305 DAYS TO DISNEYLAND!!!!!!!!! Some of the reviews I have read make me a little leery. I can only hope that things have been smoothed out by next year.
Experiences of confusion getting tickets and reserving days, buying the Genie Pass and having the FPs not be available. No more annual passes. Everything having to be done on a *smart* phone. Long lines and higher than ever prices. Park Hopping limited to certain hours. We will likely be kicking it old school and bringing in our own food and waiting in lines. Hopefully February will be a bit slower and there will not be a new Covid strain surging. ºoº
I've said it before and I'll say it again: discrimination against non-smartphone-users. A couple of decades ago, somebody else -- maybe Six Flags, maybe Sea World, maybe Universal -- introduced a pay-for-priority-access system, which was widely derided on the Disney fan boards as elitist and discriminatory, and something Disney would never do. What Would Walt Do? I've always felt that the whole business of E-ticket attractions having insanely long lines was exacerbated when DL and WDW (and Knott's, for that matter) went to unlimited-use, to compete with MM. Of course, I suppose that going to unlimited use, with the cost of a 15-attraction ticket book folded into the admission price, did cut down on guests entering only for dining, shopping, or live music. (Or in my case, when I was a passholder, going in just for The Parade.) I've said it before and I'll say it again: it seems like even before I abandoned my annual pass, for everything they did to give me a reason to renew (or reinstate) my pass, they did at least two things (e.g., turning Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars into a pizza joint, first turning CircleVision into part of the queue for Rocket Rods, then turning it into a paint shop, then turning it into a west coast Buzz Lightyear) to make me want to go a full year or more without setting foot in the place again (or occasionally, things to make me never want to set foot in the place again, e.g., "Pain in the Night"). <Plug> If you're looking for something to do instead of DL, the International Printing Museum is open </plug>
I agree that as pieces of the Magic get chipped away and Disneyland loses more of its soul; the attraction dwindles. But it has been over two years already and that could be a record for me. (Except for 8 years in Hawaii.) I always felt like anyone being able to get a FP was part of the Magic and hopefully fulfilling Walt's dream. When they made the Halloween fireworks a hard ticket event I nearly cried. We can afford it now (but won't do it) because I remember what it was like trying to get 5 children to Disneyland. And then adding $$$$$$ each to cut the line. Sad We used to actually be able to eat in the Parks.
I remember the hot turkey sandwiches at The French Market. And I remember when "buffeteria" service was fairly common. Kind of lost on a generation whose comfort food is fast food.
I remember Chili Colorado at Casa de Fritos. About $6 and would feed two. Pretty tasty too. When I was a teenager I remember hamburgers being both tasty and affordable. A few years ago we paid over $20 for 4 ice cream bars!!
Funny, the only thing I can remember about the last Disneyland (or WDW) hamburgers I've eaten have been that they tasted absolutely terrible. Overcooked and underseasoned. Of course, I don't bury my hamburgers (or more often, turkey-burgers) under toppings and condiments: at most, I'll have salt, pepper, and maybe some grilled onions, if available. And maybe, on a turkey-burger that's at least properly seasoned, and especially on one that's a bit pungent, I'll have a slice of cheese (usually Swiss or Provolone). I agree with the folks at "Louis' Lunch," in New Haven, CT: you should be able to taste the meat. (And as to turkey-burgers, the key to a good one is to SEASON IT LIKE ANY OTHER POULTRY. If you treat it like beef, it's going to taste like <censored> -poor beef.)
I was a teenager a very long time ago. Those are the burgers I remember from Tomorrowland Terrace. Haven't even tried one since the last one I had about 15 years ago which was much as you described. I do like the Tomato Pesto soup with grilled cheese sandwich at Jolly Holiday these days.
No spring chicken myself; I was a teenager in the mid-to-late 1970s. And I really, really, miss those French Market hot turkey sandwiches, with the spiced yellow gravy. And I miss being able to get prime rib in the more upscale Disney theme park restaurants (e.g., the Blue Bayou, or Cinderella's, in the WDW Magic Kingdom), or even in some of the not-so-upscale ones (didn't the Plaza Inn serve it at one time?). I don't miss the prime rib at Le Cellier (EPCOT Canada), though. Not enough salt, and you had to ask for a salt shaker.
I do miss the Blue Bayou. We quit going after they doubled their prices. A friend took us once after that and we didn't even like the menu. Now, we have had burgers at the old Taste Pilots Grill. Their condiments bar is practically a salad bar. I could get one tasting pretty good there. After they quit serving ribs in Disneyland we started getting ribs there instead of burgers. I would still make use of the condiments bar. When we went to DCA just to eat last year; we got the chili cones the Cozy Cone. It was the fastest thing we could do and we were starving. They were surprisingly tasty. Both the queso and the bacon mac 'n' cheese.
I think Taste Pilot's may have been the last place I had a hamburger in DLR. Either that or Hungry Bear. Wasn't impressed with either one. I think the last Disney hamburger I had that was remotely edible was at (I think) Pecos Bill's, in WDW-MK Frontierland. As I recall, their condiment bar had grilled onions. I think the last time I spent an entire day and evening at DLR, I had the chicken at Flo's for lunch, and either the chicken penne or an all white meat fried chicken at the Plaza Inn. I will say that the NOS restaurants do appear to be moving more towards regional cuisine. Looking at WDW . . . looks like Cinderella's is no longer of any interest to me.
I do not usually link Disneyland with with food (other than desserts and snacks), We actually try not to eat in the Parks. But over the many trips and having at least one nice meal out each time I seem to have lots of opinions. We like the chicken dinners at Plaza Inn and usually add a salad. I did not know, nor really think about, the fact that one can order off menu or switch sides in most places. Asking for a side of veggies at Rancho or Plaza or one extra chicken leg would turn a dinner for one into enough for two for much less than 2 full meals. Have not had lunch or dinner at Flo's but we did eat breakfast there when they quit serving it at Rancho. Very basic but tasty enough. I figure when we go in 297 DAYS!! we will be eating in the Parks more, as we are staying in a hotel rather than having our RV in the parking lot. The
At least as of the last time I had the chicken at PI, "all white meat" was a small upcharge, and you got 2 breast-halves instead of whatever the usual three pieces are.
I did not complete my point about ordering off menu. I found out about it when I became friends (through LP) with a cast member who told me. Up to then we just always ordered food the way it was described on the menu. I like white meat but my husband likes dark. So a mixed plate works well for us. Figure we will have a breakfast at Carnation Cafe. Though we usually just order the yogurt parfait. We have so many rewards dollars on our credit cards we will probably go overboard.
I'm with hbquikcomjamesl... not everything was better "back in the day" and that includes DL hamburgers. Even when I was a kid and DL was the most amazing thing ever, I thought the burgers at the TL terrace, Hungry Bear, "Character" stands in the old FaL, etc. were terrible. Cardboard, pretty much. Something to give sustenance before getting back on the rides, but not much else. It may be sacrilege to say it, but with only a couple of exceptions (Tahitian Terrace, Plaza Inn), the restaurants in Walt's day were not as good overall as they became later. Before NOS especially, if you looked at an old DL guidebook in the "restaurants" section, nearly 90% of them were hamburgers and hot dogs. It's very easy to complain on the internet, and I see a lot of it about post-pandemic DL, but I can't help it... I wanna go. I have NO idea when I'll be in CA again, but when I come back (haven't been in CA since 2017), I'll be going to DLR for sure. I'll deal with whatever I have to deal with and enjoy the hell out of it!
That's where I am trying to get my head. It's Disneyland, I am 69. I will deal with whatever must be dealt with and enjoy!!!!! If it comes to abandoning the Eticket rides and just enjoying the atmosphere and being with friends I will still have fun. What I have resolved not to do is try to recreate the past. In just a mere 294 DAYS!!!! As for food. I can guarantee I will NOT be eating any hamburgers. But when I was between 15-20 with a not very sophisticated palate, and as noted, not many choices; I did like them. I doubt I ever had more than $5 for my day's food. When we took our kids over the years we took in sandwiches or went out to the car to eat. (Something they resented greatly until they started taking their own children.)
