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View Full Version : Spending Christmas Day at Disneyland-- Where to eat?



RedwoodMaiTai
07-06-2006, 08:30 AM
My family and I are planning to spend Dec. 23-27 at Disneyland Resort. We will be staying at the Grand Californian. Does anyone know if they offer any special buffets or dinners to celebrate the holiday?

Any other ideas on where to eat to celebrate the holidays at DLR? Napa Rose isn't an option for us as we all tend to be very picky eaters!

tod
07-06-2006, 08:47 AM
My family and I are planning to spend Dec. 23-27 at Disneyland Resort. We will be staying at the Grand Californian. Does anyone know if they offer any special buffets or dinners to celebrate the holiday?

Any other ideas on where to eat to celebrate the holidays at DLR? Napa Rose isn't an option for us as we all tend to be very picky eaters!

Wow. If Napa Rose isn't good enough for you, you must be picky eaters!

I would recommend Storyteller's, because the food is good and they often give a choice of buffet or off-the-menu dining.

--t

mystycalchyk
07-06-2006, 08:50 AM
We always eat Christmas dinner at the Blue Bayou.

mad4mky
07-06-2006, 10:51 AM
We ate Christmas dinner at the Blue Bayou a year ago.

They usually have a special menu for the holiday. The Christmas dinner special they had was 'Beef Wellington'.:)

I still had prime rib though.:D

HTanner
07-06-2006, 11:03 AM
We were there this year from 12/23-26. It was a lot of fun - crowded, but fun. We ate at Goofy's Kitchen on Christmas Eve. The food was decent - a lot of variety. The kids LOVED it. It was *very* expensive, though (imo - for a buffet, for four adults, I paid almost $200.)

On Christmas, we ate at Blue Bayou. They had a special menu. It was a lot of fun. Very nice. I don't recall how much it was since my in-laws paid.

I don't like being away from home on Christmas, but it was our turn to visit the in-laws and we all decided that, since we had to travel anyhow, why not travel to Disneyland and give the kids a nice holiday? It was really, really fun.

pisces
07-06-2006, 12:19 PM
Wow. If Napa Rose isn't good enough for you, you must be picky eaters!

I would recommend Storyteller's, because the food is good and they often give a choice of buffet or off-the-menu dining.

--t
I'll be there at almost the exact same time, with the same concerns: Not having a clue where to eat over Christmas.

I've wanted to eat at Napa Rose, and expecially around Holiday time.....however......


The thing with Napa Rose, is that nothing on their menu grabs me. Oh, I could probably eat their food if forced......but that's not the right frame of mind when you are spending all that money.

The entrees have to at least look appealing to me on paper....and nothing I've ever seen on Napa Rose's menu has ever drawn me in.

Granvilles looks more like the type of food I'm accustomed to---more along my style.

For me it's not about being picky, it's more like finicky. I don't like mushrooms, or olives. The Napa Rose menu just seems like they put together strange combinations.

Something to think about: Be careful about the special buffets they've got going for Christmas/Christmas Eve.

The main buffet in the Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel seemed too large and impersonal for me, going by last year's press release.

I like something just a little more intimate.

As for Storytellers, Storytellers doesn't have their regular buffet menu on the holidays...the actual day of. I was at Storytellers for their buffet on New Years , and it was completely different---none of the regular Nebraska Corn chowder soup, or the good pasta etc..

I think Storytellers does a better job with their regular non-Holiday buffet dinners. But, you might feel different.

Me? I'll probably end up doing the Plaza Inn Breakfast both Christmas Eve and Christmas Mornings.....and then getting take-out, either House of Blues, or somewhere else....to eat off the balcony for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners!

pisces
07-06-2006, 12:25 PM
ooops

cyberRoo
07-06-2006, 12:33 PM
Many of the Downtown Disney restaurants also serve special menus, or at least special dishes for the holidays, as well. Catal generally offers a pretty traditional selection, as does Brennan's. They may provide the right combination of festivity and intimacy...

pisces
07-06-2006, 12:38 PM
Many of the Downtown Disney restaurants also serve special menus, or at least special dishes for the holidays, as well. Catal generally offers a pretty traditional selection, as does Brennan's. They may provide the right combination of festivity and intimacy...

Do they have take-out?

I'll want to utilize that wonderful GCH Balcony that I'm paying dearly for.

Of course if the weather's foul, or it's raining......I don't think it's rained on Christmas Eve, or Christmas, in the last two years.

It's rained on New Years Eve the last 4 years consecutively :eek: !!!

stan4d_steph
07-06-2006, 12:45 PM
My family and I are planning to spend Dec. 23-27 at Disneyland Resort. We will be staying at the Grand Californian. Does anyone know if they offer any special buffets or dinners to celebrate the holiday? To get an idea of what kind of special dining may be available, here's the link to last year's offerings (http://www.mouseplanet.com/more/mm051104avp.htm).

tod
07-06-2006, 12:52 PM
One Thanksgiving we found ourselves at Disneyland and facing 90-to-120 minute waits at the Disney restaurants when one of us remembered that House of Blues has a fine restaurant and, as it happened, only a 20-minute wait.

We sat outside under the heaters and had an excellent Cajun repast.

Thanks for reminding me.

--t

pisces
07-06-2006, 01:07 PM
Actually, I don't know if House of Blues is open on Christmas/Christmas Eve, many places arent.

Nevertheless, here's House of Blues regular menu:

http://www.hob.com/venues/clubvenues/anaheim/dining.asp

I don't know how much of a change they have for Christmas, if they are even open; but just the regular menu looks really fun.

Doesn't say take-out, but I can't imagine they wouldn't if asked.

The Lovely Mrs. tod
07-06-2006, 02:31 PM
HOB serves the regular menu on holidays and adds a special or two, usually roast turkey is one of them.

I don't know of ANY restaurants in the resort that close on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day...it's a HUGE day for them.

One of the best Thanksgiving meals we had was at Goofy's, BTW. Absolutely crazy hilarious. Christmas dinner there was more subdued. But $200 for four adults at Goofy's? We usually end up paying about $120 for four. I'm wondering if that wasn't some sort of "annex" to that holiday buffet they run in the ballroom...that's runs about $50 a person as I remember...

-TLMt

RedwoodMaiTai
07-06-2006, 02:43 PM
Pices......that is exactly the problem my husband and I have with Napa Rose. The restaurant appears to be a perfectly lovely setting for a meal, but we cannot find anything on the menu that sounds appealing to us. To be honest, I don't even know what some of their ingredients are!!

It is not that the Napa Rose isn't good enough for us, don't get me wrong, we just prefer a more normal type of food.

Thank you for all your suggestions everyone! You have all been tremendously helpful! :)

The Lovely Mrs. tod
07-06-2006, 05:00 PM
Pices......that is exactly the problem my husband and I have with Napa Rose. The restaurant appears to be a perfectly lovely setting for a meal, but we cannot find anything on the menu that sounds appealing to us. To be honest, I don't even know what some of their ingredients are!!

It is not that the Napa Rose isn't good enough for us, don't get me wrong, we just prefer a more normal type of food.

Thank you for all your suggestions everyone! You have all been tremendously helpful! :)
Normal? Palate of the taster, I guess. All fresh, natural foods there, I've cooked in that kitchen and I've seen the supplies.

The food is worth every penny. Not saying you should go there, just saying don't dismiss something out of hand like that is all.

-TLMt

pisces
07-06-2006, 05:47 PM
Pices......that is exactly the problem my husband and I have with Napa Rose. The restaurant appears to be a perfectly lovely setting for a meal, but we cannot find anything on the menu that sounds appealing to us. To be honest, I don't even know what some of their ingredients are!!

It is not that the Napa Rose isn't good enough for us, don't get me wrong, we just prefer a more normal type of food.

Thank you for all your suggestions everyone! You have all been tremendously helpful! :)


Oh I'm so glad. Well, I'm not glad....but I thought I was the only one who didn't care for Napa Rose's food.

I know everybody on this site, especially, raves about them; and, I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me for not liking it!

Hey Redwood: Are you gonna have a tree in the room?

cstephens
07-06-2006, 05:57 PM
Normal? Palate of the taster, I guess. All fresh, natural foods there, I've cooked in that kitchen and I've seen the supplies.

I have some friends who also like more "normal" foods, but they still like Napa Rose. Yep, Napa has lots of more unusual dishes, but they still make a great steak, and they're willing to accommodate any allergies/preferences, which is always a plus.

I've been telling my husband it's been a while since we've been...

BTW, TLMT - a friend of a friend also did the Napa cooking school. I haven't had a chance to read her comments or look at her pictures, but I'm told she loved it as much as you did. I sent a link to your post about the cooking class to a friend to send to her (since her class was after yours), and she was so looking forward to it after reading your comments, and apparently, the experience itself didn't disappoint.


OK, back on topic - If I were going to have Christmas at the resort, it would definitely be either Napa Rose or Catal for me. I'd consider Granville's or Hook's Pointe, but they're both basically just steakhouse/seafood places, so that wouldn't interest me as much.

stan4d_steph
07-07-2006, 05:33 AM
Life's too short; try some new food. If you don't know what it is, ask.

RedwoodMaiTai
07-07-2006, 07:20 AM
Normal? Palate of the taster, I guess. All fresh, natural foods there, I've cooked in that kitchen and I've seen the supplies.

The food is worth every penny. Not saying you should go there, just saying don't dismiss something out of hand like that is all.

-TLMt

OK......Maybe "normal" was a bad choice to describe our food tastes! We are just ultra-picky, ultra-finicky eaters. I have been this way since I was a child.......I never thought in a million years that I would find a husband who was even pickier than I...........my finicky eating has been a bone of contention in previous relationships for me......I guess there really is someone for everyone!

We do not eat onions, sauces, many vegetables.....so Napa has never been an option for us. I am not trying to dismiss Napa.......I wish I could eat something on their menu.......I just can't.

Picses.......I never knew you could have trees in the room. Do I call vacation planning to request this???

cstephens
07-07-2006, 07:24 AM
We do not eat onions, sauces, many vegetables.....so Napa has never been an option for us. I am not trying to dismiss Napa.......I wish I could eat something on their menu.......I just can't.

Not to try to talk you into going to Napa, and it's perfectly ok if you're not interested, but just wanted to let you know that it may not be a matter of "can't". Napa is very willing to accommodate any allergies and preferences. The only time they wouldn't be able to is if they have a side dish that already has a sauce or marinade or something in it, but other than that, they're really good at working with people. Just fyi.

pisces
07-07-2006, 11:49 AM
I never knew.....Trees in the room ???

Yes, just call Vacation Planning, or you can try to email them......But I'd Call...later on in the year!

Their number is on the back of your hotel confirmation.

Again, I think it's too early to order. I doubt they'd have any information, or prices until it gets closer to the Holidays.

Also, don't forget the special stockings, filled with Disney goodies...which are a separate thing from the tree, I believe.

Maybe try in October?

Meanwhile, here are pictures of the tree and stockings they set up in your room, upon request:

http://static.flickr.com/56/132448113_58b9c37b3f.jpg?v=0

and, of course the stockings:

http://static.flickr.com/49/132448112_e29c8e959a.jpg?v=0

infinite
07-07-2006, 12:23 PM
Are those cookies I see on the tree?

The Lovely Mrs. tod
07-07-2006, 01:11 PM
Not to try to talk you into going to Napa, and it's perfectly ok if you're not interested, but just wanted to let you know that it may not be a matter of "can't". Napa is very willing to accommodate any allergies and preferences. The only time they wouldn't be able to is if they have a side dish that already has a sauce or marinade or something in it, but other than that, they're really good at working with people. Just fyi.
Yep. And if you are lucky enough to get a seat at the "bar" the chefs will chat with you about your particular likes, dislikes, allergies, if any...and you just may get the custom prepped dinner of your life. If you're lucky shortribs will be on the menu. Tell 'em to serve the sauce on the side...

My mother raised me on a total meat and potatoes midwestern diet. It was years before I "branched out". In fact, I made enchiladas for dinner once and my mother asked "can't we ever have normal, American food?" :rolleyes: So I sort of know how you feel. It's only in the last year I had my first Oyster shooter (a small piece of heaven!), I've come late to seafood, sushi, and many fresh vegetables. Which may be why I'm so obsessed with food and cooking, there's no preacher like a convert ;)

BTW...I do NOT eat raw onions. Do. Not. Never have. Never will. Period. Cucumbers are a close second there (well, not quite the same, I like them, they have NO use for me, if you get my drift...). Never had a problem anywhere in the resort. No onions? No problem. :D

-TLMt

HTanner
07-07-2006, 02:34 PM
HOB serves the regular menu on holidays and adds a special or two, usually roast turkey is one of them.

I don't know of ANY restaurants in the resort that close on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day...it's a HUGE day for them.

One of the best Thanksgiving meals we had was at Goofy's, BTW. Absolutely crazy hilarious. Christmas dinner there was more subdued. But $200 for four adults at Goofy's? We usually end up paying about $120 for four. I'm wondering if that wasn't some sort of "annex" to that holiday buffet they run in the ballroom...that's runs about $50 a person as I remember...

-TLMt


Yeah, I don't remember - I just was so surprised when she said the total was "$189" or somewhere around there. I'm thinking - for a freaking buffet? ANd believe me, I'm not one to stress too much about that stuff for a special occassion...