Food that's fun, not fancy! About This Page:

[Chelledun17]

Hubby and I just booked a two night stay at Disneyland hotel for before we board our Mexican Riviera cruise (yaaaay!) Eating well is always a highlight of my Disney vacations, but our room on the cruise is stretching our budget so expensive options like Napa Rose and Blue Bayou are out for this trip.

Can anyone suggest restaurants that are fun but not expensive? Either counter or table service is fine, but we'd like to keep each meal under $30 per person and have some meals that are much less expensive than that. We are not traveling with kids but are not opposed to character dining.

THANKS!

[todyzbud]

There's Ariel's Grotto at California Adventure. Lunch runs about $17 and dinner's around $21. It's a character dining with the Princesses. In Downtown Disney there's the Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone.

[Dlandmom2]

Try the Carnation Cafe (I can never remember if that's the official name) on Main Street. I've always had good food and good service there.

If you like Mexican food, try Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland. It's a buffeteria type place and also one of the very few places in DL that allows refills on your drinks! The food is quite good, imho, and you'll definitely make it under $30 per person, maybe even under $20 per person.

There's also Whitewater Snacks in the Grand Californian hotel. I haven't heard anyone mention it in a while, but it used to get really good reviews for an inexpensive sandwich and drinks place.

[SoCalDCLfan]

We like Corn Dog Castle and Award Wieners at CA Adventures. Big hot dogs at a good price. we also like the Stagedoor Cafe in Frontierland at DL. great chicken fingers for kids - you get 4 large strips which are enough for 2 of my kids to share. We also like Pizza Port in tomorrowland. the slices are HUGE and can easily be shared

[Two4Disney]

I second Rancho del Zacolo in Frontierland at DL, but also the walk-up at Tortilla Joe's in Downtown Disney. Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen has a Kitchen Express serving delicious beignets in the moring and Jambalaya, Gumbo, etc. for lunch. The pizza at Pizza Ooom Mow Mow is pretty tasty, too. It's in Paradise Pier in DCA.

[LauraBelle V. Hime]

You might also check out The French Market, Cafe Orleans or River Belle Terrace in DL. UVA Bar in Downtown is also a good choice.

[HeatherD]

If you like Mexican food, try Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland. It's a buffeteria type place and also one of the very few places in DL that allows refills on your drinks! The food is quite good, imho, and you'll definitely make it under $30 per person, maybe even under $20 per person.

I love Rancho del Zocalo for a change of pace (in terms of counter service). The entrees and desserts are different from anything else you can find in DLP.

Our favorite place, though, is Wine Country Trattoria. They have a fancy ($$$$) place upstairs, but downstairs is casual table service. The food is not much more than counter service, but you can sit down inside or out and be served. They have a wine bar attached, where you can get a glass of wine while waiting for your table. We always go there for dinner on our day in DCA.

[IdahoDisneyMom]

My fave is the Hungry Bear at DL. Nothing beats sitting by the river and watching the canoes and steamboat go by while you eat!

[disney777]

I love the fresh made corn dogs either at Corn Dog Castle in DCA, or the corn dog cart in DL. I like the hamburgers at Taste Pilot. Plaza Inn and Redd Rockets near Space Mountain have some good salad and pasta choice. I also like the counter service at Tortilla Joes. Grab Beignets at the cajun take out in DTD.

[Flik]

We loved Storyteller's Cafe at the GC. We ate a breakfast there (character) and a dinner there in May. It was FAB!

[HeatherD]

Just a warning, if you're buying for children - the corndogs at Corn Dog Castle are HUGE! They are about 8-10 inches long and a good 2 to 2.5 inch diameter. One would easily split into two servings for smaller children. And the batter is to die for! Like Marie Callendar's cornbread.

[Cinderella_68]

Originally Posted by todyzbud

There's Ariel's Grotto at California Adventure. Lunch runs about $17 and dinner's around $21. It's a character dining with the Princesses. In Downtown Disney there's the Rainforest Cafe and ESPN Zone.

We just dined at Ariel's for dinner on the 24th of June and dinner was $29.99 per adult. For a fixed price, we were allowed to choose from soup or salad appetizer, an entree with side, and included a dessert option. The chocolate cake was very good, light, yet rich! The food was good, solid fare, nothing fancy. An adult beverage will set you back $15, though, so beware. LOL
Rancho del Zocalo is a perennial favorite of ours. The tostada salad is so good and a good deal.
Pasta at Redd Rocket's is also a good bet. The pizza leaves much to be desired, but for salads and pasta, they are an inexpensive option.
My kids would argue that nothing beats a turkey leg for fun! Playing King Henry the IIX must be a kids' inside joke!
At DCA, the Pacific Wharf Cafe has some delicious salads and soups in bread bowls that are so tasty! Maybe it's just the sourdough addict in me, but I LOVE their food!
Have a great time!

[DANAinSACTOWN]

Here are my recommendations for decent food and I believe all are under (and some well under) $30 pp:
Ariel's Grotto - (in CA Adv) Character dining with princesses. 3 course meal (full bar available upstairs), priority seating strongly recommended!
Wine Country Trattoria - (in CA Adv) Decent Italian food, limited choices, wine available, priority seating strongly recommended!
Millie's - Off-Property. This is a family restaurant located across the street from the main entrance to DL. It is very reasonably priced with a huge menu and the food is great. It's also open very late (possibly even 24hrs, I can't remember) and offers Bfast-Lunch-Dinner.
The French Market - (in Orleans Square in DL) This is an assembly-line cafeteria with a short menu, but the food is pretty decent and the ambiance is very nice (you sit outside and there's a small stage where a 3-piece jazz band plays frequently). There's a tasty bbq, pulled-pork sandwich on the lunch menu (which is not available at dinner).
Storyteller's - (in the Grand Californian) This is a buffet and you should make priority seating reservations. It is a character dining experience with characters from Pocahontas. The buffet is excellent, service not so excellent (table service includes beverages and some menu items if not choosing the buffet).
PCH Grill w/Lilo & Stitch - Located in the Paradise Pier Hotel, this is a buffet open for Breakfast. I am not familiar with the lunch and dinner menu (table service), but we have eaten at the buffet twice. Both experiences were great; great food, great service. Minnie, Daisy Duck, Lilo, Stitch and Goofy typically are in attendance.

Hope this helps. Have a great time!

[DANAinSACTOWN]

Oh! I forgot to mention one other place that is really worth eating at--The LaBrea Bakery. It says bakery, but it's more of a cafe. The food is EXCELLENT! They do breakfast and lunch. It is located in Downtown Disney, on the left as you head away from the "quad" area (the space between the two park entrances).

[Lilianna]

Originally Posted by Two4Disney

I second Rancho del Zacolo in Frontierland at DL...

Have been to Disneyland many times and ate at Rancho for the first time this past April. It was very yummy and they were good with dealing with my food allergy.
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I also like Bengal BBQ, (in Adventure Land) though was disappointed with them last time. The BBQ meat was cold. Disneyland Resort - Detecting Browser Properties . . .