Disneyland is chock full of memorable attractions and experiences. From fantastic rides to breathtaking shows, the resort has plenty to offer. One of Disneyland’s best offerings, of course, is the food!
Disneyland offers many different types of food options ranging from food carts to quick service to fancy sit-down dining. The amount of choices can honestly be overwhelming. Magic Key Passholders have their favorite spots, certain restaurants are more alluring to tourists, and sometimes a quick cart option is the simplest solution. With all that said, there are a few restaurants that Disneyland Experts circle on their itinerary.
We’re not talking about the best restaurants (although some of these qualify) or the hardest-to-find restaurants (some of these ALSO qualify) — we’re talking about SPECIAL restaurants that every Disneyland expert knows about and tries to eat at, at least once.
These restaurants require a bit of research, often require a reservation, and sometimes a bit of luck to eat at. It’s also worth noting that the following are just some of our favorites — Disneyland has a ton of hidden gems that Passholders and our reporters frequent, but the ones listed below are the cream of the crop. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Blue Bayou
If you’ve ever ridden Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, you’ve no doubt seen this restaurant. If you look to your right after embarking from the loading dock, you’ll see several happy Disneylanders enjoying fine dining cuisine underneath the bayou night sky. The Blue Bayou is Disneyland’s premier Cajun restaurant located right within the Pirates of the Caribbean rides.
Despite its interior elegance, the restaurant can be slightly difficult to find, as it is saddled near the back of New Orleans Square. Still, this restaurant is incredibly popular, and grabbing tables can be difficult. Tourists and locals flock to the restaurant and even celebrities can be spotted from time to time (one of our reporters sat next to James Corden recently). In our experience, we have had a lot of luck with walk-ups especially when our party was on the smaller side.
The menu is composed of fantastic Cajun cuisine, both of the land and sea, and the restaurant offers a romantic bayou atmosphere that makes it a wonderful option for adults and couples. The restaurant also has a kid’s menu and the boats riding by are very entertaining so dining here is absolutely fun for the whole family.
Blue Bayou Restaurant
Services: Table Service
Cafe Orleans
If you want some of that French Quarter flair with less of a hassle, Cafe Orleans is a great option. Cafe Orleans has similar food options to Blue Bayou, but with a smaller price tag.
The restaurant can be found in New Orleans Square and offers both indoor and outdoor seating (we recommend outdoor during the summer months as it can get stuffy inside). Cafe Orleans does take reservations as well as waitlist walk-ups and offers charming views of the Rivers of America. It also boasts the original espresso machine that made Walt Disney his favorite brew!
If you make your way there in the near future, be sure to try out the Haunted Mansion Inspired Prix Fixe! The three-course meal includes your choice of gumbo soup or spinach artichoke hummus, a wide variety of entrées, a dessert, and a nonalcoholic beverage.
Cafe Orleans Restaurant
Services: Table Service
Club 33
Ok, so Club 33 comes with a bit of a caveat — eating here without celebrity status, the ability to write a FAT check, and/or any kind of VIP perk is nearly impossible. The experts all know about this location, but few are lucky enough to ever experience it.
Sitting on Royal Street in New Orleans Square (another New Orleans Square highlight), Club 33 is a throwback to Walt Disney and his wife Lillian’s adventures around the world. The reception even holds Lillian’s harpsichord! The club features a large atrium called the Court of Angels and a staircase that leads to the Salon Nouveau or Le Grande Salon.
At the salons, you’ll find expensive appetizers, entrées, and alcoholic beverages, as well as prix-fixe menus with completely upscale selections such as diver scallops and steak tartare.
The club is furnished with a few Disney film props, including a walnut table from Mary Poppins, as well as some other Disney Easter eggs. Seeing these pieces of history or the club itself will be tricky, however, as you will need to be ready to drop a small fortune or know a current member.
Plaza Inn
You can find a delightful buffet on Main Street, U.S.A. over at Plaza Inn! If you’re looking for a quintessential Disney dining experience that doesn’t make your wallet cry, this restaurant may be the choice for you.
One of Walt’s favorite places to eat and as old as the park itself, Plaza Inn is a go-to spot that serves specialty chicken dinners, decadent desserts, and delicious breakfasts!
The “Minnie & Friends – Breakfast in the Park,” is a popular all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast that comes with made-to-order omelets, Mickey waffles, French toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, breakfast potatoes, pastries, breads, fruit, and hot and cold cereals. If you plan on rope-dropping or getting to the park even earlier, Plaza Inn would be a great spot for breakfast.
Plaza Inn is also a character dining experience and the ONLY ONE at the Disneyland park. Keep in mind that the character lineup is subject to change without notice and that the experience only happens during the breakfast service.
Plaza Inn Restaurant
Services: Quick Service , Buffet/All You Care to Eat
Bengal Barbecue
The purest quick service option on this list, Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland is not a well-kept secret. One of the more popular quick-service locations in the park, this restaurant often has lines that stretch pretty close to New Orleans Square and pickup times that go well beyond the time a mobile order was placed. Still, there is justification for this kind of demand.
Disneyland doesn’t offer a huge variety of easily accessible exotic and refined food throughout the park that doesn’t require a sit-down. Bengal Barbecue checks that box. Serving tasty jungle skewers, this quick-service stand is great if you’re on the go and want a tasty meal to hold you over.
Bengal Barbecue serves sweet and spicy beef, chicken, bacon-wrapped asparagus, or fresh vegetable skewers as well as rice bowls, breadsticks, hummus plates, fruit, and an assortment of beverages and seasonal items.
If the line is ever short, you absolutely MUST try this stand as it is head and shoulders above most other quick-service stands in the park!
Bengal Barbecue Restaurant
Services: Quick Service
These are just some of our favorite “expert-approved” restaurants inside Disneyland. Give them a try and let us know what you think! In the meantime, be sure to follow us at AllEars for all the latest Disneyland news!
Which Disneyland restaurants did we forget? Let us know!
Two restaurants that serve good food, require no reservations, and don’t require a lot of waiting time are Rancho Del Zocalo in Frontierland and Alien Pizza Planet in Tomorrowland. If you want to maximize your touring time, these are the places to eat.