There are many choices when it comes to a theme park day – what to ride first, which shows to watch, when to get there and when to leave! Once it comes time to eat, sorting through all of the options can be a bit overwhelming. How are you going to decide where to eat when you’re devising a way to get to all 36 Disneyland rides all in one day? You turn to this website where we’ll give our favorite restaurant recommendations and you can pick between them! We started this series with Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom and California Adventure but are moving on to the original Disney theme park, Disneyland!

This series is here to serve as a jumping off point on places to eat at different theme parks. I set up a few rules to follow in these posts which will include somewhere between 5 and 10 restaurants each time. Each favorites list will have:

• At least one counter-service restaurant.
• At least one table-service restaurant.
• One restaurant (generally quick-service) that’s not in the park but is very quick and easy to get to.

Typically, I’ll include more than just one from each category! I’m going to try to stick to counter-service spots once outside of the park because it just takes up too much of the day otherwise. Even if it’s a short walk or ride away, eating at a counter-service spot, getting back through the gates and to the land you want will likely take more time than eating a slow meal inside that park.

If you’re looking for just a simple ranking of all of Disneyland resort’s table-service and counter-service restaurants we’ve been to then there’s our posts on the subject! This series isn’t about ranking though. I might mention if one is a favorite or something but this is more to just give you a few ideas on where to eat while spending a day in Disneyland.

Speaking of, Disneyland used to have my favorite restaurants in any Disney Park. Epcot had the most and a seemingly endless amount of options but Disneyland had the highest quality. In the last few years that has changed a little bit as the table-service restaurants have seen a dip and a few of the counter-service places aren’t as good as they used to be. Don’t get me wrong, Disneyland still has some of the best theme park food but it’s not quite as good as it used to be.

I’d like to take this chance to shout out Star Wars restaurants and hot/corn dogs. Oga’s, Docking Bay (which should probably be on the actual list), Ronto Roasters and even the Blue Milk Stand are all good. But they could be great if they all added a little something. On the other hand, Refreshment Corner and the Little Red Wagon offers some pretty good dogs but not much else, so I left them off the list. I still love them though! Let’s get to it.

Tiana’s Palace

The restaurant that took the place of the legendary French Market is really good! In fact, it’s our current favorite at Disneyland. The two different types of gumbo are both inclusive and adventurous, giving more flavor and spice than your typical counter-service dish. There are a few of the best sandwiches at Disneyland Resort. Tiana’s Palace also has a great vibe. I was prepared to be tough on the restaurant because of what it replaced but Tiana’s won me over quickly.

Café Orleans

This post is generally positive and I’ll try to keep it that way. Cafe Orleans offers some really good dishes, a great atmosphere and a nice value for a table-service restaurant. The Monte Cristo is a Disneyland classic. Unfortunately, Café Orleans has dropped some of the best items from their menu and isn’t as special as it used to be. Still, the atmosphere is top notch if you get a seat outside by the river.

Plaza Inn

I’ll get the bad news out of the way early here: Plaza Inn’s prices are too high now. They are more expensive than some table-service restaurants. But the quality is still there and the fried chicken meal is still one of the best in the park. Along with that, Plaza Inn has one of the best settings in Disneyland. Sitting here on a warm afternoon and gorging on fried chicken is a rite of passage.

Carnation Café

Speaking of rites of passage, Carnation Café feels like a step back in time to Disneyland’s opening day. Sitting outside of Main Street as the morning crowds come in or as the sun sets is wonderful. The food’s pretty good and offers a strong value for a table-service restaurant. But the real reason to come here is to enjoy the atmosphere.

Harbour Galley

This unassuming shack near Haunted Mansion serves wonderful food, even as the menu constantly changes. The Clam Chowder Bread Bowl is a favorite on cooler nights and the Crab & Shrimp Roll is a favorite during the hot day. If you’re looking for something a little lighter than the typical fried theme park fare, this is a good spot. It’s made even better by the new seating area along the river.

Blue Bayou

My thoughts on Blue Bayou are more complicated than most of the restaurants on the list. The food is decent but incredibly expensive and this is the only spot on the list that I don’t go to unless someone else requests it. But I can’t leave it off the list because it has the best atmosphere of nearly any theme park restaurant. Sitting inside of Pirates of the Caribbean and having a meal is worth doing at least once.

Tangaroa Terrace (Disneyland Hotel)

Our outside of the park pick is a monorail ride and short walk away from Disneyland. Tangaroa Terrace has some of the best food at the resort, including our favorite breakfast. The relaxed setting is also a welcome respite from the park’s busyness. This is one of the most consistent spots in the whole resort and I couldn’t recommend it enough!

Where are your favorite spots to eat in and around Disneyland? Let us know, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! If you are planning a trip to Disneyland Resort then check out our planning guide. Looking for discount Disneyland tickets? Check out this site! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. You can do all of that on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!