The 1970s: Dining post-Walt

Image: HarshLight, Flickr (license)

Nothing as innovative as the Blue Bayou distinguished the 1970s, but Walt Disney’s untimely death in December 1966 sparked a few changes in the way the company approaches in-park dining. Perhaps the most noticeable one: the company chose not to honor Walt’s vow that a cup of coffee would cost no more than 10 cents as long as Disneyland existed. With inflation, that would just be around 77 cents in 2018 (though it’s worth pointing out that the go-to coffee company in those days was still provided by Hills Bros.; Starbucks didn’t become an immediate household name following its inception in 1971). It was an unsustainable business practice, but one that spoke volumes about Walt’s desire to keep Disneyland affordable and enjoyable for every family that passed through the turnstiles.

On October 1, 1971, Walt Disney World opened for business. The company hadn’t broken any new ground in the Magic Kingdom, at least as far as immersive dining experiences and gourmet dishes were concerned, but true to form, they paid close attention to the theming of every sit-down restaurant in every land: the American Revolution-era Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square, Red Wagon Inn-esque décor of the Crystal Palace at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., and the elegant King Stefan’s Banquet Hall, nestled in the very heart of Cinderella Castle itself.

The 1980s: Introducing the Dole Whip

Image: Candice, Flickr (license)

Within their first 20 years of operation, the Disney Parks had set themselves apart with unique dining areas and cleverly-themed restaurants; now, it was time to focus on the food. In 1986, the modest Tiki Juice Bar added two new offerings to its menu of pineapple spears and fruit juice: the Dole Whip and its sister, the Dole Whip Float. The dairy-free pineapple soft-serve wasn’t exclusive to Disneyland—as Jean Trinh of LAist.com pointed out, Kent Precision Foods Group licenses it out to various establishments around the Los Angeles area—but it soon attracted a rabid (er, ravenous) fan base among parkgoers. Today, the pineapple treat is considered one of the most, if not the most iconic Disney Parks snack.

The Dole Whip wasn’t the only memorable snack to land on guests’ radars at the time. The park’s infamous 720-calorie hickory-smoked turkey legs were featured at a snack stand in Frontierland during the late 80s and, as the legend goes, were quickly adopted as another staple of the “Disneyland Diet.”

These snacks weren’t any different from those you’d find at a festival or fairground food stall, but thanks to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the public—and their strong association between the snacks and their overall park experience—Dole Whips and turkey legs, (and churros, and pretzels, and Mickey ice cream bars) became an integral part of the Disney Parks themselves. Snacking and dining was no longer an afterthought, but a compelling reason to visit the Disney Parks in the first place.