Where to Enjoy a Disneyland Thanksgiving

If you want to spend Thanksgiving with your favorite Disney characters, look no further than Disneyland. These restaurants are offering Thanksgiving options, so everyone is bound to be pleased.

By: Meredith Rosenberg

Related To:

Shop This Look

Photo By: Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland

Photo By: Disneyland Resort

Photo By: Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland

Photo By: Disneyland Resort

Photo By: Paul Hiffmeyer / Disneyland

Photo By: Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Hotel

The annual Thanksgiving dinner in the Disneyland Hotel’s Grand Ballroom is the granddaddy of all of Disneyland’s Thanksgiving meals. It’s also the likeliest to sell out first, so it’s best to book as soon as reservations open — 60 days in advance. (If it's too late, it doesn't hurt to inquire about cancellations). The elaborate buffet is from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., serving carved roast turkey, homemade stuffing, sweet potato soufflé, cranberry-orange relish and more. Besides pumpkin pie, the dessert selection also features a make-your-own sundae station, a surefire hit among kids. Of course, it may be difficult to get children to sit and eat with so many Disney characters roaming about.

Steakhouse 55

Steakhouse 55, also located in the Disneyland Hotel, is offering a Thanksgiving prix-fixe dinner menu featuring roasted turkey Wellington accompanied by brioche stuffing, cranberry compote and wild mushroom gravy. The butternut squash dish is deliciously made with sage brown butter and pomegranate molasses. If you can manage, a pumpkin pecan pie with Chantilly cream and cranberry coulis rounds out the feast.

Goofy’s Kitchen

For a more casual affair, Goofy’s Kitchen, also found in the Disneyland Hotel, offers a Thanksgiving buffet complete with mouse-eared waffles. Five stations cover all the bases — carved meat, fresh fish and vegetables, salads, pizza, dessert and more. Load up your plate — or let Chef Mickey or Chef Goofy do it for you.

Blue Bayou Restaurant

Yes, the popular Blue Bayou Restaurant is actually situated inside the equally popular Pirates of the Caribbean ride (You can watch excited passengers float by if you're seated by the water). Whether you’re a fan of the ride or Cajun and Creole food (or all three), booking early is a must and not just for Thanksgiving. If you go, this year’s Thanksgiving menu entails the likes of oven-roasted turkey, pineapple-glazed ham and andouille sausage stuffing.

Café Orleans

Café Orleans is another contender in the Creole and Cajun cuisine category. It may not be inside of a ride, but it does recreate a New Orleans scene. For a Thanksgiving twist, the holiday option entails a Monte Cristo sandwich with turkey and cheese along with cranberry sauce and gravy. Pumpkin pie is part of the Thanksgiving menu, but since you’re here, go rogue by also ordering the Mickey-shaped beignets off the regular menu.

Napa Rose

Napa Rose anchors Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and puts a fine-dining, Californian spin on its Thanksgiving menu. For the occasion, award-winning Chef Andrew Sutton is whipping up a four-course, prix fixe dinner menu with an optional wine pairing. The atmosphere is decidedly upscale and romantic, but this is Disney after all, so there’s a regular children’s menu as well.

Storytellers Café

If Napa Rose isn’t the Thanksgiving vibe your family is seeking, Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa also offers the more casual Storytellers Café. Come on the early side to experience the characters making their rounds, since Mickey and friends don’t work dinners.

Carnation Café

If you really want to be in the heart of Thanksgiving Day action, Carnation Café is parked in a prime spot on Main Street, USA, with coveted outdoor seating underneath the red-and-white-striped umbrellas. The regular menu is pretty classic American, so the Thanksgiving meal — for lunch and dinner — delivers good ole oven-roasted turkey with bourbon gravy, cornbread stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Wine Country Trattoria

Over in Disney’s California Adventure Park, Wine Country Trattoria wouldn’t look or feel out of place in Napa or Sonoma valleys. The regular menu skews Italian, but the Thanksgiving meal hews traditional with the expected oven-roasted turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie.

Carthay Circle Restaurant

In Hollywood’s Golden Age, Carthay Circle Theatre reigned supreme, where Disney movies like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Fantasia debuted in 1937 and 1940, respectively. The original theater has been demolished, but at least you can dine in the replica. The diverse menu (also from Chef Andrew Sutton) is reflected in the Thanksgiving option, where a grilled Sierra Foothills turkey is accompanied with creamed corn, turkey chorizo and cranberry fritters. If you’re tired of pumpkin pie, then you’ll appreciate the spiced pumpkin bar — complete with dulce de leche creme anglaise and cranberry compote.

River Belle Terrace

If you like Southern comfort food (and really, who doesn’t?) then you'll be in your element here. The Thanksgiving dinner spread involves an oven-roasted turkey with pork belly stuffing, bourbon gravy, butternut squash soup, mashed sweet potatoes, obligatory cranberry sauce and a pumpkin creme brulee tart. As with all Disney restaurants, a pint-size version is also available.

Disney's PCH Grill

Over in Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, the casual PCH Grill traditionally does an Italian dinner buffet, but also offers Thanksgiving menu options in its California-chill space. In order to avoid dashed hopes, take note that Disney characters only do the breakfast rounds, not dinner.

Shows

Hosts

Trending

Top Videos

Digital Exclusives

From Our Shows

Trending

Top Domestic

Top International

Trending

Explore By Region

Trending

Top Interests

By Trip

By Traveler

Travel Tips

Trending

Where to Enjoy a Disneyland Thanksgiving

Related To:

Shop This Look

Disneyland Hotel

Steakhouse 55

Goofy’s Kitchen

Blue Bayou Restaurant

Café Orleans

Napa Rose

Storytellers Café

Carnation Café

Wine Country Trattoria

Carthay Circle Restaurant

River Belle Terrace

Disney's PCH Grill

We Recommend

Guide to Visiting Disneyland

Where to Celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Hotels

Thanksgiving Travel Tips 10 Photos

Thanksgiving Travel Tips

Turkey Farm Tours for the Family

More From Travel