Where to Find the Best Salads at Disneyland - California Family Travel (2024)

Last updated on December 1st, 2023 at 09:42 pm

Looking to find the best salads at Disneyland? Disney food is nothing short of amazing, and the good news is many Disneyland restaurants are now offering more salads and other healthy options! Here’s a guide to the best Disneyland salads.

Disneyland Salads & Healthy Food Options

These days (thankfully!) there are many more food items to choose from beyond burgers, pizza, and corn dogs. Almost every quick service and table service restaurant at the Disneyland Resort has at least once great salad. It is our go-to meal when we visit Disney parks.

The great thing about salads is they are so versatile. And I have found that Disneyland cast members are super helpful when it comes to vegan options and honoring special requests, making it super easy to eat healthy. You can very easily hold the cheese, add chicken for extra protein, or ask for dressing on the side for a low-fat meal if you’re looking for even healthier options.

Here are our 12 favorite salads at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure theme parks.

The Best Salads at Disneyland Park

Proof that healthy eating does not have to be boring, here are the best spots to grab a tasty salad inside Disneyland Park.

1. Alien Pizza Planet – Tomorrowland

Don’t let its name fool you; Alien Pizza Planet has some of the best salads at Disneyland!

Recently redesigned and inspired by the lovable little Aliens from Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story films, all the menu items have fun, intergalactic names. (Think Count Down Chicken Fusilli and Centurion Chicken Caesar Salad!)

They used to have the Astro Antipasto Salad, which I really loved and hope Disney will bring back. (The salad had lettuce, pepperoni, tomatoes, olives, fresh mozzarella, artichoke hearts, roasted red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette, but sadly it is not offered anymore.) My new go-to is the Chicken and Orange Salad (PC name for an Asian Chicken Salad). It has diced grilled chicken, greens, shredded carrots, Mandarin oranges, almonds, crispy noodles, sesame seeds and a chili-soy dressing.

Although the salads at Alien Pizza Planet are tossed en masse, you can ask to customize and cast members will gladly make a fresh one to your specifications if needed.

The great thing about dining at Alien Pizza Planet is that it is one of the only quick-service restaurants that still let you get free refills on your drink.

2. Plaza Inn – Main Street U.S.A

Plaza Inn is considered a quick service restaurant, but I see it as borderline table service. This is because food is hearty and served on real plates, drinks in real glasses, and the seating area is prime. The only thing that makes it quick service is because you order it at the counter and pay for your tray before sitting down to eat. But otherwise – the quality is right up there with some of the best table service restaurants at Disneyland!

► Travel Insight

If you’re planning on watching the parade at Disneyland, order dinner at the Plaza Inn and grab a table outside 20-30 minutes before the parade comes down Main Street. You’ll have a comfy seat, great view, and a beverage to sip while you watch!

Plaza Inn offers a few different salads and they tend to rotate throughout the year. Salads are tossed custom when you order, so your meal is always fresh and exactly how you want it!

I really like the Specialty Chopped Salad, which comes with mixed greens, chicken, bacon, blue cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, grapes, apples, and a creamy apple vinaigrette.

3. Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

With Oga’s Cantina and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has some of the best themed restaurants in all of the Disneyland Resort.

Docking Bay 7 has a great salad you should try if you are looking for something unique and tasty. This counter service restaurant menu features the Endorian Roasted Chicken Salad. Ingredients in this healthy Disneyland salad include marinated chicken, mixed greens, roasted seasonal vegetables, and pumpkin seeds, all tossed in a green curry ranch dressing.

4. Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante – Frontierland

In the mood for authentic Mexican food? Head over to Rancho del Zocalo. In addition to a big selection of burritos and traditional Mexican plates, they serve made-to-order salads.

They have a great Mexican Grilled Caesar Salad. This Disneyland salad comes with grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, cotija cheese, pepitas, and a homemade Caesar dressing.

My personal favorite salad at Rancho del Zocalo though is the Tostada Salad. It comes in a Tortilla Shell with Mexican rice, refried beans, chopped lettuce, cilantro-lime vinaigrette, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo, with a choice of either chicken or beef. Yes, it is indulgent but really yummy!

5. Red Rose Taverne – Fantasyland

Red Rose Taverne is one of the best restaurants at Disneyland if you have special dietary needs. Their extensive menu includes tons of allergy-friendly meals, including Gluten/Wheat, Egg, Milk, Peanut, Soy, Sesame, and Fish/Shellfish Allergy-Friendly options. They also have a Power Pack option on their Kids’ Disney Check Meals menu.

The best salad at Red Rose Taverne is the Salade du Jardin. This plate features a kale mix, shredded carrots, chickpeas, orange sections, dried cranberries, and a citrus vinaigrette.

Just a side note, they also have the usual array of burgers and flatbreads, so if not everyone in your group is looking for plant-based options, Red Rose Taverne is a great place to eat because you’ll find something for everyone!

6. Hungry Bear Restaurant – Critter Country

Hungry Bear used to be tucked into a corner back by Winnie the Pooh, but ever since Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened it has been getting a lot more foot traffic!

I was there recently and tried the BBQ Chicken Salad. Not the most low-calorie salad at Disneyland, but it was pretty good! The BBQ Chicken Salad comes with lettuce, chicken, tomato, bacon, cheese, red cabbage, and BBQ vinaigrette dressing. The scenic waterfront location makes the Hungry Bear Restaurant a great place to take a break and enjoy a leisurely meal.

The Best Salads at Disney California Adventure Park

There are many great restaurants at Disney California Adventure where you can find healthy food and salads. Here are a few of our faves.

7. Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta – Paradise Gardens Park

We almost never miss stopping in at Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta near Pixar Pier when we’re spending a day at Disney California Adventure. That’s because they have a great selection of salads, pizza, and pasta. Sometimes my son and I will pick one of each and share!

Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta actually has three great salads. My favorite is Boardwalk Field Greens. This vegetarian option includes fresh greens, tomatoes, blue cheese, cucumbers, dried cranberries, pecans, raisins and a basil vinaigrette dressing. It is so flavorful and very filling, even without having any meat!

They also have a good Chicken Caesar and an Italian Chef Salad. This one has salami, capocollo, fresh mozzarella, pepperoncini, roasted red peppers, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and fresh greens with a red wine vinaigrette.

8. Flo’s V8 Café – Cars Land

Reminiscent of the classic roadside diners that dotted the original Route 66, Flo’s V8 Cafe is a quick-service dining location open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is one of my family’s favorite places to eat, not just in Cars Land at DIsney California Adventure but at the entire Disneyland Resort!

Flo’s kitschy atmosphere and patio tables overlooking scenic Monument Valley and Radiator Springs Racers make this a memorable location to grab a meal.

Though Flo’s V8 Cafe specializes in classic comfort food (aka Flo’s Famous Fried Chicken and Ramone’s Low and Slow Club) and hearty breakfast dishes, they have a great salad called the Cobb de Ville Salad. This salad is a fun take on the traditional Cobb salad. It comes with mixed lettuce, turkey breast, bacon, blue cheese, egg, corn, tomatoes, and ranch dressing.

9. Pym Test Kitchen – Avenger’s Campus

Step inside DCA’s newest land and have a healthy meal of “size-defying fare” at Pym Test Kitchen.

Healthy options at Pym Test Kitchen include a Caesar Salad (skip the colossal crouton for a healthier meal) and the plant-based Impossible Spoonful. The Impossible Spoonful is rigatoni pasta with plant-based meatballs, tomato sauce, dairy-free parmesan and basil.

10. Aunt Cass Cafe – San Fransokyo Square

In August 2023, Pacific Wharf officially transformed into San Fransokyo Square, a new area featuring sights, shops, and cuisine based on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Big Hero 6.” This reimagined area of Disney California Adventure Park is a fictional mash-up of two iconic cities – San Francisco and Tokyo.

With the transition, Pacific Wharf Cafe became Aunt Cass Cafe. It still houses the Boudin Bakery where fresh sourdough bread is baked on site. But now their menu has shifted a bit to feature American and Asian-inspired dishes.

If you like seafood, try the Chilled Shrimp Soba Noodle Salad. It features tofu, cabbage, edamame, carrots, roasted corn, scallions and cilantro topped with shallots and sesame ginger dressing. They also offer a plant-based Soba Noodle Salad, which is essentially the same dish but without the shrimp.

11. Carthay Circle Restaurant – Buena Vista Street

12. Smokejumpers Grill – Grizzly Peak

Located in Grizzly Peak next to Soarin’, Smokejumpers Grill is a quick service restaurant with a fun, airplane theme. Inspired by the heroic men and women who fight wildfires in California, Smokejumpers Grill serves up American classics like burgers, chicken, and mac and cheese.

For a healthy choice at Smokejumpers Grill, order the Grilled Chicken Salad. This classic salad gets a unique, southwest spin and includes black beans, corn, peppers, cheese, pumpkin seeds, cornbread croutons and an avocado dressing.

Final Thoughts: Healthy Eating at Disneyland

Enjoying a great salad is just one way to eat healthy at the Disneyland Resort, and luckily there are tons of great options to choose from. We’ve touched on my 12 top picks here, but there are many more, and the list only grows if you consider restaurants in Downtown Disney and the hotels.

And their are more food choices beyond salads at the Happiest Place on Earth. Healthy snacks and meals can be found just about everywhere – from Dole Whips to fresh fruit to turkey legs and of course those yummy grilled chicken breast or veggie skewers at Bengal Barbeque in Adventureland.

The bottom line is – if you are looking for salads at Disneyland and other healthy food items, you will have no problem finding them! It is great to know you won’t have to compromise taste to enjoy a healthy meal.

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