I was over the moon to get back to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure for spring break after missing a trip in 2020 because of you-know-what. A lot has changed since our last visit, including the opening of Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland and the Avengers Campus in DCA. This is a roundup of the foods we tried (and wish we’d tried) and what we thought of them — there are some that you won’t want to miss on your next park visit.
New to Me: Dole Whip Floats (DL)
Pineapple Dole Whip is my family’s “classic” Disneyland treat. I went for Dole Whip floats this time from the Tiki Juice Bar. I don’t recall seeing those at Disneyland before but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention? At any rate, the pineapple juice hit the spot on those hot days. (Note: you can’t just walk up to the Tiki Juice Bar anymore and place an order – it’s only for picking up online orders. The wait was one hour for our first “hit” of the trip, but we soldiered on…)
Churro Toffee (DL)
We almost didn’t try churro toffee on this trip because I didn’t think it was much to look at on our first day when we spotted it in Downtown Disney, but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. On our last day, I gave in and bought a piece to share with the fam and it was so good. I would have bought more except it’s $6.50 for a piece slightly larger than half a graham cracker! Luckily, if you Google “DIY Churro Toffee Recipe” there are many results! I’ll test them then report back.
Pym Test Kitchen (DCA)
The Pym Test Kitchen in the Avengers Campus is new (June, 2021) so we were excited to try it. We loved the Quantum Pretzel with cheddar beer sauce. It is HUGE. Our family of 4 shared one as a snack with an extra cup of cheddar cheese-beer sauce.
For dinner one night we shared the Pym-ini Sandwich, the Not So Little Chicken Sandwich and the PB3 Superb Sandwich. I really liked the Pym-ini and chicken sandwich but was not a fan of the PB3. It was too sweet and the floppy bacon was just not doing anything for the “situation,” but my kids claim it was their favorite. All of the sandwiches came with a side of nicely seasoned, perfectly crispy tots. We also tried the Proton Punch drink (lemonade, berry purée, cherry flavor-filled boba and a grenadine-filled pipette) which was pretty and tasty (pictured below).
Our new favorite non-Dole Whip treat in all of Disneyland/DCA is officially the Choco-Smash bar from the Test Kitchen, with dark chocolate, peanuts, caramel, nougat and chocolate brownie. Hubba hubba! We split ours four ways and it’s so rich, it was plenty. Also, it’s a really big dessert bar (because of Pym Particle shenanigans, get it?!?).
Sundaes and Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Bars (DL)
An old favorite that did not disappoint on this visit were the sundaes and hand-dipped ice cream bars at Clarabelle’s Hand Scooped Ice Cream. I splurged and got a mint chocolate chip sundae that I didn’t share with anyone.
Asada Fries (DCA)
A new discovery that we hope will always and forever be available at Award Wieners in DCA were the asada fries: “filmstrip fries” (kind of like a curved steak fry) with marinated carne asada, cheddar cheese, cilantro, onions, salsa and guacamole. We shared two orders for our dinner at the end of a fairly snack-heavy day.
Fruit Smoothies (DCA)
Another thing we tried for the first time were the Mango Madness and Strawberry Banana Sensation smoothies from Schmoozies. They were big and tasty, so they seemed like a decent value, plus the ingredients were nice and simple, not all “junked up.” They also offer some amazingly decadent-looking shakes, but we were all sugared-out at the time.
Non-Alcoholic Cocktails at Oga’s Cantina (DL)
If you want to have a chance at 45 minutes in Oga’s Cantina, you absolutely must book 60 days in advance, or use a reservation-finding service like we did because we were 4 weeks out when we thought of it. (We used Mouse Dining which has free and paid options.) I was surprised by how small the cantina is. If you don’t have a reservation you might not even get to sit down, and if you do get a table, you’ll have to share it with other guests; we were truly crammed shoulder to shoulder in a booth with a party of 5 that arrived after us. Originally I didn’t plan to buy any drinks, but once we were seated (and before we were packed in like sardines) I felt guilty because I know the servers rely on tips, etc., so we ordered 4 non-alcoholic cocktails to share. Our favorite hands-down was Jabba Juice: orange, pineapple, kiwi and cantaloupe juices plus blueberry flavor-filled boba. In all, it was nice to sit in a cool place for 45 minutes with cold drinks and take in the atmosphere and the music, but we all felt content having done it once. Below: Hyperdrive Punch It, Jabba Juice, Blue Bantha and Black Spire Brew.
Ronto Wraps (DL)
My kids were eager to try Ronto Wraps (pictured below) because they knew about them from the Oculus game “Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge.” The kids enjoyed them immensely; I thought they could have used more of the salad and sauce.
Things We Missed Out On
I really wanted to try a Disneyland caramel apple on this trip but I discovered that they won’t slice them for you anymore. I read this funny blog post on trying to carve up a Disneyland caramel apple with the little plastic knife they give you and decided it wasn’t worth it.
In December, 2018 a new grab-and-go option called Tropical Hideaway opened between the Tiki Room and Jungle Cruise with exciting Dole Whip options like cherry, mango and raspberry flavors! Unfortunately online ordering wasn’t available for Tropical Hideaway when we were there (why? Even corn dogs could be ordered ahead online in the park! ARGH!) and the line was always really long. Next visit we’ll make a point to stalk the line situation at Tropical Hideaway. In the meantime, if you go, please try a Dole Whip Swirl Float for me.
Another thing I didn’t have an opportunity to try but I wanted to soooo badly was a lemon and mango swirled soft serve from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats near Paradise Pier in DCA. They looked so good!
One Disappointment
In the past, meat skewers from Bengal Barbecue were a reliable dinner option for us, at one time rated by “The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland” as one of the best values in the park. This time, maybe because of supply-chain issues or whatever, the skewers seemed like a ripoff. Each one had just three pieces of meat and the pork belly skewer was super fatty; the beef skewer was very tough. Two thumbs down.
Feel free to email me about what else I should be eating at Disneyland/DCA!
Related: The Scoop on Genie+ at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure
What I’m reading: I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett (book 4 in the Tiffany Aching Adventure series), and also: The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman.
What my 14-year old is re-reading: The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide by Jenna Fischer. I bought it for my daughter for Christmas because she’s curious about acting as a career. I love this book – I think it’s inspiring and instructive for all creative work.
Photo: Adorable Easter chick-themed caramel apples in Marceline’s Confectionary at Downtown Disney, taken by me with an iPhone 12.