Celebrating 40th at Disneyland

[tmills]

This will be my family's first trip to Disneyland & we will be celebrating my 40th bday! With that said, could you give suggestions on a quick service meal, table service, and snack(s)? We will have 4 days for the parks. It will be me, dh, dd 14, & ds 11. We're not very picky! We appreciate any advice/tips you are willing to share about food, the parks, rides, etc. TIA!!

 

[JanJan324]

I just spent my 40th there a few weeks ago. I opted to do both the Plaza Inn for an early breakfast, Red Rose Taverne for lunch, and spoiled myself at the Blue Bayou for dinner. I was traveling with my mom and sister, so I didn't have my whole family to pay for, otherwise I would have probably skipped Blue Bayou. The Plaza Inn is great for lunch too - the BEST fried chicken!

 

[julieheyer]

I've never done Blue Bayou but if we had the time and money to spare that would be my first choice .
We try to maximize our value and not spend too much time or money but enjoy a good meal too

That said, Our favorite sit down meal is Cafe Orleans in DL. It's table service with great food and pretty fast service, compared to some. I just love the people watching on the patio, and the monte cristo sandwich is my idea of a celebration meal!

My favorite character meal is breakfast at the Grand California hotel. But I'm a big Chip and Dale fan and love that you can order off the menu instead of the full buffet . Great way to start a day!

I enjoyed eating at Flos close to sunset while watching the Radiator springs ride Pacific Wharf is also good and reasonable quick in DCA. I've heard Carthay circle is amazing too, but again, out of my price range,.

Definitely get a birthday button and enjoy the greetings from other attendees and cast members
Have fun! I'll be celebrating my 48th there in a few weeks myself!

 

[az4boys]

My advice is to look up menus online before you go so you'll have an idea of what each restaurant offers and the prices. I think a lot depends on your budget. I went a couple years ago with just my DH, no kids, so we ate at the blue bayou for the first time. I loved it, but would probably not pay for my kids to go there. They are most happy with stuff like burgers and fried chicken. If your kids will eat the food, a nice restaurant would be fun for your birthday. BB is the nicest we have done, followed by Cafe Orleans. The monte cristo was good but very rich. I could only eat 1/4 of it but I'm glad I tried it. (We split a few different things.) We love the bread place at DCA. I get the soup & bread bowl, but ask for the soup in a cup so my bread doesn't get soggy and I can save it for later. My kids think that bread is awesome so we get a large mickey loaf and keep it in the backpack to snack on all day. They have butter for the bread too. Dole whips are a must and we get popcorn for watching the parades. The only character meal we have done is the Minnie and Friends breakfast. All character meals are pricey, but I thought the value was good, primarily because it was a buffet and my kids could drink all the chocolate milk they wanted. (Stuff like that adds up!)

One tip: a lot of the snacks are large, particularly things like cookies. I take some ziplocs so we don't feel like we have to eat it all at once and it won't make a mess in the backpack.

 

[giftcard]

Happy Birthday!!! I'm celebrating my 40th there this year as well!!!

 

[julesann]

Hmmm quick service: Rancho del Zocalo or Cove Bar (Cove can be slow at times but your kids will love the location next to CS); table service: Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, Carthay Circle or Wine Country Trattoria (great to be there at parade time for dinner) and I like their WOC dinner; and for snacks Ghirardelli and if you like a cocktail the Uva Bar in DTD or Hearthstone Lounge in GCH.

 

[cruisehopeful]

When you enter the park, ask for a birthday button. If you forget, just ask at any retail place.
My favorite things for a special visit are:
Afternoon Tea at Disneyland Hotel (weekends only)
WOC dessert party
Trader Sam's (both food and drinks)
Loved my one giant splurge at Carthy Circle - we got pretty much everything.

Things on my to do list that I haven't done yet:
Steakhouse 55 Lounge (the menu looks really good)
Napa Rose

The rides in Carsland are very fun.
In DL, I love everything in Adventureland, New Orleans square and Frontierland. I recommend getting some beignets and a mint julep in New Orleans Square. Just get one mint julep to share. It is very sugary.

 

[felice]

You may possibly need to make a reservation at Wine Country Trattoria - so you can see the parade which travels past at their set times of day

 

[tmills]

Thank you all for advice! I only have a few weeks to plan & your input has given me lots of ideas!!

 

[Laundress]

Another vote for Blue Bayou. We like to do lunch there for special occasions.
Happy BirthdayEnjoy your trip

 

[belleelc77]

This will be my family's first trip to Disneyland & we will be celebrating my 40th bday! With that said, could you give suggestions on a quick service meal, table service, and snack(s)? We will have 4 days for the parks. It will be me, dh, dd 14, & ds 11. We're not very picky! We appreciate any advice/tips you are willing to share about food, the parks, rides, etc. TIA!!

I will be celebrating my 40th and my DD will be celebrating her 16th b-days at DL. Hope you have a blast!

 

[azdisneylover]

Happy early Birthday! I would suggest being at the gates when they first open. Bring plenty of sunscreen, including chapstick, water and patience. As for food, for breakfast after riding rides in Tomorrowland, we head to Tomorrowland Terrace (Gallactic Grill I think it's called at the moment). Hubby enjoys the breakfast burrito, two kids order breakfast platters, the third kid says she isn't hungry, I get a yogurt parfait, plus a fresh fruit platter for family to share. Everyone eats (including not hungry daughter) and nothing gets thrown out! We love Carnation Cafe for lunch. Great food and service. We always order a plate of french fries and an order of fried pickles for appetizers. Hubby loves the chicken fried chicken. The meatloaf is really good, as well as the potato soup, burgers and salad! You really can't go wrong here.
Whitewater Snacks in the GCH is where we hit quite a few times on our trips. Decent prices, everyone finds something they want and the peace and quiet there can't be beat. We usually relax on the patio outside peaking into DCA!
For a snack, I like getting the Pear-O-Dice beverage and a bag of dill popcorn from the Cozy Cones and find a bench to people watch for a bit! When we want ice cream, we hit up Clarabelle's by Fiddler Fifel and Practical and get a couple of kitchen sinks, grab a table and watch the 5 and Dime perform. We get pretty lucky catching them.