Last Friday marked the first day of the Halloween season at the Disneyland Resort. In Disneyland, lines were long at Haunted Mansion Holiday, the new Oogie Boogie and Mickey pumpkin popcorn buckets were swooped up by eager guests, and pumpkin spice wafted strongly on the air. In neighboring Disney California Adventure, guests steered toward Cars Land to take photos with costumed characters and grab passes for Guardians of the Galaxy ;– Monsters After Dark. While I'm all for the ghosts, goblins, and pumpkin lattes, I'm here for the food, as always; this year, the Disneyland Resort does not disappoint.
Disneyland
The list released by the Disneyland Resort is long and plentiful and as much as I yearned to taste everything available, both my waistline and credit line needed to be in-check. So, I highlighted a few of the more Halloween-themed offerings and off I went.
Oogie Boogie is starting strong this Halloween. Not only has he debuted as a popcorn bucket, but the Boogie Man made his mark in New Orleans Square. The French Market offers up a ghoulish, oozing Oogie dessert—a chocolate-shell cup filled with green pound cake and chocolate mousse. Befitting Oogie, a cap of dirt (chocolate cookie crumbs) and gummy worms tops this confection selection.
The Oogie Boogie dessert is more kid-friendly sweet than a chocolate lover's treat but it's fun to eat. Photo by Todd Pickering.
Over in Tomorrowland, an appetizing arachnid IS a chocolate lover's dream. This decadent delight is full of moist chocolate cake, vanilla and chocolate puddings, and a thick layer of gooey ganache, all topped with a sweet and sour spider gummy. I would recommend sharing this with your best ghoul or fiend.
The spider parfait is available at both Redd Rocket's Pizza Port and Tomorrowland Terrace. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
If pumpkin is more your Halloween flavor favor, stop by Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe on Main Street where you can savor both a pumpkin muffin and a pumpkin cheesecake. The muffin is actually more of a cupcake but has a delicious cream cheese frosting sprinkled with streusel.
Cinnamon and nutmeg spice this pumpkin treat along with the added surprise of golden raisins. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
The pumpkin cheesecake was light and not too rich like many cheesecakes. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
If you decide you want your spooky sweets to go, Main Street's Bakery has gone batty.
Bat cake pops are available in both chocolate and vanilla cake versions. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
The resort is also full of savory spook-tacular fare to counterbalance the sticky, sweet sensations. New Orlean's Square offers up a spicy version of shrimp and grits with a Creole kick, just for Halloween. I stopped in at Bengal Barbecue for the newest menu item—lamb kofta in a pita wrap.
Grilled pita bread cradles spicy lamb in this new sandwich. Spinach, pickled onion, and zesty tzatziki sauce top this seasonal selection. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
Disney California Adventure
The Halloween spell has also made its way to DCA this year, which means more tricks and treats—much to my delight. With list in hand, I continued with my Halloween-themed food tour.
I ventured to Schmoozies in Hollywoodland for the harvest of Halloween desserts, including a monstermallow donut and a mummy macaron ice cream sandwich. No donuts were available, but the cookies were prepped and ready for any made-to-order ice cream sandwiches.
Schmoozies also offers a bit of Halloween fun with a trick-or-treat themed beverage. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
In Cars Land, the spooky spirit was alive and well so I parked in line at Cozy Cone Cafe. I opted for a taste of the JamBOOree popcorn mix-in, which is a concoction of M&Ms, Boston beans, chocolate-covered pretzels, candy corn, and Halloween sprinkles.
Guests can add the JamBOOree mix-in to any flavor of available popcorn at the Popcone. I stuck with traditional butter and enjoyed the salty and sweet combination. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
For my savory selection, I ventured to Paradise Pier for the pizza choice of the month at Boardwalk PIzza and Pasta. September's selection is cheeseburger pizza complete with condiments including pickles.
Definitely a treat and not a trick, the cheeseburger pizza is a fun change from traditional pies. Next month's offering is an “anti-vampire” pizza, which I'm guessing comes with a lot of garlic. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
Next door at Paradise Garden Grill, Dia de los Muertos has taken over the traditional Greek menu with plenty of Mexican-inspired selections, including tamales and Mexican hot chocolate.
The upcoming Pixar movie, “Coco,” is prevalent at Paradise Garden Grill. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
My final stop was Boudin Bakery at the Pacific Wharf to inquire about the seasonal themed sourdough loaves. On a daily basis, Mickey and a few other shapes are available for purchase, but during Halloween Boudin offers pumpkin- and cornucopia-shaped loaves. Neither were available at that time, but I found a trendy new loaf perfect for the season.
Vampire Mater sourdough bread is available at Fillmore's Taste-Inn in Cars Land. Photo by Lisa Stiglic.
My list is only partially checked off, which means a return trip to the Disneyland Resort during this Halloween Time. Besides, I still need to visit Oogie Boogie at the Haunted Mansion. Feel free to use this guide or find your own spook-tacular Halloween treats this season. It will be frightfully fun!
