Disneyland Restaurants

          This will be an ongoing restaurant review of Disneyland restaurants. I will rate all of the ones I have been to, and the ones I haven't, I will wait 'til I do.

Main Street U.S.A.:
Plaza Inn:
A simple buffet, with marble floors and friendly cooks, that hosts characters. Serving lunch and dinner with homestyle favorites, this restaurant is quiet and features outdoor seating as well as indoor. In my opinion, the indoor seating is better because you do get the specific feel to the restaurant, instead of sitting outside again, but if you eat outside, you might get pretty good seating for a parade, even though the little ones won't be able to "touch" the characters. Reservations are recommended, for it can get busy at times. An average adult price is around $15-$30, so a little more expensive, but affordable.

 

The outdoor seating isn't very popular.

 

Like I said, basics like pasta and chicken are served here.

 

New Orleans Square:

Blue Bayou Restaurant:
This dark, (romantic?), and in-attraction restaurant is probably more popular than it's worth. When you ride the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, you might think this is a nice, quiet, resturant that's all-that, but it really isn't. It's much louder than you might think, and isn't really worth going a second time unless your right next to the water. When your a little kid you always say, "I wanna go there! It's probably so cool!", and that's what I said, until I went. I mean, it's not as bad as I'm saying it is, beacuse I am mainly focusing on the negative here, but I wouldn't be sad if I missed it. You should go here once in your life though, just to say you have. This restaurant is known for it's famous Monte Cristo sandwich, which I have never tried. Yes! You absolutely NEED a reservation for this restaurant! It is so popular like I said above, and you'll need to sit a while anyway. There's no guarantee that your table will be ready when you get there for your reservation, for I had to sit maybe twenty minutes more after are "asked" reservation time. The food here is very expensive ranging from $30-$60 per adult.

 

This is mainly what the restaurant looks like from the inside.

 

The view from the water-side seats.

 

Frontierland:

Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante:

This "restaurante" nestled into Frontierland has sort-of an odd place in this park. A mexican-food place in Frontierland, features well, mexican food, soft drinks, and desserts. It is not a buffet, but almost a food court where you buy your food then sit down. A pretty average selection, but would go again. It is very inexpensive ($15 and under), so would probably be your cheapest selection in restaurants, not something like a food stand.

 

 

The ordering stations don't get very busy.

 

The seating area is dimly lit for a nice atmosphere.

 

This restaurant also includes a hidden mickey "halfway up a wooden support post neat the corner of a wall behind a condiment and napkin cart."

 

 

 The hidden mickey decribed above.

 

Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue:

You will smell the lucious meat and cornbread while walking by this restaurant. Many people don't realize that this is a restaurant, because it doesn't open until 11:30 for lunch (until 3:55), and from 4 til 8 for dinner. This place is marked "DON'T MISS!" on the park map, but honestly, if a more subtle evening environment is wanted (or needed), this is not the place to go. The food is to die for, and drinks are served in glass jars. Reservations are recommended during busy times in the year and adults are $25 while kids are $10. This is all you can eat, so take advantage of it! A show goes on during your dinner, but the kids will love it, and parents, well, can endure it. Kids can go up on the stage in some parts during the show. It it located in right next to the entrance to Fantasyland. Two hidden mickeys are in the ranch themselves, but I'm not sure they're visible from the dining area, for I've never seen them myself! One more thing, order an Arnold Palmer!

 

 

Served family-style, the food proves to be delicious.

 

Adventureland:

Tiki Juice Bar:

In my opinion, this is the best food you will ever have in Disneyland. Pineapple spears, pineapple ice cream, pineapple juice, and pineapple floats (pineapple ice cream and pineapple juice) are the food that's here. The spears are $2.99 (which is not worth it), the juice is $2.79 (cheaper than the spear?), the ice cream is $3.69 (which I would get even if it cost $20), and the floats are $5.19. I always get the ice cream, no matter what the circumstance. It was raining and I got ice cream at the Tiki Juice Bar. You must buy and/or try one of these delicious items.

 

This is a very accurate picture of what it looks like.

 

Tommorowland:

Redd Rockett's Pizza Port:

I haven't eaten here for real, but I have tasted a friend's food and been in the restaurant, so I believed that was enough to write a review. As far as I could tell, the food wasn't superior, but was great for kids, and the atmosphere was loud, but good enough to be relaxing to sit down. Just like Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante, you order your food at a counter and sit down (with the food) in a food-court-like fashion. The room is cutely "dressed" with blue walls and a sort-of "space" feel. You can sit in booths or there are "overflow" tables near the Space Mountain entrance and Captain EO attraction, which i would prefer considering not many people sit there if it isn't busy.

 

Like I said, it has a "spacey" feel.

This restaurant has a hidden mickey "on the middle right of a poster entitled 'Adventure Thru Inner Space.'"









 

Tomorrowland Terrace: 

This is a food court and the food is too overpriced for the taste. I've never eaten here, but my sister bought a burger here at about 10 because we didn't eat a proper dinner. She wasn't raving about it, but even if it was good, the burger cost $8.99...I believe too expensive for anyone's liking. There's not too much to say about the atmosphere, but it is outside, so a main murmur is heard. This is Disney, so everything is clean, which is of course appreciated.

This is a main look at the area.

This will conclude all the restuarants I have been to in Disneyland, and I will hopefully be adding reviews after my next trip!

 

Thanks to flickr,com, wordpress.com, disneyland.go.com, losito.net, toursdepartingdaily.com, wdwinfo.com, allears.net, yelp.com, wanderfly.com, findingmickey.squarespace.com, the Disneyland park map, and Disneyland Hidden Mickeys 2nd and 3rd Edition by Steven M. Barrett.

Hidden Mickeys

Hidden Mickeys are artistic mickeys that are found throughout the park. I thouroughly enjoy searching for these, but many can be hard to find. The Hidden Mickey Guide, by Steven M. Barrett, is the guide many people use for finding these little things. For each Hidden Mickey, he will include a clue, which should do the trick, and then hints, if you really can't find it.
An example: *Walk back to Fantasyland and queue up to ride Alice in Wonderland. Clue 87: On the ride, search for a classic Mickey in red paint. 4 points

If you get every mickey, you point total up and for how many points you get, you get bronze, silver, gold, or perfect score. A picture will sum this article up!

This is the mickey for the clue above.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

Thanks to flickr.com and Disneyland's Hidden Mickeys A Field Guide to Disneyland Resort's Best Kep Secrets 3rd Edition!

Things You Should Know the First Time to Disneyland

          This article will go into a little more depth about Disneyland. There are only going to be a few main topics, but you should know about them before departing. If you are visiting Disneyland for the first time, I would say to experience everything needed for a complete trip, takes about 4 days. There are 3 night-time shows in the parks, two in Disneyland and one in California Adventure. And on the day you aren't seeing a show, I would highly reccomend going on popular rides, for the line will be shorter. Rides that go high up in the air are perfect for fireworks because it looks beautiful for that view. For Disneyland fireworks, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Splash Mountain are perfect. Tower of Terror is in the other park, but you can still see fine. The two in Disneyland are called Fantasmic! and "Remember...Dreams Come True" Fireworks Spectacular, and the one in California Adventure is called World of Color.

The fireworks awe all ages.

 

Fantasmic! includes fire as well.

 

You walk away from World of Color saying, "Wow".

 

          Also, you obviously won't be able to go to every single restaurant on your first visit, so here are some you might want to try. Before I say anything else, if you have older kids (9 and up), DO NOT EAT LUNCH. Bring snacks, snacks, and more snacks if that is what fills you up. Snacks are allowed to bring into the park so whenever I go, I eat cheez-its, dried fruit, and crackers. The time and price just isn't worth it. But, if you do have little kids and wish to sit down and relax for about 15 minutes, eating is a good thing. Redd Rocket's Pizza Port in Tomorrowland is a great restaurant for the first time. They offer pizzas, pastas, and salads so mainly kid-friendly food. It isn't very expensive either, which is always a plus. Do not go to Carnation Cafe, at least on your first visit. My reasons (and hopefully yours) for eating in a restaurant at lunch would be to rest, and it is right smack on Main Street. It is so loud and it would just not be pleasant. From my sources I believe there is seating indoors, but mainly outdoors, and the doors are always open if indoors. A must-eat-at is the Tiki Juice Bar, right in the entrance to The Enchanted Tiki Room, and features pineapple spears, pineapple ice cream, and pineapple floats (pineapple juice and ice cream). You must get one of these items for I belive they are the tastiest in the park. In California Adventure, Award Weiners is a great place to just stop by and grab a hot dog, but there is nowhere to sit except for the street curb. Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill is where I eat every time I visit California Adventure, and is pretty tasty but I have had bad experiences with this place as well. The Cozy Cone Motel is the perfect place for junk food snacks, and Filmore's Taste-In is perfect for the healthy. Keep in mind that these are only restaurants (snack stands as well) in the parks, and there are many satisfying options in the Downtown Disney District.

          If you want to experience everything with little kids, and you move a little slowly, 4 days is approximately the amount that you will need.

          Fastpasses!!! Crazy things that let you cut in line for free that many people don't know about! At certain attractions, when you walk in, if you look up, there might be a sign that says "Fastpass Return". Signs vary, so here are a few examples. If they do have this sign, the ride has a fastpass.

 

 

You go to a machine looking like this (these also vary depending on the ride):

 



And stick your ticket into the machine and retrieve your fastpass. You may not have another fastpass in the park until the time is done on the fastpass you just recieved. If you don't understand anything I just said or don't know how to work the machines, just ask a cast member, and they'll be happy to help you. When the time comes to use your fastpass, it will say two times. You must use your fastpass between these times. Anywhere in between these times, you go to where the Fastpass Return sign is, and there will be a cast member there. They will either collect your fastpass or tell you to keep going. Soon you will find you are in a different line from everyone else, and you're going faster than everyone else, or "cutting" them. This is the fastpass line, or better yet, the fast line.
          Another great feature in the parks is rider switch. There's that scary ride the kids won't go on so darn, mom and dad can't go. Not anymore! At the entrance to the ride, ask a cast member for a rider switch pass. While one parent waits in line and goes on the ride, the other parent will supervise the kids. When the parent riding is done, they will give the other parents the pass, and they will be able to go through the fastpass line or the exit, not having to wait in line! Another similar feature is single rider. Go to the entrance and ask for a single rider pass. Go to the exit of the ride and you will wait to be called, and you will get to go on the ride, without the wait! Again, both of these features are only available on certain rides.
          This is a true fact. If you do not want to spend too much money on your first Disneyland trip, do not stay in the Disneyland Resort. The hotels are waaay too much money and not worth the price. Almost every time I visit Disneyland, I stay in the Embassy Suites, which includes a kitchenette, one bathroom, a fold out bed, and two double beds. It includes breakfast every morning and is still walking distance from the park. You can buy a bus pass, but if you're leaving the park at closing, the bus is late. Thanks for reading!

Thanks to disneyland.disney.go.com, images.familyvacationcritic.com, photos.kevitivity.com, insidethemagic.net, blog.disneygeek.com, 2.bp.blogspot.com, staticflickir.com, and wdwprepschool.com for some of this iformnation and pictures!

Disneyland Basics

          Disneyland Resort, Anaheim, CA, is said to be "the happiest place on earth." Only 13 miles from the John Wayne Airport in Orange County (SNA), and 35 miles from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is where this joyful place lies. According to Google Maps, it is anywhere from 43 to 51 minutes from Hollywood and 36 to 44 minutes from Downtown Los Angeles. Walt Disney hoped to make it a "source of joy and inspiration to all the world," and in my opinion, it has.
          It opened in 1955 with 22 rides (36 attractions), as opposed to March 2008 with 36 rides (55 attractions). The rides that have been in Disneyland since it first opened are the Storybook Land Canal Boats (which were then the Canal Boats of the World), Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo's Flying Elephants, Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventures (which then had no "scary"), Autopia, Mark Twain Riverboat, and Jungle Cruise. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was closed in 1966, as was changed into many themes before and after it was closed, but opened as Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage in 2007. California Adventure, Disneyland Anaheim's second park, opened in 2001. Disneyland and California Adventure are places that accommodate all ages. Rides range from It's a Small World to Splash Mountain and Matterhorn Bobsleds. There are eight "lands" in each park. In Disneyland, there is Main Street U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, Critter Country, New Orleans Square, Toontown, and Tomorrowland. Tommorrowland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, and Adventureland are based mainly on ages 8+, while Fantasyland, Critter Country, and Toontown are mainly for ages 3-7, but everyone can enjoy them. Main Street U.S.A. is for the folks that like to shop and take pictures, but there is also an educational attraction called "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." Parades are great for little kids (and their parents) when a break from walking is needed.
          In California Adventure, the "lands" are Buena Vista Street, Hollywood Land, "a bug's land," Cars Land, Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, Grizzly Peak, and Condor Flats. Buena Vista Street is like Main Street U.S.A., minus the attraction. Hollywood Land has major thrill rides, such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, but also have a Disney Junior Show. "a bug's land" is for little kids, and Pacific Wharf consists of no rides. Cars Land has mainly family rides. Grizzly Peak and Condor Flats each only have one ride, but both are for families. Paradise Pier everyone can have fun in. It has the only upside-down ride at Disneyland Anaheim, and also has The Little Mermaid-Ariel's Undersea Adventure, a ride that moves about 1 mile an hour and stops frequently. California Adventure's night life contains an AMAZING water show called World of Color. These are just some Disneyland basics, and I hope you enjoyed!

Thanks to yesterland.com, wikipedia.org, wiki.answers.com, the Disneyland Explorer App, and about.com for some of this information!

Hello!

Hi Everybody! I love to research tourist attractions and rate how good and how bad things turn out while your there. I mainly research theme parks, but really any tourist attraction interests me. I hope you enjoy my blog!