Disclaimer: My
Disneyland party usually consists of DS14, DD10, DS9 and me so we do a lot of grazing as we make our way from ride to ride. We tend to spend a lot more money on food when hubby comes with; probably because we do less racing to the rides, more sit down meals, and I know he can help with leftovers. Also, we like food, but aren't foodies. I thought I'd share what works for us that doesn't break the bank. Note that we haven't tried any of the new-ish restaurants yet, either.
I'm in agreement on Hungry Bear as a good value; two of us can share a sandwich & sweet-potato fries and that's just the right amount of food. If I'm being nice mommy, we also get a couple of their yummy bumble bee cupcakes to split...they're too big and rich to eat a whole one!
I'm also in agreement that the Bengal Barbecue skewers are not a good value, but if we decide we
have to have some I usually pair it with an order of rolls from there and that works out OK. The problem is that the skewers smell so much better than they actually taste...even knowing this I get drawn in by the smell every once in a while.
I'm in agreement that the Blue Bayou is pricey. We eat there only for special occasions, and for that reason alone it's worth it. We don't usually finish our plates here because the servings are pretty good sized and since it's a special occasion I don't make the kids order from the kid menu.
I agree that the sandwiches at Taste Pilot's Grill (at California Adventure) are big enough to share, and you can add chilli cheese to your fries for a small charge which is my favorite! Even a plain burger here is pretty good because they have the little fixings bar so if we're sharing a sandwich we all get exactly what we want on it. This is my go to place for food in California Adventure.
When we just need some sugar, the Mile High chocolate cake at the Golden Horseshoe is HUGE and is enough sugar to help us through the mid-afternoon slump (and I get a chance to rest my feet while we eat it)!If you're into Mexican food, many of the meals at Rancho del Zocalo are large enough to share, which we do if we eat there.
My kids absolutely love Disneyland's chimichanga burritos. One is enough for my almost 15 year old garbage disposal and the younger ones share one. They're not that expensive as far as food at Disneyland goes, and this usually keeps them from getting hungry for a couple more hours.
I like the Plaza Inn as well. It's been a while so hopefully the menu hasn't changed, but a children's pasta dish is just right for me. An adult's pasta meal is a good size to share among or with the kids. If you time your evening meal correctly, you can even watch the fireworks while you eat dinner!
We ate at the Lucky Fortune Cookery (at California Adventure) for the first time a few weeks ago. The food came in a little Chinese takeout box which was a little bigger than the standard size. It was a lot of food, but we weren't that into it. We could have easily shared one dish per two people and been fine.
We like that the hot dog stands give you a chips or apples with your dog and you can save the "side" for later.
If you are coffee drinkers, the Market House on Main Street gives free refills on a regular cup of coffee all day. You just have to buy your first cup there and show the receipt to them (at the Market House) to get another cup. Don't bother saving your old cup- they won't actually refill a cup or mug for sanitation reasons. I've done this once, but the time vs cost savings just wasn't worth it to me because the line is usually pretty long.
The bags of pretzels found inside the gift shops are also a great value. We also sometimes buy one of those sourdough breads at California Adventure to carry around and snack on. At the very least, my kids love to get their free sample of sourdough. The kids also like to share popcorn, which isn't expensive.
Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip!
