Last week on the official Disneyeats Instagram account, Disneyland Resort announced that they would be offering a new menu across the parks that will be themed to the release of MOANA 2, releasing in theaters on November 27th. These MOANA 2 offerings are just the latest in Disneyland Resort’s efforts to provide a massive and ever-changing menu of food, drinks, and treats that tie in with both seasonal events and the latest Disney film releases. The menu kicked off on Friday November 15th, the same day that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened and also Holiday offerings began at both parks. So the menu went under the radar a bit. But that is more about Disneyland’s ongoing ability to constantly give park-goers a plethora of food and beverage options. And as a Disney Princess fan, I was ready for it and really wanted to dive into everything that it offered.
MOANA 2 was originally conceived as a Disney Plus series, but executives were so pleased with the series and its ideas that it was converted into a traditional theatrical sequel and Moana fans like myself could not be happier or more excited. Its predecessor, MOANA (2016), is one of my favorite Disney films of the last 10 years, and in quick time “Moana”, the character, has become one of the most iconic and prominent of the Disney Princesses. But what would a MOANA 2 menu look like? Well, what is MOANA 2 about?
Per the Wikipedia plot summary, MOANA 2 takes place three years after the events of the first film, Moana receives an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors and forms her own crew, reuniting with her friend, the demigod Maui. As they journey to the far seas of Oceania to break the god Nalo’s curse on the hidden island of Motufetu, which once connected the people of the ocean, they confront old and new foes, including the Kakamora and underworld goddess Matangi. Accordingly Polynesian and Hawaiian-influenced foods and taste profiles would seem appropriate.
With Moana: Journey of Water, a new walk-through attraction at EPCOT and the classic Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World, I am actually surprised that the Vacation Kingdom did not receive their own menu of MOANA 2 food and treats. But hey – that’s unfortunately par for the course lately (I say this as an AP who is genuinely wavering on renewing). Though the Disney Princess Week treats were a nice change of pace in August at Walt Disney World. And I if you are interested, I profiled every one of those treats HERE.
Anyway, I recently, and quite luckily as they are all sold-out again, secured a Magic Key at the Disneyland Resort. So with that newfound access I made a reservation and made my way to the beautiful California parks to try as many of the MOANA 2 offerings as I could today. This article will include four of the dishes with more to come in a future installment next week.
HAMBURGER STEAK AND EGGS AT RIVER BELLE TERRACE AT DISNEYLAND
The most prominently featured dishes on DisneyEats’ Instagram post (see above) were the two new dishes at River Belle Terrace. Both dishes are featured on their brunch menu (served from 10AM to 1PM daily). The legendary River Belle Terrace was one of Disneyland’s opening year restaurants way back in 1955 (though under a different name at the time) – and is one of the oldest still operating in the park. And restaurant was also one of Walt Disney’s favorites and one that Walt frequented almost every morning when expanding New Orleans Square.
So the placement of these two plates at the top of the DisneyEats list is no surprise. River Belle Terrace is a big deal. And its prominence and importance helps MOANA 2’s profile as well. But how could the themes and tastes of MOANA 2 fit with southern-leaning cuisine of this location? Very well actually.
The first dish is “Hamburger Steak and Eggs”, described on the Disneyland website as “[hamburger steak and eggs] with Spiced Ham, White Rice and Mushroom Gravy”. Aka a genuine Loco Moco – being served right at River Belle Terrace. Per Wikipedia, “The traditional loco moco consists of white rice, topped with a hamburger patty and brown gravy, and finally a sunny-side up fried egg. These ingredients must exist in the dish to be named loco moco. No other egg variations are considered traditional and the stacking of the dish must be in the aforementioned order to be considered traditional”
So Disneyland is doing a Loco Moco here almost perfectly. So I’m not sure why they did not just call it “Loco Moco”, even the server bringing it to the table said, “and here’s your loco” – so yes, the Cast Members at River Belle Terrace definitely know what this is. Maybe they were worried they might come under fire for cultural sensitivity if they did that, since it is a very particular and important dish within the Hawaiian culture. Well even if they don’t call it a Loco Moco, boy does that River Belle Terrace chef know how to cook this dish.
It was absolutely delicious with the hamburger meat being charred but still tender and juicy. The egg was perfectly cooked, soft but never mushy. The rice was sticky but still soft and the mushroom gravy really rounded out the taste profile of the dish – especially when combined with the egg. You may want to compliment the hamburger with a bit of hot sauce or ketchup – but that’s up to you. The dish is also entirely fine without it. Yum Yum. This is a 5 out of 5 for me. Just perfection.
COCONUT MACADAMIA NUT PANCAKES AT RIVER BELLE TERRACE AT DISNEYLAND
The second dish is the “Coconut Macadamia Nut Pancakes” described on the website as “Short Stack Pancakes, Coconut Cream, Toasted Macadamia Nuts and Tropical Fruit”. This is a variation on River Belle Terrace’s standard short stack of pancakes but now served with a coconut cream on top and generously garnished with toasted macadamia nuts. The dish is also served with a tropical fruit mix featuring pineapple, melon, and dragonfruit. The pancakes were delicious, soft and just the usual top notch creation that River Belle Terrace usually offers. The coconut cream was tasty but tended to overwhelm after a bit. I also just may have been full from the loco moco.
I enjoyed the first half of the pancakes – but for the second half, I found myself scraping off the coconut cream and enjoyed them with the usual River Belle Terrace syrup (also served with the dish) and they were… frankly delicious. I would also say that the service and atmosphere at River Belle Terrace was first rate – as it almost always is. It just is a beautiful place to dine and I would be happy sitting there with a cup of coffee (their coffee is delicious also btw) and just taking in the views.
I give this dish 3.5 out of 5. If you love coconut, this will be in the 4 or 5 range for you. It did not quite hit with me, personally. One more note: the fruit mix was DELICIOUS and I ate every last bit of it. Disneyland always does a fantastic job with their fresh fruits across both parks – and this was no exception.
WAYFINDER DOG AT AWARD WIENERS AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
I then traversed across the esplanade, leaving Disneyland and park-hopping to Disney California Adventure, one of my favorite and most underrated parks in the Disney portfolio. They always have an excellent menu at most of their restaurants whether it is quick service or table – and I really love the way this park is planned out. It is one of the rare non-spoke parks in the Disney Portfolio and yet it still works so well and flows so beautifully with few pinch points in a relatively small piece of land.
Anyway, I had high hopes for the Wayfinder Dog at Award Wieners. AW (as I call it) has great dogs and some of the most unique but also tasty fries on property. Their “film strip fries” are basically curly STEAK fries. Good stuff. The Wayfinder dog is described on the website as, “Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork with Fiery Tropical Chutney on a Toasted Bun, served with Cuties Mandarin Oranges or Filmstrip Fries”.
Sounds tasty. But what I did NOT expect was the Wayfinder dog to actually LOOK like Moana’s WAYFINDER CANOE – complete with the unexpected addition of little “chicharrone” or pork rind type chips garnishing the dog as “sails” and a little sriracha type sauce making the Wayfinder sign beneath them. WTF. Take a look at the comparison below:
Can you see it? I kind of could as it arrived at the mobile pick-up window. And yes, seeing it now, it is a little less clear. But if I squint really hard and use (a little bit of) my imagination – I can still see it. Honestly, the dish is almost worth buying just for this little touch. But is the dish worth it for the TASTE?
I think the dog is wonderfully cooked as usual at AW, the toasted bun perfectly complements the dog, and the previously mentioned film strip fries were great as always. The chutney and pork and sriracha on TOP of the dog were a little much for me in terms of their combined taste profile, but your mileage may vary. I liked the pork without the chutney and sauce. And the chicarrones added a nice crunch. I’m not sure it all came together but I did not hate it and sure did enjoy the visual. I would give it a 4 out of 5 – adding a bit for the visual. Still if you like the flavor profile that the chutney and sriracha add, this could easily be much higher for you.
TROPICAL SLUSHY AT SCHMOOZIE’S AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE
Last up for the day was the Tropical Slushy at Schmoozie’s at DCA. The slushy is described on the website as “Pineapple, Orange Juice, Grenadine and Coconut Milk Slushy, topped with Whipped Cream and Shredded Coconut”. I thought this beverage was ABSOLUTELY delicious. Every flavor comes together with just the right amount of coconut milk adding a bit of texture. The topping is also so delicious. I basically ate it as a side treat – with a spoon. I also visually love the orange color which to me, represents some of the color profile of Moana as a character and princess, especially with her new outfit in MOANA 2. I will 100% be getting this one again when I go back to the parks as it is the perfect strolling beverage. This is a 5 out of 5 for me but if I could give it 6, I would. This was THE ITEM OF THE DAY!
Only bummer was that Schmoozie’s was out of the Hei-Hei straw clips – AFTER ONLY ONE DAY!!! I will definitely be back for that slushy and hopefully a straw clip soon. Also although Schmoozie’s and Award Wieners are both “quick service” restaurants at Disney – meaning no table service – they share a great seating area outside of Mickey’s Philharmonic that almost always has shade and tables open. At Disneyland and DCA, an area like this is a valuable thing and brings me back to these two restaurants and a few others in the area again and again. There are also posters of upcoming Disney TV and film projects adorning the area that are fun to look at and add to the atmosphere.
Overall, I say make the trip to River Belle Terrace for the Loco Moco – I mean Hamburger Steak and Eggs – and also DO NOT MISS that Tropical Slushy at Smoothies. The Wayfinder dog is good but I’m not sure if it will float your boat – pun intended. And the coconut macadamia pancakes – maybe just try the regular short stack instead. Still, none of these dishes were awful and each had their own varying degree of success. I love I couldn’t eat EVERYTHING in one trip, so I will be trying a few more of the remaining items in the next week. So stay tuned for part 2 of this series as I make the trip back to Disneyland to try the shrimp skewer at Bengal BBQ at Disneyland and the Boat Snack Burrito at Studio Catering Company.
Thanks for reading to the end. Please think about clicking the like button. And maybe leaving a comment below. Have you tried any of these snacks? Were you able to get a Hei Hei straw clip? Are there any of these that you are really looking forward to?
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