Top 8 Disneyland Resort Dining Questions Answered 

If you are new to Disney dining or haven’t visited the parks in a while, you are in for a surprise! Traditional carnival-style theme park food is pretty much a thing of the past, and Disneyland has become a foodie favorite in recent years. You can still find corn dogs and popcorn in the parks, but now you will also find a variety of cuisine and even fine dining options! And the fact that you can even bring in your own food means there really is something for everyone when it comes to dining at Disneyland. 

Here are some of the top questions about dining at Disneyland. Click on a question to jump ahead to that answer.

1. Do I need dining reservations to eat at Disneyland?
2. For table service restaurants, how early should I make advance dining reservations?
3. Can I bring outside food into Disneyland and California Adventure?
4. Does Disneyland offer a dining plan?
5. Where are the character meals at the Disneyland Resort?
6. Are reusable water bottles allowed in the Disney parks?
7. How does mobile ordering work?
8. Where should we eat?

1. Do I need dining reservations to eat at Disneyland?

In short, no! This is a big concern for first-time park goers, but you can, in fact, eat great at the Disneyland Resort without making a single dining reservation. Disney dining includes so many options, from street carts and walk-up only locations to mobile ordering to fine dining at a sit-down meal. You will notice that the Disneyland app refers to grab-and-go restaurants as “quick service” and sit-down locations as “table service” restaurants.

That being said, you may need reservations to eat at table service (sit-down) restaurants at the Disneyland Resort, which includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure Park, and Downtown Disney. I say ‘may’ because sometimes you can luck out with a same-day or walk-up opening, especially at quieter times of the year. However, if you have your heart set on a particular restaurant, you plan to partake in character dining, or you just like things pre-planned so you don’t need to worry about dinner day-of, it’s a good idea to make a reservation. 

Here is a handy list of all of the table service restaurants in both parks:

For the vast majority of these, you can typically join a walk-up waitlist, but restaurants marked with * tend to book up the fastest, so if you are interested in any of these or in a character meal, be sure to make a reservation.

Disneyland Park

*Blue Bayou
Cafe Orleans
Carnation Cafe
Oga’s Cantina
Plaza Inn (character meal location – mornings only)
River Belle Terrace

Disney California Adventure Park

Carthay Circle
*Lamplight Lounge
Wine Country Trattoria

Downtown Disney

Céntrico
GCH Craftsman Bar
Goofy’s Kitchen (character meal location)
Great Maple Modern American Eatery
Hearthstone Lounge 
Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio
*Napa Rose (princess breakfast location – mornings only)
Naples Ristorante e Bar
Paseo
Splitsville Luxury Lanes™ – Dining
*Storytellers Cafe (character meal location)
*Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar

2. For table service restaurants, how early should I make advance dining reservations?

60 Days

You can make table service dining reservations up to 60 days in advance. Most restaurants release their reservations on the app at exactly 6 am Disneyland time, 60 days ahead. This is not an exact science, and Blue Bayou seems to be the worst offender, so just keep checking if that is your restaurant of choice. If you have your heart set on any restaurant marked with * above, set your alarm to secure your spot and make sure you have a credit card already loaded into your Disney account. Most restaurants will let you book directly through the app, but a select few will redirect you to the Disneyland website.

You Can Book Dining Before You Have Tickets

Oddly enough, you do not need park reservations to make dining reservations, but you will need a park ticket and the appropriate park reservation before your reservation date. You will not be allowed in the park without the above, even if you make a dining reservation.

Third-Party Reservation Sites

If you miss the initial reservation window, your desired times were already taken, or you’re looking for a last-minute reservation, there are several third-party sites that will alert you when a desired time opens up.

Walt Disney World is Different

Note that if you are more familiar with Walt Disney World, this reservation system is different. Walt Disney World dining reservations open up 60 days ahead of your trip start date, and then you can book all dining reservations for your entire trip. Disneyland reservations open 60 days ahead of each individual day.

3. Can I bring outside food into Disneyland and California Adventure?

Yes! I’ve heard people joke that you could even bring a full Thanksgiving dinner into the park if you wanted! Restrictions include: loose ice, alcohol, and any large coolers or cooking devices. Note that there are no options to store food or reheat food in the park.

4. Does Disneyland offer a dining plan?

Disneyland does not offer dining plans like those at Walt Disney World.

5. Where are the character meals at the Disneyland Resort?

Character meals are a great way to get photos with characters and fill up several pages of your child’s autograph book without waiting in long lines in the parks. These meals come with a premium price tag, and the princess breakfast is the most expensive, but if you’ve ever waited in a long line to meet one or two princesses, you might find it worth the cost to meet 6-8 princesses while eating a delicious breakfast in a relaxing setting.

Here are the character meal options at the Disneyland Resort:

6. Are reusable water bottles allowed in the Disney parks?

Yes, absolutely! There are many water stations throughout both parks, and if you forget your water bottle or just don’t want to carry it around all day, you can ask for a free cup of water at any quick service or table service location. Some will offer you a cup to fill at a nearby water refill station, and some have cups of ice water, pre-filled and ready to go! 

7. How does mobile ordering work?

Open the Disneyland App, go to the map, select ‘Dining’ at the top, on the second row, select the ‘Mobile Orders’ button. Now you can scroll around the map for mobile order options or go down to the bottom right and select ‘Show List’ for a list of options. Select the restaurant of your choice and click ‘Begin Order.’ Show up to the restaurant during your pick-up window and click ‘I’m Here, Prepare my Order’ and you will see signs for where to pick up mobile orders.

Tip: You can adjust your order pickup time! If you are stuck in a ride line and won’t make it on time, or even if you’d like to show up earlier, go to your order and select ‘Change Arrival Time.’ Refresh if you do not see your preferred time.

8. Where should we eat? 

Browse menus via the Disneyland app to pick out a few snacks and meals ahead of time, but do know that menus can change pretty frequently, especially at carts and quick service restaurants. Also, menus are small at most dining locations in the parks, so my favorite trick is to pick up food from a few different nearby spots at meal time so everyone is happy. This only works for quick service and carts, so make sure your entire party will be happy with the menu at any sit-down restaurant before you make a reservation.

Here are some personal favorites to get you started:

Disneyland Park

Docking Bay 7 for the Cold Brew Black Caf, mobile order available

Jolly Holiday Bakery for anything, especially macarons, mobile order available 

Bengal Barbecue for meat skewers and veggies, mobile order available

Red Rose Taverne for the Faire Folds and the Grey Stuff, mobile order available

Disney California Adventure Park

Cocina Cucamonga for the QuesaBirria, mobile order available
Lamplight Lounge for any meal and the drinks, reservations recommended
Lucky Fortune Cookery for the Baymax Macaron, mobile order available
Smokejumpers Grill is a breakfast favorite, with mobile order available

Downtown Disney

Céntrico for an upscale casual vibe and spectacular food
Great Maple Modern American Eatery for a solid choice and a usually quiet environment
Tangaroa Terrace Tropical Bar & Grill for Trader Sam’s menu with mobile order available
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar for great food & ambiance, reservations recommended