10. And the reason for that is because mobile order is a little bit different than like a virtual queue. They have only so many slots available for a specific time period because they can only make so many whatever they're making at a restaurant. So if you wait until like 11:30 to try to get a sandwich at Jolly Holiday, they might say great you can mobile order but you can't come pick up your food until one o'clock and that can be very frustrating. And then you end up being very grouchy standing in line trying to wait for your sandwich.
Celina:
Yes. And there are a few places that right now are very, very, very popular for lunch, Jolly Holiday being one of them. We were just trying to get a coffee order at around 9:30 in the park, and the only available pickup times were after 1:00 PM. So that's one that fills up right away.
So, back to your point about having a couple of different options in mind for lunch, if Jolly Holiday is your top, and you've missed that spot. Yeah. Have a backup, ready to go.
Red Rose Tavern
And if I could recommend a couple, Red Rose Tavern. I have not seen a ton of crazy lines there, especially if it's a weekday versus a weekend, that's a really good option. They do have burgers, they have some salads.
Robyn:
They are open past night.
Celina:
Yes, and then the refreshment corner, it's right next to Jolly Holiday. It's mostly hot dogs, but they also have the mac and cheese bread bowls over there too. So you get your, your carbs on carbs also open late.
Robyn:
Refreshment Corner
Let's talk about coffee. Because if you weren't, have not gone to Disneyland before, you might be like, I'm just gonna stroll into the park and grant me a cup of coffee. That's not gonna go the way that you anticipated.
Celina:
No, it’s really not.
Robyn:
Coffee Talk
So if you are somebody that needs coffee in the morning, you might want to grab one from the hotel, if they have it. If you want to grab it inside the park, there are two places to get your coffee that are pretty close to the entrance to Disneyland. Should we talk about market house first, which is basically Starbucks?
Celina:
It's great. And I'm a Starbucks person through and through a few cut my veins open through a cold brew coffee in there. That's an attraction-level line in and of itself. You don't care about when you get your coffee. You just need Starbucks at some point in the day. Sure. Roll the dice. But I
Robyn:
I knew that they do take mobile order at Downtown Disney. So you could pre-order it there.
Celina:
Yeah, market house. It's a very long line.
Robyn:
And it doesn’t move fast. So you should expect to be in that line for 30 minutes or more first thing in the morning.
Celina:
Yes, So you need to really want your Starbucks.
Robyn:
Now there is another option. And if I want coffee when I come into the parks what I do, as soon as I get up, I will place some mobile order before we even start walking to the parks. I'm staying close by, we will place our mobile order at Jolly Holiday because they do take mobile order. It's not Starbucks. It's Geoffrey's but it's delicious. And it's such a cute little location. I love it. And they've got some great breakfast items. I like to get a bunch of rides out of the way when we first get there. So I usually will maybe get a coffee for the first line or two, but we kind of save breakfast until a little bit later. So this way, we're off everybody else's schedule for the rest of the day. But I really like Jolly Holiday quite a bit. It's one of my favorites.
Celina:
I love Jolly Holiday and they have a lot of similar style espresso drinks that you're going to find at your Starbucks. They often have special seasonal items, too. Sometimes it's a coffee drink. And sometimes it's a pastry, but there's usually something yummy and special that you can get from Jolly Holiday.
Robyn:
Even if Jolly Holiday doesn't have those mobile orders, if you're okay with like black coffee, like regular, like normal people, like old people coffee, just like regular coffee and not a latte, then there's a lot of places that serve just regular coffee with mobile order. So if you just need a cup of coffee and not a caramel macchiato, then there's gonna be more options for you.
Celina:
Yes, definitely. And some of them will do a mocha if you need just a little bit of sweetness, but you don't want to wait in that line. I'm thinking specifically of the Mint Julep bar.
Robyn:
And then the Starbucks coffee the black half, which is really really popular and is so good. They don't start serving I think until 10:30, which is when breakfast cutoff time is for Disneyland for California Adventure. I feel like there's three to four main places but for coffee specifically, there's fiddler, fifer & practical, which is also Starbucks. I don't know why they can't just call them Starbucks.
Celina:
I think it has something to do with the licensing but it's a very similar experience to market house, the line is sometimes a little bit quicker. I don't know why the space is slightly larger, wide, slightly more efficient in there. But I've had better luck, and Fiddler, Fifer & Practical than I haven't market house. But again, it's your standard Starbucks. But I feel like there are a couple of other more convenient options in California Adventure than Disneyland for your espresso style drinks.
Robyn:
Yeah, sometimes I'll do Schmoozies, you can mobile order there, they have some of those coffee drinks as well. And if you're heading towards the Avengers campus, then that's going to be on the way if you're heading more towards the back of the park, where like in credit coaster is, then I think the better coffee is probably going to be the cappuccino cart.
Celina:
The cappuccino cart. I think it's technically listed as being in San Fransokyo. But it's right in that little hub; can be a little bit of a line depending on the time of day, but I believe they do mobile order as well.
Robyn:
They do.
Celina:
They've got your special options. I think they sometimes do have a seasonal drink as well. I know Schmoozies does, but it's a little more spread out, so you can get away from the crush of the main entrance, and especially first thing in the morning, you're gonna find that those lines are pretty short.
Robyn:
And if you're trying to take notes on this, I'm just gonna do a little shameless plug: ParkMagic has an app where you can look through the menu, save the things that you want, and it will tell you at the top if it needs reservations or if you can mobile order, and then when you pull that up on your phone, if you go to your favorites. That mobile Order button takes you directly into the Disneyland app where you can place those mobile orders, and then there's also walking directions, which I don't know why but Disneyland's app. They just give you a map, but they don't really provide walking directions.
Celina:
And if you've never been there before, that can be really hard.
Robyn:
Really hard. I think there's some really good food at California Adventure. San Fransokyo, which if you've been a while ago, it was Pacific Wharf before. I think that some of the best quick-service food in the park is in that location.
Celina:
San Fransokyo Delights
Agreed, and a lot of different styles of food. If you're looking to kind of mix up your genres, my favorite one over there is Lucky Fortune Cookery. They have a lot of different Asian-inspired fusion dishes, some rice bowls, and they've got some new stuff on there. You've been there more recently than I have, Robyn.
Robyn:
It’s really great because I'm gluten-free, but my husband is not. And when I go with my sister, she really likes the soup and the bread bowls. So we can all sit together. There's lots of tables there. And if you're mobile order, you can mobile order all of those things and kind of have them ready all around the same time. So you don't have to wait in three lines.
Celina:
It's really convenient. And yes, there's a lot of seating, and then there are sometimes entertainment options while you eat over there. So it can be a nice little place to take a break. I've seen the mariachi bands over there, particularly around the holidays because that's when I tend to go the most often, but they really have gone out of their way to make it a good pitstop for your day.
Robyn:
Big favorites for me in California Adventure are going to be Smokejumpers. I really liked their hamburgers there.
Pym's Test Kitchen for All Day Yums
And then Pym’s Test Kitchen has some really great, really fun food, but their breakfast I really liked their breakfast, and there's not a lot of quick-serve breakfast options in either Park, and they have vegan options. They have just a, if you're vegan and they also have impossible meats.
Celina:
Oh, impossible meats. I didn't know that about Pym’s. That's really cool.
Robyn:
Smoke Jumpers for Great Burgers
You one more shameless plug about ParkMagic, you can filter in Picky Mickey for all the plant-based options. So that will pull up all of the like impossible meats.
Celina:
I'm gonna piggyback on Smokejumpers; it is an excellent burger. They also have some chicken options. There's a ton of seating at Smokejumpers too, which is really nice and really handy.
Paradise Garden Grill
One of my other favorites is actually Paradise Garden Grill. Their menu rotates pretty heavily seasonally. But I can count on that place to have a quesadilla for my kids. So no matter what's on the menu, if it's something that's a little more Mediterranean or something that's leaning a little more Latino, depending on the time of year or the season or what they're trying to promote. They've got the case of the airfare for my kids. I'm happy about that.
Robyn:
Has some burger options. I hear the turkey club is pretty good. They have fried chicken, kind of like Plaza, but it's just not one of my favorites. I haven't had a lot of good luck there. And then Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta's kind of similar to Alien Pizza Planet. If you're looking for some pastas and salads, they have them there. But don't expect to have your taste buds tickled in an extraordinary way. You know, it's pasta and salad but nothing to write home about.
Celina:
It’s really not. And I will say if pasta is a must like you need to have some good pasta while you are at Disneyland. That's where you go table service as opposed to service quick service can probably answer every one of your other culinary needs. But not, not pasta.
Paradise Garden Grill
Robyn:
Yeah, so if you're Italian, don't go over there. Because you will be very sad. So there's lots of different options for quick serve. I think the biggest tips are to avoid Galactic Grill. I've never had a good meal there.
Celina:
No, never.
Robyn:
Maybe that something will change. But right now, I wouldn't recommend that there are a couple places that don't accept mobile order. But if you can mobile order early in the morning for lunch, and if you're going to eat at a popular time for dinner, try to mobile order for that, and then I think the last one would be, bring some snacks with you. And there are some things that are more shareable. If you really like pizza and hamburgers. There's nothing wrong with just having that in the parks. But there are a lot of other options that are really tasty and you can't get a few places else in the world.
Celina:
Try the Churros
This is true and we didn't talk about the churros which are must and no matter what people tell you. I don't know if you disagree with me on this Robyn. They're better than the churros in Disney World.
Robyn:
Well and they have some really fun ones now that you're like I've had a churro I don't need another churro they always have these seasonal ones where they have you know nutella on it or like you can search in ParkMagic for the churros. They have a whole bunch of different kinds and then the Dole Whip. I know that you might not want to be friends with me but I don't really love the dole whip.
Celina:
Dole Whips
I've heard you say that before, and I block it out every time because I just don't see how that's possible. In case you guys don't know what the Dole Whip is, it is an ice cream-like soft serve pineapple-flavored delight that you can find outside the Tiki Room. Or you can order it at the Tropical Hideaway in Disneyland. Delicious is also a couple of other pineapple options. You can get some pineapple juice, you can get Dole Whip float, which is the Dole Whip in pineapple juice, or you can just get, like, a pineapple spear if you need some fruit. If you really need a quick snack, there are fruit options. There are a few different fruit carts in both parts that come in handy for my toddlers on more than one occasion, grabbing some bananas.
Robyn:
Yeah. And people will be like, 'The fruit's so expensive.' I actually went to the CVS at the corner of Harbor and Katella. And the fruit was more expensive there than it was cold at some of the markets. So they have these little places where they have like ice chests, and they have pineapple, and pickles, and grapes, and stuff. They can be really great if you're like, I just need to have something, like, that my kid will eat and the pickles are really juicy and delicious.
Celina:
I'm not a Team Pickle, but they're very popular and, yeah, like you said, they have 'em on ice. So they're, they look like they're juicy and delicious and cold.
Robyn:
So I think those are the big things for quick serve. So, and you know, I think the biggest benefit to Quick Serve is it's less expensive and it will take a lot less time out of your day. You know, if you're gonna do like a sit-down dining, you probably should plan on one to two, sometimes up to three hours. I've gotten stuck at Blue Bayou before but for the most part, it's going to be like one and a half hours I would say on average.
Celina:
Yes, and the table service, if you really need to have that experience, can absolutely be done, but it's going to be a little bit of a chore. All of the table service restaurants are very highly themed because of course it is, it's Disneyland but for my kiddos who can be, you know, really they get sensory overload very quickly being somewhere like Blue Bayou where the lighting is dim. There's a lot of noise, there's boats going by, it's very, very crowded. It is not their favorite place and it's actually something that we're going to continue to skip until they get a little bit older. So if you have to do it, you can if it's like must you but it will be a challenge.
Robyn:
And right now, if you want to have an alcoholic beverage, sit-down dining is the only way to do it in Disneyland. There's so many options in California Adventure used to be just Blue Bayou and Oga’s Cantina. But now, Carnation Cafe, River Belle Terrace, and Cafe Orleans will be serving alcohol.
Celina:
I'm looking forward to that.
Robyn:
Lightning
Celina, let's go through a couple of lightning questions. What is your favorite attraction? Let's do Disneyland.
Celina:
Pirates of the Caribbean, hands down.
Robyn:
Oh, such a good one. But you do need to warn your littles that there's a drop, but then there's just one. And then what is your favorite quick service like menu item?
Celina:
My favorite quick service menu item is the Banyan Beef Skewer from Bengal Barbecue. It is a beef skewer with a spicy sauce that I have tried many times to replicate at home and have not been successful, but oh, it's so good. I will usually get, um, tiger tail breadsticks as my side just so I can mop up every drop of that sauce.
Robyn:
I had, you know, I had Bengal Barbecue for the first time with your mom, I think.
Celina:
That’s awesome.
Robyn:
And then what's your favorite meet and greet because your kids are in that prime meet and greet stage?
Celina:
They are, they are, I've got a classic Mickey Mouse. That's one of the things that I've always loved about Toontown that I'm glad that they've kept and the renovation is that that's the one place where you are guaranteed to have an interaction and a photo op with the face of the magic.
Robyn:
I'm going for the first time with a little that is just getting into Mickey and Minnie and so she was pretty excited to potentially. Going to Mickey and Minnie's house.
Celina:
I can't wait to get back there. It's been so long.
Robyn:
And then when people ask you for a tip for Disneyland, what is your like most important tip?
Celina:
Don't eat at Tomorrowland. No, truly I've been saying this. So my very first trip to Disneyland, I was about five years old. Been going annually since then. You guys, the food in Tomorrowland has not improved. It's not worth it guys. Don't do it.
Robyn:
If you wanted to look through the menus available at disneyland.com to kind of get an idea of what's available. If you're looking to kind of search those menus, go to parkmagic.com/picky Mickey. We have lots of searchable menus and you can filter by a lot of different things. And we hope that you have a magical day.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Park Magic podcast for more tips and planning tools designed to help simplify your Disneyland adventure, visit parkmagic.com. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to hear more tips, be sure to subscribe to the Park Magic podcast. And don't forget to leave us a review; your feedback helps us spread the magic even further. Leaving a review could also help you each month. We will be selecting one reviewer to win a one-hour planning session with Robyn. Winners will be announced at the end of the first episode of every month. Thanks for tuning in and remember that we are here to help you have a less stressful and more magical trip to Disneyland.
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