The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (204 page)

Why is the
Cove
attached to a princess-themed restaurant?  The property began life in 2001 as a
Wolfgang Puck
restaurant and bar.

Puck
soon departed; the
Disney Princesses
moved in downstairs, but the bar remained, an island of grown-up sophistication suspended above a shimmering sea of rose, lemon and royal blue gowns.
Lobster Vision:
  How much genuine lobster goes into the lobster nachos?  One friend of the author, a New Englander, reported that the
Cove Bar
’s lobster nachos contain mostly crab meat.  However, the numerous, passionate online raves about the lobster nachos suggest that unless your’e a lobster-savvy New Englander, the nachos will please.  Let your tastebuds be the judge. 
Ketchup Vision:
  Another comment by a New Englander known to the author:  A request for ketchup to spread on
Cove Bar
sliders was met with confusion and delay.  Ketchup was provided, eventually, but it was an ordeal to obtain it. 
Night Vision:
  If you can get in, enjoy prime
World of Color
views from the
Cove Bar
, and order beverages in glowing glasses.

Don Tomas
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Chimichangas, Corn on the Cobb, and Turkey Legs.
]

In recent years both
Disneyland
and
DCA
have built simple but charming little structures to replace some of the generic snack carts that you could find at any amusement park.  In
Fantasyland
, for example,
Chimichangas
,
Corn on the Cob
, and
Turkey Legs
are now vended from a whimsical fairytale cottage called
Edelweiss Snacks
, which was unveiled in 2009.

On the east side of
Paradise Bay
, across from
Toy Story Midway Mania!
, Guests can purchase assorted snack foods at the counter of
Don Tomas
, a handsome beige-and-mustard building with an awning of subdued beige-and-red stripes.

A sign promises Guests “The Midway’s Best Bites” and “Smoked Turkey Legs / The hottest legs o
n the Boardwalk”.  Fans of the resort’s
Chimichangas
and
Turkey Legs
agree.

Don Tomas
opened in May of 2008, just before the grand opening of the new
Toy Story
attraction across the road.  Guests who dined at
Don Tomas
in 2008 should take note that prices of the simple menu have risen since then, as they are wont to do.

Chimichangas
are now $6, not $5 each, and
Turkey Legs
are around $10, not $6—and prices will rise again during 2014.  Of course, these price increases are resort-wide, not limited to
Don Tomas
.  A bag of chips now sells for $3.  The
Corn on the Cob
(
Butter
or
Chile-Lime
) is a bargain at about $4.59.  A limited choice of sodas and waters range from $3 to $4.

Many Guests, particularly locals with
Annual Passes
, visit
Disneyland Resort
for their favorite food treats as much as for the shows, attractions and shops, and when it comes to
Disneyland
food crazes,
Turkey Legs
are near (or at) the top of the list.

These briny, Brobdignagian treats are soaked in a secret marinate tha
t makes devotees’ mouths water.  Although $10 might sound pricey for a
Turkey Leg
, they’re big enough to share.  Take note, however, that fans won’t want to split them! 
Did You Know?
Who is
Don Tomas
, you ask, and what has he to do with
Disney
? 
Don Tomas Yorba
was a character who appeared briefly in the old
Disney
Zorro
series.  There really was a Don Tomás Yorba in California history.  A successful Santa Ana landowner, rancher, and merchant, when Don Tomás died in 1845 he left behind a lovely young widow, a large estate, and a business ledger that he’d started in 1841.  His widow remarried within a couple of years, the estate continued to flourish, and the ledger is now one of the gems of the historical collection at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, California.

Hot Dog Hut
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Great red hots, good value, and fast service, right on the boardwalk.
]

No boardwalk is complete without a hot dog cart, and in late May 2008, right after
Don Tomas
opened, the handsome
Hot Dog Hut
was unveiled just down the
Boardwalk
.  Like the nearby
Don Tomas
, the
Hot Dog Hut
is located on the eastern shore of
Paradise Bay
, just across the boulevard from
Toy Story Midway Mania!

The
Hot Dog Hut
is a pretty counter restaurant covered by a long red awning with white pinstripes.  The exterior walls are accented with hot-dog-red and mustard-yellow colors, but in a restrained, not kitschy manner.  Delicate white gingerbread trim below the awning adds a touch of class and ties the structure to the Victorian, romantic flavor of the district.

Stylized hot-dog-in-a-bun signs promise Guests “We Have The Best Of The Wurst” and display the simple menu and the prices. 
Cast Members in blue vests and pinstriped shirts are typically friendly, and with the food and drinks simple and pre-packaged, you receive your meal in the blink of an eye.

When it comes to feeding your
non-vegetarian companions inexpensively at the
Disneyland Resort
hot dog carts and stands are always winners.  A hot dog with a bag of chips is around $6..29.  A large bag of chips is $3.  Your choice of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or water will cost you $3 – $4.  (Refilling an empty water bottle at a nearby drinking fountain? 
Free
.)

The
Hot Dog Hut
offers counter space if you want to stand and eat, and there are plenty of benches in the vicinity too, all offering outstanding views of
Toy Story Midway Mania!
, the
Boardwalk
, the twisting tracks of
California Screamin’
, the towering
Mickey’s Fun Wheel
, and the gleaming vista of
Paradise Bay
.  If you’re hungry, tired, and on a budget in
Paradise Pier
, head for the
Hot Dog Hut
!  It’s just the place to revive your energy and save your pennies. 
Did You Know?
 
Walt
famously loved chili and beans with soda crackers, but he adored hot dogs too. 
Did You Also Know?
  Although
Mickey Mouse
whistles a tune in his first smash-hit, 1928’s
Steamboat Willie
, he doesn’t speak until the 1929 short
The Karnival Kid
.  What are his first words?  “Hot dog!  Hot dog!”  In
The Karnival Kid
, the ninth
Mickey Mouse
short,
Mickey
plays a carnival hot dog vendor.  The
Disney Channel
’s latest
Mickey
program,
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
, first aired in 2006.  The song that closes each show is
Hot Dog!

Paradise Garden Grill
  (Formerly
Burger Invasion
) (L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Delicious skewers, salads, and baklava in the enchanting
Paradise Bay Gardens
.
]

Among frequent
DCA
Guests,
Burger Invasion
was legendary–although “infamous” is probably a better description.  Decked out with a giant hamburger on its roof,
Burger Invasion
had the look of an iconic Route 66 hamburger joint, which fit the Route 66 theming of that edge of the bay.  In the shadow of that massive burger, Guests would queue in confusing, slow-moving lines to order and then to wait … and wait … and wait … to pick up their grub.

McDonald’s sponsored
Burger Invasion
and served up golden fries and hamburger patties for prices well above what you would have paid for the same meal at your neighborhood McDonald’s.  Guests would often emerge from the queues looking irritated and a little wild-eyed after their
Burger Invasion
experience.

In 2008 McDonald’s pulled out of the
Disneyland Resort
.  As in completely–lock, stock, and barrel. 
Burger Invasion
was shuttered in
DCA
.  The
Harbour Galley
in
Disneyland
stopped serving fries.  The
Conestoga Wagon
in
Disneyland
, which had served
only
McDonald’s fries, closed and was hauled away, never to return.

What happened?  Fingers tend to point at
the late, influential visionary
Steve Jobs
, who was both a
Pixar
and
Disney
board member.  There were no more
Disney
toys in
Happy Meals
after 2006, when Disney and McDonald’s ten-year contract ended.  McDonald’s pulled out of
Disneyland
in 2008.  More healthy choices–veggies and fruits–started to appear as meals, sides, and snacks at the resort’s restaurants around that time.  Was it all the work of vegetarian
Steven Paul Jobs
?  Or was McDonald’s merely asked to leave so that
Disneyland
could remodel, as a McDonald’s spokesperson told the
Orange County Register
(August 6, 2008 – Fast Food Maven Nancy Luna)?

Whatever the reason, after September 2, 20
08, the abandoned
Burger Invasion
became a deserted eyesore, a blight on the landscape of
Paradise Pier
.  It stayed empty literally for years, the burger looking less iconic and more forlorn as time passed.  Finally in late 2010 and early 2011
Burger Invasion
and the still-operating
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
next door were hidden away behind fencing and tarps for a
magical
transformation.

Giant hamburgers?  Sooooo not
Disney
!  Giant surf shacks?  Ditto (at least until
Teen Beach Movie
aired on the
Disney Channel
in 2013). 
Disney
Imagineers
embarked on a thoughtfully planned re-theming of
Paradise Pier
’s dining area.  Kitsch and nods to Route 66 were out.  Elegant architecture and creamy pastels were in.

The result?  On July 1, 2011 Guests were finally able to amble
through
Paradise Bay Gardens
, among lanes of palm trees, and hundreds of tables and chairs, and dozens of little terraces, and a galaxy of twinkling popcorn lights.  It was a Victorian seaside fairy land on the shore of
Paradise Bay
. 
Pizza Oom Mow Mow
had become the delightful
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta
.  And
Burger Invasion
had become the elegant counter restaurant
Paradise Garden Grill
.

With its handsome lines and soft colors,
Paradise Garden Grill
impresses.  Guests new to the resort would
never
guess that from 2001 to 2008 this was a fast-food joint with a giant burger on the roof!

What are Cast Members serving at this lovely little counter? 
Mediterranean Skewers
for $11.50.  That sounds pricey, but skewers are substantial and come with cucumber salad, pita bread, and rice pilaf.  You can tear off pieces of your skewer, put it in the pita bread, dip it in the sauce–with the rice and salad it’s a full meal.

Skewer choices are
Beef Kefta (Spiced Beef)
,
Grilled Steak
,
Lemon-Oregano Chicken
, or
Vegetable and Tofu
.  Sauce choices are
Chimichurri
,
Moroccan Chili
,
Tandoori-Spiced Yogurt
, or
Tzatziki
.  Children order skewers of
Grilled Chicken
or
Beef Kabob
for $6.49; their meals include rice, seasonal fruit, and a juice, low-fat milk or water.