I spent $200 on food at the Disneyland Resort, so you don’t have to. [Holiday 2018 Edition]

Hey everyone! I’m back! (but not really, yet..) Just wanted to pop in and show you what I ate during my visit to the Disneyland Resort in California. From a 3 course meal to some quick bites, here’s a complete guide on all of the food we ate during Holiday Disney 2018.

Note: In this post, I’m going to go over some of the foods we tried. Most foods are around $10 or less. We didn’t buy any “basic” Disney foods around this time, i.e. Turkey Legs, Corn, Pretzels, etc. We also stopped by some new places that opened this year at Pixar Pier!

Note: I tried to not eat EVERYTHING at the park, this is only some stuff we ate while we were there.

Disney’s California Adventure

Festival of Holidays 2018 – $$

From November 9, 2018, to January 8, 2019, Disney California Adventure is hosting their Festival of Holidays, which is similar to their other events like the Food and Wine festival. There was a total of 12 carts where you can try a wide variety of foods including vegan and gluten-free friendly options. We didn’t buy all the food from the stands because we didn’t want to overdo it, so here’s what you can expect from some stalls. Aside from one sour beer (which is fantastic by the way), we didn’t purchase too many drinks either from Festival of Holidays.

First off, if you’re primarily interested in eating at the stalls during your trip, I highly recommend getting a Sip and Savor Pass. I believe this is the first year they opened it to non-Annual Passholders, and they go for $54. You can read more about them here.

Here’s some food we tried. I didn’t take pictures of the drinks! (sorry)

Lamplight Lounge – $$

If you followed my last food blog, you know that one of my favorite places to eat in the park was the Cove Bar. I absolutely loved the retheming of this restaurant. The interior features awesome original sketches from Pixar artists, as well as a midcentury modern interior design. If you want to dine here, be sure to reserve at least 30 days in advance. The walk in lines for the restaurant tends to get long during popular dining hours, but it’s definitely not impossible to not eat at when you’re at the park. We walked in and waited to be seated within 10 minutes.

Drinks:

I only drink Tequila, so I ordered the Final w/ a fix. It’s delightful, delicious, refreshing, 10/10 you should order.

Vince ordered the Over Budget, which was pretty much just a mule. Remember, Lamplight lounge has a secret menu, so feel free to order from there if you don’t find anything you like on the menu.

Food:

I ordered the Ratatouille, which is a vegetarian dish. When Pixarfest ended in summer, I was a bit disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to try it out at Disneyland, but low and behold, Lamplight lounge offers it. I would say it wasn’t my favorite. If you love burrata cheese, this is definitely something you should try.

Vince ordered the Chicken Sandwich which came with malted fries and let me tell you, this was a fantastic sandwich. If you order food from the entree menu, definitely try this out.

Jack Jack’s Cookie NumNums – $

Expensive, but delicious and thicc chocolate chip cookies. They have a gluten-free option which is cool, but not the same as the original cookie. (not pictured, ate it too fast)

Disneyland

Blue Bayou – Fantasmic Prix Fixe Menu – $$$
For those of you who aren’t familiar with Disney’s Prix Fixe Menus, Some restaurants in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure offer a fixed 3-course menu that includes non-alcoholic beverages and VIP seating to your show of choice. Learn more about these dining options here. Fantasmic Dining packages with the Prix Fixe menu are offered at the Blue Bayou and Riverbelle Terrace. For a cheaper option, still, with VIP reserved seating, you can order the Fantasmic On-the-Go Package from Hungry Bear. I haven’t tried this yet, but I definitely will next time I’m in the park!

Now, I believe this is the most expensive Prix Fixe Menu at Disneyland. It was about $72 per adult. The food, in my opinion, was definitely good for what you got, but I probably would skip doing this again at this specific restaurant. In my opinion, I prefer the Carthay Circle Prix Fixe menu over this. Although, the Blue Bayou atmosphere is completely unique since you’re eating in the Pirates of the Carribean ride. I did reserve a month in advance, which is always recommended, however, you can try to do a walk in because a lot of people cancel their reservations day of.

Appetizer:

Gumbo

Entrees: 

Desserts: 

at the end of dinner, you get these little mat seats to sit on while watching the show! These were a game changer. They protect your bum from the cold cement.

New Orleans Café – $

Peppermint Beignets – If you LOVE peppermint candy, then order these. If you’re not a fan of peppermint candy, don’t. I thought they were pretty tasty, but I definitely prefer the standard powdered sugar beignets.

Pizza Planet – Holiday LGM Macarons – $$

If you like biting into sugar cubes, you’ll like this a lot. Very insta-friendly, and 100% give you diabetes post-digestion. It’s supposed to be orange cream themed, I personally, was not a fan. If you are craving some macarons in the park, I recommend walking 5 minutes to the Jolly Holiday Cafe, where the holiday treats are 100000x better than this.

Disneyland Hotel

Trader Sam’s – $$

Another favorite place of mine for some sick drinks and snacks that I mentioned in my previous post: TRADER SAM’S! No, they don’t offer alcoholic Dole Whip at this location, however, they do have a drink they make that tastes similar? I’m not totally sure, but that’s what our waiter told us, so I’ll trust her. This spot is definitely must if you’re over 21. While you’re there, make sure you ask about their secret menu!