As I did for the food at Disneyland, here’s a rundown of what I ate at California Adventure. Spoiler alert: everything was pretty good.
Caliente Churro from Senor Buzz Churros
Churros are a big deal in the two California Disney parks — vendors selling the standard cinnamon and sugar versions are pretty much everywhere (and of course, I had one at Disneyland). There are also a handful of vendors selling interesting churro varieties, such as: Senor Buzz Churros, which sells Caliente Churros. This is basically a churro that’s been rolled in Red Hots dust; it’s cinnamony and a little bit spicy. It’s not much different from a standard cinnamon and sugar churro — but with a bit of a kick. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would.
Bacon Mac and Cheese Cone from Chili Cone Queso
This one seemed like a complete no-brainer. Bacon and mac and cheese in a cone made out of bread? Yeah, put that in my belly ASAP. The mac and cheese wasn’t bad; it was essentially an upgraded version of Kraft Dinner. And there was a very generous amount of bacon in this thing — it wasn’t just sprinkled on top, it was mixed right in. It’s an unsurprisingly tasty combo. But then there’s the bread cone, and it’s not great. It basically tastes like they took some Wonder Bread, mashed it up until it couldn’t be mashed any further, and then shaped it into a cone. It was dense and soft with no particular texture or flavour. The mac and cheese would have been better without it.
Snow-Capped Lemon from Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats
This one’s pretty simple — it’s lemon Dole Whip topped with a white chocolate cap. It’s not bad, though the classic pineapple Dole Whip is clearly superior. I mostly enjoyed this — it’s just as creamy as the pineapple version despite being dairy free, which is nice. But it’s very, very tart. It grew on me, but I don’t think I’d get it again. As for the white chocolate, the lemon Dole Whip has such an in-your-face flavour that it really just adds some crunchy texture. You can’t taste it at all.
Maple Bacon Churro from the churro stand near Redwood Creek Challenge Trail
I wasn’t planning on eating yet another churro, but I mean, come on. It’s a churro rolled in cinnamon and sugar and then topped with maple sauce and bacon bits. How could I not? This one was part of the special Micky and Minnie Celebration menu, so it may or may not be around when you visit. Either way, I really enjoyed it. Maple and bacon is a classic combo, and it works very well here. It’s sweet, salty, savoury, and delicious.
Buffalo Ranch Popcorn from Cozy Cone
There’s something about flavoured popcorn at the Disney parks that I can’t resist. In particular, the popcorn in the Tokyo parks is pretty much the best. And while the Buffalo flavoured popcorn I had at Hong Kong Disneyland tasted literally nothing like Buffalo wings (it was actually caramel corn with a boatload of cayenne pepper on it), I figured this wouldn’t be an issue in the States. Obviously they know what a Buffalo wing is supposed to taste like. Right…? Apparently not; this Buffalo ranch popcorn didn’t taste like Buffalo or ranch, so maybe this is just a difficult flavour to replicate on popcorn. It was, however, pretty good for what it was — it was zesty, a bit garlicky, and had a mild spicy kick.
World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae from Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop
No, this isn’t strictly a Disney thing — I probably shouldn’t have ordered something that I can get outside of the parks. But Ghirardelli sundaes are amazing. I can’t say no to a Ghirardeli sundae. What do I look like?? A person who can say no to a delicious sundae??? I’m not that person. The World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae is pretty simple — vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped almonds, and a cherry on top. But it’s so good. It’s that hot fudge sauce — it’s amazing, with a super rich chocolately flavour and the perfect amount of sweetness. The ice cream isn’t bad either; it’s above average, though it’s nothing particularly special. But that hot fudge sauce would be amazing on anything. Literally anything.