The return of Pixar Fest to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure brings a menu of new Pixar-inspired dishes ranging from a decadent Cars-themed devil food cake to a BBQ Potato Dog that’s equal parts Mr. Potato Head and Slinky Dog.
Pixar Fest runs through Aug. 4 at the Anaheim theme parks with more than 100 Pixar-themed foods and drinks available throughout the seasonal event.
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In addition to the food, Pixar Fest features the new Better Together parade and Club Pixar dance party at DCA and the returning “Together Forever” fireworks show at Disneyland.
What should you eat at Pixar Fest? Let’s take a closer look at the five best things on the menu.
BBQ Potato Dog available at Refreshment Corner in Disneyland during Pixar Fest. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
1) BBQ Potato Dog inspired by “Toy Story” — Smoked sausage, BBQ pulled pork, coleslaw, fried onions and green onions served in a baked potato — Refreshment Corner at Disneyland ($15.49)
The teaser photo at the cash register makes it look like you’ll eat the BBQ Potato Dog like a hot dog with the potato as the “bun.” But my baked potato was presented like an open face sandwich and was by no means a handheld item.
This is way more than a hot dog. It’s a full meal that will fill you up for a while. You’re going to want to find somebody to share this hearty meat and potatoes plate with.
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The mild sausage had a nice snap to the casing skin. The pulled pork came with a sweet barbecue sauce. The baked potato served as the hefty base. The cole slaw topping added a bit of cool tang and a crispy crunch.
The nature of the potato and sausage bowl meant it was next to impossible to get all the ingredients into one bite. But when you did the BBQ Potato Dog was like a summer cookout picnic all blended together.
Thanks to Theme Park Insider, I couldn’t get the thought out of my head of Slinky Dog being served inside Mr. Potato Head while eating the Toy Story-themed BBQ Potato Dog.
Pesto Chicken Handheld Pie available at Sonoma Terrace in Disney California Adventure during Pixar Fest. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
2) Pesto Chicken Handheld Pie inspired by “Toy Story” — Puff pastry filled with grilled chicken, pesto ricotta, mozzarella and caramelized onions served with a spicy marinara dipping sauce – Sonoma Terrace at Disney California Adventure ($10)
The Pop-Tart sized puff pastry had just the right blend of delicate chicken with the perfect amount of pesto and a creamy cheese aftertaste. The crust was flaky, light and buttery.
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The marinara sauce added a pizza vibe that I wasn’t really looking for. The puff pastry all by itself was the best thing I ate all day.
You could eat the puff pastry with your hands if you don’t mind getting them greasy — and licking the crusty flakes off your fingers. I opted for a knife and fork.
This was definitely a sample size portion that works great if you want to graze around the festival and try different things.
Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites available at the Paradise Garden outdoor vending cart at Disney California Adventure during Pixar Fest. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
3) Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites inspired by “Coco” — Served with cheese sauce, salsa verde, cilantro and onion — Paradise Garden outdoor vending cart at Disney California Adventure ($7.75)
The Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites taste way better than they look and offer much more than your average Mickey Mouse pretzel.
The hot mess of pretzel nuggets and nacho cheese topped with shredded carnitas would go great with a cold beer. That beer will be even more essential if you opt for the salsa verde that adds a surprising amount of heat that lit up the inside of my mouth.
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The pre-made pretzel bites come out of a hot box at the outdoor vending cart — but the pretzels still tasted fluffy and not tough.
The cheesy and meaty savoriness paired with the squishy soft pretzels left me licking my lips for more.
I cut the pretzel bites in half so the snack could go twice as far. The finger-food bites are built to share — but you might want a fork. You’ll have to hunt for plastic silverware since the vending carts don’t have any.
Luigi & Guido Cone available at Cozy Cone Motel in Disney California Adventure during Pixar Fest. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
4) Luigi & Guido Cone inspired by “Cars” — Cheese tortellini, pomodoro sauce and mozzarella topped with basil panko and served in a bread cone — Cozy Cone Motel at Disney California Adventure ($10.99)
The Chili Cone Queso food stand at the Cozy Cone Motel had the longest line of the day — with the mobile order line twice as long as the standby queue. Everybody seemed to be trying the Luigi & Guido Cone added to the menu for Pixar Fest.
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The Luigi & Guido Cone is basically a tortellini pasta dish stuffed inside a cone-shaped bread bowl. As fans know, the cone bowls are aggressively handheld. They are next to impossible to set down — so you;re going to have to keep eating until you’re done.
With each mouthful of pasta, I bit off a chunk of the basil panko-dusted flat bread bowl like I was chewing on Disneyland’s famous turkey leg.
Racing Radial Cake available at Flo’s V8 Cafe in Disney California Adventure during Pixar Fest. (Brady MacDonald/Orange County Register/SCNG)
5) Racing Radial Cake inspired by “Cars” — Chocolate cake filled with red cheesecake covered in dark chocolate glaze with a silver stripe — Flo’s V8 Cafe at Disney California Adventure
I’ve had this chocolate treat on my radar since Disneyland announced the Pixar Fest menu and it didn’t disappoint.
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The delightfully moist, gooey and sticky chocolate cake was decadently delicious.
The red frosting and silver candy hubcap in the middle of the radial tire was the best part of the devil food cake-like dessert.
I suppose you could share the Racing Radial Cake — but I’m not sure you’ll want to. If anybody asks for more than one bite — no matter how much you love them – tell them to go get their own.
Foodies will be interested to see what Disneyland chefs add to the menu when six Pixar Fest festival marketplace booths open May 10 at Disney California Adventure.