When you don’t want to spend a lot of time or money on food, grab a carton of popcorn, stop at the Stage Door Cafe for a Mickey Mouse-shaped funnel cake or try a shawarma wrap from the Shawarma Palace cart in Avengers Campus.
(Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times; Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
12 fast, affordable and delicious food finds at Disneyland and California Adventure
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With single-day tickets topping $100 for any park guest age 3 and up, a trip to Disneyland gets expensive fast. That’s not including add-ons intended to streamline your visit, like the Park Hopper pass that lets you bounce between Disneyland and California Adventure for an additional $65, or the Genie+ service that lets ride-goers jump directly into the Lightning Lane for an extra $25 per ticket per day.
Craft an epic visit to Disneyland and California Adventure with our comprehensive guide.
It’s full of expert tips and fresh perspectives.
During recent visits to the park, we were pleasantly surprised to find that meal pricing felt about the same as when we visited as kids, with most menu items under $15 and a much broader selection of cuisines, including allergy-friendly options available by request. In fact, the food is about the only Disneyland cost that doesn’t feel over-adjusted for inflation.
Here, we’ve gathered 12 food spots that represent the best bang for your buck at Disneyland and California Adventure. Think: layered parfaits, plates of generously sauced pasta and a steaming chorizo breakfast burrito to kick off your day. (The only healthy thing about these eateries might be the portion sizes.)
Note that menus at Disneyland change frequently. Inquire about additional options if an item isn’t available when you visit.
Disneyland and California Adventure visitors who’ve been multiple times share their favorite tips, tricks and hacks for having the best day at the parks.
Showing Places
(Amy Wong / Los Angeles Times)
Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats
Anaheim Confections Ice cream $
If you’re craving an iconic Disneyland Dole Whip but are staying in California Adventure for the day, this is the place for you. For $5.79, the lemon and mango soft serve cones at this stand on Pixar Pier are piled high enough to share between two people. Or for a few more dollars, you can opt for the super-sweet blue raspberry swirl Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait or the tangy It’s Chile-Lime Mango.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
Anaheim Italian American $
In a corner of California Adventure’s Paradise Gardens Park, Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta serves up utilitarian Italian American dishes — some better than others, and one that’s surprisingly delicious and of great value. The entree-sized salads are freshly spun to order and top out at $10.99, while pizzas range from $7.99 per slice to $41.99 for a whole pie that’ll feed a family, but the pastas are where this restaurant excels. The five-cheese ravioli, at $10.99, is filling and loaded with premium ingredients, piling the ravioli in basil pesto with toasted pine nuts and shaved Parmesan, with a side of garlicky bruschetta that cuts, along with a squiggle of balsamic, through the richness. This is a dish that could easily set you back far more at establishments both in and out of the parks, and with plenty of patio seating tucked just off the main thoroughfare, the eatery feels like not only a steal but a break from the bustling boardwalk.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Cappuccino Cart
Anaheim Breakfast $
California Adventure’s coffee cart is a hidden gem. Not only is it where you can find boozy Irish coffees, liqueur-tinged hazelnut cream coffees and traditional, nonalcoholic caffeinated drinks such as drips, cappuccinos, lattes and Vietnamese iced coffees, it also serves up a solid breakfast burrito that’s filling and delicious — if you can get there early enough. At $10, the chorizo breakfast burrito is a deal, packed with just-barely-spicy crumbled chorizo, scrambled eggs, cubed potatoes and sautéed onions and bell peppers, and it’s accompanied by a salsa that’s got a surprising kick and doesn’t feel like it’s playing it safe for the masses. Just note that this sleeper hit is only served until 11 a.m. or until supplies run out; if you miss it, you can still find cookies and croissants for $4.25.
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(Amy Wong / Los Angeles Times)
Churro Carts
Anaheim Confections $
There are more than a dozen churro carts between both parks. At $5, this wand of fried dough coated in plenty of cinnamon and sugar is a bargain, especially since it’s longer than most. Usually, churros are fried fresh, making them crispy and delightful.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Corn Dog Castle
Anaheim American $
California Adventure’s medieval-themed corn dog stand naturally specializes in corn dogs, offering a traditional option, a sausage-and-egg take, a cheese-stick variant and one of the best, most kingly quick bites in all the land: the hot link corn dog. It’s massive, practically toppling over when held high on its stick. It’s a little greasy, a little spicy and served piping hot. The sausage is juicy, and the breading forms a crisp, sweet outer layer with fluffy texture beneath. I’m swearing an oath of fealty to hot links over hot dogs when it comes to corn dog fillings. At $10.79, it comes with fruit or a bag of chips, though even without the side it’s a meal unto itself.
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(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
Harbour Galley
Anaheim American Seafood $
Ah, Harbour Galley — it’s such a respite, if you manage to snag a coveted table on the restaurant’s dock next to the Rivers of America, where you can watch the Mark Twain Riverboat cruise by, along with any number of canoes and rafts from nearby river rides. The seafood-shack-themed menu includes clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and lobster rolls. The creamy, thick (too thick?) chowder, along with the bread, makes for a hearty meal and costs $11.99. The lobster roll? You likely have had more transcendent versions, but if you’re going with the flow, it will set you back $15.99 (a bargain as far as lobster rolls go). The price goes down especially well with an included bag of potato chips.
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(Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)
Hungry Bear Restaurant
Anaheim American $
Critter Country hot spot Hungry Bear has a menu of bargain finds, and among them is the $12.99 honey-spiced chicken sandwich, which comes with onion rings (or fries or a mandarin orange — but go for the onion rings). It’s a fried chicken sandwich on a squishy bun with lettuce and sweet and spicy sauce. The onion rings are crunchy and substantial too. Most of the sandwiches and salads are around the same price, and everything on the kids menu is under $10. Add a frozen fruit bar or ice cream sandwich for dessert, and a full meal clocks in at less than $20 per person.
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(Cindy Carcamo / Los Angeles Times)
Popcorn Carts
Anaheim Snacks $
With just the right amount of butter and salt, Disney’s popcorn is a justifiable impulse purchase and easy snacking while waiting in line for rides. Seasonal, special-edition plastic popcorn buckets are available at a premium price, but I prefer the good ol’ cardboard box. At $5, it’s one of the most affordable and satiating snacks at the parks. You can find popcorn carts at almost every land — five stands at California Adventure and six at Disneyland.
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(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)
Ronto Roasters
Anaheim Wraps $
Those venturing to Batuu’s Black Spire Outpost — the planet and setting for Galaxy’s Edge — don’t have to commit to the life of a bounty hunter in order to afford a bite from the “Star Wars” universe. Ronto Roasters serves wraps in vegetarian and ronto (pork sausage) format, and the pita-like, fold-over sandwiches all ring in under $14. At breakfast, the quick-service counter offers the snappy, thin ronto sausage with scrambled eggs, cheddar and a creamy peppercorn sauce, while at lunch and dinner it’s served with slaw, a sliver of roast pork and that same sauce. The garden wrap, using meatless sausage, kimchi sauce and pickled vegetables, is just as good if not better.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Shawarma Palace
Anaheim Wraps $
The wraps served at Shawarma Palace in the Avengers Campus at California Adventure are all good, affordable snack options. The breakfast version, with a spiced maple syrup, isn’t my favorite, but the falafel and chicken versions each come with a good, tangy yogurt sauce and pickles. Will these make you feel like you’re stumbling around New York City after a long night out? Maybe not, but it’s close enough.
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(Stephanie Breijo / Los Angeles Times)
Stage Door Cafe
Anaheim American $
This fast-casual cafe in Frontierland has breakfast chimichangas for just $6.49 before 11 a.m. and kid-friendly items like corn dogs, chicken tenders, fish and chips, and the park’s famous turkey leg for lunch and dinner, all under $15. The plant-based Impossible chili cheese fries are another worthwhile deal at just $8.49. If you want to go straight for dessert, the strawberry funnel cake is a crispy-soft pile of fried dough topped with powdered sugar, gooey chunks of strawberry and Mickey-shaped swirls of whipped cream that dominates an entire plate for $8.99. Simply point to the fresh fruit if someone tries to criticize you for your overzealous sweet tooth.
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(Lucas Kwan Peterson / Los Angeles Times)
Troubadour Tavern
Anaheim American $
Having spent a small fortune bringing your family to Disneyland, sometimes you’re looking for an efficient, affordable dining option that’s also going to give you the energy to maneuver through crowds and queues for the rest of the day. Did someone say baked potato? Possibly the most underappreciated potato variation, this archetypal loaded version at the Troubadour Tavern in Fantasyland comes with sour cream, chives, bacon bits, butter and a sprinkling of cheese. Can’t mess with a classic.
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Eat your way across L.A.
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