food IS a theme park
Okay, has anyone else noticed that Disney has been VERY obsessed with souvenir cups lately?
©Disney
From Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom to Carthay Circle Lounge at Disney California Adventure, Disney has been sharing new cups that will be available for guests to buy at specific spots. We can’t complain, because have you seen these things? We’re obsessed too!
It’s no secret that if you asked us which Disney resort in the U.S. had the best food, we’d probably answer Disneyland. There’s just so MUCH good food to get there, including the BEST corn dogs, Mickey beignets, cheesy garlic pretzel bread, those chocolate chip cookies at Harbour Galley, and more. Disneyland knows how to do food.
Carthay Circle Restaurant
Well, one of the most popular restaurants in Disney California Adventure, Carthay Circle Restaurant, just added a ton of NEW food to its menu, and well, now you’ve got even MORE great food to choose from in Disneyland.
We’re visiting the Disneyland Resort to check out a new menu being offered at one of the BEST lounges on property!
Carthay Circle Restaurant
I recently stopped by Carthay Circle Lounge at Disney California Adventure to try the new lunch menu, and it’s safe to say that I had PLENTY of thoughts! Should you visit this popular lounge and try out these new offerings? Find out in my review below!
Carthay Circle Restaurant in Disney California Adventure is known for Southern California-inspired cuisine, specialty cocktails, and entree prices around $50. Whew.
Carthay Circle Restaurant
But what if we told you there’s another way to experience this iconic Disneyland spot WITHOUT breaking the bank? We’re headed to the accompanying Carthay Circle Lounge – Alfresco Dining to try out the much-loved bar service and small plates — with a more palatable price tag.
If you have tickets to A Touch of Disney and you’ve been hoping to grab a dining reservation for Carthay Circle Lounge Alfresco Dining or Lamplight Lounge…it’s likely been a long morning. Frankly, today made the process of buying tickets to A Touch of Disney look like a walk in the park!
©Disney
We suspected dining reservations would be a hot commodity since every date of A Touch of Disney is currently sold out, but nothing could prepare us for what actually transpired! Over four HOURS after the virtual queue opened up for dining reservations, we were successful in grabbing a table for Lamplight Lounge! But the way we were able to get a reservation totally took us by surprise!
With the stay-at-home order now lifted, guests can once again eat and drink at Disneyland Resort.
Carthay Circle at California Adventure
Recently, we saw a few restaurants announce when they would reopen for in-person dining and dining reservations became available at those spots. We then shared that Carthay Circle Lounge would be reopening soon for its Alfresco dining experience, and two other Disney restaurants would be reopening on Buena Vista Street. Well, if you’ve been wanting to make reservations for Carthay Circle, the wait is over! Reservations for this Disney spot are now available.
In late 2020, Buena Vista Street reopened as an extension of Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort.
Carthay Circle at California Adventure
We were once again reunited with corn dogs from Award Wieners, and more! We even got to try the new Carthay Circle Lounge — Alfresco Dining experience. Bot too long after, dining was prohibited at Disneyland due to a stay-at-home order. But, the stay-at-home order has now been lifted and restaurants have started offer in-person dining again at Downtown Disney. And now Carthay Circle and 2 other Buena Vista spots have official reopening dates!
We’ve been hard at work scoping out all the news for you this week. Today we have the details on the latest in the Disney theme parks and MORE!
Minnie Peppermint Cookie
See all of our coverage on Disney park reopenings HERE. We still have a LOT to share with you this week, so let’s jump right in… .
Disney dining can be a curious thing, and at times it can almost seem like a tale of two dining experiences. On the one hand, you can easily find your fair share of cheeseburgers, pizza, plastic cheese, chicken fingers, and corndogs. On the other hand, Disney is no stranger to cranking out solid signature dining restaurants with top-notch service and dishes that would rival many fine-dining restaurants around the world.
Carthay Circle
Our recent visit to Buena Vista Street in Disney’s California Adventure, the newest extension of Downtown Disney to reopen on November 19th, was a perfect example of this juxtaposition. After chowing down on our beloved corndogs over at Award Wieners and eating a rather…sad…cheeseburger at Smokejumpers Grill, we sat down at Carthay Circle Lounge Alfresco Dining for a “total 180.”
Disneyland Resort reopened a small portion of Disney California Adventure Park for shopping and dining.
Carthay Circle
Buena Vista Street welcomed guests last week with modified gift shops and outdoor dining options. The Carthay Circle Lounge was adjusted to fit the California health mandates that require restaurants to seat diners outdoors. The lounge is now serving guests on a new make-shift patio. Upon opening, the lounge was only taking walk-up reservations for guests visiting Buena Vista Street…until now!
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