When most people think of theme park food, their minds go to chicken strips, corn dogs, and really unimpressive hamburgers. And while that sort of food is certainly available, and some of it is even good, most major theme parks have really upped their quality level and creativity when it comes to food. Some of the best food at Disneyland is the greatest you'll have anywhere, and with the recently-begun Pixar Fest, there is some truly incredible food that is and will be available.
I recently visited Disneyland Resort ahead of Pixar Fest, and while not everybody loves the Pixar Fest decorations, I can tell you the food is solid. I was able to sample several of the dishes that will be available beginning May 10 when the Pixar Fest's Marketplace booths open to the public. Each one is based on a different Pixar film and contains food and drink inspired by its story. I only sampled a small portion of what will be available, but I enjoyed basically all of it. There are a few items worthy of recognition, but one that is an absolute favorite.
The Red Panda Bao Is The Perfect Pixar Mashup
Before you even take a bite, the Red Panda Bao, which will be found at the 4*Town Fav*4*ites Marketplace, is the perfect item for a Pixar-themed festival, as its concept comes from two different Pixar films created by the same director. Pixar’s Domee Shi won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film in 2019 for Bao, a story about a woman who cares for a baozi as her child after it has come to life. Four years later, she was nominated for another Oscar for her feature film directorial debut, the excellent Turning Red. The Red Panda Bao is obviously meant to reference both stories, which center on Chinese-Canadian families and came from the mind of the same creative force.
The Red Panda Bao does both films proud. It’s a delicious item and exactly what the Turning Red director wanted to see in Disney Parks. The pork bun is served with a chile-garlic sauce, and it gives the dish the perfect kick. It was my favorite item of those I tasted, but it was far from the only one that you should try.
Super Club Chicken and Potato Waffles
Chicken and waffles is one of those dishes that always looks interesting to me, but I’m never quite sure if it’s what I want. A smaller portion will be found at The Spark marketplace, based on Pixar’s Soul, and it was just what I needed. Now I want more! This dish actually uses a potato-based waffle, but combines it with a peach cobbler sauce and a cinnamon-herb crumble. It’s the perfect meal to enjoy while listening to some jazz.
I had to work to try this one, as it was clearly a favorite of everybody at the Pixar Fest media preview. It disappeared as quickly as it arrived. If there's a downside to the dish, it's that you have to go to Disney California Adventure to eat it, but listening to Joe Gardner play piano only happens at the Pixar Place hotel.
Mood Swing Mac & Cheese
Mac & cheese is a comfort food to a lot of people, but the Mood Swing Mac & Cheese, which you’ll find at the Inside Out-themed Hanger Management Marketplace, isn’t designed to give you comfort, or at least not just comfort. Two different styles of mac & cheese are available: , a traditional yellow style and a red hot style. You can order a full portion of either one or you can get a half portion of each put together.
I recommend the latter option. I'm not a big mac & cheese fan, but this one came together quite nicely, and the different flavors balanced each other well. It's hard for me to feel anything but joy at Disneyland Resort, and after trying this, anything else was simply impossible.
Gastau Macaron
You can’t have Pixar-themed food without paying tribute to Ratatouille, and Disneyland Resort certainly hasn’t forgotten that. Sweets at theme parks are always tough for me. I have a killer sweet tooth, but for that reason I have trouble deciding what to get. Items can often be too much, enough to make me so full I can’t eat anything else, sweet or otherwise. The Gastau Macaron was perfect. It’s larger than your traditional bite-size macaron, but it’s not too sweet and it’s easy to snack on while wandering Disney California Adventure looking for the next bite.
The Gastau To-Go Marketplace had savory options as well, including a pizzetta twist on the classic Ratatouille dish that was quite good.
Smoked Fire Wood BBQ-Spiced Impossible Chicken
Whether you're a vegetarian looking to avoid meat or, like me, just somebody who should probably eat less meat, substitute options for meat are becoming more popular, and are almost as good as the real thing. The Elemental Table, inspired by Elemental, offers an Impossible chicken dish that tastes close enough to real BBQ chicken that any differences are inconsequential.
Of everything I tried, this is probably the dish I most would have taken as a full entree size if that was available, in case anybody on the Disneyland culinary team is listening.
Exothermic Margarita/H2O-Rita
After all this food, you’re going to need something to drink, and, assuming you’re of age, I recommend staying at the Elemental Table and grabbing a margarita. The Elemental-themed marketplace will have two options: the Wade-inspired H2O-rita and Ember’s Exothermic Margarita. As you can probably guess, one is cool and the other has a spicy kick. I personally prefer the Exothermic version, though your mileage may vary. Both drinks are served with an appropriate candy stick, making for the perfect way to mix your drink, and then enjoy it after the drink is gone. Be warned, these drinks seem to go down quickly.
There is one additional Pixar Fest Marketplace that will open on May 10, the Luca-inspired, Portososso Pasta. While I didn't get a chance to try anything from it, the offerings look just as good. The rest of Pixar Fest is happening now, and several Pixar-inspired food and drink items are already available all over the resort. Pixar Fest is bigger and better than ever this year, with new attractions at both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure, including the long-awaited return of a daytime parade at DCA. There is some great food to enjoy while you watch it.
