As you may have gleaned from the title, I recently visited West Coast Disney! It was my first time there, and was really exciting. Have to love the charm of Disneyland- it has a special, extra-magical vibe. Knowing it was the first Disney park and the only Disney park who’s streets were ever walked by Walt Disney himself makes it an undeniably cool experience. I know it’s popular to say that Walt Disney World is better, but I just think that’s because it’s bigger and has more to offer, and I don’t believe in putting two strong women against one another.
We hit almost every attraction offered, because the California parks are open much later than anything in Florida (and are smaller). Disneyland was actually open until midnight (!) so we were in the parks for 16 straight hours. We did get through every attraction on our list, except for the walk-through of Sleeping Beauty Castle, because we forgot. I know why you’re here, though- the food! Let’s get into what we ate at both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland.
We started our day in Disney California Adventure, and got breakfast at Pym Test Kitchen (which has an Ant Man/Avengers theme). Above, you can see what we picked up. I had the Impossible™ Quantum Garden Breakfast (Impossible sausage, plant-based egg, tots, and foccacia), while Jon had the Calculated Breakfast (two eggs, bacon, tots, and foccacia) and a nitro cold brew. We got a side of the beer cheese (usually served with their famous giant pretzels) to dip the tots in.
The tater tots were the star of this meal, in my opinion. Very crispy and well-seasoned! Everything about this meal, I would say, tasted exactly as you would think, so there’s not a lot to say about it. Which is fine! If you look closely, you’ll notice that the Calculated Breakfast features eggs “two ways”- one scrambled, and one fried (and very tiny).
Our first sweet snack of the day was this yummy Dole whip float from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats in Pixar Pier. We each got our own, because it was a million degrees and we needed a pick-me-up after riding Incredicoaster (under-rated ride, btw!). This is the Pixar Pier Frosty Parfait, a non-dairy delight layered with lemon dole whip and blue raspberry slush. Just the right balance of sugary and sour to be refreshing as heck on a hot day- and it’s cute!
For lunch, we had to try the chicken shawarma from Shawarma Palace. Being big Avengers fans, we know all too well the famous post-credit scene from the first film, in which all of the original Avengers go get Shawarma after beating New York City (and Loki) to a pulp. This is a very cool concept that absolutely had to happen, but I have a few notes. I love chicken shawarma, but Jon could live without it and would prefer a classic gyro to chicken shawarma. The spices were very warm and unique- wasn’t my favorite shawarma ever but I did find it tasty, and it was nice and juicy. The notes! It was incredibly spicy, even with the included coconut yogurt sauce. It was also already over 80 degrees at 11AM when we got these, and we were just handed the extremely hot foil-wrapped sandwiches and left to go hunt down a seat. May or may not have burned our hands. Please give the people a paper boat to carry these in, at minimum. Could also use an option (aside from falafel) that’s a little less spicy and a little more approachable. I think this stand has more potential than it is currently reaching!
We hopped over to Disneyland after lunch, and I got my second sweet treat of the day. At this churro stand right between the entrance and Main Street, a seasonal offering was available. I can barely resist any seasonal offering, but when it’s this bright and fun… I could not pass it up. This Parade Dreams Churro was meant to celebrate both the return and the 50th anniversary of the Main Street Electrical Parade. It was topped with cinnamon and sugar, of course, and then a green fruit drizzle and rainbow candy. It was literally a nerds rope churro- hurt my teeth, but was nice. It’s also very Disneyland, because if I saw this as a kid I would have literally committed a murder for it.
For dinner, we hit up Hungry Bear Restaurant in Critter Country. Now, the main draw for this was the Snickerdoodle Cold Brew- which they were out of at the time. Sadness. (Instead, we ended up going to a Joffrey’s stand and getting our usual tried and true drinks, an iced caramel latte and an iced mocha). At Hungry Bear, I enjoyed an Impossible burger and fries, pictured above. It was not bad at all, but not particularly notable. Fries were nice too!
Also at Hungry Bear, Jon got the Spicy BBQ Bacon Burger which features jalapeno slices and an onion ring in addition to the titular BBQ, bacon, and burger. Pretty tasty for a theme park burger!
The final sweet treat of the trip was the Matterhorn Macaroon from Jolly Holiday. This is a very well-known treat, and it was even more delicious than I expected. It’s so chewy and sweet, and toasted coconut plus creamy white chocolate is an always-winning flavor combo. The perfect end to a Disneyland day.
I’m sure glad I got to go to Disneyland and sure hope I get to go back. None of the food items we tried are also available in the Florida parks, and we prioritized experiences that were unique to the park too. It’s absolutely worth visiting both coasts if you have the opportunity- they’re beautiful and magical in their own special ways.
where-we-gonna-eat.com 
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