Terrible food at Disneyland this week

[CaliforniaGirl09]

So funny @DontSpamMe ! I haven't had Black Angus in years, but it was on our list for Christmas dinner until we deeded to go to my brother's house. We were at DLR from Dec. 22-Dec. 25th. It was a little beggars can't be choosers since I forgot to make dining reservations until close to our trip. Here's my summary:

--Tortilla Jo's. I agree that it's nothing special, but it was always our go-to when at Disneyland due to a few items on the menu. They had an amazing traditional chicken quesadilla in a very thick corn tortilla that I loved and the table side guac was a family favorite. Unfortunately COVID took both of those away. My biggest complaint about the Disney restaurants in general post COVID shut downs (and this is both DLR and WDW) is the thinning/simplifying of the menus and the move to prix fixe (at WDW in particular). It feels like all the special/unique items have been removed. I was hoping TJs would bring back the table side guac at some point, but a waiter told us very emphatically that both items were gone for good. Super disappointing. I can't believe anyone still orders the guac! It was pretty meh and super expensive.
--Naples. IMO slightly above mediocre pizza and pasta but it was fine and hot (unlike last time). I always get the chicken parm and I"m always disappointed by the pre-cooked noodles, but not unexpected. DH and son love pizza so this restaurant is always an easy choice when I forget to book ahead of time.
--Carnation cafe: had a great experience in August, but it was just okay this time. Funny how inconsistent this place can be, but the location makes it a repeat for us.
--Ralph Brennans for beignets: always our favorite for breakfast. DS loved the seasonal maple ones, but the rest of us just stick to the normal powdered sugar. So good!
--Trader Sam's--alas we tried but couldn't get a reservation and walk up was over 90 minutes so we just did the bar and quick serve for food. I love the ambiance of this place, and the ramen is pretty good for park food. I'm dreading how crowded this will be when the new DVC tower goes up for sale.
--Lamplight Lounge for brunch. Love this place. Sat by the water and had a mimosa flight with chilaquiles and the the brunch burger (DH and I shared meals). Loved both.

We wanted to get over to DL to have the chicken soup at Rancho but timing never seemed to work out. It's one of my faves. We were also going to have Christmas brunch at Catal (did it last time in 2019), but due to checking out that day we decided to have a more relaxing morning and canceled.

 

[wowsmom]

I don't like foccacia enough to ever pay $18 for it. I am done being sad about the lack of bread. I learned how to make the Napa Rose Lavosh and make it even better myself at home with lavosh I purchase at Trader Joe's. That was really the only thing I thought was unique in the bread basket anyway.

I miss the sundried tomato cheddar rolls. The foccaccia seemed too greasy to me & I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it.

At Galactic Grill the special was a cranberry chicken sandwich. I ordered at the window since my mobile app would never work the entire time we are at DL (another thread) it literally would not work for me but did for everyone else in our party. I specifically asked for that sandwich with no cheese and was told by the cast member that they would not make any modifications. I then asked about the steakhouse burger, same response, no modifications. Finally, I asked what I could order with no cheese and was told either a hamburger or the chicken strips. Those were the only options.

We tried eating at Galactic Grill Fall 2021 & I was told they could not accommodate my allergies - they said they couldn't even make a burger without lettuce.

We ate at Napa Rose this last weekend. We were seated in the "kids" room away from the main dining area. It ended up being great as we had the room to ourselves for most of our meal. So a quiet room with our last tunes of Christmas music for the season in the background.

Where is the "kids" room at Napa Rose?

 

[DLgal]

I miss the sundried tomato cheddar rolls. The foccaccia seemed too greasy to me & I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it.

We tried eating at Galactic Grill Fall 2021 & I was told they could not accommodate my allergies - they said they couldn't even make a burger without lettuce.

Where is the "kids" room at Napa Rose?

The "kids" room is a little room with like 3 tables, over by the windows. We were sat there last meal. It was honestly kinda awkward because you really can't NOT listen in on your neighbors, due to being surrounded by walls. I felt like everyone could hear our conversation as well.

 

[StormyCA]

I miss the sundried tomato cheddar rolls. The foccaccia seemed too greasy to me & I'm glad we didn't have to pay for it.

We tried eating at Galactic Grill Fall 2021 & I was told they could not accommodate my allergies - they said they couldn't even make a burger without lettuce.

Where is the "kids" room at Napa Rose?

That's interesting. They do have an allergy menu for the major allergies on the "DL Dine" menu page and it makes me wonder what would happen if one tried to order off the allergy menu. Are they saying they won't follow Disney's own 'directive'?

But perhaps the 'no accommodation' rule is for other than the 'big 7 allergens' already covered on the allergy menu. If so, I'm sure it has to do with people claiming various allergies to get all kinds of bits and bobs of ingredients they 'just don't like' changed or removed. Unfortunately, with rules like that they can't make exceptions and that results in people with 'simple fixes' for real allergies being disadvantaged. I've been caught up in that a few times (Celiac), once even having a place refuse to serve me a hamburger without a bun. Like, you know, put the patty & fixings just on a plate? Nope. No 'special orders'. I could get the burger and remove the bun, but as any person with dietary restrictions knows, that ain't gonna work!

I don't know what your allergy is that they wouldn't accommodate, but if it's not one of the 'big 7' you can email Disney at " Special.Diets@Disneyland.com " and they can provide you with information and places to eat relating to your particular allergen. They've always been very nice when I've had questions or needed help.

Let me know if that email doesn't work. I haven't used it in a long time.



For those who posted about 'no cheese', there is a 'dairy allergy friendly' hamburger with NO cheese. Anyone can order it, even if it's just that you 'don't like' cheese as opposed to having a dairy allergy.



Caveat: I've never eaten at GG. Even as Tomorrowland Terrace the food was always sub-par.

 

[nutsosmom]

We usually LOVE the food in Disneyland, but were disappointed this year as well. Jazz Kitchen was still good - but ambience was lacking. I was really looking forward to Blue Bayou and was thoroughly disappointed; Limited options were mediocre at best, for the price, I expected better.
DCA Festival of Holiday booths were good though.

 

[cmph]

I don't know what your allergy is that they wouldn't accommodate, but if it's not one of the 'big 7' you can email Disney at " Special.Diets@Disneyland.com " and they can provide you with information and places to eat relating to your particular allergen. They've always been very nice when I've had questions or needed help.

Let me know if that email doesn't work. I haven't used it in a long time.

It still works! I used it last week, for our WOC dessert party res. Somehow, allergy notes disappeared off that, and in any case - you aren't able to say who/how many in your party has an allergy. So I emailed a couple days in advance, got a response same-day.

 

[starlite_]

We usually LOVE the food in Disneyland, but were disappointed this year as well. Jazz Kitchen was still good - but ambience was lacking. I was really looking forward to Blue Bayou and was thoroughly disappointed; Limited options were mediocre at best, for the price, I expected better.
DCA Festival of Holiday booths were good though.

This was our experience at Jazz Kitchen last week as well. Food was good but the charm of the place was gone. I don't think I will go back until at least the refurb is done. Maybe not even then if the ambience isn't back.

Funnily enough, we had a great experience at Trader Sam's. Didn't have a reservation, walked up to be added to the list for exclusively an inside table. Got told the wait might be 2 hrs, we were inside with drinks within 30 minutes.

 

[DizMe]

This was our experience at Jazz Kitchen last week as well. Food was good but the charm of the place was gone. I don't think I will go back until at least the refurb is done. Maybe not even then if the ambience isn't back.

Funnily enough, we had a great experience at Trader Sam's. Didn't have a reservation, walked up to be added to the list for exclusively an inside table. Got told the wait might be 2 hrs, we were inside with drinks within 30 minutes.

This happened to us at Blue Bayou. We had a reservation, but when we requested waterside, we were told it would be an hour+ wait. We said fine and before we could even sit down in the waiting area, they called our name.

 

[Aspencreek]

Does anyone have any recommendations for places at the DLR for someone who is low carb/keto? Thanks

I eat LowCarb and sticking to it at DL/DCA has been tricky but not impossible. Main thing that gets me by is bringing in my own food/snacks. I'll pack in a bunch of LC protein bars, jerky, meat/cheese sticks, packs of nuts, etc. Can also bring in a little lunch size cooler to keep fresher food refrigerated for lunch/dinner. I'll rent a locker and offload most of that stuff when I first get there so I'm not hauling it all around. As for foods in the parks I've stuck with burgers w/ side of mandarins (chuck the buns), turkey legs (they are gigantic!), and the Bengal BBQ skewers (easy on the sauce). Best thing about LCHF for me is that I can go for ages without getting very hungry. So I will load up on the breakfast buffet at the hotel (eggs, bacon, sausage, omelets, etc), then use the snacks I brought throughout day, and have one meal in the parks for a late lunch or early dinner and call it good.

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

Th

But perhaps the 'no accommodation' rule is for other than the 'big 7 allergens' already covered on the allergy menu. If so, I'm sure it has to do with people claiming various allergies to get all kinds of bits and bobs of ingredients they 'just don't like' changed or removed. Unfortunately, with rules like that they can't make exceptions and that results in people with 'simple fixes' for real allergies being disadvantaged.

I don't know what your allergy is that they wouldn't accommodate, but if it's not one of the 'big 7' you can email Disney at " Special.Diets@Disneyland.com " and they can provide you with information and places to eat relating to your particular allergen. They've always been very nice when I've had questions or needed help.

Let me know if that email doesn't work. I haven't used it in a long time.

I discovered on our November trip that if you have a dietary restriction outside the "big 7" or other standard (vegan, kosher, etc.), that they really struggle to accommodate even at the sit down restaurants. I'm on a low sodium diet due to heart issues, and I thought I would at least be able to get a salad with no dressing on it at most TS restaurants, but that wasn't the case. They often didn't know the sodium content on any of the dishes, and I was repeatedly told that they couldn't even come up with a plate of raw fruit and veggies. The only place able to come up with anything not on the menu was Storytellers, where the chef very kindly prepared salt-free salmon, broccoli, and rice for me. That salmon was the best thing I ate the entire trip - cooked perfectly, and well seasoned even without the salt.

At every other place we went, my low-sodium diet was treated more as a preference, even when I explained that it is because of a medical condition, not by my choice. Believe me, I would LOVE to be eating lots of salty snacks, but that's out of the question now. It was disappointing, but I had come prepared with a variety of no-salt snacks and bought fresh fruit at the carts to supplement. DS at least enjoyed every meal, and since it was his birthday trip I was glad that he loved his food. And now I'm prepared for our April trip, and doing a more in-depth analysis of every menu item to figure out if I'm going to be able to order anything at any restaurant, or if I'm going to be bringing all my own food with me.

 

[cmph]

I discovered on our November trip that if you have a dietary restriction outside the "big 7" or other standard (vegan, kosher, etc.), that they really struggle to accommodate even at the sit down restaurants. I'm on a low sodium diet due to heart issues, and I thought I would at least be able to get a salad with no dressing on it at most TS restaurants, but that wasn't the case. They often didn't know the sodium content on any of the dishes, and I was repeatedly told that they couldn't even come up with a plate of raw fruit and veggies. The only place able to come up with anything not on the menu was Storytellers, where the chef very kindly prepared salt-free salmon, broccoli, and rice for me. That salmon was the best thing I ate the entire trip - cooked perfectly, and well seasoned even without the salt.

At every other place we went, my low-sodium diet was treated more as a preference, even when I explained that it is because of a medical condition, not by my choice. Believe me, I would LOVE to be eating lots of salty snacks, but that's out of the question now. It was disappointing, but I had come prepared with a variety of no-salt snacks and bought fresh fruit at the carts to supplement. DS at least enjoyed every meal, and since it was his birthday trip I was glad that he loved his food. And now I'm prepared for our April trip, and doing a more in-depth analysis of every menu item to figure out if I'm going to be able to order anything at any restaurant, or if I'm going to be bringing all my own food with me.

I suggest trying River Belle. The allergy menu is outdated, which they acknowledged after giving it to DH, so even with the big 7 - they are kind of stuck making special orders. A chef came out and talked to him, then specially prepared him a meal - the catfish was seasoned per his request (easily adjusted), on a bed of lettuce and heirloom tomato slices (and a gluten-free bun), and served with steamed veggies and fresh fruit. That sounds exactly right for you, and I know for sure they were proud of that dish b/c they referenced taking photos of it before serving it to him. Hopefully they even add it to the allergy menu!

 

[ImarriedGrumpy]

I suggest trying River Belle. The allergy menu is outdated, which they acknowledged after giving it to DH, so even with the big 7 - they are kind of stuck making special orders. A chef came out and talked to him, then specially prepared him a meal - the catfish was seasoned per his request (easily adjusted), on a bed of lettuce and heirloom tomato slices (and a gluten-free bun), and served with steamed veggies and fresh fruit. That sounds exactly right for you, and I know for sure they were proud of that dish b/c they referenced taking photos of it before serving it to him. Hopefully they even add it to the allergy menu!

Oh, good to know! Thank you!!

When I had to meet with the dietician for the first time and go over my new diet, I was horrified to discover that basically any commercially prepared bread product, the majority of cheeses, and most commercially prepared meats were all high sodium. I had guessed that lunch meat and fried foods were bad, but had no idea that things like buns, cheese, and grilled chicken could have so much added salt. Here I was thinking I could make a few easy changes and I'd be good to go, but it's been much more difficult than I expected.

Thank you again - I've added River Belle to my list of hopeful options!

 

[cmph]

Oh, good to know! Thank you!!

When I had to meet with the dietician for the first time and go over my new diet, I was horrified to discover that basically any commercially prepared bread product, the majority of cheeses, and most commercially prepared meats were all high sodium. I had guessed that lunch meat and fried foods were bad, but had no idea that things like buns, cheese, and grilled chicken could have so much added salt. Here I was thinking I could make a few easy changes and I'd be good to go, but it's been much more difficult than I expected.

Thank you again - I've added River Belle to my list of hopeful options!

I can imagine it's one of those "in EVERYthing" things! FWIW, DH thought the gf bun with his fish wasn't necessary and only ate half of it b/c he felt obliged to the folks who so carefully prepared his plate lol. He would have been totally fine with the fish, veggies, and fruit. He said the fish was prepared very well and enjoyed the yellow heirloom tomatoes with it; gf buns aren't usually all that good, so I could understand why it didn't exactly enhance it.

 

[wowsmom]

The "kids" room is a little room with like 3 tables, over by the windows. We were sat there last meal. It was honestly kinda awkward because you really can't NOT listen in on your neighbors, due to being surrounded by walls. I felt like everyone could hear our conversation as well.

Is it to the right when you enter the dining room? (sorry, I'm having a hard time picturing it today)

That's interesting. They do have an allergy menu for the major allergies on the "DL Dine" menu page and it makes me wonder what would happen if one tried to order off the allergy menu. Are they saying they won't follow Disney's own 'directive'?

But perhaps the 'no accommodation' rule is for other than the 'big 7 allergens' already covered on the allergy menu. If so, I'm sure it has to do with people claiming various allergies to get all kinds of bits and bobs of ingredients they 'just don't like' changed or removed. Unfortunately, with rules like that they can't make exceptions and that results in people with 'simple fixes' for real allergies being disadvantaged. I've been caught up in that a few times (Celiac), once even having a place refuse to serve me a hamburger without a bun. Like, you know, put the patty & fixings just on a plate? Nope. No 'special orders'. I could get the burger and remove the bun, but as any person with dietary restrictions knows, that ain't gonna work!

I don't know what your allergy is that they wouldn't accommodate, but if it's not one of the 'big 7' you can email Disney at " Special.Diets@Disneyland.com " and they can provide you with information and places to eat relating to your particular allergen. They've always been very nice when I've had questions or needed help.

Thanks for reminding me about that email and for your thoughtful response.

I'm one of those people who is lucky enough to have 2 of the top 7 allergies and then a whole bunch of oddball ones.

We've been visiting the parks regularly since we moved back to SoCal in 2006 and it's been interesting to see the changes in how allergies are dealt with. It used to be pretty good and then they introduced the allergy menus and it got much more difficult and frustrating for me.

Many times, hosts would insist that I had to order from the allergy menu - but there was usually nothing that I could eat without modifying the item or at least talking to a chef to see if I would be safe. There were times that somebody decided since I had food allergies, I wasn't allowed any gluten or nuts - so I was given gluten free buns or not given nuts on my wedge salad or not given croutons on my french onion soup. I was even asked by an indignant chef at Wine Country why I would dine there with a basil allergy (because we were doing the WoC package and the Carthay menu had items that might actually kill me ).

I learned over time which places were more accommodating and able to modify dishes and mostly avoid the places I've had problems with - even though a lot of the problems were 5-10 years ago.

Last fall in the parks was tough as some places were still mobile order only (I was told to place my order and then I could talk to the chef when my window arrived) so we ate at GCH a lot. There is a chef at Craftsman Grill who has my allergies memorized from when we used to go to Storytellers every week (when they had an a la carte menu) and a server at Napa Rose who keeps my allergy paper in his wallet. It has gotten a bit easier in the parks the past few months but we still tend to eat at GCH pretty often due to these special CMs.

 

[DLgal]

Is it to the right when you enter the dining room? (sorry, I'm having a hard time picturing it today)



Thanks for reminding me about that email and for your thoughtful response.

I'm one of those people who is lucky enough to have 2 of the top 7 allergies and then a whole bunch of oddball ones.

We've been visiting the parks regularly since we moved back to SoCal in 2006 and it's been interesting to see the changes in how allergies are dealt with. It used to be pretty good and then they introduced the allergy menus and it got much more difficult and frustrating for me.

Many times, hosts would insist that I had to order from the allergy menu - but there was usually nothing that I could eat without modifying the item or at least talking to a chef to see if I would be safe. There were times that somebody decided since I had food allergies, I wasn't allowed any gluten or nuts - so I was given gluten free buns or not given nuts on my wedge salad or not given croutons on my french onion soup. I was even asked by an indignant chef at Wine Country why I would dine there with a basil allergy (because we were doing the WoC package and the Carthay menu had items that might actually kill me ).

I learned over time which places were more accommodating and able to modify dishes and mostly avoid the places I've had problems with - even though a lot of the problems were 5-10 years ago.

Last fall in the parks was tough as some places were still mobile order only (I was told to place my order and then I could talk to the chef when my window arrived) so we ate at GCH a lot. There is a chef at Craftsman Grill who has my allergies memorized from when we used to go to Storytellers every week (when they had an a la carte menu) and a server at Napa Rose who keeps my allergy paper in his wallet. It has gotten a bit easier in the parks the past few months but we still tend to eat at GCH pretty often due to these special CMs.

The room we were in was kinda straight back from the entrance, ALL the way back and sort of close to where the bathrooms are.

 

[pineapplepalms]

I think when you eat at the parks frequently you find hidden gems at counter service. I rarely do sit down, but if it do it’s Lamplight Lounge brunch or lunch/dinner, or Craftsman Bar in the GCH. I’ve personally never had a bad meal at either of those places. I also had a good meal at Hearthstone Lounge in the GCH.

For me, the best counter service in the parks is in Galaxy’s Edge. I love most things at Docking Bay 7 and all the Ronto Wraps (breakfast, regular and plant based). The chocolate popcorn sold in this land is one of my favorite treats. I will walk from Main Street to Galaxy’s Edge just for lunch.

Rancho Del Zocalo has good food at decent prices and plenty of seating.

Red Rose Tavern has some decent items: the flatbread is inexpensive and pretty good and we often order their tots as a snack. So good!

In DCA, Award Wieners is surprisingly good. Yes, it’s hotdogs, but they are GOOD hotdogs with great fries at a good price and big portions.

Pym’s Test Kitchen has the yummy chicken schnitzel (it’s really not a sandwich) and more awesome tots.

Agree with all of this. We try to do Lamplight at least once each trip and it’s been consistently good. I love the caldo de pollo at Rancho and got it 3 times last week! It was great 2 of the times and once it was too salty with not as many veggies as the other times. I love the covered seating there with the heat lamps. We were hiding out there for quite a while with all the rain on NYE.

I always have to get the popcorn in Galaxy’s Edge and I also like the various drinks at RR/DB7.

I’m not sure what’s going on with Lucky Fortune since we had some good experiences there last year, but the last few times it hasn’t been good at all.

At Cocina Cucamonga we like the birria and potato tacos.

We get takeout from Craftsman Grill every trip since we usually stay at VGC, and we like most of the things we get there, although I’m still bummed they got rid of the rice bowls. If it’s late sometimes I’ll pick up food from Hearthstone and that’s been good too.

We had a fantastic meal at WCT in early November too!

We’ve had a couple of good experiences at WCT this year too. Our kids love the salmon from the kids menu and it’s a nice change from the usual kids menu options.

Generally we don’t do a ton of TS at DLR though... we tried Carthay Circle Lounge and I don’t feel like the value was there for us food-wise, but the ambience was amazing with characters going by that corner. Our kids loved that.

 

[808blessing]

https://www.godairyfree.org/travel/disneyland-dairy-free-food-restaurants

 

[wowsmom]

The room we were in was kinda straight back from the entrance, ALL the way back and sort of close to where the bathrooms are.

Ah okay. We've been in those small rooms a couple of times recently. My DH was happy when he got to sit next to the fireplace since he's often cold.

 

[brentm77]

I wanted to report back a positive experience we just had eating at DLR. Everything was booked for New Years Eve when we decided to make a last-minute visit since we would be in the area for the Rose Bowl. But we snagged a dinner reservation at Storyteller Café, for our first-ever visit there. I was pleasantly surprised about the quality of the food. The corn chowder that the server brought us was the best I have ever had. The prime rib was well prepared and not too fatty. The fresh carved turkey with cranberry sauce was amazing, and I am not a huge turkey fan normally. Everything else that I tried on the buffet was good too. There wasn't a huge selection, but I prefer quality over quantity anyway. It was expensive, but I would much rather pay $20-30 more per person and get a quality dinner than pay for a disappointing overprized quick service meal. When you consider it included soda and dessert, it really isn't that much more expensive.

After my recent experiences at the resort, it was a breath of fresh air. I don't know if we hit it on a good night, and I wouldn't usually seek out buffets, but I will for sure try it again when we go back.

P.S. I strongly agree with the poster above the Flo's old menu was so much better. It bothers me greatly that they standardized the menu to match all the other burger places in the resort. They may have saved money, but all those little things add up and affect the overall guest experience. We used to love eating at Flo's, but hardly go there now.

 

[808blessing]

We used to love Flos breakfast