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The Top 10 Best Restaurants at Disneyland

Heading to Disneyland? Consider Dining at the Best Restaurants.

By , About.com Guide

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The Top 10 Best Restaurants at Disneyland

Stunning presentation is among the hallmarks at Napa Rose, one of the best restaurants at Disneyland.

Disneyland. Used with permission.
When he launched Disneyland in 1955, Walt Disney forever changed the experience of going to an amusement park. Through the years, Disneyland has morphed into a destination resort with two parks, hotels, a shopping district--and loads of places to dine. Many Disneyland visitors, however, stick with the same nondescript fast food typically found at traditional amusement parks. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But they are missing out on some wonderful restaurants at the California resort and a chance to make their visits and vacations more memorable.

There are many great places to eat, so it's difficult to determine the top 10 best restaurants at Disneyland. That's why I turned to some of the most popular and respected travel journalists covering the California theme park resort for some help. I asked them to pick ten of their favorite Disney table-service restaurants. I then threw their choices into a Cuisinart, poured them through a colander, ranked the results, and developed the top-10 list.

Whether you're planning an elegant meal, want to grab a quick bite, or anything in between during your Disneyland visit, you're sure to find restaurants to please your palate as well as your wallet with these top dining spots:

There are many dining choices across the Disneyland resort, and our esteemed panel listed a total of 20 different restaurants on their top-10 table-service lists. But there was general consensus on the 10 restaurants that floated to the top.

Bubbling just beneath the surface are a few table-service restaurants that didn't make the cut but bear mentioning:

  • Tortilla Jo's at Downtown Disney. Tasty Mexican fare, including hand-made tortillas (not necessarily made by Jo, however), mountainous nachos, and, of course, margaritas. The freshly made guacamole is quite good. The cost is moderate ($10 to $20 per adult).
  • Hearthstone Lounge at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The menu has a modest number of offerings, including some delicious flatbread dishes, but the real appeal at the Hearthstone is, well, the hearthstone. A fireplace inside and a fire pit on the restaurant's outside terrace help make this a cozy spot to swap Disneyland stories. The cost is moderate ($10 to $20 per adult).
  • Ariel's Grotto at Disney's California Adventure. The menu tends toward seafood and Italian dishes such as cioppino, a tomato-based stew loaded with lobster, scallops, shrimp, and other delicacies from "under the sea." Ariel hosts a royal coterie of Disney princesses who visit the patrons. Ariel's Grotto is part of the World of Color Dining package which includes a meal and reserved seating for nightly water fountain extravaganza. The cost is high ($35 per adult).

Reservations, which are highly recommended for these popular Disneyland restaurants, can be made up to 30 days in advance. Call (714) 781-DINE (3463) to make your dining plans.

Many thanks to following panel of travel writers who participated in the best restaurant survey. They are listed along with their top pick for the best Disneyland restaurant.

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