Suejourn: Part 3 of my Letter about Disneyland to my Niece and Nephew: My Favorite FOOD

When I go to Disney World, I have to have my Dole Whip, my cinnamon-glazed almonds, a churro at some point, and maybe a Casey's hot dog or a cream cheese-filled pretzel as the day goes by. Disneyland has its own specialties.

New Orleans Square is home to a bunch of good eats, starting with the delicious clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. If you like clam chowder and sourdough bread, you will love this rich, creamy soup. You can get it at Harbour Galley or Royal Street Veranda, and I think they also have gumbo or chili. But I got the clam chowder all three times I went to Disneyland and I'm getting it again when I go back.

The other goodies to get in New Orleans are the Mickey beignets and the Mint Julep (it's non-alcoholic), which you can get at the Mint Julep Bar. I know you've had Mickey beignets before at that New Orleans-y resort at WDW, so you know they're like doughnuts but denser, but they make special ones at Disneyland for certain occasions. I was there at Halloween, so they had pumpkin ones. And the Mint Julep is so refreshing! Wait until you're really thirsty and it will just hit the spot, I promise.

I only made reservations at one restaurant--the Blue Bayou--because everybody who I asked about Disneyland said it was a must. They were right. Again, it's in New Orleans, but the really cool part is that it's inside the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. So it's kind of like when you're eating at the restaurant inside the Mexico pyramid at Epcot, except it's all the Pirates boats that are sailing around you (a fun angle for a photo is to snap a pic of it from a Pirates boat). It's a starry evening setting with crickets and fireflies and little flickery lanterns. Very romantic if you were with a significant other and very expensive for dinner, so try to get lunch reservations. Their famous dish is the Monte Cristo sandwich, which I got, and which was great, but if you get it, plan to share it with someone, and ask them to go easy on the powdered sugar and not to drizzle any sauce on it (just too messy).

One unique and tasty collection of items that I discovered at Disneyland was right across from my favorite ride, Indiana Jones, at a little stand-up quick service place called Bengal BBQ, where you can get marinated chicken, beef, or vegetable kabobs on a stick, as well as a yummy grilled bacon-wrapped asparagus, which for my money was the winning ticket. I heard people around me whining about the prices and the portion size, but just look at it as a little snack to get you through the Indiana Jones line.

The last thing I ever ate at Disneyland, on my way out, was their famous corn dog. There are legends about this corn dog and they don't have them at Disney World (ask your tour guide to tell you the story of the corn dog batter). It's greasy and it's fattening and if you have acid reflux it will mess with you for the rest of the day, but it's worth it. Enjoy your corn dog at the little corn dog cart and then be prepared to deal with Disneyland corn dog cravings for months afterward!