Disneyland Resort is infamously restricted in its expansion opportunities due to the limited size of its property, especially compared to the vastness of Walt Disney World‘s 43 square miles. A master plan called DisneylandForward will rectify some of these issues in the long term. For now, though, Disneyland Park in particular faces an uphill battle in expanding anywhere without getting creative in utilizing the space that’s already there. The park is doing exactly that with two popular food spots, following recent similar projects.
Two quick service dining locations at Disneyland Park are expanding their seating areas to increase capacity and meet the demand of their respective restaurants’ popularity. We have details on what parts of these projects are already complete and what’s coming next. Mickey Visit brings you the latest Disney news and planning resources, including all the popcorn buckets available at Disneyland this month and sweeping changes coming to Disneyland and Disney World’s apps.
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2 Quick Service Dining Locations Expand Seating
Disneyland continues its efforts to add more seating to dining locations in addition to opening new restaurants. We checked in with Disneyland to get more context on these additions coming to the theme parks.
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Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree is expanding its seating in Bayou Country. The quick service restaurant is already quite sizable, but the lunch rush on crowded days is enough indication that additional seating will be welcome.
Disneyland filed a permit with the city of Anaheim to “extend outdoor dining/seating area at ground floor,” and work is already underway in the park, as posted by @TustinRaider on X. Construction crews are removing large planters along the shores of the Rivers of America to make way for the new seating area.
The planter on the lower level of Hungry Bear is being demolished, presumably to expand its seating area: https://t.co/2ME1fwgype pic.twitter.com/shV7DZG1P5
— Raider Lost in the Parks (@TustinRaider) May 23, 2026
Once complete later this summer Disneyland shared with Mickey Visit directly that the new area will provide over 80 additional seats. Diners sitting here will be able to take in even closer views of the Rivers of America than the upstairs, sheltered seating area already affords, as the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia pass by just feet away.
Formerly called Hungry Bear Restaurant, this location was rethemed to the Country Bear Jamboree in 2024 in tandem with the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure nearby. Though the Country Bears’ Audio-Animatronics show is alive and well in Florida’s Magic Kingdom, the Disneyland counterpart closed decades ago, making the theming of Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree something of a homecoming.
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Across the park in Fantasyland, Disney built a new seating area called Edelweiss Lodge adjacent to the existing Edelweiss Snacks dining window near Matterhorn Bobsleds.
Here’s what Edelweiss Lodge looked like under construction in April 2026:
Edelweiss Lodge is now open, providing sheltered seating for up to 58 guests as they enjoy turkey legs and bratwursts from Edelweiss Snacks, Disneyland officials shared with Mickey Visit directly. Coca-Cola sponsors this new area, which features a few props to match the Alpine theming.
Several nondescript snack carts previously occupied the real estate where Edelweiss Lodge now stands.
These new seating areas are a big win for Disneyland and part of a larger initiative. Here’s why.
More Seating Across Disneyland a Priority for Management
The new seating at Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree and Edelweiss Lodge are the latest examples of Disneyland Resort management identifying opportunities to transform underutilized areas in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure in service of the guest experience.
Earlier this year, Disney repurposed a former FastPass distribution courtyard into additional outdoor seating for Avengers Campus‘s Pym Test Kitchen quick service restaurant, pictured above, capable of accommodating 120 guests.
Disney also adapted the Port Royal Curios and Curiosities store in New Orleans Square into a seating area, pictured below.
More seating simplifies guests’ experience by anticipating potential needs. It relieves the guest of having to manage a problem themselves by providing a solution.
In the case of Hungry Bear Barbecue Jamboree and Pym Test Kitchen, additional seating lessens the strain on those restaurants’ existing seating areas during high-traffic dining hours and decreases the likelihood of a guest needing to wait for a table to become available.
In the case of Edelweiss Lodge and Port Royal Curios and Curiosities, Disney providing seats where there previously were none means the guest doesn’t need to create makeshift seating elsewhere, such as on a railing or a trash can.
Disney is also looking to improve the guest experience by making sweeping changes to the Disneyland app.
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