Things NOT to eat in the park??

[sendkeys]

In my view, do not eat anything that is store-bought and packaged unless it is made in the park or shipped in. It is not worth paying premium for mass produced items you can buy at Wal-Mart without the Mickey logo. If it says made in china on the back run away.

To me the piazza and burgers are not great but they are the cheapest thing in the park. Understanding this I am fine with it.

[Drince88]

That is why EVERYONE likes the Bengal Barbeque.

Not everyone. The couple of times I've tried it I've found it so salty that I have to drink a gallon of water to recover. I don't try any more.

[codewoman]

Another vote not to eat the burgers. I got sick on one Grad Night 1978 (and I wasn't even drinking, though everyone thought I was because I got sick so my street cred went up). Every time I've tried any Disney burger (any place in Disney) it has tasted blah.

Also, the turkey legs. I had heard so much about them and got one. Didn't want to waste my money but, yuck! It tasted like salt. Took several bites in several different areas (thinking it might have been over seasoned in one or two areas). Nope, yucky all over. That was it, into the trash.

Had I known what the contents of the Dole Whip were, I would have just ordered the juice, I will now!

Have had one churro. Yuck. I guess they're good when they're hot. But I don't want to take the chance. There's too much at Disney I crave.

[wvnative]

We don't do the Pizza Port. We don't care much for pasta and we both think their pizza is just a hint above awful. Of course, pizza is my favorite food so I'm a bit picky, lol. We thought Pizza Oom Mau Mau was AWFUL!

We're not fans of turkey legs either. I'm sure they taste fine but they just gross me out.

The last Mickey shaped soft pretzel I had left alot to be disired too. It was a little cold and dry.

I've honestly never had a mint julep as I'm not a fan of mint.

We've done the dole whip once. That was enough. It wasn't bad per say, but there are other things I'd rather spend my money on.

That said, I do like the churros. They are the perfect size to share with the kid. They were $3 when we were there in March. We shared one in Costco over the weekend and it was decent enough to hold us over but it was twisted and more difficult to eat. I enjoyed the Pommes Frittes too even though they weren't quite what I was expecting.

We really do try to eat hte same kinds of thigns when we travel that we do at home. The only exception is a corn dog from the red cart. We don't eat corn dogs at home but we always have one from the red cart when we go to the park.

[mechurchlady]

Pineapple Dole Whip is about 20% sugar and I put spoiler on the list below.
Sugar, Dextrose, Pineapple Juice Concentrate, Coconut Oil*, Stabilizers (Cellulose, Xanthan Gum, Locust Bean, Karaya Gum, Pectin), Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking), Corn Syrup Solids, Citric Acid, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk Derivative), Artificial Flavor, Potassium & Sodium Phosphate, Mono & Diglycerides, Artificial Color (Yellow 5 & 6), Soy Lecithin.

[fairestoneofall]

About the churros, how much do they cost, and how do they compare to the churros at Costco? Those sell for $1 plus tax. The ones at Sea World are $3 and not as good as the ones at Costco.
I'm probably going to get blasted here, but I think Co$tco churros dance circles around DL ones. That being said, there is just something special about eating a churro while walking through the park.


I appreciate this thread - it confirms what I have been feeling this weekend as I try to finalize our meal plans for our trip next week - the food at DLR is just not great. (Napa Rose excluded, of course). I am having a devil of a time figuring out where to go for dinner with my healthy eating mom and the rest of my family next sunday night that won't cost too much. I am open to suggestions.


My vote is stick to the table service options. We really enjoy the Carnation Cafe and think that the dollar value for the food you get is quite good. We also like Cafe Orleans. That's about it for DL though. In DCA we always eat at Wine Country Trattoria(healty options) or the Cove Bar(not healthy). Both places have good food and are a great value. One word of warning, however, we've had slow service at the Cove Bar a couple of times so I wouldn't go there if in a hurry.

[cstephens]

Joe's Taqueria

It's the taqueria at Tortilla Jo's. There's no "e" as Jo is short for Joachim. He's not hispanic.



I think that like the "what's your favorite ride/food/whatever" questions, pretty much everything is going to have people who love them and people who hate them.

I happen to like the turkey legs, and tendons and such are pretty run-of-the-mill for me. However, the turkey legs can be a little tough at times. I ended up having a turkey leg for lunch on Saturday at D23, and the turkey leg was the moistest I've ever had - the meat was falling off the bone pretty easily. The husband said it was probably because the legs were more recently cooked and kept under a covered dish which would have kept the juices in more, rather than being kept in an aluminum foil bag and kept warm for hours.

[Bob Weaver]

Maybe they could convert the Tahitian Terrace/Aladdin's Oasis place to the "Caveman Cafe" and allow the turkey legs to be eaten there and only there.

[quackinup]

We don't do the Pizza Port. We don't care much for pasta and we both think their pizza is just a hint above awful.

Thank you! I saw several people in another thread listing the pizza there as one of the best things in the park. I thought it was just me. Of course there was a time when I ordered Dominos frequently, these days I refuse it even if it's offered to me for free. Nasty stuff.

[CariBelle]

The one time I tried a Mint Julep I actually took it back to the counter and asked for something else, it was THAT bad. I honestly thought their mix was off and just wanted to inform the CM but he said "Yeah, they always taste like mouthwash" and replaced it with a Diet Coke for me.

I only eat the kid's burgers from Taste Pilots, yes I know they are the same as the other burgers, but there I can add BBQ sauce and pickels!

[Spookygirl]

This is a great thread!! I appreciate everyone's input ;)

Though I have to say, you could tell me Dole Whips contains grease from the wheels of the Doombuggies and I'd still eat it :D

[disneylandgirl]

WOW, so much negative comments about Disneyland food!!! I don't know what everyone is complaining about. I LOVE pretty much ALL the food in the park!

Blue Bayou - my absolute favorite place to eat, ANYWHERE. And so what if the ice cream is the same as what you can buy at the store, you're at DISNEYLAND!! Be happy!

I was just telling my dad on Saturday that the two things I MUST have every time I'm at DL, are a Dole Whip (YUM!!) and a Mint Julep. Yep! I freakin LOVE those things! They taste minty, limey, almost like a mountain dew, but sweeter. I don't know... I just really love them. :p

And the burgers? They aren't that bad! I love eating at Hungry Bear. Of course, I always did like the hamburgers in the cafateria... I know, I'm weird. LOL. And I like the pizza in the park. The churros are abslolutely FABULOUS. I've never tried the turkey legs, just because I would be too grossed out to eat one. But I'm sure lots of people love them. and the Ice cream is always yummy. Wine Country Trattoria is awesome. Bengal BBQ is even awesomer! And the pretzels are delicious... I even like the cream cheese filled kind!

When I'm at DL, I'm on VACATION. I want to eat the greasy, fatty, and sugary foods, that's what you do on vacation! The food is one of the reasons I GO to DL. So I'm protesting all you people that have issues with the food at Disneyland. ;)

[Malcon10t]

We decided that each trip we need to try a new place. We end up eating at our favorites each time and not trying new places.

I think we will try Storytellers next trip.

[Andrew]

I'm probably going to get blasted here, but I think Co$tco churros dance circles around DL ones. That being said, there is just something special about eating a churro while walking through the park.
You might be surprised to learn that Disneyland uses the same brand as Costco: Tio Pepe's (http://www.jjsnackfoodservice.com/). The difference might well be that the Disneyland churros are held in the cart too long and start getting stale.

[fairestoneofall]

You might be surprised to learn that Disneyland uses the same brand as Costco: Tio Pepe's (http://www.jjsnackfoodservice.com/). The difference might well be that the Disneyland churros are held in the cart too long and start getting stale.

Interesting. They aren't the same churro though, as Co$tco's churros are double twisted. But, you're probably right about having to sit in the cart ad get stale. For the record, I don't DISLIKE Disneyland churros, I like them very much.

[CindyR]

I think Disneyland food is a lot of preference, you're always going to get very mixed reactions on items. It is also a quality issue, I mean if you usually eat fast food/ generic items, most stuff will probably be alright for you, if you tend to prefer eating at higher end restaurants, you will most certainly have a problem with a lot of Disneyland's offerings. I go probably once a week and will admit I do get sick of food there.

I don't like the hamburgers for the most part. If you can get a fresh, hot hamburger from Taste Pilot's Grill they can be fairly good, but Village Haus usually serves them just slightly warm. And Tomorrowland Terrace is horrendous, whenever I buy them there they seem to be completely cold. Everytime.

I couldn't do the mint julep either. I felt like I was swallowing liquid gum. I took maybe two sips, and then asked the waiter (we were at Cafe Orleans) if I could have a Coke instead. He was nice enough not to charge me for the mint julep.

The popcorn: I love the way it smells, hate the way it tastes. It just seems really dry to me, which may be a reflection of how unhealthy I like my popcorn. I do like the caramel corn however.

I love the soft Mickey shaped pretzels but last time I got one it was really dry and cold. My suggestion: get one from Coke Corner on main street and skip the carts.

I think the suggestion on trying new places is a good one, I like to try new items, my best friend- not so much. However, he's okay with cold hamburgers and I'm not. So, every once in a while I insist on trying new places. One good result of this was finding out the chicken kid's meal at French Market was something we both liked, and was really a lot of food for the price.

[racccoon]

I do not eat the turkey legs. I heard that there is enough sodium in one leg for your entire daily allowance of salt. At the same time, I am sure all the food we eat in the park has high sodium content.

[Drince88]

And just because of the proximity of the threads right now --- I don't think I'd recommend eating the crawfish at Disneyland right now. They're quite a bit out of season... :D

[leota's necklace]

I have to agree with a lot of the choices here.

Mint Juleps. Gah. No one warned me beforehand. Never again.

Also agreed on the burgers, though if I am dying for one the toppings bar over at Taste Pilot's helps jazz things up a little.

I had the blandest chicken Caesar salad of my life -- and I eat a lot of takeout Caesar salads sans dressing -- at the Trattoria in DCA. It was bad enough that I've never wanted to go back to try anything else.

Having grown up in the Sonoran desert, I refuse to even approach the chimis from the carts. No, no, no. Same with the occasionally-available tamales. Tamales are to be eaten the morning they are made (after you've spent several hours spreading masa and folding ojas), fresh out of the steamer, with warm, fresh tortillas, a side of additional chile filling, and a fried egg on top. And then you are supposed to nap off the food coma for a couple hours.

I have only had one failure at Catal, and that was a desperately salty paella. Everything else has been stellar.

[saucydiva]

We loathe the pizza (it's all bread) and those chimichangas are gross (congealed whatever-that-is-that's-inside-it). And the gumbo in a bowl often seems like a good idea on a chilly evening, but it is always a letdown.

We love the Cafe Orleans ratatouille on grilled polenta and the corn dog cart. And I think the sandwiches and side salads at the revamped River Belle Terrace are a good value.

[The old man]

Speaking of the mint julip at the Mint Julip Bar, here's my review of the fritters from the MP Review area:

My daughter and I split an order of fritters with the trio of "fruit dipping sauces." The fritters had a cold dried out exterior and a barely cooked interior--inedible. The "fruit sauces" all tasted like over-sugared apple sauce. There was just no way we could eat more than a bite. A disappointingly total waste of money.

As for the Mint Juleps--I've always been afraid to try them. Perhaps they're a perfect match for the fritters?!

[Jim Dear and Darling]

My list:

I think mint juleps are absolutely disgusting.

The famous monte cristo tastes like nothing but deep fried batter to me. Gross.

The burgers might be the same everywhere, but the ones at Taste Pilot's Grill do taste better, IMO. I don't know if they are more fresh, or what.

Not a fan of the Bengal BBQ skewers.

The rice crispie treats taste like the pre-packaged kind you buy in the granola bar aisle at the grocery store. Yuck.

Overall, I'm not a huge fan of most of the food in the park. Plenty of it is fine to eat, but very little of it is to die for, IMO. I eat most of my meals in DTD and at Mimi's.

[fairestoneofall]

I had the blandest chicken Caesar salad of my life -- and I eat a lot of takeout Caesar salads sans dressing -- at the Trattoria in DCA. It was bad enough that I've never wanted to go back to try anything else.


I'm sorry to hear that. I love their pizzetta salad as well as the other salad they have. It's not the caesar, but the name escapes me. DH loves the paninis there and the kids love the grilled cheese.

[Jodi]

I've got to agree about the turkey legs and the fritters.

I have to look away from anyone with a turkey leg. I can't even look at them.

After reading on a thread a while back about how good the fritters in NOS were, I ordered some. I took a bite of one, my mom took a bite of another, everything else went in the trash. NASTY!!

The pizza at Pizza Port looks and smells good, but the taste doesn't live up. Their Chinese Chicken salad is really good though. I love the dressing.

I must admit, I used to enjoy the food at DL more, but then I went to WDW, where the food is much better and there is much more variety, and food-wise, DL doesn't live up.

[mechurchlady]

I like my burgers with lettuce, tomato, pickles on one side and on the meat mustard and ketchup so that makes Taste Pilot's Grill so special. Village Haus is packaged condiments, optional bacon and cheese, and a lettuce wrap/no bun. I love onions and want them on my burgers.

One thing lacking at the parks it toppings. I want mustard, relish and onions but do love a chicago dog. I miss onions on hot dogs so much.

I try to try new places but like last night I was in a cussing mood so I had to be fed. I headed to Taste Pilot Grill and then parked up at Blue Sky Cellar with a happy tummy. Comfort Food should be a new thread title.

I think one thing for me is that I am used to fresh tamales. If you are used to fresh food and get something that has been speed cooked like Village Haus burgers or has added stuff like the tamales then you are going to be disappointed. I am used to fresh hot juicy burgers at home and the burgers at In n Out. I would expect an Asian place to meet at least the quality of Yoshinoya for example.

I eat Dryers ice cream at home and know it is safe to eat. I trust their brand and know that my super deluxe sundae is just Dryers but it is still yummy and special. What would you replace Dryer's with? Blue Bunny or Bryer's? Maybe some commercial wholesale ice cream? I am very happy with DLR sundaes.