If you ask me, there’s nothing better than a day at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Walking down Main Street, U.S.A., browsing the shops, riding some of the most iconic attractions, and chowing down on delectable dishes are all part of my perfect Disney day. But this year is even more special as Disneyland celebrates its 70th anniversary, and invites all of us to “Celebrate Happy” at the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
While there’s plenty to see and do during the 16-month 70th anniversary party, including the return of the fan-favorite Paint the Night nighttime parade and Wondrous Journeys fireworks show at Disneyland Park, there’s also over 70 new culinary creations to enjoy around the parks, the Downtown Disney District, and the Disneyland Resort hotels. And let’s face it, a party is only as good as the food that’s served, and Disneyland really stepped up its game for the big 7-0.
The Best Food & Drinks To Try During Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
After poring over the Disneyland 70th Anniversary Celebration foodie guide from the Disney Parks Blog, I was set with the 13 items I wanted to try on day one of the celebration. I ate in both theme parks—Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park—to figure out the best bites and sips that you can’t miss if you plan to visit Disneyland over the next 16 months.
Disneyland Park
Bengal Barbecue
Bengal Barbecue is known for its impressive slate of grilled meats. For the 70th anniversary, the quick service restaurant is serving Grilled Tahitian Ribs. The flanken cut short ribs are grilled to perfection and slathered with a sweet and tangy sauce that I immediately wanted the recipe for. The dish is served with white rice and a sweet pineapple slaw that complements the meat perfectly. This was easily my number one savory item of the whole day. And even better, you can order anything from the Bengal Barbecue menu through the Disneyland app on mobile order, so you don’t have to wait in a long line.
The Golden Horseshoe
I love loaded French fries of any kind, so when I saw The Golden Horseshoe had loaded Cowboy Fries, I knew I needed to try them. The crispy fries are topped with nacho cheese, ground beef, burger sauce, and pickles. I loved the combination of textures, and the pickles livened up a savory dish. This is the perfect sharing snack on the way to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a popular roller coaster in Disneyland Park.
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree
For something sweet, pick up the Peach Cobbler Funnel Cake Fries from Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree. The sweet funnel cake fries are fun by themselves, but once they are topped with peach pie filling, vanilla ice cream, and streusel, it takes the dessert fries to the next level. I loved how the peach flavor came through, and once I got a bite of everything, it felt like I was eating a peach cobbler.
Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
Jolly Holiday is one of my favorite places to eat at Disneyland. The cute bakery cafe is known for its grilled cheese and tomato soup combo, plus decadent desserts. One of the newest desserts is the 70th Celebration Macaron, which looks like a slice of birthday cake. The base is vanilla cake topped with vanilla buttercream, strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries. Then the macaron sandwich is topped with a more traditional macaron top that’s been dyed bright pink and finished with another swirl of icing and sprinkles. I loved the bright strawberry flavor, and the contrast of textures was a pleasant surprise.
Plaza Inn
Just across Main Street, U.S.A. from Jolly Holiday at the Plaza Inn, is where I found the 70th Celebration Cake. This layered cake was one of the best sweets I had during my foodie tour of Disneyland 70. The cake combines layers of pound cake, cherry compote, confetti cake, vanilla bean white chocolate mousse, and lemon curd pastry cream into one perfect party provision. I loved that the cake was coated in white chocolate ganache buttercream with edible glitter, so it sparkled just as much as Sleeping Beauty Castle with her new party decorations, too.
Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurante
I love Mexican food, and one of my favorite Mexican quick service spots at the Disneyland Resort is Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurante. (Did you know, this restaurant used to be called Casa De Fritos, and it’s where Doritos were invented?) For the 70th anniversary, one of the new menu items is the Fried Tamale Walking Taco. This hearty plate starts with a fried beef tamale topped with chili and corn chips, plus all the traditional chili toppings like diced raw onions, cilantro, shredded cheese, and sour cream. I loved the crispy texture of the edge of the tamale, and the shredded beef filling was slightly spicy, which added a nice kick to the dish.
Red Rose Taverne
When it’s time for a festive drink, head to Red Rose Taverne in Fantasyland for the Sparkling Peach Punch. The non-alcoholic beverage is a mix of Sprite and peach syrup with colorful popping pearls mixed in. I loved the refreshing taste, and it wasn’t too sweet. Even better, the drink can be topped with a light-up glow cube (for an extra fee) to make it feel even more celebratory.
The Tropical Hideaway
DOLE Whips are another iconic Disneyland snack, and for Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, The Tropical Hideaway near The Jungle Cruise is serving up a Pineapple Upside Down Sundae. This epic treat starts with a cup of DOLE Whip Pineapple topped with caramel, cake crumbles, caramelized pineapple, and a maraschino cherry. I got a spoonful of each ingredient, and it tastes like a pineapple upside-down cake. The sundae is quite large, so it’s a great sharing snack if you plan to try more treats during the day.
Troubadour Tavern
Tucked away near the Fantasyland Theatre is a quick-service restaurant called Troubadour Tavern. Here, you can find the W.E.D. Chili Cheese Baked Potato (W.E.D. for Walter Elias Disney, of course), which sounds exactly like what it is: a massive baked potato topped with Walt Disney’s favorite chili recipe, cheese, sour cream, onions, and a piece of cornbread. To me, what set this dish over the top was the cornbread, which was sweet and buttery against all of the savory potato toppings.
70th Celebration Churro
Churros are an iconic snack at Disneyland (and better than Walt Disney World’s version, in my opinion). For Disneyland’s 70th anniversary, a new churro is hitting churro carts around Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. The 70th Celebration Churro is a classic churro rolled in bright purple ube-flavored sugar and topped with a drizzle of blue raspberry icing and colorful sprinkles. While this sounds like a sugar overload, because it is, I found the churro to be delightfully sweet and slightly tangy thanks to the blue raspberry drizzle. And let’s be honest, this is a perfectly photogenic treat that you’ll be sending to all your friends back home, just like I did.
Disney California Adventure Park
Banana Split Churro
If you didn’t get your fill of churros with the 70th Celebration Churro, you’ll want to get your hands on the Banana Split Churro, which can be found at the churro stand near Goofy’s Sky School. This classic churro is rolled in chocolate sugar and topped with banana sauce, vanilla sauce, whipped cream, nuts, and a cherry on top. While the churro isn’t as photogenic as the 70th Celebration option, it’s just as tasty. I loved the chocolate sugar and the crunch from the nuts. Pair this with a Cheddar Cheese on a Stick from the nearby Corn Dog Castle stand for a perfect parade-time snack.
Schmoozies!
If you don’t get Mickey-shaped waffles when you go to Disneyland, did you really go to Disneyland? I don’t think so. So, of course, I had to try the Mickey-shaped Celebration Waffles from Schmoozies! The cute waffles have sprinkles mixed into the batter, so they look like Funfetti. They’re stuffed with strawberry cream filling and topped with more sprinkles and powdered sugar. I loved the strawberry cream filling, which tasted like real strawberries and not that weird fake strawberry flavoring. The waffles are served in pairs, so it’s a perfect sharing snack for two.
70th Anniversary IPA
For something to wash your snacks down with, try the Karl Strauss Brewing Company 70th Anniversary IPA. For this beer, the Disneyland Resort team worked directly with the brewery to make an all-new beer for the milestone anniversary. The single-hopped American IPA has big citrus flavors, but I mostly tasted sweet grapefruit. I got my glass from Paradise Garden Grill, but you can also get it from Lamplight Lounge, Port of San Fransokyo Cerveceria, Wine Country Trattoria, Carthay Circle Restaurant, and more.
My Honest Review Of The Disneyland Resort 70th Anniversary Celebration
Over just four days in the park, I got to experience a lot of what Disneyland’s 70th anniversary will look and feel like, and let me just say, this is one party you won’t want to miss. The new and returning entertainment is exceptional, the new anthem “Celebrate Happy” by the Jonas Brothers is a total bop that you can’t help but dance to, and the food takes the celebration to the next level.
Besides eating my way through the park, my favorite part of the anniversary was seeing Mickey Mouse and his pals in all-new outfits at Disneyland. They look great, and I love seeing Mickey when I visit. But the fun isn’t over yet. In July, Disneyland will showcase a phase two of the celebration, where the “It’s a Small World” attraction will debut a new verse written by Richard Sherman, one part of the brother duo who wrote many of Disney’s most beloved songs. Additionally, a new attraction will debut at Disneyland Park. Dubbed “Walt Disney: A Magical Life,” the new show will feature the first Audio Animatronics figure (basically a lifelike robot) of Walt Disney sharing his story. Even better, Disneyland’s 70th anniversary is taking over the resort for the next 16 months, so there’s plenty of time to see, do, and eat it all.
