Hello there, Michael!
Welcome to planDisney. With just one sleep until your visit to the Happiest Place on Earth, I bet you are starting to daydream about all the magic and pixie dust in your day. And, lucky you...a Dining Card right in your pocket to enjoy some delicious bites and tasty treats throughout your Disneyland day. From churros to character dining, there are so many ways to savor the magic—let's dig into your question!
First things first, let's review where you can use your
Dining Card. Within Disneyland Park and California Adventure, a dining card can be used at quick-service and table-service restaurants, along with most snack carts serving churros, popcorn, and more. Outside of the parks, it can be used at quick-service and table-service restaurants in each of the three Disneyland Resort Hotels, as well as the Disney-owned Wonderful World of Sweets in Downtown Disney. The only exceptions both inside and outside of the parks are establishments that are not specifically Disney-owned, like the
Great Maple Modern American Eatery at Pixar Place and most of the restaurants in Downtown Disney. You can always ask a Cast Member before placing an order if they accept the Disney Dining Card. I was just at the resort for five days with a Dining Card in my pocket and did not run into any issues when trying to use it for snacks, full meals, and everything in between.
Ok, now let's chat about where to use those $30 magical dollars! You can go on so many tasty adventures! If there's a table-service restaurant on your wish list, like
Blue Bayou or
Lamplight Lounge, you could put it towards the total cost of your bill to make that dream a reality!
If it were me, I might choose to use it towards a quick-service meal or special limited-time treats to cap off my experience with a little pixie dust. Depending on what you decide to order, $30 can go a long way and cover the majority of a quick-service meal for one. A few of my favorite locations are
Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree and
Red Rose Taverne at Disneyland Park, or I may choose to dine like an Avenger at
Pym Test Kitchen or enjoy a view of Radiator Springs from
Flo's V8 Cafe in Cars Land in California Adventure. When it comes to small bites and snacks, my absolute favorite Disneyland snack is a Mickey Beignet (or two...or three!) from the
Mint Julep Bar, or with $30 in my pocket, I might take a good read through the
Disney Parks Halloween Foodie Guide and choose a few exclusive seasonal treats to get in on the festive fun!
Michael, I hope this helps you cook up the perfect plan for that dining card! I'll leave you with one final pro-tip: you could also use it at
Wonderful World of Sweets in Downtown Disney to stock up on treats to bring home so the magic lasts a little longer!
Bon appétit!
Tara