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Where to Eat and Drink at the Disneyland Resort Hotels

by Mommy Frog on October 5, 2024
Los Angeles

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If you're lucky enough to stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel, you've likely gotten your theme park tickets and park reservations (maybe even singled out some theme park dining options). But have you thought about where to get your morning coffee, breakfast, character meals, snacks or fine dining at the hotel? Let's go over dining at all of the Disneyland hotel restaurants! A nice thing about the three on-site hotels is that they're within walking distance of each other and the theme parks. So reserving character dining at a different hotel means just a 5-minute walk. No matter which hotel you are sleeping at, take a look at the other Disneyland hotel restaurants, as you might prefer the dining offerings at a different hotel!

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Storytellers Cafe

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Our Guide to Disneyland Hotel Restaurants

Keep in mind that you do not have to stay at an on-site hotel to dine at any of the Disneyland hotel restaurants. All of the restaurants are open to locals, guests of nearby hotels and theme park visitors. Some Disneyland hotel restaurants require reservations, which open up to 60 days in advance, and some offer parking validation. We'll get into all of the nitty-gritty details in this post. All of the hotels are a quick walk away from the many Downtown Disney restaurants, which have some frogciting new additions in 2024! The latest table-service restaurants to open are Din Tai Fung as well as Paseo and Céntrico.

You can look up menus (and prices) for all Disneyland property hotels in the Disneyland app or on the Disneyland site. You can also find restaurant hours on the Disneyland site.

All guests can make reservations (online or in the Disneyland app) at select hotel dining locations up to 60 days in advance at 6 a.m. PT. One of the benefits of staying on-site is that Disneyland Resort hotel guests get priority reservations for the Disneyland hotel restaurants (just like hotel guests do for theme park reservations). In order to book online, you must link your valid Disneyland Resort hotel confirmation number to your Disneyland.com account before you reserve. Keep in mind, if you cancel a hotel reservation, any hotel dining reservation booked under the Preferred Dine benefit may be cancelled.

Disneyland Hotel Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Goofy's Kitchen Food

Not to be confusing, but there is an actual Disneyland Hotel amongst the three Disneyland Resort hotels. So here, we are specifically discussing the Disneyland Hotel restaurants and dining options. This hotel has palm trees and a retro island vibe.

Quick-Service Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Tangaroa Terrace

There are two quick-service locations at Disneyland Hotel:

  • Coffee House is open in the mornings and early afternoon for coffee, pastries and kid-friendly snacks. You can also get a sandwich or mini charcuterie. It's great for some quick breakfast items. This location has mobile order.
  • Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill also has coffee, but offers a more extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. This location also takes mobile orders. You can also get some grab-and-go items such as fruit, pastries, Mickey Ice Cream Bars and Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches, Dole Whip and even Dole Whip with rum! A lot of the food has a tropical vibe and for lunch and dinner, and has the exact same menu as Trader Sam's next door. It has indoor and outdoor seating amongst the palms and over the pools. If you cannot get into Trader Sam's, you can at least get food and adult drinks here. Plus there are kid-friendly options as well.

Character Dining

Goofy's Kitchen is the character dining location at Disneyland Hotel. This tadpole-friendly buffet is open for breakfast/brunch and dinner. You can eat as much as you want while the characters come to you. And that saves money on snacks later and time on skipping some character lines in the park.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Pluto at Goofy's Kitchen

Sometimes, there are seasonal meals where the characters dress in costumes (such as for Spring, Halloween and Holiday Time). But watch out for these seasonal themes, as the prices go up during those times. There are also special meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas, with different pricing and holiday offerings.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Chef Goofy

Goofy will greet you for a photo before you enter. Then Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale will circulate past your table for hugs, photos and fun. The food is buffet-style, and a server will bring your drinks. You may find more information and photos in our Goofy's Kitchen post.

Lounges and Bars

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Sinking seat at Trader Sam's

Disneyland Hotel has a few lounges and bars that also sell food:

  • Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar is the reservation to get so you can sit inside this magical Tiki Bar where your drink can affect the weather or bring on natural disaster. Is your stool shrinking? You never know what to expect here. If you join the walk-up list, you'll likely be seated outside.
  • Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill has an outdoor walk-up bar from 11 a.m. to close. Get the same tropical drinks you would get at Trader Sam's (and more) without worrying about a reservation. You can get Dole Whip with rum there!

Where to Eat and Drink at the Disneyland Resort Hotels - Lobby Lounge Food

  • Broken Spell Lounge is a lesser-known, almost hidden location with a brand new Sleeping Beauty theme. It's located just to the right of Goofy's Kitchen and it doesn't always appear in the Disneyland app. You don't need a reservation to enjoy the drinks, food, good vibes and live music on select nights.

  • Palm Breeze Bar is a covered, breezy, open-air bar between the pool areas at the base of the DVC Discovery Tower (but anyone can dine here). It offers shareable bites, salads, sandwiches and pizzas as well as delectable Mickey-themed desserts (including beignets). I love the beet salad there! In terms of drinks, there are a variety of delightful cocktails and mocktails, perfect for poolside sipping or game watching (on the large screens).

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Palm Breeze Beet Salad

Parking Validation

The Disneyland Hotel restaurants offer three hours of complimentary parking with restaurant validation. But don't get distracted and overstay your welcome, as self-parking is $40 an hour for the first hour plus $10 for each additional hour if you are not an overnight guest. No matter how many locations you eat at, you can use only one validation per visit. If you dine at Lobby Lounge, you can take your receipt to Goofy's Kitchen next door to get validated.

Where to Eat and Drink at the Disneyland Resort Hotels - Beignets and sauces at Palm Breeze Bar

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Storytellers Cafe

You'll find the most options amongst the Grand Californian restaurants. This hotel is closest to the theme parks, so it's an easy spot to dine for hotel guests and theme park goers alike. Disney's Grand Californian Hotel is a peaceful place that feels like a mountain or woodsy retreat. Even if you are not staying here, definitely hop by and wander through this beautiful hotel and sit by the huge stone fireplace in its great lobby, perhaps on your way to or from a meal.

Quick-Service Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - GCH Grill

The GCH Craftsman Grill is a quick-service dining location that is located just past the GCH Craftsman Bar and the spa. This nearly hidden location is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Get grab-and-go foods, or order hot food from the grill (and sit outside or inside). Order avocado toast and breakfast burritos, Belgian waffles and typical American breakfast items. At lunch and dinner, you have nachos, poke bowls wings, sandwiches, pizza and more. The menu is pretty similar to the GCH Craftsman Bar menu, but you get quick service instead of table service to save money and time.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Grogu Doughnut

You can find the cutest seasonal-themed doughnuts and treats here. It's worth popping by to see what they have.

Table-Service and Buffet Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Storytellers Cafe

There are two Grand Californian restaurant locations — one that offers table-service dining and one buffet. But the lounge and bar (below) also serve good food and should be considered additional restaurants:

  • Storyteller's Café is a buffet restaurant. At dinner time, it is just a buffet (without characters), but at breakfast and brunch, it has character dining. At dinner, you have the option to upgrade your meal to a World of Color dining package. (You need a theme park ticket that is valid for Disney California Adventure to use it.) For price and quality of food, we really like this character dining location. On holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can enjoy holiday meals with all the fixings and characters all day.
  • Napa Rose is a fine dining location at dinner. At breakfast, it's the most luxurious Princess Breakfast Adventures character dining location of all the character dining choices. Reservations are highly recommended and fill up quickly. This location may also have special holiday meals for dinner.

Both of these dining locations are just inside the hotel entrance to the Disney California Adventure theme park. That makes it easy for guests to step out of the park for some relaxing dining and then re-enter the park!

Character Dining

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Storytellers Cafe

As mentioned, there are two character dining locations in the Grand Californian Hotel restaurants:

  • Mickey's Tales of Adventure Breakfast or Brunch at Storytellers Café is a mid-priced character dining location. We really like the food and relaxed atmosphere. You meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Chip and Dale. Find out more and see more photos in our Mickey's Tales of Adventure at Storytellers Café post.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Napa Rose

  • Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose is a multi-course brunch and tea. You'll meet several (up to seven!) princesses and get to spend a lot of time with them and receive a souvenir gift. Before you get too excited about it and tell the tadpoles, consider the price tag at $135 per person (including kids 3 and up), plus tip, tax and themed drinks. We cover this experience in our character dining post. It's an amazing experience, but we only recommend it if it works with your dining budget.

Lounges and Bars

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Hearthstone Burgers

  • Hearthstone Lounge is one of our favorite hidden gems. Located off the great hall, this location is a cozy spot to get dinner or have a drink. It now takes reservations and is open late. We've eaten many a late-night, post-theme park meal here. The burger is delicious. You can even get it lettuce-wrapped.

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - GCH Bar

  • GCH Craftsman Bar is an outside, poolside restaurant and bar. It's open for lunch and dinner, and the bar might be a good spot to catch a game if someone in your party is interested. Don’t froget to ask about the hot dog of the month or seasonal drinks. The nachos and quesadillas are delicious and fun to share, but you can get sticky wings, pizzas, salads and more! This, too, is just across from the hotel's theme park entrance. Reservations are recommended.

Parking Validation

Most of Disney's Grand Californian Hotel restaurants offer three hours of complimentary parking with restaurant validation. Napa Rose offers five hours of parking with validation.

Pixar Place Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Great Maple Beignets

Pixar Place Hotel is a newly refurbished hotel (formerly Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel), and all the Pixar Place restaurants are completely new. This is the only hotel that does not offer character dining (but you might just catch Bing Bong in the lobby or near the pool deck!). It's a quick walk to the other hotels to partake in their character dining offerings. Or you can reserve character dining inside Disneyland Park (but you'll need a park ticket). This smaller hotel has the fewest dining options, but again, it's a short walk to the other hotels and Downtown Disney restaurants.

Quick-Service Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Sketch Pad Food

Pixar Place Hotel has two quick-service dining locations:

  • Sketch Pad is off the lobby. You can order custom coffee drinks and items to go (frittatas, overnight oats, avocado toast, baked goods and more) when you are in a hurry to get to the theme park (or eat them there when you are not).
  • Small Bytes serves salads, sandwiches, cheese plates, hummus & veggies, ceviche, soft pretzels, pizza bagels and drinks. It's located on the third floor near the pool deck and fire pits.

You can also pick up snacks (such as chips) and bottled drinks at StorE, the gift shop in the lobby.

Table-Service Restaurants

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Great Maple

Great Maple is the single Pixar Place Hotel restaurant that offers table service. You can dine inside or outside on the covered patio (with heaters, fire tables and a view of the theme park). This self-proclaimed Modern American Eatery has an all-day menu that is the same for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Portions are huge and great for sharing. You have brunch favorites, sandwiches, salads, main dishes and then their signature doughnuts, dripping in glaze. We loved the beignets with lemon curd. Reservations for dining are pretty easy to acquire at this location.

Lounges and Bars

Disneyland Resort Hotel Dining - Great Maple

While this hotel does not have a standalone bar, Great Maple has a bar with comfy seats around it and huge TV screens if you want to watch a sports game. No reservation is needed for the bar. You can also order fun drinks at Small Bytes. But you can easily walk across the street to the Grand Californian Hotel to enjoy that hotel's bars and lounges as well. Disneyland Hotel is a few minutes' walk behind Pixar Place if you are looking for palm trees and breezes while you dine.

Pixar Place Hotel Parking Validation

The restaurants offer three hours of complimentary parking with restaurant validation.

Related: The Insider Scoop on Every Downtown Disney Restaurant

Related: Get the Full Dish on Disneyland Character Dining

Hoppy planning!

Keep hopping, Mommy Frog!
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