Yesterday, my Son and I were able to spend the day at the Happiest Place on Earth, the Disneyland Resort with my parents! Upon arrival we realized, and were instantly thrilled to find out that the park was celebrating Valentine’s Day. The moment we entered, we were welcomed with one large heart in front of the Disneyland Railroad and continuing on into Main Street USA, another adorable Valentine’s Day photo location awaited Guests. Once I saw both of these locations, I decided to look up all the holiday offerings that would be available inside the parks to make sure we wouldn’t miss out on anything. I ended up finding this article from the Disney Parks Blog, and that is where I found a listing of all the Valentine’s Day food and treats that Disneyland was serving! We decided it would be fun to go on a scavenger hunt, searching for their celebratory Valentine’s Day food; starting with the Riverbelle Terrace.
First off, if you are looking for these offerings you will notice that all the restaurants, quick service locations and food carts have extra Valentine’s Day themed signs on their tables, carts and registers for your reference.
After looking at the Disney Parks Blog article, one of the first things that intrigued me and frankly made my stomach growl, was the Southern Pork Belly Sliders; naturally we ordered this to share with the table. I am not kidding when I say, I could’ve eaten this for breakfast, lunch and dinner; they were so savory, perfectly salty, light and SO DELICIOUS! Riverbelle Terrace serves you three sticky sweet and fiery-glazed pork belly sliders on toasted brioche buns, fresh sliced jalapenos and to top that off, they also serve it with a side of house made pickle chips! YUM! This is the perfect dish to have as an appetizer with a light salad, which is exactly what we did! For my Son, we ordered him the kids’ macaroni-and-cheese meal. It was served with a side of fruit (grapes) and vegetables (carrots) as well as a choice of drink; we chose milk. I would highly suggest checking out the Riverbelle Terrace Restaurant in general. Not only is the food to die for but also the view overlooking the Rivers of America is beautiful!
For dessert, we decided to head over to Rancho Del Zocalo, where we enjoyed the second item on the list that intrigued us: The Chocolate Tamale! Okay, first off, we were all a bit skeptical to try this out, because we were not sure if it was going to be more savory and well, not be sweet at all! But, boy were we wrong… SO WRONG! This chocolate tamale was the perfect ending to our lunch. You are able to order it inside of the restaurant, and they literally pull it right out of a cornhusk, plating it with the espresso whipped cream and cherry compote! If you enjoy sweet corn cakes, then you will LOVE this dessert. It is gooey, chocolaty and pairs so well with the espresso and cherry. The only thing my Mom wished she had was a steaming hot cup of coffee or espresso to go with it!
At this point, we decided to walk off our lunch, ride some attractions and shop while my Son slept. Walking around the Rivers of America, we found a photo location that was themed for Valentine’s Day, which we wondered about. Upon asking one of the Guest Relations Cast Members, they informed us that Disneyland had also created a Minnie’s Valentine’s Day Surprise Scavenger Hunt, which is available in select locations at $6.99! I cannot wait until my Son is older, so he can partake in the scavenger hunts that the park creates.
On the Rivers of America, our attention drew to the churro cart by the Haunted Mansion, which also had a Valentine’s Day themed sign on it showing the option to get the Burning Love Valentine’s Churro… so we got in line. This sweet and spicy red sugar churro with “double-the-love” cream cheese frosting can speak for itself in these photos; my Son gobbled down a small piece and then ran around to burn off the sugar churro rush!! Another lovely and yummy recommendation to check out before they are gone!
We tackled more attractions, enjoyed some more shopping for a little while and once again, found another great snack! Bengal Barbecue, located in Adventureland across from the entrance to the Jungle Cruise attraction, boasted some Valentine’s Day treats that properly fit the theme of the area: Piranha Lemonade Slushy and Roasted Vegetable Spring Roll. Honestly, I wasn’t excited about these offerings at first, but now am so happy that I didn’t listen to myself and got them anyway! Let’s just start with the Piranha Lemonade Slushy, which is a mango and pineapple lemonade with lychee and pomegranate popping pearls; my parents and I really enjoyed it and my Son kept fighting for more small sips (So, I hope the mind of a 1-year-old speaks for itself); it is GOOD! It’s not too tart and it’s not too sweet, a great refresher for a long day. The Roast Vegetable Spring Roll is a roasted portobello mushroom with red peppers, pickled cucumbers, baba ghanoush spread, zucchini noodles, fresh mint, fresh basil, and toasted sesame seeds served with harissa sauce. YUM! YUM! YUM! This little treat is perfect to pick up on the way out or into Adventureland… so good and so healthy!
Overall, the day was simply amazing, from the food, to the attractions, merchandise and décor! Love was in the air and my Parents (who have been married for almost 34 years) got to have a sweetheart day together and with their Grandson and Daughter!
The Disneyland Resort will be celebrating Valentine’s Day from now until February 18th, so be sure to go check it out! Another celebration to take note of is the Lunar New Year, which is in Disney California Adventure and is a multicultural celebration, welcoming the Year of the Pig and starts today through February 17th, 2019!
“Any day spent with you is my favorite day. So, today is my new favorite day.”
– Winnie the Pooh
Oh my gosh everything sounds wonderful. Thanks for the great info! Guess I’m going to take my honey and try out some of those those delicious treats! Luv You Ashland. Happy Valentines Day!
All the food there is so delicious!!! We loved every minute of it!! Thank you!! Xoxo Luv you!