When My Favorite Disneyland Restaurant Was CLOSED, This Is Where I Ate

Disneyland is my favorite theme park!

There is just something about the original Disney theme park that makes my heart beat quickly. The park is about to turn 70 years old, and it’s been changing quite a bit to prepare for the celebrations. During my last trip across the coast, my favorite restaurant was closed, and I almost didn’t know what to do! Luckily, it forced me to try some new things, and I was surprised, to say the least. 

One thing about me is that I am a creature of habit! When I’m in Disneyland, I know I’m going to have my first meal at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. I’m most likely going to grab a grilled cheese with a Chimney Sweep Cold Brew, and I will enjoy every single bite and sip. I literally have a post on Instagram dedicated to these items!

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Unfortunately, during my last trip, the quick service was closed for refurbishment, so I felt like a plastic bag drifting through the wind. I know a lot about Disney food, it’s quite literally my job, but I also didn’t know where to begin without my favorite items waiting for me. This put me in a unique position to try other new items and see if some of my other favorites still held up.

We were there for a few days, and there were two breakfasts that stood out to me! First is a tried and true, the Breakfast Chimichanga at Ship to Shore in Frontierland.

There is nothing like this delicious, savory breakfast in Disneyland Park. It has eggs, bacon, sausage, and hashbrowns in the crispy, deep-fried flour tortilla. You can also get a green salsa on the side to make it even better. My second breakfast was at Pixar Place Hotel. It was a Meat Lovers Breakfast Wrap and simple coffee.

It was simple but filling and tasty, setting me up for a good day! When it came to replacing my beloved Chimney Sweep Cold Brew, I found two alternatives. The first is another favorite of mine, the Black Caf Cold Brew at Docking Bay 7!

These coffees are available in Disney World as well, but I’m serious when I say they’re better in Disneyland! They’re slightly sweeter and come with more of the amazing cream cheese cold foam that makes it so amazing. (I had 3 of them during our trip.) The second drink that I used for a pick-me-up shocked me!

The new drink I grabbed was the Meeska Mooska Mickey Mango at Cafe Daisy! This drink was a mango and cucumber beverage that was so light and refreshing, Quincy and I talked about it for the rest of the trip. I never would have tried it if my favorite place wasn’t closed, and I’m so glad I did!

For snacks and meals, I followed the same strategy of testing old favorites and trying some new things. The Sweet Beef from Bengal Barbecue was on my list, and we had it more times than we probably care to admit. 

It’s coated in a sweet Zulu sauce and grilled right in front of you. The char on the beef added an amazing smoky flavor, plus the beef was cooked with a warm brown and pink-tinted center. It’s the perfect medium! Also in Adventureland, I grabbed a Chile Mango Whip at Tropical Hideaway because it is a Disneyland tradition for me.

As far as new foods go, I tested out some items from Docking Bay 7 that I had never tried! While I know that Docking Bay 7 objectively has good options, I typically don’t find myself at the quick service because it’s just now what I’m looking for when I’m at a theme park. These two dishes changed my mind, though! First was the Shaaken Beef with Tattooine Bounty served with Peppers, Onions, and Crispy Kale.

This felt like such a well-balanced, delicious option that we would love to see land in Disney World. The second one was the Endorian Fried Chicken Tip-Yip – with crispy chicken, roasted pepper mash, country gravy, and charred broccolini.

It was tasty and heavy, but not one I would absolutely need to get again! For dinner, we tried out Din Tai Fung in Downtown Disney! This was recommended to Quincy and me by our friend, AllEars reporter David, and we are so glad he did! We were blown away by the quality of the food and drinks from this spot. I got the Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin for my entree, and I have dreamed about it every day since.

We also grabbed the Chocolate & Mochi Xiao Long Bao for dessert, and I was shocked by how much I loved it. Pro tip: add a side of sea salt cream for an additional cost because you won’t regret it!

Finally, I grabbed a Strawberry Churro with a chocolate marshmallow dipping sauce by the castle because what is a Disneyland trip without a churro?

Some of these things I might have eaten anyway, and some I never would have tried without my favorite restaurant being closed! As disappointed as I was to miss out on Jolly Holiday, I left with so many new Disneyland favorites. Luckily for anyone going to Disneyland, Jolly Holiday has reopened just in time for Disneyland’s 70th.

You can see our full review of the new items from the bakery here! I absolutely adore Disneyland, especially the food, and hope I get to go back soon. As always, be sure to keep following AllEars for more Disney tips and tricks.

Check out the best Disneyland dining here! 

What’s your favorite Disneyland snack? Tell me in the comments!