Disneyland chefs have been busy building a new menu of nostalgic foods from the past seven decades designed to tempt foodies and keep them coming back for more during a yearlong 70th anniversary party.
Disneyland has rolled out more than 70 menu items across the Anaheim theme park resort to mark its 70th anniversary on July 17 followed by a celebration that runs through summer 2026.
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Here are 10 best things I ate on Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration menu.
1) Pineapple Upside Down Sundae
Tropical Hideaway$8.49
Dole Whip Pineapple, caramel drizzle and pineapple upside-down cake topped with a maraschino cherry.
I knew going in the Pineapple Upside Down Sundae was going to be a winner and thank goodness I was right.
This deconstructed upside down cake improved on the classic Dole Whip with a moist and crunchy chunk of cinnamony cake and even more pineapple flavor.
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I would eat the Pineapple Upside Down Sundae every time I came to Disneyland if it was on the menu.
The Dole Whip soft serve literally overflowed with diced pineapples that fell off as I ate the sundae in a cup.
The hidden-in-plain-sight surprise was the caramel woven through the swirls and coating the inside of the cup. I wanted it on every bite.
2) Cowboy Fries
Golden Horseshoe$13.99
Fries, nacho cheese, sauteed ground beef, burger sauce and butter pickles.
My first whiff and bite of this big, messy pile of delicious goodness immediately reminded me of In-N-Out Animal Fries.
The tastes were great throughout and got better with every single bite.
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This was a whole lot of food. I could have never eaten the whole thing by myself — even if I wanted to. It’s probably too much food for two people. The Cowboy Fries could have easily feed three or four and were definitely meant to share.
They would make a great mid-course appetizer if you planned to graze around the park sampling 70th anniversary dishes like a food festival.
The Disneyland chefs really nailed it with the Cowboy Fries, which were everything I was hoping for.
3) Peach Cobbler Funnel Cake Fries
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree$9.99
Cinnamon sugar, peach topping, vanilla ice cream and streusel.
Disney does dessert better than anyone and this peach cobbler was the latest perfect example.
The cobbler is the star of the show with this pile of funnel cake fries. I kept wanting more peaches and more sauce.
I found the dense and thick cinnamon-dusted fries much heavier than I expected.
I always try to pace myself when I’m eating 10 foods in a single visit to the park. But I could not stop eating this cobbler.
4) Fried Tamale Walking Taco
Rancho del Zocalo$13.99
Fried beef tamale with chili, corn chips and diced onions with cilantro, shredded cheese and sour cream.
It’s ironic that “walking” was in the name of this dish because it was served on a plate with silverware that you have to sit down to eat.
The “walking taco” part of the name refers to the single serving Fritos bags filled with taco toppings served at baseball games, county fairs and birthday parties.
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Disneyland chefs basically dumped a “walking taco” on top of a chili tamale to add a twist to an otherwise traditional Mexican dish.
Frying the tamale dried out the ends a bit, but I found the middle tender and delicious.
Overall, the Fried Tamale Walking Taco was a nice tribute to Casa de Fritos — the former restaurant that once occupied Rancho del Zocalo.
5) Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Bread Bowl
Refreshment Corner$13.49
Mac and cheese topped with pineapple-BBQ pulled pork in a sourdough bread bowl.
Disneyland billed the Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese Bread Bowl as a new item — even though it struck me as something that should have been in the park by now.
That was a brilliant move on the part of the Disneyland culinary team — taking three familiar standbys and putting a new spin on them.
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The Kraft-style mac and cheese was pretty basic — but that was all it really needed to hold up to the sweet, savory and juicy pulled pork.
It was a lot of food that could easily be shared — especially with that big Boudin Bakery bread bowl.
The bread bowl was the novelty here. While it’s delicious, I don’t usually want to eat a whole loaf of sourdough bread while I’m at Disneyland.
6) 70th Stuff
Red Rose Taverne$7.29
Shortbread cookie with a cookies and cream cake, fresh raspberry and raspberry jam surrounded with white chocolate mousse and topped with colored sprinkles.
The strategy here was simple: Take a winner and change the flavor profile ever so slightly.
The Grey Stuff from “Beauty and the Beast” is one of the most successful desserts Disneyland pastry chefs have ever created.
So why not build on that success with the 70th Stuff — which swapped out chocolate mousse for white chocolate mousse.
The result: A much whiter shade of grey and pretty much the same level of joy and satisfaction.
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I’m a sucker for frosting. I always ask for the corner piece of cake and then just eat the frosting. And I go back and scrape the leftover frosting off the serving tray when all the cake is gone.
That also makes me a sucker for the “Stuff” — no matter what flavor mousse is on top.
I’m still always surprised by the cake and jam inside the pile of frosting, even though I know it’s coming. I love getting all the different layers in a single bite.
In a word, the 70th Stuff was delicious. Don’t believe me? Just ask the dishes.
7) Strawberry Shortcake Macaron
Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe$8.29
Vanilla bean buttercream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberry with strawberry whipped topping and strawberry crunch.
This was the latest Instagram-ready treat that the Disneyland chefs always whip up for every special event — and fortunately it tasted even better than it looked.
The twist here was a pie-shaped French meringue-based cookie that sat atop a slice of strawberry shortcake.
Make sure the camera eats first because the whole thing started falling apart after the first forkful.
The crunchy macaron top crumbled with each bite and slowly revealed the big strawberry slices and strawberry jam hiding inside.
8) Grilled Tahitian Ribs
Bengal Barbecue$19.49
Served with white rice and pineapple slaw.
I had high hopes for the Grilled Tahitian Ribs and they delivered.
Don’t think too hard about the “Tahitian” part of the name — which is a nod to the Tahitian Terrace that served a menu of South Sea Island foods and offered Polynesian entertainment from 1962 to 1993 in Adventureland.
These were nothing more than the Bengal Barbecue ribs with teriyaki sauce. They were sweet, delicious and just what I’d expect from the Bengal Barbecue.
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I wanted the meat to be more tender, but it wasn’t super tough either.
You can pick the teriyaki ribs up in your hands if you don’t mind sticky fingers. Trying to cut meat with a plastic fork was pretty ridiculous.
The lackluster cole slaw didn’t do it for me, but the rice was perfect for soaking up the extra sauce and served as a good complement to the ribs.
The Grilled Tahitian Ribs will be perfect for Bengal Barbecue fans looking for a new flavor profile at their favorite Adventureland eatery.
9) Dancing Shimmering Lights
Troubadour Tavern$7.99
Sweet berry lemonade with blackberry topper and colorful sanding sugar.
My main concern with any Disneyland drink is that it’s going to be too sweet. Fortunately, that was not the case with the Dancing Shimmering Lights.
Lemonade is my go-to drink and this fresh take added a fun twist on the classic.
The creamy blackberry topper stayed with the drink all the way to the last sip. That creaminess helped break down the sweetness.
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This was like drinking a melted Slurpee topped with a melted soft serve ice cream on top.
It did all the things I want lemonade to do. It was cool, refreshing and just special enough to warrant the upcharge.
10) Chicken Pot Pie Baked Potato
Troubadour Tavern$11.99
Chicken pot pie filling with pie crust crumble.
This mash-up of classic baked potato with a deconstructed chicken pot pie took a bit of effort to get all the flavors together into one bite.
It felt satisfying whenever I did and left me hunting for that familiar chicken pot pie flavor whenever I didn’t.
I’m not a peas and carrots guy, but I love them hidden in the context of a stew or pot pie.
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My recommendation: Cut up the baked potato and mix up the pot pie ingredients so the flavors are more evenly distributed. Otherwise you’ll be getting one ingredient at a time with each bite of potato.
Also, ask for extra gravy so that it lasts all the way to the final bite.
This was a big, hearty dish that was by no means a sample size. You can easily make a meal out of this. It was perfect for sharing.