Fab’s Five: Delicious Disneyland Snacks of All Time

Jim Hill and I have a running joke on our podcast, “It’s all about the food”, even when we’re talking about an entirely unrelated subject. Ask most Disney Parks fans what they love about their favorite park, and they’ll inevitably talk about the snacks. And I am no different, so here are my favorite Disneyland snacks of all time.

5. The Welch’s Grape Juice Bar Grape Juice

Kicking off this list is a blast to the past, and the only snack on this list you cannot find in the parks today. Up until I was 15 or so, you could find grape juice and frozen grape popsicle bars at The Welch’s Grape Juice Bar. The Juice Bar with its beautiful mural of Fantasia was part of the same building as the Mickey Mouse Club Theater (which is where today’s Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is).

You could get grape juice in a plastic cup shaped like a bunch of grapes. My poor mom had to keep the (almost) empties in her purse until we got home. I remember the few drops remaining in the bottle left tiny purple stains in the bottom of her new yellow purse. There were also grape juice popsicle stands around the park; I particularly remember the one by The Haunted Mansion. When New Fantasyland came in 1983, the Grape Juice Stand left us.

Although the Juice Bar is no longer with us, I will always have my fond memories of it.

4. Mickey Mouse Pretzels

You can find these cheery-looking snacks all over Disneyland at ODV carts and at Coke Corner. They’re fantastic when they are fresh and warm, with or without cheese sauce. Although, I wish they’d sell them with mustard dip. That’s how I like them best.

I liked it when they sold them at Bengal Barbecue because I’d order the veggie skewer with a side of cheese sauce. There are also cinnamon pretzels, jalapeno cheese-stuffed pretzels and stuffed pretzel bites, but my favorite is the classic. With mustard.

Here’s a neat tip: if you ask for an unsalted pretzel at Coke Corner, you’ll get a fresh and hot one every time.

3. Popcorn

Disneyland’s changed popcorn vendors 3 or 4 times that I remember, but their popcorn is still wonderful, fresh, hot and salty. It’s so popular that it and other snacks are available as merchandise and art!

Disneyland popcorn has been there since opening day, and it’s arguably THE snack people think of when they think of Disneyland treats. In fact, there’s a huge market for popcorn bucket collectors both in the US and Asia, from refillable AP buckets of Mickey Mouse balloons in various colors to intricately detailed buckets like TIE-fighters from Star Wars and Dumbo the flying elephant.

I haven’t tried it yet, but I understand that the popcorn in Galaxy’s Edge tastes like spicy Fruit Loops. Next time. 

2. Dole Whip

Dole Whip is so popular, it crossed the country to Walt Disney World a while back and is now as popular there as here (although, their signature Citrus Swirl failed to make a big, juicy splash out West). The non-dairy treat started out in Hawaii, where you could get it in several flavors, and now those flavors are available at the brand-new Tropical Hideaway fast-casual restaurant in Disneyland’s Adventureland.

Guests can enjoy a classic Dole Whip, or there are plenty of other ways to have the sweet treat. You can get it with pineapple juice at the Tiki Juice Bar and Dole Whip Stand (I always thought it was just called the Dole Whip Stand), or with a splash of rum if you venture towards Tangaroa Terrace at the Disneyland Hotel.

And over at Tropical Hideaway, you can get the classic pineapple or different flavors like orange and raspberry (even a mix of them together!!) with fruit, Pocky sticks, hibiscus sprinkles and candied bacon bits.

With mobile order now available, you won’t have to stand in the long, long, long line outside of The Enchanted Tiki Room. And while the line for Tropical Hideaway can appear daunting, their multiple machines make the line move much faster than expected. There’s never a bad time to grab a Dole Whip!

1. Churros

I know, you can get them at Costco for a buck, but there’s something inherently special about a Disneyland churro that makes them irresistible – and I’m not just talking about the special-occasion flavors like Mexican Chocolate or Rose Gold, either. You can find the standard churro all over Disneyland, but you have to keep an eye out for the seasonal ones that are only offered in certain spots.

For a simple extruded-dough treat, fried and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon (or other stuff), the churro is a Disneyland fan favorite. If you really want something delectable, then I recommend the churro ice cream sandwich in Downtown Disney.

What are YOUR top 5 treats of all time at Disneyland? 

Let’s hear from you below.  

What’s your favorite? What did I miss? Let me know in the comments below. 

Here’s a real treat coming up next week:

Meet The Original Disneylanders August 21st

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