2024 Update: This post refers to the 2018 Pixar Fest event, but many of the same foods and activities are currently available. Use this post as a reference but be sure to check the official Disneyland website or app for the latest info on available offerings!
Well the time has finally come- Pixar Pier is open as of today, June 23rd! I remember almost exactly a year ago seeing the first images of Pixar Pier at D23 Expo and I have been so excited for it ever since. While it’ll be some time before I get to go back to Anaheim to check it out, we did just go to Disneyland and California Adventure just last week to celebrate the other big thing happening at both Parks this summer- Pixar Fest!
I’ll be sharing more about our trip in the coming weeks but to celebrate the grand opening of Pixar Pier, I wanted to share all the delicious treats we ate during our trip! Some of them are foods that have been around for ages, some are new and are just here until Pixar Fest ends, and some are new but sticking around long-term. If you’re heading to the Parks to check out Pixar Pier, be sure to read on for what to eat and what to skip- and be sure to let me know what you tried on the Pier!
Brunch at Flo’s V8 Cafe- California Adventure
My boys and I discovered Flo’s last year when we went for the Summer of Heroes event, and my kids have been talking about breakfast there ever since. We missed breakfast hours when we went last week, but luckily their lunch food is fantastic, too!
You can find Flo’s V8 Cafe in the heart of Radiator Springs- over at Cars Land in California Adventure.
Burger and Fries: I opted for the burger combo and it was delicious! It came with lots of lettuce, tons of fries {mmm… steak fries}, and even a pickle on the side. Can’t go wrong with a classic burger!
Rating: 9/10 | Availability: Regular menu item | Location: Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cars Land, California Adventure
Kid’s Chicken Fingers: Shane opted for the kid’s chicken fingers and loved them. I loved that the meal came with a heaping portion of fruit and carrots as well.
Rating: 10/10 | Availability: Regular menu item | Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cars Land, California Adventure
Kid’s Macaroni and Cheese: Zac opted for the kid’s macaroni and cheese, as he usually does everywhere, and also got a large portion of fruit and some carrots.
Bonus tip: If your kids aren’t that hungry, have them eat the fruit but save the carrots to eat while you’re waiting in line for a ride later! They’re easy to carry along with you since they’re individually packaged and with such a generous portion of the fruit and the main entree, my kiddos didn’t need their entire meal all at once anyway.
Rating: 9/10 | Availability: Regular menu item | Flo’s V8 Cafe, Cars Land, California Adventure
Churros with a Twist
During the Pixar Fest event, you can find a large variety of churros in flavors celebrating Pixar! We tried a couple of different ones.
Coco Churro: Both inspired by Coco and made with Cocoa, this delicious churro is chocolate and comes with a Mexican-spiced chocolate dipping sauce. Justin ate this one and he said he didn’t really need the sauce, but it did taste good, but that the churro was amazing on it’s own.
Rating: 9/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest | Location: Churro Cart, Frontierland, Disneyland
Ants on a Log Churro: This churro is coated in donut flavored icing and covered with crispy cocoa cereal. It is absolutely delicious and was a nice way to say farewell to a bug’s land. If you typically share your churros {I do this with my kiddos often since the churros are so huge!} be warned that this one is not great for sharing since only the top half has the special coating on it. But aside from that, highly recommend!
Rating: 9.5/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest- and maybe hurry since a bug’s land closes forever soon. | Location: Churro Cart, a bug’s land, California Adventure
Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats
The Adorable Snowman, a lovable character from Monsters, Inc. has just opened up a new frosted treat stand just before the bridge to Pixar Pier. The restaurant just opened recently and the line is always pretty long {but moves pretty fast} but it is so worth the time in line! The kids just got soft serve ice cream {Zac got vanilla and Shane got chocolate} so I won’t rate those, but they were delicious!
Pixar Pier Parfait: The star of the Adorable Snowman is the Pixar Pier Parfait. This concoction is a non-dairy lemon soft serve mixed with a blue raspberry “frozen beverage” {a slush}. This is 100% my favorite thing I ate this entire trip.
We ate these on the warmest day of our trip so they did melt a bit, but that green mix at the bottom of the cup was so good! It was like eating a push-up pop- blue raspberry mixed with lemon is absolutely delicious in case you were wondering. And bonus points that these are non-dairy, which means you can even enjoy them if you’re lactose intolerant {like me}!
Rating: 11/10 | Availability: Regular {New} Menu Item!! | Location: Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, just before the bridge to Pixar Pier in California Adventure
Temperamental Taste-Shifting Corn Dog
This epic corn dog is spicy and sweet. It has a Hot Link Sausage, Pepper Jack Cheese, and a spicier Cajun Chicken Sausage inside and a sweet and spicy Blackberry-Serrano Chili Sauce. It’s hard to tell from the photo but this corn dog was ginormous and the dip was delicious. I didn’t actually eat one of these- I did try the dip though- but Justin and his Mom both did and they liked the top two-thirds but weren’t big on the bottom part, which we think was the chicken. Luckily, the corn dog was so big that they were satisfied with the parts they did like!
Rating: 7/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest | Location: Corn Dog Castle, Paradise Gardens Park, California Adventure
Assorted Pixar Fest Snacks
Monster Mint Shake: I went to Schmoozie’s for the Whoop-Eye Pie, but they’d already sold out of the cookies for the day {so head there early on if you want one}! Luckily, they also have this delicious mint shake inspired by Sulley! It was the perfect thing to sip while waiting in line for the Monsters, Inc. ride.
Rating: 9/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest | Location: Schmoozie’s, Hollywood Land, California Adventure
Pixar Ball Cake Pop: Before we even left for Anaheim, Zac told me he wanted to try one of these. As we were leaving the park one night we stopped into a sweets shop to get one and he ate it at the house we were staying at. He loved it and wanted ten more, so I think it was a hit. It’s vanilla on the inside and I took a tiny nibble and it was a genuinely good vanilla cake!
Rating: 10/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest | Location: Trolley Treats in California Adventure; Candy Palace and Pooh Corner at Disneyland
Root Boot Float: This was just a regular root beer float, but served in a souvenir Woody Boot. It costs a lot more than a regular float, and if you accidentally shove the ice cream into the tip of the boot you can’t really get it out until it melts, but WORTH IT. My boot has a happy home on my dresser now, and I mean are you truly at Disneyland if you don’t get at least one drink in a souvenir cup?
Rating: 10/10 | Availability: Limited Edition for Pixar Fest | Location: The Golden Horseshoe, Frontierland, Disneyland
Classic Disneyland Treats
Mickey Pretzel: Sure, you can get a soft pretzel anywhere- but will it be this cute?! I have been obsessed with soft pretzels since middle school {I literally bought one every day for lunch in seventh grade, don’t judge me} and these are my favorites. I normally dip my pretzels in cheese and with these I don’t- the cheese it comes with is actually really good, but the pretzel is so good that it doesn’t need it! This is always a must for my entire family.
Rating: 10/10 | Availability: Regular Menu Item | Location: Various Carts in the Parks, but we go to the one in Frontierland, Disneyland. You can find all the pretzel carts here.
Mickey Beignets: I had never tried this classic, so I had to try them out this trip! The boys weren’t big on them, and made a HUGE mess eating them, but I liked them. They were messy though- even just the light breeze was blowing powdered sugar everywhere, so make sure you take a minute to rest at the Mint Julep Bar rather than try to walk around eating them.
Rating: 7/10 | Availability: Regular Menu Item | Location: Mint Julep Bar, New Orleans Square, Disneyland
Dole Whip: I literally can not go to Disneyland without getting a Dole Whip or a Dole Whip Float. You can get these in other places besides the Parks now, but they just aren’t the same. If you even kind-of-sort-of like pineapple and you haven’t had one of these, add this to your must list for your next trip!
Rating: 10/10 | Availability: Regular Menu Item | Location: Tiki Juice Bar, Adventureland, Disneyland
The food is so good at Disneyland and California Adventure that you never know who you’ll find dining! {Yes, Zac got a giant Baymax and made us provide him with his own seat. But I was getting an ice cream sundae at Clarabelle’s, so I didn’t care.}
What are your favorite things to eat at Disneyland? What’s on your list to try next?
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