Reviewing the food and beverage options at the ‘happiest place on Earth’
By LORENA ALVAREZ — arts@theaggie.org
While Disneyland offers a nostalgic representation of childhood through its widely known art and characters, visiting the parks during the summer warmth can be more tiring than one might anticipate. The following are some beverages and foods that can make the humid and hot environment much more bearable.
Disneyland offers a wide range of drinks, from alcoholic beverages in Oga’s Cantina to cold brews and lemonade throughout the park.
When asked about his go-to spot at Disneyland, Richard Rivas, a visitor at the park, noted the Takodana Quencher, a dragon-berry rum pineapple drink from Oga’s Cantina.
“The Takodana Quencher has a very strong fruity flavor that I liked and didn’t taste
like alcohol at all,” Rivas said. “It tasted like a capri-sun at first, but the more you drank, the more you realize the aftertaste of the alcohol, which wasn’t bad at all and gave it a nice flavor in the end.”
While Oga’s Cantina offers beer, wine, seltzers and other alcoholic concoctions, they
are popular for their signature cocktails. Blogs ran by Disney enthusiasts such as This Fairytale Life, Disney in Your Day and Disney Wire have ranked the drinks from best to worst, with two out of the three listing The Outer Rim, a margarita, in their top two drinks.
“This has a lot of the elements of a traditional margarita, such as tequila and lime juice, but it also makes things more interesting by adding acai liqueur and ‘exotic fruit puree’ to make it a little more sweet,” reads a blog post by Disney in Your Day. “And don’t be alarmed by the black stuff on the rim – it’s just black salt.”
Some non-alcoholic caffeinated drinks offered this fall season are the Specialty Cold Brrr-ew, a sea salt caramel toffee coffee at Cafe Daisy and a Chimney Sweep Cold Brew at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. Cafe Daisy’s had a potent caffeine flavor that, when mixed, was not too sweet or bitter. The second option was creamier and caramelly. The smoked salted sugar on top added a unique texture, making it sweeter and memorable.
Jaylynn Velhagen-Dizon, an LA local and fourth-year English, cinema and theater major, commented on her favorite drinks and foods at the Disney parks.
“My favorite drinks are from the Joffrey cart in California Adventure. Pretty much any of their coffees are super good. I love a good corn dog from the firehouse cart,” Velhagen-Dizon stated. “Also, a new favorite of mine is the sunchoke and pistachio pesto pasta from Blue Bayou, which is one of the vegetarian options they have available there.”
While reservations can be made day of for both restaurants, Blue Bayou’s popularity requires that visitors book months ahead of time if they wish to secure reservations.
Its fame stems from its location — diners eat “inside the popular Pirates of the Caribbean ride,” according to Mickey Visit’s website.
Some of the items on the menu are market fish, filet mignon, roasted chicken and prime rib. Upon request, servers will provide their allergy menu, which offers fried calamari, surf & turf, gumbo, salads and many more options that take into account the top eight common allergens (gluten/wheat, dairy, egg, soy, peanut, tree but, fish and shellfish).
Although some restaurants require reservations, there are many options that have relatively short wait times. The Mint Julep bar offers Mickey-shaped beignets, featuring seasonal flavors like pumpkin-spiced beignets rolled in pumpkin-spiced sugar. This Halloween season, the Pooh Corner in Critter County is featuring Mickey pumpkin cake pops, Minnie Mouse as a witch, bat, skull and “hunny pot” apples. They also have Halloween-themed vanilla and chocolate fudge cupcakes.
There are also plenty of classic foods at the parks. Jacquelin Andrade, a SoCal local and UC Davis alumna, commented on their favorite sweet and savory foods.
“I think my favorite are the beignets. The turkey legs are also really good.”
The drumsticks are known for being “practically the size of [people’s] heads,” which can be found in Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Springs, Disneyland Resort and California Adventure. Additionally, popcorn and churros can be found throughout the parks. The parks feature their classic churros year-round, but they also incorporate seasonal options to make the parks more magical.
While the wide range of stands and restaurants can be overwhelming, many Disney enthusiasts have created Instagram accounts and websites explaining their must-haves and where they are located at the Disney parks, so visitors can enjoy their visit and indulge in the wide variety of food and drinks the park has to offer.
Written by: Lorena Alvarez — arts@theaggie.org
