Admittedly, it can be tricky to find major faults with the dining options at Disneyland but that’s exactly what we’re about to do!
The Disneyland Resort is lauded for its incredible attractions, rich history, and delicious restaurant offerings. In fact, Disneyland has some of our favorite dining options out of all the Disney Parks worldwide. But are a few Disneyland restaurants slacking?
Are there actually universally despised Disneyland restaurants? The short answer is NO. For the most part, Disneyland’s restaurant offerings are pretty safe. It’s very rare to find a restaurant that serves nothing but subpar slop. Nevertheless, there are five restaurants that have stood out due to poor Yelp reviews, bland options, average menus with stronger competition nearby, dicey dining environments, or poor word-of-mouth. Let’s take a look.
Alien Pizza Planet
We’re going to start this list off with the most notorious restaurant at Disneyland — Alien Pizza Planet in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park.
Alien Pizza Planet sells a solid variety of pasta and pizzas by the slice, and, generally, the food here tastes fine. Occasionally you’ll find fun takes on pizza here, as well, and this is a solid spot to visit if you’re on-the-go and want something quick.
The main complaint here is the pricing. You’re looking at roughly $9 slices and $12 to $13 pasta plates. The portion size just doesn’t add up, nor does the quality. You can find sub-$20 whole pizzas elsewhere at the resort so paying something like $18 for two slices is absurd. The complaint isn’t so much about the quality (which admittedly doesn’t stand out) as it is about how much we feel like we’re getting robbed every time we dine here.
Galactic Grill
Staying in Tomorrowland, Galactic Grill suffers from some of the same problems as Alien Pizza Planet.
Serving sandwiches, burgers, chicken tenders, wraps, and more, Galactic Grill is pretty convenient but ordinary. The food is once again fine but nothing special and the food is super standard theme park food. The pricing here is still a bit higher than we’d like, but less offensive than Alien Pizza Planet. It also gets some brownie points for serving breakfast.
Galactic Grill is ok when we’re looking for something fast, but keep in mind it only has outdoor seating and can get limited real quickly. All in all, we advise getting your meals elsewhere at Disneyland and avoiding Tomorrowland if you can help it.
The Golden Horseshoe
Frontierland’s The Golden Horseshoe is a causality of its menu, unfortunately, because the potential here is pretty high. While this restaurant has sentimental value for many, it’s impossible to overlook its shortcomings.
Here you’ll find a wide array of chicken tenders, chicken tenders, and some more chicken tenders. There are also wraps, specialty non-alcoholic beverages, and other seasonal offerings served here on occasion.
The lackluster menu is unfortunate because this is such a charming restaurant aesthetically. The old-timey setting is equipped with balcony seating and a stage where a pianist will often come out, tell jokes, and play classic Disney songs with a ragtime twist. It’s a fantastic dining space that fits the surrounding land’s theming brilliantly — all it needs is a menu overhaul and it will be a must-visit.
Oga’s Cantina
Putting this next restaurant on a “worst of” list may seem like sacrilege, but hear us out — Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not a very good restaurant when you really think about it.
Is Oga’s one of the most immersive experiences you can have at Disneyland? Absolutely! Is it a good bar? You betcha! Is it a top-notch dining experience? Ehhh…
Oga’s does have a tasty menu when it comes to food, but the offerings are limited to snacks like cheese plates, edamame, and other small plates. So if you’re looking for a hearty meal, you’re gonna be out of luck here. It also doesn’t help that you’re most likely to be standing next to strangers you’re entire meal (getting a booth is not guaranteed) and you’re limited to 45 minutes before you’re pushed out. Not ideal.
Lucky Fortune Cookery
Hopping over to Disney California Adventure, Lucky Fortune Cookery in San Fransokyo Square may seem like a bit of a surprise pick, but when looking deeper, it surely belongs on this list.
This Asian eatery serves rice bowls (with your choice of protein), ramen, udon, gyoza, and more, and, on the surface, seems like it should be an absolute standout at California Adventure.
With that said Lucky Fortune has a dismal 2.9 rating on Yelp. Reviews criticize the pricing in relation to small portion sizes and the food quality is wildly inconsistent. Once again, the potential to be great is there, and it’s unfortunate that Lucky Fortune hasn’t lived up to the hype.
Best Disneyland Restaurants for 2024
There you have it! As we already mentioned, we don’t think there are any terrible restaurants at Disneyland and we still frequent the five we mentioned above, so don’t let us stop you from checking them out and forming your own opinions! In the meantime, stay tuned right here at AllEars for the latest Disneyland news, tips, reviews, and more!
The BEST Food in Disneyland for 2024
Did we get this list right? Did we get it wrong? Which restaurants would you add? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Trader Sam’s needs to be on this list.