Definitive Disneyland Food Power Rankings

The TL:DR;

1. Dole Whip Float
2. Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist
3. Hand-Dipped Corn Dog
4. Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar
5. Chicken Breast Nuggets with Fries
6. Hot Fudge Sundae
7. Pepperoni Pizza
8. Strawberry Twist
9. Creamy Corn Chowder in a bread bowl
10. Churro
11. Lobster Roll
12. Mickey Mouse Pretzel
13. Mickey-Shaped Beignets
14. Turkey Leg
15. First Order Burger

My reactions: Who buys a corn dog at the Stage Door instead of on Main Street? Or the corn chowder instead of the clam chowder? The First Order Burger is rated where it belongs, IMHO, but if you're buying pizza at Disneyland anywhere other than Naples, you're doing it wrong.

Good list. I agree with the top three. They are hands down the best value you can get for your money and tastebuds. As for the Stage Door Cafe, I only get corn dogs from there. The line is significantly shorter, there is usually a place to sit down and enjoy it just out the door at the River Belle Terrace, and you get a side of fries here as well rather than a bag of chips.

James Rao said (don't ask me how I know this):

"I agree on the Dole Whip Float (float is key, because just a plain Dole Whip is nothing special – it’s the pineapple juice that makes it sing), but then I would go with the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich (two fresh made chocolate chip cookies around whatever ice cream you desire – sold at main street ice cream), the Boysen Apple Freeze (sold at the same place where you get those delicious strawberry twists – Maurice’s Treats), and the Matterhorn Macaroon (Jolly Holliday Bakery). They are tough to beat!"

I too agree about the Dole Floats. After a long day of attempting the parks commando style, nothing restores energy and vigor quite like pineapple juice and soft serve. Also, Tiki Room! Add me to the list of Matterhorn Macaroon mavens.

Excuse further ignorance on my part, though. My DLR approach often eschews the snack foods in favor of extended sit-downs (I adore the Carthay Circle!). Or, I'll just sneak in my own snacks (homemade Cuban sandwiches with a flask of rum!). Disneyland's pizza is grody.

Dole anything is #1 for me as that stuff is really good and hard to find elsewhere. I'd personally bump the Churro up to #5 and replace the Mickey Ice Cream Bar with the Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich. For Corn Dogs, I usually get them at Corn Dog Castle over at DCA...the quality is almost the same and the line is often much shorter. When it comes to pizza, the individual pizzas are better than the slices but should still probably be in the bottom third of the list, and Naples pizza is way, way better than anything in the park. I haven't tried most of the things in the lower half of the list, but if my friends' reviews are correct the First Order Burger is one of the worst things at the entire resort. Things that should be added to this list: Disneyland Popcorn (yes, it's just popcorn, but whatever Disney uses makes it extra good IMO) and skewers from Bengel Barbeque.

It is eerie how you can read my mind, Douglas Hindley!!! Eerie! Anyway, those indeed are my thoughts...

I truly love the Dole Whip Pineapple Float and the Boysen Apple Freeze - they are delectable treats that simply cannot be matched as far as I am concerned. Just the right amount of refreshing and sweet combined to make a perfect dessert snack. When the world is more accepting of people's weird choices, I will move back to Simi Valley, CA, and marry both beverages (although, as my buddy Jim Koehl pointed out in an email, the marriages likely would not work out since both companions would be "frigid". - Nice, Jim, your joke is as tasteless as these desserts are tasteful!)