coffeefan
Well-Known Member
I was surprised by that. I hear that SW Orlando caters to and is popular with locals though. I wonder if something similar is the case with SW San Diego?
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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
I was surprised by that. I hear that SW Orlando caters to and is popular with locals though. I wonder if something similar is the case with SW San Diego?
So you re probably aware that they had already replaced the rice n bean sides with a handful of chips on those entrees about a couple years ago.
coffeefan
Well-Known Member
The character dining offerings are probably the closest to it. Not sure how many meat options they offer these days but prices would likely start in that ballpark.
Nirya
Well-Known Member
They do have a lot of giveaways and cheap entry offers (for example, myself and another person can go for free every year because I am a teacher) so that might help.
But then they get you with a $35 dollar chicken sandwich!
Nirya
Well-Known Member
I went last year, and everything at SeaWorld is such a ripoff. I think I even started a SeaWorld thread to complain about it.
Yeah food is expensive there but the tenders or fried chicken sandwich I had were actually pretty good. I still can’t believe I had the best churro of my life at Legoland.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
Bit late to this one but all the talk about the burrito downgrades at Rancho del Zocalo hurts. I haven't been to experience the change for myself yet but my go-to dining on a perfect day is something along the lines of Plaza Inn (Breakfast), Rancho del Zocalo (lunch) and Cafe' Orleans (dinner). The chicken burrito was my fave and if what's being said here is true, I'll need to begin looking for another dining option to take Rancho's place. 
Bit late to this one but all the talk about the burrito downgrades at Rancho del Zocalo hurts. I haven't been to experience the change for myself yet but my go-to dining on a perfect day is something along the lines of Plaza Inn (Breakfast), Rancho del Zocalo (lunch) and Cafe' Orleans (dinner). The chicken burrito was my fave and if what's being said here is true, I'll need to begin looking for another dining option to take Rancho's place.
Honestly ballsy of them to think they could get away with this in Southern California. Or maybe the word should be “stupid.”
waltography
Well-Known Member
LNY Foodie Guide is up:
disneyparksblog.com
It honestly feels like they do these food festivals just to put something on the calendar; beyond a handful of new items, it all feels a little stale (which is a shame since LNY used to be one of my favorite festivals).
Disney Eats: Foodie Guide to Lunar New Year at Disneyland Resort 2026 - Disney Parks Blog
Hold your horses! Lunar New Year is making its way back to Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort from January 23 through February 22, 2026, bringing plenty of delicious delights inspired by Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisines that are sure to spark some excitement. For the...
disneyparksblog.com
It honestly feels like they do these food festivals just to put something on the calendar; beyond a handful of new items, it all feels a little stale (which is a shame since LNY used to be one of my favorite festivals).
LNY Foodie Guide is up:
Disney Eats: Foodie Guide to Lunar New Year at Disneyland Resort 2026 - Disney Parks Blog
Hold your horses! Lunar New Year is making its way back to Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort from January 23 through February 22, 2026, bringing plenty of delicious delights inspired by Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cuisines that are sure to spark some excitement. For the...
It honestly feels like they do these food festivals just to put something on the calendar; beyond a handful of new items, it all feels a little stale (which is a shame since LNY used to be one of my favorite festivals).
Yeah these food festivals have gotten stale. I wrote them off about three years ago when I realized everything was always lukewarm n just mediocre tasting. There is way better to be food to be found all across the resort at locations that have actual kitchens.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
Right?! Everyone has a preference for their Mexican food but it seems odd to downgrade that specifically in Disneyland when so many areas in SoCal spoil visitors/locals for choice.
I had to look up the downgrade for myself and it looks ROUGH.
For reference, here is a "before" image:
Despite my immeasurable disappointment, there are enough other places in Disneyland that I want to eat at regularly but hardly do. So until those all inevitably suffer some sort of devastating blow to what's there now, I'll survive. That said, I do want to share my go-to option for this style of plate for anyone in the SoCal/San Diego area whenever I am craving my Rancho del Zocalo fix outside of a trip to the park. If anyone is ever in the San Diego area, hit up Barra Barra Saloon at Old Town and look for the house Burritos (or Burritos de la Casa). My wife and I discovered this place on accident many years ago and were really happy to discover it had the same sort of vibe as Rancho and the burrito plate to match.
I'm sure you can find plates like this just about anywhere (especially in SoCal) but I wanted to share this spot here just because, as I said, I feel it really replicates the "vibe" of being in Frontierland, too. Sure, Old Town can come off a bit "tourist-y" but then again, I think that's part of why we enjoy it so much. We are comparing to Disneyland, after all.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
If you want a good burrito on property, go to Tiendita. So delicious. Find a planter to sit on and enjoy.
I still got to try Centrico. Almost did last month but went for Din Tai Fung again instead. I had a steak quesadilla a while back from Tiendita that wasn’t bad at all.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
It’s good for something quick. Don’t really have to interact with anyone, and not as expensive as sitting down somewhere.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
The eternal struggle! My wife, myself and my brother have a tradition of getting together on Christmas Eve for a dinner somewhere in Downtown Disney and ever since Din Tai Fung opened, the other locations just haven't stood a chance (2 years now). That, and doing a bit of shopping and making sure to grab as many Mickey Gingerbread's from the Grand Californian lobby as we can.
Specifically the smell of farm animals is what I feel is lacking at Hungry Bear. It's called Hungry Bear but I don't smell any bears. At Big Thunder BBQ I could smell goats.
Disney Irish
Premium Member
Not sure if I need the smell of animals to get into BBQ, but to each their own.
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
The quality of the food served at Hungry Bear these days doesn't even come close to touching what they used to serve at the all you can eat BBQ that Big Thunder Ranch used to provide.
Speaking of food downgrades, my wife sent me a video showcasing that Disney has apparently made some pretty sweeping changes to many of the food offerings in the resort early this year and many of them are downgrades. A lot of stuff appears to just quietly be disappearing, like the popular bacon-wrapped asparagus over at Bengal Barbeque, just as an example. One of the biggest blows is seemingly the removal of all other types of potato (mashed, film-strip fries, tater tots, crinkle cut, etc.) and them all being replaced with the same generic theme park fries or steamed rice.
Here's the instagram reel she sent me for anyone who wants to take a look. Went to the Bengal BBQ page to confirm if the changes were true and it appears to be so. Bummer! Also, sorry if this has been talked about already. I'm just now catching wind of it.
Speaking of food downgrades, my wife sent me a video showcasing that Disney has apparently made some pretty sweeping changes to many of the food offerings in the resort early this year and many of them are downgrades. A lot of stuff appears to just quietly be disappearing, like the popular bacon-wrapped asparagus over at Bengal Barbeque, just as an example. One of the biggest blows is seemingly the removal of all other types of potato (mashed, film-strip fries, tater tots, crinkle cut, etc.) and them all being replaced with the same generic theme park fries or steamed rice.
Here's the instagram reel she sent me for anyone who wants to take a look. Went to the Bengal BBQ page to confirm if the changes were true and it appears to be so. Bummer! Also, sorry if this has been talked about already. I'm just now catching wind of it.