You Can Still Eat Walt Disney’s Favorite Meal at This Opening Day Restaurant

There is so much history to enjoy at Disneyland Park, and it has the special distinction of being the only park that Walt Disney himself stepped foot in. Just as you can still experience several attractions at Disneyland that opened with the park in 1955, you can also enjoy Walt's favorite meal at a classic opening day location at the park.

There are plenty of ways to appreciate Walt and his legacy, from something simple like enjoying Walt's favorite meal at Disneyland to touring his apartment above the Fire Station at Disneyland or even visiting his hometown in Marceline, Missouri.

Keep reading for details on how you can have Walt's favorite meal at this historic opening day location!

Walt's Favorite Meal Offered at Disneyland

Walt's favorite meal can be found at the Carnation Cafe, a location which opened on July 17, 1955 along with the rest of the park. Carnation Cafe did not open as we now know it today (as one of the best Disneyland restaurants) but as the Carnation Cafe Ice Cream Parlor sponsored by Carnation.

This was an old-fashioned ice cream parlor where guests could enjoy their treats from an ice cream counter with tall stools to sit on. In 1977, the location expanded into West Center Street to add more outdoor seating, then it eventually closed in 1997. Nestle (which acquired the Carnation Company in the 1980s) was phasing out the Carnation Ice Cream brand, but they still allowed Disneyland to keep the name. The location reopened with outdoor seating as the Carnation Cafe, which served a traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner menu.

Guests can still eat at Carnation Cafe today in the Victorian-style building that serves classic American comfort food, with items we love like the veggie burger (the best at the park) and the fried pickles. This is also one of the places where you can enjoy one of the best Disneyland foods, Mickey-shaped waffles! This Main Street U.S.A. dining location has an undeniable charm with its turn-of-the-century aesthetic with waiters in vintage outfits and decorative touches like candy-striped umbrellas. We love the atmosphere of the outdoor patio here!

Among the offerings on the Carnation Cafe menu is Walt Disney's favorite meal that guests can enjoy: chili. As Walt's wife Lillian said, “He liked basic foods. He loved chili.” The menu item “Walt's Chili” at Carnation Cafe is described as a “hearty chili topped with cheese, sour cream, chives, and a corn bread garnish.” Walt liked to enjoy his chili with a side of crackers. According to the Walt Disney Archives, Walt would eat chili with crackers at the Disney studio Commissary and then forget the crackers and crumbs in his pockets until they were discovered when his clothes were sent out for dry cleaning.

For the 65th anniversary of Disneyland, Disney Parks Blog shared the chili recipe served at Carnation Cafe for fans to make at home. There have been several variations of Walt's personal Chili and Beans recipe from the Walt Disney Archives, with the first dating back to around 1958, and over the years, Disney chefs have refined the recipe to add a little more seasoning than the original from Walt (who preferred milder foods) for park guests to enjoy.

If you're enjoying this look at Walt Disney and food, you should go read Eat Like Walt by Disney historian Marcy Carriker Smothers, a fun and fascinating read that we call one of the Disney books.

For the 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World, Walt's chili recipes were even featured for some special menu items, including Walt’s Chili on Foot-long Cheese Dog, Cheese Fries with Walt’s Chili, and Walt Disney’s Favorite Chili in a Bread Boule.

There's something really special about celebrating the man behind the mouse and what he loved, and enjoying Walt's Chili at Carnation Cafe is just one of the ways to do it.

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• Best Disneyland Desserts Ranked 2024. We’ve Tried All!
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