Y’all, I am a huge coffee drinker. We’re talking 4+ cups a day coffee drinker. So when I’m in the Disneyland Resort running around through super long days on way-too-little sleep, I’m frequently thinking about when and where I can get my next iced americano, or at least a boring non-espresso cup of coffee to keep me going until I get some more carbs and sugar. Thankfully, there are tons of places throughout the Resort to caffeine up - maybe even some you wouldn’t expect.
1. Starbucks
Obviously, Starbucks is the easiest and most recognizable spot for some quick caffeine. There’s the big Starbucks in Downtown Disney (which we love mobile ordering from), and two cleverly-themed Starbucks in the parks: the Market House on Main Street, and the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe on Buena Vista in DCA. The good side of Starbucks is you know what you’re getting, the lines are pretty predictable, and you can get a snazzy Starbucks drink if that’s what your heart desires. The bad side is that the lines are predictably long, it seems kindof weird to get a snazzy Starbucks drink that you could get anywhere else on Earth when you’re in Disneyland, and, let’s be real, Starbucks coffee isn’t all that great.
2. Espresso Stands
There are a few carts throughout the parks (one on Main Street in Disneyland by the Partners statue of Walt and Mickey, and one by the entrance to Pacific Wharf in DCA, to name a few) where you can get coffee, tea or iced espresso drinks. The one on Main Street is usually where you can find those social-media-famous doughnuts (like the dole whip donut everyone’s always talking about), so the line can sometimes be long, but the one in DCA almost never has a line, and the service is fast and easy. Downside is, you don’t get your AP discount at the cart.
3. Ghirardelli Soda Fountain
Yes, Ghirardelli’s in DCA serves a ton of ice cream delicacies, but it also serves a ton of espresso beverages, including a frozen caffe latte and individual espresso shots. Pour some shots over some ice cream scoops and hey, you’ve got yourself basically an affogato - can’t go wrong there.
4. Restaurants
Most restaurants in the parks serve coffee, though a vast majority don’t offer iced coffee (and I have no idea why anyone would want hot coffee on a hot SoCal day but WHAT DO I KNOW) so you can either have a hot coffee, or buy a cup of hot coffee and pour it over a free cup of ice, which is what we usually do.
5. Carthay Circle Lounge
Carthay has a huge selection of non-alcoholic black teas for a little kick to your afternoon, but they also serve up a few boozy coffee cocktails and what more can you really ask for?
6. Schmoozies
Schmoozies has a whole section of their menu titled ‘Epic Coffees’ including additional flavor shots you can add in, so yeah, there’s a selection of caffeination here.
7. Hungry Bear
The only place in the park you can get the Honey Bear Cold Brew Coffee, with honey, vanilla syrup and cream. Plus it’s a great place to sit and chill out with a view of the Mark Twain as it drifts by on the Rivers of America.
8. Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
A full espresso drink menu, plus a huge assortment of fun sweet treats, including the amazing Matterhorn Macaroon and various seasonal snacks. You can also get breakfast sandwiches here, making it one of the few places in the park that offers fast breakfast options!
Welcome to Lost Weekender Lockdown! Where Kat and I make fools of ourselves trying to recreate Trader Sam’s Drinks so we can feel something close to magic or happiness again. We started with a recipe for Gorilla Grogg, which is a base used in a few different Trader Sam’s drinks like the Uh Oa or Lost Safari.