Classic Super Bowl Snack Was Invented Accidentally at Disneyland

Disneyland is known for its immersive attractions and experiences as well as a variety of popular dining options and snacks across its parks. However, some may not know that Disneyland is also the birthplace of an incredibly popular Super Bowl snack item that was actually created out of leftovers that were getting tossed at the end of the day.

We wanted to dive into this fun story behind one of the foods that is commonly advertised during the Super Bowl. It all started at Disneyland!

We will take you through the interesting history of how this popular snack originated at Disneyland.

Chip That Was Invented at Disneyland

The idea for a popular chip originated at the restaurant Casa de Fritos (now Rancho Del Zocalo) in Disneyland's Frontierland in the early 1960s. Casa de Fritos, which opened in 1955, was part of a partnership between Disney and Frito-Lay, with non-Fritos ingredients supplied by Alex Foods. The restaurant sold Mexican-inspired foods like Frito Chili Pie and “Ta-Cups” (tacos served in a fried shell), and Fritos came free with meals. Frito-Lay was the sponsor of Casa de Fritos until 1982, when it was renamed Casa Mexicana.

Casa de Fritos featured a vending machine with Frito's mascot, the Frito Kid. When customers inserted a nickel for a bag of chips, the Frito Kid animatronic would come to life and call Klondike, an unseen miner, to send a bag of chips down the trough to guests, with varying audio experiences.

See this tweet from Jim Shull on X (Formerly Twitter) with photos of the Frito Kid at Disneyland:

Frito Kid had a presence in Disneyland's early days. #Disneyland #FritoKid pic.twitter.com/vbCJNCn87b

— Jim Shull (@JimShull) February 20, 2021

Here is some of the audio that was featured for the Frito Kid vending machine at Casa de Fritos in a video by rickydoodlebug on YouTube:

You can see some more on the Frito Kid in the YouTube video by Pardon Our Dust below:

Casa de Fritos at Disneyland was where the popular snack Doritos was first invented, and these chips have an interesting origin story.

When an Alex Foods salesman noticed that leftover tortillas were getting discarded at the end of the day, he suggested that the restaurant take the surplus tortillas and cut them up, fry them, and add seasoning to make chips out of them. The chips were a huge hit, and the restaurant put them on the menu (unbeknownst to Frito-Lay) as an alternative to the free bag of Fritos that came with each meal.

Arch West, Frito Lay's vice president of marketing at the time, noticed how popular the chips were during a visit to Disneyland. He contracted Alex Foods, which produced the chips for a short time. However, Alex Foods became overwhelmed by the volume of chips that needed to be produced, so Frito-Lay moved the production of the chips to its own plants. In 1966, Doritos (Spanish for “little golden things”) were released nationwide as the first tortilla chip to be launched nationally in the United States.

The flavor was originally Toasted Corn, but since then, it has been sold in a variety of flavors including the extremely popular Naco Cheese, Cool Ranch, and more. Doritos have remained one of the most beloved snack items over the years since their creation at Disneyland!

Rancho Del Zocalo Restaurante, which replaced Casa Mexicana in 2001, is one of our favorite quick-service restaurants at Disneyland. Read more details about what makes it stand out in our guide!

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