food IS a theme park
Hey, everybody! It’s time for another edition of What’s New at Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Resorts!
The Disneyland Hotel
Join us on a virtual visit to what’s been happening at the Disneyland Resorts and Downtown Disney entertainment district since our last visit!
Pinkies up, y’all! We’re slipping on our fancy pants and heading to Disneyland Resort!
©Disney
That’s because while Disney World’s been celebrating the 70th-anniversary of Cinderella with brand new treats throughout its theme parks and resorts (you know we just had to try them all and we even RANKED THEM ’cause that’s how we ROLL!) now The Disneyland Hotel is hosting a special Cindy-inspired tea service!
We said goodbye to Tangaroa Terrace as we knew it last summer, and now we are ready to greet the newly refurbished location — there’s a new name, new decor, a new coffee window, and best of all — a NEW DOLE WHIP WINDOW!
Welcome Back Tangaroa Terrace!
Check out that new name! It’s subtle, so don’t worry if you missed it! The formal, new name of this popular spot at Disneyland Hotel is Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill. Come along on a tour of all the new things we found!
There are so many foodie-ways to “Get Your Ears On” in Disneyland Resort right now for Disneyland’s biggest ever celebration of Mickey and Minnie Mouse! And one of the most immersive is Mickey’s Tea Party Celebration at Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel.
Afternoon Tea at Steakhouse 55
That’s right… Afternoon Tea “Got Its Ears On” for the occasion, too! [Read more…]
If you’re staying at one of the three Disneyland Hotels – Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier, or Grand Californian – this Halloween Time season you are in for some Halloween Time Treats!
Maleficent Cookie
Each Hotel has been decorated – one even taken over – for the season, plus there’s Trick or Treating, a Halloween Bakery Cart, and some special performances.
Just a few weeks ago, we shared that Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel would be closing for refurbishment.
Tangaroa Terrace Entrance
And now, Disney is revealing what’s to come as a result of the work! Look for the Terrace to reopen in early 2019 as the Tangaroa Terrace Bar & Grill!
A new outdoor bar and an updated patio will provide spots for guests to enjoy island cocktails and Asian-inspired cuisine. Inside there will be new details including light fixtures made of colorful fishing floats and netting, a tropical mural, and bamboo accents. But, don’t worry, the Tiki-inspired design will still be present in the renovated space.
And a new bar and patio aren’t all the changes! Guests will be able to enjoy Dole Whip throughout the day and coffee drinks in the morning from a dedicated service window. This will be great in the morning for the energy to tackle the parks, and of course to enjoy a Dole Whip while we’re at the pool! [Read more…]
As much as society has changed, there used to be a time when smoking was much more common (In fact, even Walt himself was a smoker; and more often than not, he’d be seen with a cigarette in hand )…and the activity created lots of opportunities for businesses to promote themselves.
Although smoking is not for me, I DO appreciate the gorgeous matchbooks that used to be distributed throughout the Disney Parks.
Vintage Disney Matchbooks
Nearly every single dining establishment, store, “land,” hotel and lounge had its own matchbook — free souvenirs to visiting guests. I’ve recently stumbled upon (and won) some online auctions for vintage Disney Parks matchbook collections. I am completely obsessed with their coolness.
The matchbooks I’ve received include everything from early early Disneyland to Disneyland Paris, to Epcot and Pleasure Island in Walt Disney World. It was so much fun to go through them and sort out the restaurants and lounges to share here on the blog.
Because there are so many, this will be a three part series divided into Disneyland, Epcot and “Other.” Let’s start in Disneyland!
Disneyland Vintage Matchbooks
The Club 33 match book is one of the more recent matchbooks in the collection. Not sure that it would be considered vintage, but it’s still pretty awesome.
Years ago, personalized match books awaited you at your table when you dined at Club 33, but when a healthier trend started to spread, the matches were replaced mini pads of paper that looked exactly like a matchbook. This photo though, is an actual matchbook.
Club 33 Matchbook
The other three matchbooks are much older. The one below features two restaurants, The Plantation House in Frontierland and the Red Wagon Inn on Main Street USA.
Both restaurants debuted at Disneyland’s grand opening and were operated by Swift Meats. The Plantation House served up fried chicken dinners for $1.70. Meals could be enjoyed on the patio of a plantation style home along the Rivers of America. The Plantation House closed in 1962 to make room for New Orleans Square.
The Red Wagon Inn and Plantation House
The Red Wagon Inn was said to be Walt’s favorite restaurant at Disneyland. A lovely table service restaurant, The Red Wagon Inn was the most popular place to dine as well as the only restaurant in Disneyland to serve full course dinners. They also served [Read more…]
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
