The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (79 page)

The one non-opulent note at the
Plaza Inn
is that, being a “buffeteria” (buffet/cafeteria), Guests must remember to pick up a plastic tray at the entrance.  But if the trays and drink cups are plastic, the silverware is metal and the coffee cups are heavy, substantial white ceramic cups.  We can’t have everything.

Sign
s at the
Plaza Inn
can be a bit confusing, and if you’re tired, hungry, and slightly delirious from the mouthwateringly delicious scents wafting from the food queues, it’s easy to get in the wrong line and be perturbed when the Cast Member can’t serve you the meal you want.  Read the signs carefully, and ask the ubiquitous Cast Members for assistance if you’re not sure where to queue for the particular meals that you and your party want.

The entrée choices are limited but cater to a
spectrum of tastes.  The
Penne Pasta
($13.50) is unfailingly delicious and a great choice for both vegetarians
and
carnivores, since you can choose from Bolognese (beef sausage), Chicken Pesto Alfredo, or Marinara sauces, or you can simply order the pasta with butter, no sauce.  Cast Members grate a snowy mountain of Parmesan cheese onto the pasta, and if you’re goofy for Parmesan, it’s not a problem; ask them to add even more!

The
Plaza Inn Specialty Chicken
($14) is the type of meal that girl detective Nancy Drew, stopping at a roadside restaurant in the midst of an early 1930’s case would rave about in a letter home to motherly housekeeper Hannah.  Chicken dishes are classic American meals, especially when this richly prepared:  Three seasoned, fried pieces with generous portions of mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and a buttermilk biscuit.

The
Roast Sirloin Strip
, served
au jus
, melted in your mouth, but it’s been dropped from the menu, replaced by a delectable, slow-cooked
Pot Roast
($15.50).  Like the chicken meal, the pot roast is accompanied by with mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and a buttermilk biscuit.

Salad-lovers can opt for a simple
House Salad
for around $4, or the more elaborate
Cobb Salad
for $11.  The
Cobb
is a rich mixture of greens and bacon, chicken, egg, tomatoes, and dressing.

Children have a choice of two entrées.  One is a tiny portion of
Penne Pasta
, with or without sauce, sliced apples, and carrots.  The other is
Chicken
, a baked (not fried) chicken leg with fruit and veggies.  Both kid’s meals are served in small black plastic
Mickey
containers, which mimic the silhouette of the famous mouse’s head and ears.  The pasta and chicken meals cost $7 each, and each child’s meal includes a choice of low-fat milk or water.

The children’s meals are cute, but small.  If your child is over nine years old or a hearty eater, you’re well-advised to order them an adult portion
, or if you’re a light eater, split your meal with your child.

A wide array of beverages, from coffee to tea, and juices, milks, sodas
, and waters are offered from about $2 to $3.50 each.  Desserts vary, but include pieces of fresh fruit for $2 and rich treats like
Apple Crostada
or
Chocolate Cake
for $5.

If you have special requirements, such as
gluten-free, Kosher, or Vegetarian meals, speak to a Cast Member and they’ll assist you.  While the signs at this restaurant can be confusing, Cast Members are attentive and helpful, focused on keeping the meals and Guests flowing, and ensuring everyone gets what they want.

The
Plaza Inn
has a lot of character–in more ways than one!  If you or your little ones are keen to meet
Disney
characters while you eat, you should consider the
prix fixe
breakfast offered at the
Plaza Inn
.

Known as
Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park
(and other iterations along those lines), it’s the only character breakfast within
Disneyland Park
, meaning that as soon as you’re finished eating, you can head right over to the attractions you want to see.  With
Disney Character Dining
breakfasts at the
Disneyland Resort Hotels
, after breakfast ends, you still have to head over to the park premises.

T
he
Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park
prices run about $25 per adult, $12 per child aged 3 – 9 years old, and free—that’s zero dollars—for kids under three.

Breakfast
includes all the bacon, biscuits and gravy, cereal, French toast, fruit,
Mickey Waffles
, omelets (made to order!), pastries, sausage, and scrambled eggs you want. (In
Disney
parlance it’s not “all you can eat,” it’s the more gracious “all you care to eat.”)  The grub isn’t gourmet but it’s in that hearty Victorian-American tradition and fuels you for an action-packed day.

The real attraction of
Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park
isn’t the food, anyway.  The draw is the chance to sit and breakfast in an elegant setting, inside or out on the large patio, while
Disney Character
after
Disney Character
drops by your table to greet you and your children, sign autographs, and pose for pictures.

You could roam around the park for
hours, and you’d never randomly encounter all the characters that you’ll meet in one leisurely sitting at the
Plaza Inn
breakfast.  Think of it this way:  When it comes to bagging characters, do you and your kids like to hunt, or to graze?  Wild trout stream, or stocked pond?

Many Guests like the stocked pond, so expect
Minnie and Friends Breakfast in the Park
to be crowded.  Call
Disney Dining
in advance at (714) 781-DINE or email
[email protected]
to get on the
Priority Seating
list; you’ll be seated faster than Guests who didn’t plan ahead. 
Did You Know?
  The
Plaza Inn
, once it was refurbished according to the elegant
Redmond
and
Hench
designs, purportedly became one of
Walt
’s favorite places to dine.
Night Vision:
  The
Plaza Inn
is open late, often long past many other restaurants in the park, so if, for example, you find the
Village Haus
closed and you and your little ones are ravenous, head to the east side of the
Hub
to the beautiful
Plaza Inn
. 
Myth Information:
  You might hear that the
Plaza Inn
is a great place to watch the fireworks.  That’s kinda-sorta true.  The author personally tested this claim.  There are a small handful of patio tables that give you a good view of the fireworks and
Sleeping Beauty Castle
, including
Tinker Bell
and
Dumbo
in flight.  Those tables are usually nabbed and held early.  For the most part, hedges, trees, walls, table umbrellas, and Guests interrupt or completely obstruct your view from the
Plaza Inn
patios and porches.  You will hear the music and see some of the fireworks, but the elaborate light show that dances dazzlingly on the castle exterior, and the flights of
Tinker Bell
and
Dumbo
, are unlikely to be visible, though you might catch frustratingly fragmented glimpses of them.  If you’re a die-hard fireworks fan, you can try to scope out and snag the best tables in advance, but in all fairness you and your party should purchase
Plaza Inn
grub and actually dine while you wait for the show to begin.  If you want an amazing view of the whole show, the
Plaza Inn
isn’t your best bet; don’t waste your time and cash on an obstructed view when you could just worm your way into the standing room crowd in front of the castle when fireworks time draws nigh, and see every bit of the show! 
Kid’s Eye View:
  Delicious food!  Make sure to show your
Annual Pass
to get your special discount. 
Teen’s Eye View:
  Delicious pasta and many other good meals, and a very pleasant environment.

Refreshment Corner
 
(Opening Day
Restaurant
)

[
FastView:
 
Delicious hot dogs and chili for reasonable prices, and novelty dishes like the
Mac & Cheese Hot Dog
.  Plentiful seating on the parade route, and live ragtime piano music.
]

The
Refreshment Corner
anchors the southwest corner of the
Central Plaza
(or
Hub
), just south of the
Plaza Pavillion
(formerly the
Annual Passport Processing Center
, now the site of the
Jolly Holiday Bakery Café
) and north of the
Candy Palace
.  The
Refreshment Corner
is sponsored by
Coca-Cola
, and there’s a lot of
Coca-Cola
branding layered into the design.  Interestingly, because
Coke
is such a venerable brand, and because the signage is vintage and classy, with a Tiffany feel to the glass windows and light fixtures, there’s nothing jarring about the marketing.

On the contrary, the
Refreshment Corner
is a delight, not only because of its reasonable prices but because of its pretty red-and-white décor.  The floor and countertops are cool marble, and the roofs and signs are outlined with electric popcorn lights.  A ragtime pianist on the patio plays jubilant sets throughout the day, adding to a relaxed and cheerful ambiance reminiscent of early 20
th
-century America.

Expect to pay about $10
- $12 per person for your snack or meal.  This is one of the best-priced dining opportunities in the park, and it’s highly recommended for Guests on tight budgets.

If all you want is a
refreshing cool or hot drink,
Refreshment Corner
beverages include cocoa, coffee, lemonade, milk, and sodas, with the emphasis on
Coca-Cola
, of course.  You can also purchase a bottle of Dasani water (a
Coca-Cola
product).  Expect to pay $2 to $3.50 per beverage.  If you’re feeling adventurous or nostalgic, ask the Cast Member behind the counter to put a dash of cherry, raspberry, or vanilla syrup in your soda for an extra 50 cents!

For $3 you can
purchase a bag of chips.  For $3.69, you can order one of three pretzel snacks, including a
Cream Cheese Filled
Pretzel
, a
Jalapeno Cheese Filled Pretzel
, and the ever-popular
Mickey Mouse Pretzel
, shaped like
Mickey
’s face and ears (get a cup of cheese with the
Mickey Pretzel
for an additional 89 cents).

Heartier fare is provided by the
Hot Dog
($6.29) or
Chili Cheese Hot Dog
($6.99) which are served with a bag of chips or apple slices.  Throw in a drink and you’re eating lunch or a light supper for around $10, a sweet deal at
Disneyland
.

The most expensive item on the menu is the
Hearty Chili in a Sourdough Bread Bowl
, for $9.29.  This is
not
recommended just prior to journeys on jolting or spinning attractions such as the
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
,
Indiana Jones Adventure
,
Mad Tea Party
,
Matterhorn Bobsleds
,
Space Mountain
, or
Star Tours
!

A
relatively new offering is the
Mac & Cheese Hot Dog
for $7-plus.  Sprinkled with bacon bits, and smothered with mac & cheese, these larger franks are not as buttery and tasty as the regular hot dogs, but if you’re after a decadent treat, go for it.  Grab plenty of napkins–this can get messy!

The
Kid’s Turkey Dog
children’s meal ($6.50) is served with sliced apples, carrots, and choice of juice, milk, or water.  There’s also a
Kid’s Power Pack
($6) with apples, banana, carrots, crackers, and yogurt.

Kid’s meals
at the
Refreshment Corner
used to be served in a cute little
Disney
-themed cardboard lunch box with cartoons of
Disney Characters
enjoying
Disneyland
attractions.  It included a special pink straw that turned purple wherever it touched a cold beverage.  Kids chowed down on the hot dog and fruit, but it was the magical straw that drew the happy “oohs” and “ahs”.