The Disneyland Book of Secrets 2014: One Local's Unauthorized, Rapturous and Indispensable Guide to the Happiest Places on Earth (55 page)

The food?  Delicious!  Cornbread that crumbles and melts in your mouth, for instance, and the chicken is extremely tender.  When
Disneyland
says you can eat all you want, that’s a promise; servers will keep bringing you food until you tell them you’re full.  Be sure to ask for plenty of napkins; the potent (but not overpowering) barbecue sauce is sure to get on your face and hands!

A
rrange
Priority Seating
if you plan to eat at
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue
. 
Priority Seating
isn’t a reservation, with a table guaranteed at a particular time, but it will substantially reduce your wait.  Just call (714) 781-DINE or (714) 781-3463 or email
[email protected]
prior to your visit.
Did You Know?
 
Tex Tumbleweed
has been portrayed by talented musician
Dan Franklin
; you can also catch him as one of the
Dormice
at
Hollywood Land
’s
Mad T Party
.
Budget Vision:
  Can’t invest the time or dollars to dine at
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue
?  Mosey on up the trail to
Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree
where
Billy Hill and the Hillbillies
play toe-tapping tunes, and your family can enjoy modestly priced treats like hot dogs and cowboy-themed crispy treats, at your own pace, on your own schedule. Seating is plentiful, there are crafts and games, and kids might catch a glimpse of
Chip
,
Dale
,
Woody
, and
Jesse
.
Kid’s Eye View:
  [
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue
] is too expensive.

Golden Horseshoe
(L, D, S)  (
Opening Day
Restaurant)

[
FastView:
 
Long lines but good food, and
Frontierland
comedy and musical shows that can’t be beat. 
Walt
loved this saloon.
]

What’s not to love?  The
Golden Horseshoe
occupies a prime corner at the end of
Frontierland
’s main drag, across from the
Frontierland Dock
and just south of
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
.  Its interior is rendered in cheerfully gaudy old-west music hall décor that
Imagineer Harper Goff
based on his design of the 1953 “Calamity Jane” saloon set.

Throughout the afternoon there are l
ive musical and comedy performances by
Billy Hill & the Hillbillies
, whose virtuoso fiddling is exciting and impressive as well as comical; listen up for the Elvis impersonation, the audience participation rock sing-along, and an incredible moment when one of the
Hill
boys saws his strings in an uncanny imitation of a train.  In 2013, as part of
Disneyland
’s
Limited Time Magic
, the
Golden Horseshoe
presented a tribute to its long-running
Golden Horseshoe Revue
.

For
the best view of the stage, send someone in your party to stake a claim on a table on the horseshoe-shaped second-story balcony.  From this perch, you can clearly see the stage, the boxes, the darn purty light fixtures above, the tables of fellow diners below, and the Texas longhorn horns ringing the restaurant, a perfect frontier touch.

Food l
ines look long but usually move fast.  Portions are generous enough for the diet-conscious and budget-conscious to share. 
Chicken Breast Nuggets
are about $9,
Chili Cheese Fries
are $4.50, the
Chili in Bread Bowl
is about $9.50, the
Crispy Chicken Mixed Green Salad
is $9, and
Fish and Chips
cost around $10.  Kids have their own menu: 
Chicken Breast Nuggets
($6.49) or
Kid’s Power Pack
($5.99) with apples, banana, carrots, crackers, and yogurt.

Desserts include old-fashioned s
undaes and floats (expect to pay between $5 and $6.50 per dessert).  Sorry–the mile-high chocolate cake is off the menu.  But look for seasonal and
limited edition
treats, like the
Root Beer Float
served in a
Lone Ranger
souvenir boot, which was offered during the summer of 2013 to celebrate the release of
Disney
’s
Lone Ranger
(2013).

Ambiance.  Great food. 
Relaxing in a place that
Walt
loved.  The only thing to say about the
Golden Horseshoe
is, “Let’s giddy-up and git over there, pardners!” 
Kid’s Eye View: 
Good food, the best chocolate cake!

Rancho del Zocalo
(L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Absolutely lovely architecture and design, coupled with tasty food efficiently served.  Find a table under the sparkling star lamps in the courtyard, and enjoy!
]

This restaurant boasts one of the park’s most beautiful exteriors
and
interiors.  Even if you don’t eat here, wander by to appreciate the rich southwestern hues, the tiles, the wrought iron, and the stained glass, not to mention the beautiful mural of
Zorro
, yet another well-known western character that appeared in
Disney
productions. 
Zorro
was a popular
ABC
TV show in the late 1950’s; the show’s cast, including
Guy Williams
as the dashing masked hero, often appeared in the park in elaborate staged battles that included fencing on the decks of the
Mark Twain
and chases across the rooftops of
Frontierland
.

Guests who dine at
Rancho del Zocalo
have a choice of Cal-Mex treats like the
Burrito Sonora
($11),
Carne Asada & Red Chile Enchilada Platter
($12),
Citrus Fire-Grilled Chicken
($13.59),
Grilled Fish Tacos
($11.50),
Red Chile Enchilada Platter
($10), and
Soft Tacos Monterrey
($11).  Rice and
frijoles
(refried beans) are included with the platters, but the health or calorie-conscious can replace those with vegetables.

Flavorful
Crispy Chips Con Limon
($3.29),
Chicken Tortilla Soup
($5.50),
Hacienda Chicken Caesar Salad
($12), and
Tostada Salad
($11) round out the selections.

As at all
Disneyland
restaurants, there’s a separate children’s menu.  Here it includes a choice of
Bean and Cheese Burrito
or
Chicken Taco
with Spanish-style rice, a fruit cup, and juice, milk, or water.  As is typical at
Disneyland
, the child’s meal is served in a small, compartmented black plastic tray shaped like
Mickey
’s head and ears.  Each meal runs about $7.  The portions are good for a typical child aged 3 to 9, but for older kids or children with heartier appetites, spring for a full-size meal or split your own food with the child.  Toddlers can eat
Arroz con Pollo
(rice with chicken) for $4.50 and receive applesauce and low-fat milk with their meal.

Desserts are well-themed to the venue: 
Flan
,
Fresh Tropical Fruit
, and
Tres Leches Cake
, for about $5 each.  This is also a location where you can purchase a slice of
Sweet Memories Cake
for the birthday boy or girl in your party; that’s around $5 as well.  Be sure to drop by during harvest time for pumpkin-flavored flan, and the winter season for
Rancho del Zocalo
’s traditional holiday tamales!

Expect all prices to inch up during 2014, perhaps 20 to 50 cents for most items.

The service at
Rancho del Zocalo
is efficient and organized, with clear signage indicating where to order different dishes.  Except on the most crowded peak days, you should find yourself moving through the order and register queues at a steady pace.

Entrées are served on real platters, painted a sunset-mustard yellow, a nice touch that enhances the feeling of dining at an old-time southwestern ranch.
  You can dine
al fresco
in the courtyard adjacent to
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
, under canvas awnings and lamps of delicately tinted amber, blue, and green glass, or at a table in the cool, shaded, gorgeously tiled Spanish-style interior.  If you sit outside, you’ll notice those immersive details that make
Disneyland
so special, like the rainbow-hued southwestern-style blanket draped over one balcony, and the window boxes of southwestern plants and herbs. 
Did You Know?
  When I first saw the sign for
Rancho del Zocalo
, I thought “Zocalo” was a pun on “So Cal,” the abbreviated way of referring to Southern California (in other words, maybe “Rancho del Zocalo” meant “So Cal Ranch”).  I later learned that “Zocalo” is Spanish for town square.  The restaurant is indeed on the edge not only of the
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
property but also
Frontierland
’s town square
El Zocalo
.  The restaurant opened in 1982 as Lawry’s
Casa Mexicana
; in 2001 it was refurbished in the elegant style we know today and re-opened as
Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante
.  It had added barbecue cuisine to its menu, but as of 2009 barbecue meals moved north up the trail to
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue
.
Did You Also Know?
  From 1957 until
Casa Mexicana
opened in 1982, this was the site of
Casa de Fritos
, a restaurant sponsored, not surprisingly, by the
Frito
corn chip company.  Originally located near the future
River Belle Terrace
,
Casa de Fritos
moved to the square in 1957 for more space.  For the next quarter century, parents and kids enjoyed treats like
Frito Chili Pie
amidst the cheerful strains of mariachi music.  For at least the first decade, Guests willing to part with a nickel watched
The Frito Kid
statue come to life; the cute little Fritos mascot, with its shock of blond hair, bandana, and cowboy hat, rolled its eyes appreciatively as a bag of corn chips slid down a chute into Guests’ waiting hands. Mature Guests fondly remember
The Frito Kid
statue.  Younger Guests don’t even know it existed.  Someone who was ten years old in, say, 1965, is 58 in 2013.  If you have parents or grandparents who visited the park when they were young, ask about their memories.  They’ll remember a different, yet still amazing,
Disneyland
than the park you’ve experienced.
Dorito Vision:
The next time you’re scarfing down a handful of
Doritos
, you can thank
Disneyland
for the flavorful treats.  In the early 1960’s, Cast Members at
Casa de Fritos
fried and seasoned broken tortilla pieces, creating a snack that
Disneyland
Guests, and soon the whole world, instantly adored.
Kid’s Eye View:
  I’ve only eaten there once but it’s really pretty and the food is good.  If you don’t like Mexican food, don’t go there.

River Belle Terrace
(B, L, D, S)

[
FastView:
 
Another
Walt
favorite, and a
Disneyland
restaurant with a long and interesting history.  Breakfast is the best meal here—kids love the
Mickey Pancakes
fresh from the griddle.  Dine inside, or on the terrace that offers panoramic views of the
Rivers of America
.
]

This gorgeous river bank venue, with its rich pink exterior walls, white trim, and bow windows, represents an elegant frontier-era restaurant.  Dine inside in old-time splendor, or eat
al fresco
on the roomy terrace with its umbrella-shaded, delicate ice-cream parlor style tables and chairs, and pretty views of
Tom Sawyer Island
and the
Rivers of America
.