food IS a theme park
It’s time for one of the BEST festivals at Disney California Adventure — the Lunar New Year Festival!
Red Dragon Spice Traders
This festival brings special entertainment, characters, and more, to Disneyland, but of course, we’re most excited about the food booths with allllllll sorts of new and returning eats to try! Right now, we’re headed over to Red Dragon Spice Traders to see what they’re serving up on the menu this year.
When in Disney World, one does as the native Disney World-ites do – get a DOLE Whip!
Pineapple Dole Whip
Listen, we all love the creamy, tropical vibes of the classic DOLE Whip soft serve. It really is a staple of any Disney World trip and an essential treat to beat that Florida heat, but, I’m here to say that if you’re sticking to soft serve alone, you’re seriously missing out. Why? Three words – DOLE Whip Slush! So let’s talk about this twist and how it’s turning this classic dessert into a sip-worthy, next-level refreshment!
This is going to be a busy year for Disney World, in general, but a HUGE milestone is being celebrated in Disney Springs RIGHT NOW.
Gideon’s
Five years ago, Gideon’s Bakehouse moved into Disney Springs — and our lives have never been the same. We’ve had the opportunity to eat a lot of amazing cookies and cake slices, as well as indulge in that yummy Peanut Butter Cold Brew in those five years. Now, Gideon’s is celebrating its Disney Springs anniversary by offering a FREE gift plus a special NEW cookie.
Well, we’ve got some good news and bad news about snacks in Disney World.
So the good news, the controversial Red Dye No. 3 is being banned from all foods and drinks in the U.S. Food and drink manufacturers have until 2027 to find an alternative to the food coloring additive. But how does that impact Disney World? Well, we went on a special fact-finding mission just to see how many Disney snacks are affected. Y’all — it is WAY more than we realized. A lot of Disney foods contain Red Dye No. 3.
The Main Street Confectionery in Magic Kingdom serves up the best treats to satisfy your sweet tooth!
Main Street Confectionery
You’ll find caramel apples, frozen Glacier drinks, and many other fun snacks. There are a lot of sweets (and savory snacks) to try at this shop. Plus, if you’re a lover of popcorn, you can create your own popcorn mix or try one of their seasonal mixes at the Kernel Kitchen inside the Confectionery. We recently stopped by for a snack and happened to notice a new popcorn mix being offered! So of course, we had to try it.
This isn’t Antarctica. We’re not dealing with subzero temperatures or anything, but hey, it’s COLD in Disney World right now! *Cue incredulous laughter from the North* Even in Central Florida, you can experience temperatures in the low 40s — and even 30s — from time to time. So, what do a bunch of Florida locals do when it gets chilly in Disney World? Well, we do something you would NEVER expect.
Blizzard Beach
What’s the last thing you feel like doing when it’s snowing outside? Jumping in a cold shower? Walking around in shorts? Eating a bowl of ice cream? Surprise! Even when it’s freezing cold outside, the DFB team is eating frozen treats. But there’s a method to our madness!
Okay, so sometimes Disney comes up with some unique snack ideas. For example, we’re always up for trying new DOLE Whip combos (and we haven’t seen a DOLE Whip yet that we don’t love).
The Golden Horseshoe
In Disneyland, we sometimes get some unique churro flavors (although, let’s face it, the Fluffernutter Churro is GOALS). There’s also the Churro Toffee that combines churro flavors with toffee and somehow makes both even better. Of course, we also love when Disney takes its classic Mickey beignet and creates some new flavors. Well, Disney has done it again — mixing some ideas to create a new snack, but this time, it’s just not really imaginative.
Is it it just us or does food just taste better when it’s Mickey-shaped?
Mint Julep Bar!!
Like we know there are better pretzels out there than Mickey pretzels, but we will ALWAYS get a Mickey pretzel because it makes us happy. Mickey bars are pretty simple, but they can sometimes be the BEST snack ever on a hot day. Then there’s the Mickey Beignet, which is something we’re ALWAYS going to order, no matter what, ESPECIALLY in Disneyland. However, Mickey Beignets just got an upgrade and, dare we say, we think they might now be even BETTER?
Whatever you do, do NOT underestimate the food at Morimoto Asia — this place has some GREAT things to eat! Morimoto Asia is Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first Pan-Asian restaurant focusing on Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisines. We’ve dined here several times, and we have never been disappointed.
Morimoto Asia
If you’re looking for an excuse to visit this spot, you’re in luck! Morimoto Asia is hosting a special Ramen Rumble event AND celebrating the Lunar New Year this January. Of course, this means there will be exclusive new snacks and drinks to enjoy, like a Snake Eyes cocktail and Crispy Bossam-style Pork Belly.
The Disney Dining Plan is a fantastic resource for many families and Disney World visitors who have done the math and know that they’ll get tons of use out of pre-paying for your food ahead of time.
Look for the purple “DDP Snack Credit logo” on price signage and menus!
The largest amount of credits you get to use are snack credits, which can be used at a majority of snack carts and restaurants around the parks. In fact, the VAST majority of Disney World restaurants and carts have eligible snacks, but not EVERY snack on the menu will be eligible, if that makes sense. When you arrive you will be able to see what is eligible based on the DDP icon on the menu next to the item you’re looking at. You want to make sure you’re making the MOST of your snack credits, so here are the ones we recommend — not only are they delicious, but they cost more than the average snack, but they’re all equal under the DDP, so it’s a steal!
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