14 Secrets Disney Has Revealed About Their Food

Who doesn’t love a good Disney secret?

When it comes to Disney Parks secrets, we can’t get enough of them! From secret clubs to secret menu items, the Disney Parks have so many Easter eggs and hidden gems that knowing about them is a special privilege. If you’re like us and obsess over the Disney Parks, then you have to check out these Disney park food secrets that Disney recently shared!

Behind the Attraction is a series that takes deep dives into Disney Parks and their attractions’ histories. The series is streaming on Disney+ and recently dropped its second season in November. The season contained an episode titled “The Food” that took a closer look at some iconic Disney treats, and we compiled some of the secrets that were shared! Let’s check them out!

SECRET RECIPE LAB

During the episode, Disney Imagineer Scott Trowbridge talked about how Disney has a secret recipe lab at Walt Disney World. Called the Flavor Lab, this lab has an undisclosed address and holds a lot of secret projects.

The projects can get so secretive that chefs at the lab don’t know about all the projects being conducted. Here, collaborators come up with food, dining rooms, and restaurants based on Disney stories.

WALT DISNEY HAD SIMPLE TASTES

Despite being well-traveled, Rebecca Cline of the Walt Disney Archives called Disney a “meat and potatoes guy.”

Other historians commented on his Midwestern roots and how his tastes were pretty simple. Still, when Disney opened Disneyland in 1955, he wanted the food to be an attraction in itself.

THE FOOD EXPERIENCE AT DISNEYLAND FALTERED AT FIRST

Walt Disney’s main focus on Disneyland’s opening day was on the rides and similar attractions and unfortunately, food got thrown on the backburner. None of the eateries or other food operations were available in 1955 due to his lack of “bandwidth.”

With the help of his brother Roy Disney, the two were able to make deals with vendors to help run the “feeding operations.” So, initially, the food offered at the park was completely dependent on the vendor selling it. One early vendor was Swift’s Meats, known for — you guessed it — meat and potatoes.

TRASH CAN RULE

In an effort to control food waste and keep the park clean, Walt Disney installed a rule where trash cans must be placed every 30 feet. According to legend, Walt was in the park when it first opened and he bought a hot dog.

He walked along the street eating the hot dog, and when he was left with just the wrapper he said, “that’s where the trash can needs to be.” In fact, Walt Disney popularized the swinging-door trash can.  According to Karlos Siqueiros of Food & Beverage at the Disneyland Resort, “The last thing Walt wanted people to do is to look into the can and see the trash.”

THE HISTORY OF DOLE WHIP

In 1976, parkgoers at Disneyland could make their way over to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room where Dole pineapple juice was sold for 25 cents a glass or a Dole pineapple spear was also sold for 25 cents. Those same offerings came to Disney World in 1983.

In the days of old, Disneyland only offered plain ice cream with chunks of pineapple, but the soft serve ice cream with pineapple couldn’t survive the Florida heat. Dole came up with a dry-mix frozen treat which eventually became Dole Whip. The insanely popular dessert debuted at Disney World in 1984 and made its way to Disneyland in 1986.

Now, across the Disney Parks, you can get classic pineapple Dole Whip in addition to several different flavors and styles!

VIDEOPOLIS AND THE CHURRO

In 1985, the churro made its way to Disneyland and had an interesting time getting there.

Videopolis, a Disney “nightclub” at Disneyland housed a restaurant called Yumz that served pizza, pretzels, and popcorn was looking for an upgrade. Disneyland Food and Beverage’s Jim Lowman visited the Long Beach Grand Prix one year and discovered a six-inch churro.

He brought the churro over to Disneyland but in 14-inch form, and they were instant hits. Now, churros are a classic Disney Parks snack and come in countless amounts of flavors.

TURKEY LEGS ARE A FORM OF ADVERTISING

The turkey leg (which still has some hidden recipe elements) was introduced as a hearty snack in Disneyland as something guests could eat while exploring the attractions.

As a representation of the meal of classic royalty, Disney got an added boost of advertising with the turkey legs. The legs are meant to stand out and make guests look at whoever is eating them, prompting the watcher to want a turkey leg as well.

DISNEYLAND RESORT BAKERY

To meet consumer demand, the Disneyland Hotel initially served as the resort’s main bakery. Eventually, a larger production bakery was built in an offsite parking lot.

This central bakery is a 10,000 sqft production kitchen that is so big that it could fit the Disneyland Hotel’s bakery inside its freezer. A team of 100 bakers creates over one million items every year and produces nearly 24/7 to supply the whole resort.

DISNEY WINGED THE GREY STUFF

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast didn’t really specify what Grey Stuff was, per Disneyland Resort Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Marc Viallet. So Disney ended up winging it by making a white chocolate mousse flavored with cookie crumbles with grey coloring.

The Disney team added a cookie underneath the treat because it also had one in the film. Now, the Grey Stuff is one of Disney’s most popular desserts!

THEMATIC FEEDING

Thematic feeding is the concept where dining themes match the surrounding attractions and land. The food keeps the story going through immersive dining experiences.

For example, once you get off Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland, you immediately find yourself in New Orleans Square with a bevy of Cajun and bayou dining options. At Disney World, we see this everywhere — you can dine on food with African flavors at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, find space-themed dishes at Space 220 near the Mission: SPACE ride in EPCOT, and order a Cobb salad — created by the owner of the historic Brown Derby in California — at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version of the restaurant.

BLUE BAYOU

Speaking of the bayou, the Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland was one of the world’s first themed restaurants.

Designed to look like a romantic nighttime bayou at all hours of the day, guests eating could watch the Pirates of the Caribbean boats sail by them while the passengers looked back, eager to find a way to this gorgeous restaurant.

Walt had the restaurant ready to go in 1966 when New Orleans Square opened, however, Pirates of the Caribbean was not ready so the restaurant stayed closed. While he had tested meals at the restaurant, unfortunately, he never got the full experience as he passed away before the attraction opened in 1967.

DISNEYLAND PARIS DOESN’T MESS AROUND

Over at Disneyland Paris on Main Street, Walt’s is an elegant dining experience that features dining rooms each themed to a specific land in the park.

As for cuisine, the restaurant makes enhancements to Walt’s favorite foods, including chili in a can! With that said, the restaurant does break one of Walt’s rules — it serves more than one vegetable per meal. THE HORROR!

DISNEYLAND PARIS’ PYM TEST KITCHEN TAKES PYM PARTICLES LITERALLY

While Disneyland does have its own Pym Test Kitchen in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, Disneyland Paris’ version takes things to an extreme.

With a more expansive menu, Disneyland Paris’ Pym Test Kitchen lets guests choose what kind of size they want their meals — either humongous or itty bitty!

DISNEY’S FOOD IS BECOMING JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE ATTRACTIONS

While not so much a secret, it’s becoming more and more obvious that the Disney Parks are so much more than just rides. People will visit for the food now and/or plan their trip around dining. 

Disney is aware of this and tries to make your dining experiences memorable and extra special. Eating at the Disney Parks and resorts is a unique experience that can keep you coming back for more. As the years go on, it’ll be exciting to see how the Disney team continues to tell stories through the food while providing life-lasting memories.

For more Disney food and Disney Parks news, be sure to follow us here at AllEars for all the latest!

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What is your favorite Disney food secret? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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