The Walt Disney Company is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2023, and the heart of the party is taking place at Disneyland. As with any great party, one of the best things to look forward to is all the wonderful and delicious food you can't get anywhere else, and the Disney100 celebration doesn't disappoint.
For this momentous occasion, Disney invited IGN and other members of the press to Disneyland to try the new menu filled with items that honor the company’s past and aim to tell a story with each bite. We had the chance to try all but two of these new Disney100 food items that you can get right now in the parks, and we're sharing all our thoughts with you in this ultimate Disney100 food guide.
You can check out all the food (in alphabetical order!) and our impressions in the slideshow below, or continue on to hear from one of the creators behind the dishes and see the food in a list format. Oh, and be sure to check out our Ultimate Disneyland Guide for Disney100 and our guide for all the best merch for Disney100!
David Nguyen from Disney’s product optimization for food and beverage shared that a huge focus when making the Disney100 menu was on telling stories, just like Walt Disney himself loved to do. Many of the dishes were created with that in mind, and two of the items - the Lemon Tea Cake and the Lemon Chiffon Pie - were favorites of Walt himself.
“Walt loved storytelling, and we wanted to bring that storytelling into food, although that can be really difficult to do. But here for Disney100, we made it super simple,” Nguyen told IGN. “For example, one of Walt's favorite desserts to have as a snack was a lemon tea cake, and we thought that it would be fantastic to be able to bring a lemon tea cake to life for Disney100 so everyone else can enjoy what Walt enjoyed.”
He also revealed that the Lemon Chiffon Pie is a riff on a family recipe that Walt’s grandson, Chris, loved so much. Chris’ Cold Pie, as it was called, was transformed into a new dessert for the modern age, which mirrors what Disney itself does when it is gearing up for a big new milestone.
Disney100 Churro - ($6.75 - Town Square Churro and Tomorrowland Churro)
Disney churros are some of my favorite things in the world, so it goes without saying that I was very much looking forward to eating at least one million Disney100 churros while I was at the Disney100 celebration. It’s a churro covered in purple sugar that is surprisingly cherry flavored and it also comes complete with icing and purple and silver chocolate pearls. As one of my most anticipated treats, I was a bit let down by this one. It’s still a great churro, but I was hoping for a bigger explosion of flavor. The cherry sugar was a bit too muted for my liking, and the chocolate pearls were actually a bit too overpowering. If you are a chocolate lover, this may score higher for you, but I was left wanting more.
French Onion Dip Pizza - ($8.99 - Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta)
If I had to give an award to this French Onion Dip Pizza, it’d have to be the “Most Creative Disney100 Food Item That Tastes Good at First and Then Gets Weird” award. I kid you not that this pizza tastes like French Onion Soup in pizza form and it blew my mind for the first few bites in how accurate it was. Unfortunately, the flavors got to be too much after a few bites and I wasn’t enjoying it near the end. However, if you are curious to try a pizza with mozzarella, Gruyere, caramelized onion, roast beef, and a side of beef au jus, it’s a unique experience for the adventurous.
Lemon Chiffon Pie - ($7.99 - Hungry Bear Restaurant, Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, Flo’s V-8 Cafe)
I LOVE lemon-flavored things, so this Lemon Chiffon Pie was a delight. The lemon flavor isn’t overpowering like other desserts of this type, and the vanilla chantilly cream and graham cracker crust balance everything off so nicely. Like many other Disney100 desserts, it comes with a chocolate Disney100 emblem on top, and that makes it even more wonderful as you can get a chocolate fix if you need a break from the lemon.
Lemon Tea Cake - ($6.99 - Alien Pizza Planet, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, Pacific Wharf Cappuccino Cart)
Those looking for a light and refreshing treat after a day of rides and magical moments should keep their eyes out for the Lemon Tea Cake. It isn’t breaking the mold, but not everything has to. This is simply a well-made Lemon Tea Cake with lemon curd and lemon zest glaze that provides a nice sugary pick-me-up that won’t weigh you down. Once again, the Disney100 chocolate emblem added a nice extra bit of chocolate to balance everything.
Minnie Chocolate Cake Pop - ($6.49 - Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff)
The Minnie Cake Pop was definitely one of the most adorable treats featured in the Disney100 celebrations, as it’s a cake pop in the shape of Minnie’s head that features her iconic polka-dotted bow. This particular cake pop is filled with chocolate cake and covered in a milk chocolate coating, so it was a bit too much of a chocolate overload for me. It felt a bit heavy despite its small size, but chocolate lovers may want to keep this in mind.
Minnie Disney100 Celebration Apple - ($12.99 - Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff)
Much like the Minnie Chocolate Cake Pop, the Minnie Disney100 Celebration Apple is an adorable representation of both Minnie Mouse and Disney100 and all its platinum and purple glory. This treat sees a Granny Smith Apple get dipped in caramel, milk chocolate, and sugar, and it gets adorned with M&Ms, a chocolate bow, and marshmallow ears. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a pain to eat. The textures are rough and hard to manage, and I didn’t have the best time with it. The bites I did manage were tasty enough; it just wasn’t worth the struggle for me.
Old Fashioned Cream Soda - ($7.49 - Galactic Grill, Hollywood Lounge, Studio Catering Co.)
The Old Fashioned Cream Soda is a nostalgia trip in a cup and features a timeless flavor that’s frozen and accented with Sprite, cherry, blue cotton candy gourmet syrup, whipped cream, and purple pixie dust. The first few sips were supremely delicious, but it ended up being a bit too sweet for my liking over the long haul. I would recommend the Sparkling Grape soda over this, but if you love cream soda and want a refreshing frozen treat, this may be a winner for you.
Bonus: Asian Beef Burrito: If you happen to pick up the Old Fashioned Cream Soda at Studio Catering Co. or are nearby the food truck, I highly recommend trying the Asian Beef Burrito. It is pleasantly stuffed with Korean marinated beef, kimchi fried rice with bacon, gochujang, cabbage salad with almonds and toasted ramen, and a gochujang aioli. The flavors were mixed so well and there was a great combo of crunch and spice (but not too much!).
Platinum Trifle - ($8.49 - Galactic Grill, Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, Pacific Wharf Cafe)
If you love layers of flavor, the Platinum Trifle is for you. Layers of cookie crumbles, cheesecake, cherry compote, chocolate cookie mousse, and crème fraîche combine for a journey of flavors in every bite that had me very excited for each spoonful. There are some fun crunch pearls on top and the Disney100 chocolate emblem for good measure, which just make a wonderful thing even more so.
Potato & Cheddar Cheeseburger ($15.49 - Hungry Bear Restaurant)
This was the food item I was most looking forward to trying at the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. The Potato & Cheddar Cheeseburger is exactly what it sounds like, and it is SO good. The spicy crispy potato planks were super crunchy and added a great level of flavor that went so nicely with the bacon cheddar sauce and green chiles that formed a perfect queso. When all the flavors came together, it was one of the better burgers I’ve ever had at a Disney park and a unique take on the staple as well. If I had one suggestion, I would have added a slice or two of cheese on the burger itself, but that is just a minor complaint to an otherwise wonderful burger.
Snickers Sundae - ($9.99 - Clarabelle’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream)
This sundae hit me right in my heart and took me straight back to my days of having a Snickers Ice Cream Bar at my local pool. It had all the best flavors of Snickers in a fun deconstructed way, including butter-pecan ice cream, a chocolate shell, caramel sauce, whipped cream, chopped peanuts, and Snickers bar pieces. After all the delicious parts of the Snickers Sunday were gone, the ice cream itself left a bit to be desired, but it was a good dessert that should make kids and kids at heart very happy.
Sparkling Grape ($5.79 - Refreshment Corner)
The Refreshment Corner on Main Street also sold a wonderful Sparkling Grape soda that was so refreshing and delicious. The drink is basically just Sprite with grape syrup, but that combo just sings with every sip. There was also a proverbial cherry on top, but in this case it was a sour candy strip that just added another level of flavor. I was afraid it may be sugar overload, but it just all fit together perfectly.
Steamboat Willie Milkshake - ($12.99 - Schmoozies!)
Steamboat Willie is one of the most important cartoons in the history of The Walt Disney Company, as it featured the debut of Mickey Mouse. This milkshake is an homage to that classic black and white cartoon in the form of a delicious cookies and cream milkshake. It’s made even more special with two oreos that represent Mickey’s ears. The milkshake itself is nothing revolutionary and is simply a very good cookies and cream milkshake with some Disney magic thrown in.
Violet Pretzel ($7.59 - Refreshment Corner)
The Violet Pretzel was, hands down, the best thing I ate during the Disney100 kickoff at Disneyland. At first I thought it was just a fancy-looking, standard pretzel, but was delighted to find it was stuffed with a delicious cream cheese frosting inside. On top, the pretzel is generously drizzled with a salted vanilla cream and lavender sugar, and it just got better and better with every bite. Honestly, it was one of the best pretzels I’ve ever had in my life.
There were two food items I was not able to try, and they were the Celebration Cake from the Blue Bayou Restaurant and Magic Key Terrace and the Mr. Banks Shortbread Tart from the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe.
The Celebration Cake is made with “pecan brownie, chocolate truffle mousse, red berries, and milk chocolate mousse glazed with chocolate ganache and topped with a star,” while the tart is “caramel and chocolate ganache in a shortbread tart, purple-colored white chocolate mousse, sea salt, edible silver stars, and silver crunch pearls.” I wasn’t able to secure a reservation at Blue Bayou and Mr. Banks Shortbread Tart was sold out each day I tried to get it.
For more, check out our ultimate Disneyland Guide for Disney100 and our look at the best Disney 100th anniversary merch you buy at the parks and at ShopDisney.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
