The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Disney Analyst]

Did you all see all the new food coming? Flo’s menu is getting a pretty big refresh.

Disney Eats: New 2026 Sweets and Treats Coming to Disneyland - Disney Parks Blog

Happy New Year, my fellow foodies! We had tons of delicious tastes in 2025 and based on this list I’m about to share with you, 2026 is going to be no different. The chefs at Disneyland Resort have been busy putting together quite the lineup of treats. From goodies for the continuing Disneyland...

disneyparksblog.com

 

[D.Silentu]

How was it in the rain?

I can't rate it against other years as this was my first Rose Parade, but I had a great time! As the forecast was certain, I picked up an Ozark Trail rain suit beforehand. Between that and a hot coffee I was able to enjoy myself. I was worried that the parade would be scaled back due to the weather, especially concerning the marching bands. However, while some of the pasted on seeds and flowers had obviously been washed away, the floats appeared nearly intact and all the marching bands played. Amusingly, one obvious casualty was the float for the Alabama football team, which zipped by hoping we didn't notice its platform was conspicuously empty. So, it was a different first impression of the parade but I had fun and the people around seemed to as well. Plus, I got to wave to George Takei.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

I'm actually headed there in March for the first time since 2014!

Omg it has changed so much since then (all in good ways!) You’ll have a fantastic time. Wildwood Grove in particular is really special. Are you staying on property or at a nearby Pigeon Forge hotel?

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

Thanks! Would love to see it one day.

Let me know if you have any questions for your upcoming DLR trip. Seems like you have it down and you were just sharing your plans but as far as quick service at DLR at the parks I'd obviously recommend Plaza Inn for the Fried Chicken as well as Bengal BBQ. I like adding an egg roll or two from Tropical Hideaway to my Bengal meal. Usually I'm reluctant to recommend Bengal BBQ as the beef skewers can sometimes be chewy but I've had a few good experiences in a row recently. Chicken skewers are pretty consistent. The fried chicken bao's from Docking Bay are also very good. At DCA I'd recommend the birria tacos from Cocina Cucamonga. Id also recommend Flo's. Not necessarily the food but just taking some time to have a snack on that outdoor patio facing the racing cars / Cadillac mountain range. We sometimes bring a turkey leg and a fresh sourdough baguette, make little mini sandwiches and eat them there.

As far as sit down, Carnation Cafe is one of my favorites. That patty melt ranges from good to excellent and they have some nice apps like Walts chili, fried pickles and the baked potato soup. Although I do prefer the fried pickles from Smokejumpers as they are medallions instead spears. Id try to find a way to fit in Carnation. Request a table outside if the weather is nice. Cafe Orleans is a great choice for Disneyland though.

Oh this reminds me to ask this too:

What are some can’t miss in between meal snacks other than the Bao buns which I will be devouring just like last time

 

[PiratesMansion]

Omg it has changed so much since then (all in good ways!) You’ll have a fantastic time. Wildwood Grove in particular is really special. Are you staying on property or at a nearby Pigeon Forge hotel?

We're staying in Sevierville. Not the best location in the world, but it's free, so from that perspective it's hard to argue with.

I will definitely not fit on Lightning Rod or Mystery Mine, so those are definite no-go's.

I'm vaguely considering an annual pass. Normally I'd get them from SDC and call it a day, but Dollywood is only an hour further away and the different festivals and entertainers, even if there's thematic overlap, will have more to offer me, since SDC is basically repeating its offerings from last year. Probably will come down to whether or not I think I'll visit enough to make the golf pass worthwhile. I know there's the cheap parking workaround with Patriots Park and the trolley, but I struggle with the idea of a season pass that doesn't have parking included.

Of course I remember the cinnamon bread (and the cookies at the grist mill too), but what other food recommendations do you have? What's the best thing to rope drop if LR is off the table? And (I imagine since you're local you've ignored many/all of them, but just in case you haven't) what are the best/worst of the 2 billion tourist traps nearby?

 

[mickEblu]

Oh this reminds me to ask this too:

What are some can’t miss in between meal snacks other than the Bao buns which I will be devouring just like last time

My metabolism isn’t what it used to be. I don’t do a whole lot of snacking. I stick to mostly savory foods at the parks and most of that is stuff that would be considered meals. But in addition to the Baos from Docking Bay (if you are eating both I’d say that qualifies as a meal) Bengal can definitely be treated as a snack if you just get a skewer or two with no rice etc. I believe they have a snack size portion of the Monte Cristo at the Royal Street Veranda now. Pickles of course. Popcorn. Pineapple spears on a hot day are nice. Chimichangas at the carts are hit and miss.

My wife and I really enjoyed the garlic cheesy bread from Maurice’s treats for a hot second but at some point it started tasting a tad artificial but I’d give it a shot. They also sell a version with a brat inside that I haven’t tried at Edelweiss snacks by the Matterhorn. We also really enjoyed Ronto Wraps for a while (Both the regular and the Vegan one which has better toppings) but for some reason haven’t had one in a while. You don’t want to be late if you are mobile ordering those. They can get cold n nasty quick.

If you consider the fried chicken baos as a snack, the two birria tacos from Cocina Cucamonga at DCA would qualify as well. They’re not very big and don’t come with any sides. A cheese dog from Corn Dog castle is also a good choice. You can’t go wrong with a dessert from Ghirardelli.

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

Hey guys! I just finished watching this video by a mainstream creator on Youtube. It was a very surprising find as the creator actually went pretty in depth with his research even with a few mistakes here and there. Very nice to see non-Disney channels actually have good information that isn't surface level or blatant misinformation, all while sourcing research from an actual historian.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Took a quick trip to Utah between Christmas and new years-

Did some rockhounding/fossil hunting in some lunar landscape-

Under the watchful eye of some chonky hoodoos...

We explored the area around Kanab and did a lot of little things. Nice getaway (plus the hotel was super cheap).

Found another group of hoodoos (these are the Toadstool Hoodoos ~45 minutes east of Kanab)-

We've done a lot of slot canyons in the area and to the North but checked out this adorable little feature called the Nautilus-

Heading back we checked out a petroglyph site-

Lastly visited a nifty little mining claim called Glitter Mountain (sorry for the crappy photo but the entire ground was shimmering with gypsum and I was trying to catch it with my crappy phone)-

Alas... no more fun for a little bit... back to the office tomorrow

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

My metabolism isn’t what it used to be. I don’t do a whole lot of snacking. I stick to mostly savory foods at the parks and most of that is stuff that would be considered meals. But in addition to the Baos from Docking Bay (if you are eating both I’d say that qualifies as a meal) Bengal can definitely be treated as a snack if you just get a skewer or two with no rice etc. I believe they have a snack size portion of the Monte Cristo at the Royal Street Veranda now. Pickles of course. Popcorn. Pineapple spears on a hot day are nice. Chimichangas at the carts are hit and miss.

My wife and I really enjoyed the garlic cheesy bread from Maurice’s treats for a hot second but at some point it started tasting a tad artificial but I’d give it a shot. They also sell a version with a brat inside that I haven’t tried at Edelweiss snacks by the Matterhorn. We also really enjoyed Ronto Wraps for a while (Both the regular and the Vegan one which has better toppings) but for some reason haven’t had one in a while. You don’t want to be late if you are mobile ordering those. They can get cold n nasty quick.

If you consider the fried chicken baos as a snack, the two birria tacos from Cocina Cucamonga at DCA would qualify as well. They’re not very big and don’t come with any sides. A cheese dog from Corn Dog castle is also a good choice. You can’t go wrong with a dessert from Ghirardelli.

Thank you, friend!

 

[Distorian]

Took a quick trip to Utah between Christmas and new years-

Did some rockhounding/fossil hunting in some lunar landscape-
View attachment 900842

Under the watchful eye of some chonky hoodoos...
View attachment 900843

We explored the area around Kanab and did a lot of little things. Nice getaway (plus the hotel was super cheap).
View attachment 900844

Found another group of hoodoos (these are the Toadstool Hoodoos ~45 minutes east of Kanab)-
View attachment 900845

We've done a lot of slot canyons in the area and to the North but checked out this adorable little feature called the Nautilus-
View attachment 900846

Heading back we checked out a petroglyph site-
View attachment 900847

Lastly visited a nifty little mining claim called Glitter Mountain (sorry for the crappy photo but the entire ground was shimmering with gypsum and I was trying to catch it with my crappy phone)-
View attachment 900848

Alas... no more fun for a little bit... back to the office tomorrow

Love this.

 

[CoastalElite64]

Why would they do this!?!

 

[PiratesMansion]

Why would they do this!?!

They did this MONTHS ago. Made it very clear they were letting go of many of the villains post October-with the villains alluding to as such in front of me in character-

 

[Disney Irish]

Why would they do this!?!

This isn't a scoop, Matt way behind on this one, like 3 months behind.

 

[MoonRakerSCM]

Love this.

Utah has been the bane of my existence for the past several years. There is SO MUCH to see! We joke that we've only seen the 1st few inches of Utah, and Moab etc... but the more you look, the more layers reveal themselves. I still haven't touched the SE corner of the state to see Monument Valley (technically AZ/Navajo), Goosenecks SP, Mexican Hat, Natural Bridges NM, a TON of ruin/petroglyph/pictograph sites, let alone Lake Powell and Rainbow Bridge NM... the list goes on and on and on...

 

[waltography]

Oh this reminds me to ask this too:

What are some can’t miss in between meal snacks other than the Bao buns which I will be devouring just like last time

Big fan of the breakfast chimichanga, thought that's not really an in-between meal snack. Another non-in-between meal snack, but @mickEblu mentioned a skewer from Bengal Barbecue and cheesy garlic pretzel bread from Maurice's Treats separately: together, they're even more delicious as a BYO sandwich.

If I'm a bit peckish I'll grab film strip fries from Award Weiners as I think they're the best fries on property (closer to a potato wedge in consistency, crispy outside but fluffy inside).

I saw that Aunt Cass Cafe is getting a Dutch Crunch baguette on the menu soon which I'm very excited to try.

Can't go wrong with the chocolate chip cookies from Harbour Galley, they're good to share and they're just nice, fresh cookies.

Polystarch Puffbread from the Blue Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge is very good too if you're craving something sweet; nice, sweet pastry roll with a condensed milk-style filling. One of my go to's.

 

[mickEblu]

Big fan of the breakfast chimichanga, thought that's not really an in-between meal snack. Another non-in-between meal snack, but @mickEblu mentioned a skewer from Bengal Barbecue and cheesy garlic pretzel bread from Maurice's Treats separately: together, they're even more delicious as a BYO sandwich.

If I'm a bit peckish I'll grab film strip fries from Award Weiners as I think they're the best fries on property (closer to a potato wedge in consistency, crispy outside but fluffy inside).

I saw that Aunt Cass Cafe is getting a Dutch Crunch baguette on the menu soon which I'm very excited to try.

Can't go wrong with the chocolate chip cookies from Harbour Galley, they're good to share and they're just nice, fresh cookies.

Polystarch Puffbread from the Blue Milk Stand in Galaxy's Edge is very good too if you're craving something sweet; nice, sweet pastry roll with a condensed milk-style filling. One of my go to's.

Wow I forgot to mention the cookies! The last couple times I got a 13 pack with a cold carton of milk and not only was it delicious but it brought me back to elementary school.

 

[Distorian]

Utah has been the bane of my existence for the past several years. There is SO MUCH to see! We joke that we've only seen the 1st few inches of Utah, and Moab etc... but the more you look, the more layers reveal themselves. I still haven't touched the SE corner of the state to see Monument Valley (technically AZ/Navajo), Goosenecks SP, Mexican Hat, Natural Bridges NM, a TON of ruin/petroglyph/pictograph sites, let alone Lake Powell and Rainbow Bridge NM... the list goes on and on and on...

Utah is definitely a place I need to spend more time. As of yet I’ve only been to Bryce Canyon, Monument Valley, SLC and the Bonneville Salt Flats, and driven through Capitol Reef. I’m hoping to make it out to Zion and Moab this winter, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to swing it. I’ve spent a lot more time exploring AZ. Sedona is the only major part there I’ve yet to have explored.

 

[mickEblu]

First World problems but I'm so happy it's 2026. Writing the # 5 is really annoying for someone who writes fast like me. They come out like S's with a disconnect top hat. Hate it. Least favorite number to write by far.