What are the 'not to miss' restaurants and snacks?

bethan92

Earning My Ears
Joined
May 21, 2012
We're heading to TDR in April and would love to know the best restaurants and snacks in both parks.

Any recommendations and must dos would be appreciated!
 
I'd say Magellan's at DisneySea is a must-do restaurant. It's pricey, but the food and atmosphere are very nice.

I also recommend the Teddy Roosevelt Lounge, inside the S.S. Columbia ship at DisneySea, even if you just want to stop in for a drink or dessert.
 


It probably depends upon whether you prioritise the theming of the restaurant and the cuteness / novelty of the snack over the actual taste of the food (and the portion sizes).

For a good balance of theming, taste and portion size, we like Magellan's (TDS) (although that is more heavily weighted to the "theming" and the peaceful respite from the crowded park and it's popular so it can be difficult to get a booking), Camp Woodchuck (TDL) (again, this is slightly more weight to the "theming" as we love Scrooge, Donald and their nephews) and Grandma Sara's (TDL).

Other good restaurants in TDS include: Ristorante di Canaletto (subject to being able to get a booking), Miguel's Cantina, Vulcania and Casbah Food Court.

Other good options in TDL include: Crystal Palace (if you like a buffet), Hungry Bear (good portion size), Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall (moreso for the theming than the food) and potentially Blue Bayou (simply because Tokyo seems to be the most affordable location for this restaurant, except for the Shanghai version).

TDR Explorer has great restaurant planning resources: https://tdrexplorer.com/best-tokyo-disneyland-trip-planning-articles/
 
Here's some snacks from Tom Bricker's blog: https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tokyo-disneyland-snacks/

I've been using his website a lot for planning our Japan trip.
I wouldn't use this link that much because most of the snacks that he talks about on that page are not available anymore (it was a few years ago when you see the 30th anniversary labels), TDR is known for moving items quite fast, with the seasons and celebrations. around the time of your visit there will be new things and "old" things will have disappeared. For me it's best to look regularly at TDR Explorer blog/Instagram/FB because he's very up to date ;).

For me, in the classic snacks that have been there for a while, and were there when we went last month, I looooooove the Green Men Mochis, the gyoza bun (I had like 4 of them last time) at Refreshment Station in DSea, the Donald Buoy (shrimp) near Nemo SeaRider, the pizza spring rolls (but can also change seasonnally) at Toontown in TDL, the pizza slices at Captain Hook Gallery. For the CS the waffle chicken "burger/sandwich" at Woodchuck, GrandMa Sarah', love the theming of Alice's Queen Buffet but the food is so-so. And popcorn everywhere! my favorite being tomato & herbs, which sadly wasn't available last month.
 
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My family loved the theme of Queen of Hearts Banquet.

We had noodles and shrimp tempura at Sakura Restaurant.

Our favorite snack Darth Vader and Storm Trooper mochi.

We also enjoyed the Chilled Tipo Torta. There were 2 flavors: Caramel and Strawberry & Milk.
 


My favorite snack is the Spiced Smoked Chicken Leg served at the Lost River Cookhouse near Raging Spirits at Tokyo DisneySea. Its a chicken thigh that is seasoned with the perfect mix of spices and smoked just enough that the meat doesn't turn to leather like your typical Smoked Turkey Leg. Don't forget the famous Gyoza Sausage Dog now served at the Nautilus Galley downstairs in Mysterious Island.

The best dish at the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall for me is the Flank Steak, served with smashed potatoes. My girlfriend really enjoyed the fish she had at the Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall and Yucatan Base Camp Grill.
 
I find the gyoza sausage dog overrated. Have fun trying all ththe different popcorns. Honey, curry, the list goes on and on!
 
Queen of Hearts is probably the only restaurant I'd recommend to pretty much anyone. I most consistently enjoy the various themed sandwiches from places like Sebastian's Calypso Kitchen, Sweetheart Cafe, Camp Woodchuck, etc. The only thing is that they often come in a set with fries which aren't that good. I'm not the biggest fan of food items that involve meat stuffed in bread or rice stuffed in anything. Food from the American Waterfront, Hokusai, Casbah food court, hub food booths, and gazebo have been hit and miss with some being excellent and others being just average.

I usually just try as many of the event exclusive foods as possible so I'm not a big help when it comes to the regular menu. I also haven't eaten at some of the prices places like Blue Bayou and Magellans. But in general, I think just try anything that looks good to you and you see other people ordering. Just be aware that some of the items on the Today guide may seem overly popular because there's people like me who like to try as many of them as possible.
 
We ate only one "real meal" inside the parks in 3+ days. The snacking is on a completely different level compared with the parks in the USA.

Try as many of the popcorn flavors as you possibly can! We still talk about the honey popcorn in front of Pooh and the blueberry at the American Waterfront. We ended up buying both Lightning McQueen and Buzz Lightyear popcorn buckets. Nearly all of the buckets can be purchased in shops without popcorn in them (but a voucher to fill it at any cart) in case you just want them as souvenirs or if you don't like the flavor at the cart they usually sell the bucket at.

The ukiwaman (buoy shaped shrimp bun) was also a favorite of ours at DisneySea and is good even on a hot day (it is served really warm).

You can't go wrong with either version of mochi (Vader/stormtrooper at Disneyland or Toy Story Aliens at DisneySea) but be sure to grab the green aliens when you see the cart (don't wait!) because we found that several times when we came back the cart was closed (sold out) or completely gone!

The potato churro in the Mysterious Island area was... interesting. Kind of like a giant french fry but in a churro shape.

The Mike Wazowski melon bread at Sweetheart Cafe in Disneyland was our go-to for breakfast more than once.

I'm sure there are some fantastic table and counter service restaurants but we wouldn't know... we were too busy stuffing our faces with snacks!
 
The best advice is probably to not get too attached to the idea of trying anything in particular :laughing: The menus & special items change so frequently that what someone ate one year, one month, or even one day ago could very well be completely irrelevant to you.

Magellan’s is an excellent restaurant. We go there very often when we are having dinner in the park. Highly recommended.

If you want the Toy Story mochi, don’t waste time looking for the afore-mentioned cart since you’re going after the anniversary event ends. Buy them at Mamma Biscotti’s when you enter the park. They don’t sell out.
 

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