Have your taste buds ready for this world-renowned and family-owned Asian restaurant from Taiwan, because Din Tai Fung is now open at Disneyland! Specializing in dumplings and family-style Chinese cuisine, the Downtown Disney location is the chain's first free-standing building, and boy, is it grand! As part of the stunning and innovative improvements coming to the district, Din Tai Fung is nothing short of spectacular. Here's everything you need to know about Din Tai Fung at Disneyland.
Hop To
Overview of Din Tai Fung at Disneyland
Location
Din Tai Fung is located in the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort. Anybody can walk around and enjoy the atmosphere of Downtown Disney. It's free, and no theme park ticket or reservation is needed. It does, however, cost you money to park your vehicle in the connected parking lot.
Downtown Disney is located off Disneyland Drive between all the Disneyland on-site hotels. You can access the parking lot just north of Disney's Pixar Place Hotel. For visiting frogs looking for an actual address to plan with, you can find Downtown Disney at 1580 Disneyland Dr. Anaheim, CA 92802.
You may reach Downtown Disney via its Simba Lot (near Disney's Pixar Place Hotel) or the theme park shuttles that run from the Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures or Toy Story lot. And if you are staying off Harbor Blvd., just go through security as you would to enter Disneyland, and continue straight past the theme park entrances to enter Downtown Disney.
Parking
If visiting only Downtown Disney and staying off-site, you can use the short-term Simba parking lot near Pixar Place Hotel. But be sure to bring your ticket, validate it and pay at the Self Pay stations before returning to your car!
Here are the Downtown Disney District parking prices:
- The first hour of parking costs $10.
- Validations apply after the first hour of paid parking.
- Enjoy an additional three hours of same-day parking with a $20 minimum purchase and validation from any Downtown Disney location — or up to five additional hours of same-day parking with validation from any Downtown Disney table-service restaurant.
- Beyond these validations, each additional hour costs $14, charged in 30-minute increments, with a minimum of $7.
- The maximum daily parking and lost ticket fee is $66. Hop tip: Hold on to your ticket!
- Parking is subject to capacity.
- The hotel restaurants do not validate parking.
- Magic Keys do not have parking benefits at Downtown Disney
If you are planning a lengthy visit to Downtown Disney or will be visiting the theme parks, you should park in the Pixar Pals or Mickey and Friends parking structure or other Disney lots for $35 per day. From the Mickey and Friends or Pixar Pals parking structure, you can walk or take a parking tram. If you have parking benefits on your Magic Key, we recommend parking at the theme park lots.
Reservations
Snagging a reservation on the Din Tai Fung website in advance is strongly recommended! You can attempt to walk in on a less busy day, but seating is not guaranteed.
Din Tai Fung Seating
Upon entering, you'll see a beautifully crafted 360-degree bar at the center of the space. The intricacies and classic Chinese-inspired decor from floor to ceiling create a very calming and elegant atmosphere. Everything from the jade tiling on the walls to the tapestry-like chandeliers hanging from above is immensely detailed and themed.
There are two dining rooms on either side of the bar. Both sides have windows covering the full walls surrounding the restaurant for viewing into Downtown Disney. From the room on the left side, you can see the new Downtown Disney LIVE! stage and grass area. There is booth seating along the walls as well as an assortment of table sizing for accommodating all party sizes. The full menu is served at both the bar and at tables.
Upon checking in at the host stand, you are handed your order sheet. This is what you will fill out at your table and give to your server. There is a full list of items on the sheet as well as a QR code at the top. The QR link will bring you to a full descriptive menu with pictures of each item. (It's toadally hopful to see photos if you are new to dining at Din Tai Fung.) This way, you can look through and start to make some decisions about your meal before even getting to your table. You can also ask your server for recommendations.
While walking through the restaurant, you can stop and watch the prep cooks preparing the dumplings! This is masterful work and very cool to see some behind-the-scenes magic hoppening.
Din Tai Fung Menu
Dumplings
There are a few kinds of dumplings you can choose from on the menu, but one in particular that makes Din Tai Fung so special. Xiao Long Bao is a soup dumpling steamed in a wooden xiaolong. This is the restaurant's signature dumpling and the one you have to try. Each order of Xiao Long Bao comes with 10 dumplings. You have the choice of pork, crab and pork or chicken.
The other dumplings are what you find more commonly such as crescent-shaped dumplings and steamed buns. There are also Shao Mai, which are open flower-shaped dumplings with either shrimp and pork or pork and mushroom.
One of the fun things about Din Tai Fung is the very at-home and do-it-yourself inclusion and interactivity. Making your own sauce to dip the Xiao Long Bao into is part of the whole experience. While there are instructions on how to do so on every table, feel free to ask your server to show you if you're not feeling up to the task.
Here are the steps for creating your sauce and correctly eating your Xiao Long Bao:
- Pour soy sauce and vinegar into the ginger dish at a 1:3 ratio.
- Dip the Xiao Long Bao into the mixture.
- Place the Xiao Long Bao into the spoon and poke a small hole to release the broth.
- Add some ginger to your Xiao Long Bao and enjoy!
Side Dishes
Although Din Tai Fung is known for its soup-style dumplings, the sides are toadally worth trying as well. One of the fan-favorite dishes is the Cucumber Salad. The String Beans with garlic are one of our favorites! The Sweet & Sour Pork Baby Back Ribs are nice and tender and sticky. The fried rice comes in a good-sized portion, and we recommend mixing in some of that sauce you'll create for your dumplings! The fried rice dishes are also a great option if you have a pickier eater in your party. There are several vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options on the menu.
Drinks
The Fresh Orange Green Iced Tea is very refreshing and tasty! There are a bunch of different iced teas to choose from such as matcha, honey milk and sea salt cream. You can add boba to any of the iced beverages. You can enjoy signature cocktails or Taiwanese hot teas as well.
Sweets
Would your dumpling meal really be complete without a dessert dumpling? The Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao is absolutely frogtastic. Our server recommended pairing them with the Sea Salt Cream, and we cannot recommend this enough! The mix of fresh and salty with decadent and chocolaty was my favorite part of the whole meal.
Other dessert options include Red Bean & Mochi, Sweet Taro and Sesame & Mochi Xiao Long Bao, as well as Chocolate, Red Bean, Sweet Taro or Sesame Steamed Buns.
Kids
Although there's no kids menu, we do have a hack to help your tadpoles enjoy their experience too! All you need to do is ask for the kids' plate setting. The silicone kids' plate has dividers and the whole thing suctions right onto the actual plate setting. They are durable (and kid-proof!) and separate foods. This option also comes with a plastic fork. You can see what every menu item looks like through the QR code you are provided, which is always helpful when ordering for young ones.
Our Final Thoughts on Din Tai Fung
Overall, we loved our experience at Din Tai Fung! Everything from the food to the service was so well done. This restaurant is an absolutely fabulous addition to the Downtown Disney District, and we think it's going to be very popular! If you are looking for Asian fusion foods, this is the spot for you. But be aware that there are not as many options for those who aren't as adventurous when it comes to trying new foods. There are, however, a few things we would suggest for picky eaters such as fried rice or noodles.
Is Din Tai Fung worth it? We think so! Yes, it is on the pricier side as ordering multiple dishes starts to add up pretty quickly. However, if you're up for the splurge, the food is very unique and high quality, and unlike anything else you can get at Disneyland. It's such a fun experience and the staff is absolutely excellent as well.
The whole building is grandiose inside and out and adds a new themed element to the area. With all the new things coming to Downtown Disney, we can't wait to see and feel all the energy this spot will bring!
Here are a few additional things to know:
- Reservations might be hard to get as this is a brand-new restaurant open as of July 1, 2024. We recommend making a reservation in advance, especially if you have a larger party.
- The large portions are meant to be shared. You can always order more food if you're still hungry!
- Downtown Disney is connected to Disneyland Hotel and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Disney's Pixar Place Hotel is just a short walk away — especially now that the Downtown Disney entrance has moved closer to that hotel. So if you are staying at a nearby hotel and want to try it, it's a short walk from your hotel.
- If you have an extremely picky eater in your group, this might not be the spot for you. Here are some of our tips for picky eaters at Disneyland.
- There are no Magic Key discounts at this location. (At least not during the soft opening, when we visited. But feel free to ask.)
You may also want to read up on other Downtown Disney restaurants to visit, as well as the Disneyland Resort hotel restaurants.
If you are looking to visit Disneyland, you may be looking at hotels. You can get a great rate for both on-site Disneyland Resort hotels and off-site hotels through Undercover Tourist. Plus, Undercover Tourist has the best prices on multiday tickets for Disneyland.
Related: Best Disneyland Table-Service Restaurants
Related: All of the Magical Reasons to Stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel
Hoppy planning!
