Plaza Inn and Jolly Holiday Bakery Café

When I first started really looking at Disneyland restaurants (rather than just going to our regular few) the thing that surprised me was that almost all of them were "Quick Service". There are some that are obviously take-out windows and there are tables nearby, but many with indoor seating still have you going up to the register and placing an order, then seating yourself.

I realized that we'd had a tendency to avoid the ones that looked more like regular restaurants, perhaps because it seemed like it would take longer and be a hassle, but that was really not the case. Because of this, two that we have always avoided have been the Plaza Inn and Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, which stand opposite from each other at the end of Main Street.

The Plaza Inn does do character dining in the morning, so that would be a different type of experience. For dinner, there are different counters to go up to depending on what you want to eat, and they give you your plate. I had chicken dinner and my mother ordered the penne alfredo.

She could also have gotten her penne with marinara sauce, or chosen pot roast, fish, or salad. There are also some kid-size plates available, a beverage fountain, and some dessert offerings.

There is lots of outdoor seating. I had been curious to try the Plaza Inn anyway, but it also occurred to me that this could be a good place to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade.

(I asked to make sure it was okay. The cast member said if they ran out of seating for diners it could be an issue, but otherwise should be fine. That did not end up being a problem, and many other people came and watched from these tables also.)

While waiting for the parade it seemed like a good time to check out the Jolly Holiday Bakery, which was right there across the street. There were a lot of people in line, so I did not end up ordering, but I still went in to take a look around.

There is that old time Americana feel that goes with Main Street, but as the name indicates, it also pays tribute to Mary Poppins.

The best part of this is the incorporation of the penguins, not just on the windows, but also on the paddles that the cast members use to call you forward.

There are other nice touches too. Sandwiches are available, but the main attraction is probably the bakery case.

With such long lines, my mother waiting, and a parade on the way, I only took a few quick pictures, then ran into Candy Palace and Candy Kitchen and bought some Minnie's Bake Shop cookies. My mother and I split one of the Chocolate Chip Supreme cookies. They are award-winning, and their only serious competition are the Colossal Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in California Adventure. We also split a Minnie's Bake Shop Raspberry White Chocolate Cookie, which I had never tried before and was also quite good.

So that night include trying a new place, seeing a new place, and trying one new thing while also enjoying and old favorite and sharing it with my mother. And there was still a parade on the way.

That will be the subject of next week's post.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/plaza-inn/
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/jolly-holiday-bakery-cafe/

Tiki Juice Bar by The Enchanted Tiki Room

When I go with my sisters we have certain patterns of places we go and when, including for when we get food. That was completely different with my mother, and so it gave me a chance to try new things.

We never miss the Enchanted Tiki Room, but we are not at a point where we would be snacking while there, and so we have never gotten the Dole Whip at the Tiki Juice Bar. However, when we were in Hawaii, we did visit the Dole Pineapple Plantation, and had Dole Whip there. I had thought it was very good, where you could really taste the juiciness of a pineapple.

That did not seem to be quite the case here. The soft serve was good, and refreshing, but it didn't seem quite as good as what I had remembered. However, it was also 2007 when we went to Hawaii, and my memory could be wrong.

In retrospect I wish I had ordered some of the other items, to see what the float is like and how the straight juice tastes.

It is possible that the soft serve could be better, but it is still good, and it can be fun to have a treat while you wait in the garden for the next show to start. You can get in line from either side - inside or outside of the attraction - and you can take your treat in with you.

It incorporates well.


https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disneyland/tiki-juice-bar/

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disneyland/enchanted-tiki-room/

Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters

Luigi's Rollicking Roadsters replaced the Luigi's Flying Tires ride, opening in March 2016.

The Flying Tires ride paid homage to an old Flying Saucers ride, and was unique in its use of air compression and how you moved around, navigating by how you leaned. It was also slow-moving and hard to maintain. Even people getting into their vehicles were likely to step onto instead of over the tire, possibly crushing something important.

The Rollicking Roadsters simplify everything. You are simply in a little car, and the cars dance with no steering necessary on your part.  Maintenance is much easier, and the ride is more fun.

It also feels pretty similar motion-wise to Mater's Junkyard Jamboree. There are definite differences, especially in terms of style. One is twirling to Italian music in a sporty Italian car, versus sliding around in trailers on tractors in a more country style. There is no whip element to Luigi's ride, but I still slid around on the seat as we moved.

So the three rides in Cars Land are no longer quite as distinct from each other, but they continue to make good use of a set that is very faithful to the movie, and they are pretty fun. Also, though it might not be obvious, there is more than one song, and each car has slightly different moves, so you may find some advantage to riding multiple times for a slightly different experience.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/attractions/disney-california-adventure/luigis-rollickin-roadsters/

Cozy Cone Motel

Once upon a time in a math class they were telling us that the cone is the most efficient shape for storage. That led me to believe that I would run into more cones, but previously the only use has been the water fountain cups at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.

With the Cozy Cone Motel that has changed.

The decoration is great, with a real devotion to the theme, and there are fun and clever ways of serving the food. Yes, you would expect ice cream cones, and cones of popcorn do not require a large leap of imagination, but there is more.

My mother and I had lunch there: a macaroni and cheese cone for her, and chicken verde for me. (Chili cone queso was also available.)

The chicken verde was pretty spicy - our New Mexican friends would love it. One cool thing about it is that the bread cone picks up the flavor of the contents. It's just a fun idea.

Hey! That's not particularly cone-shaped! (We also tried the chocolate twist.)

There are five cones, each with their specialties. In addition to the foods previously mentioned, you can also get cones of pretzels and churro bites.

It is also fun because - like the rest of Cars Land - it looks like you have just stepped into the movie. While in there you can also have themed snacks.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disney-california-adventure/cozy-cone-motel/menus/

Schmoozies! and Rita's Baja Blenders

I gave a lot of thought before the trip to new things that could be tried, thus new experiences had (plus more blog posts). One thing my sisters and I haven't really done is trying any special drinks.

Any place where you get food will have beverage options. Carts have bottles of pop and water, and often there are also some milk and juice options. California adventure has a lot of places that serve alcohol, but we don't drink so we don't think about that much. There were still two possibilities.

Schmoozies! serves fruit smoothies, juices, and hot chocolate. You can get a frozen chocolate espresso or a hot tea, but they do not appear to have regular coffee. Almost everything comes topped with whipped cream.

I got the Strawberry Banana Sensation, plus a Golden Icicle Lemonade for my mother, and they were pretty good. One thing to remember about California Adventure is that it generally feels warmer than the Magic Kingdom side. If you want something between pop and ice cream to cool you down, this is a possibility, and the prices are not bad, pretty much in line with other smoothie places. Our visit was refreshing.

Schmoozies! is in Hollywood Land, near Award Wieners.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disney-california-adventure/schmoozies-smoothies/

We also tried the Tropicool - Strawberry, at Rita's Baja Blenders. That was more disappointing.

The drink was less sweet and flavorful than I would have expected. I thought it would be just like a virgin margarita, and it was more like a really watered down slushie. In their defense, this is a place that is known more for the actual margaritas, which do get some positive reviews. I think the Tropicool is just a nod to some people not drinking, and gets neglected, much like the bland and uninspired chicken breast you get offered at a steakhouse. (But not Outback Steakhouse; the Alice Springs chicken is pretty good.)

Rita's is on the Pacific Wharf, near Lucky Fortune Cookery and Pacific Wharf Cafe.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/dining/disney-california-adventure/ritas-baja-blenders/