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Disneyland Restaurant Review

Dining at the Resort

Cast Member Eateries

Restaurants:

Inn Between (not open to the public)

The Inn Between is a Cast-Member only restaurant, located as its name might suggest "in-between Main Street and Tomorrowland," but backstage of course. It was the first employee cafeteria in Disneyland and the only one open for graveyard shift.

Formerly a cafeteria, it is now Scramble-Service (like Redd Rockett's Pizza Port), and in fact it was the first restaurant converted to Scramble System at Disneyland, sometime around 1996. The prices are similar to the Westside Diner in New Orleans Square, meaning much much cheaper than onstage food but still pricey for a cafeteria.

Location

The Inn Between sits directly behind the Plaza Inn and is thus located between Main Street and Tomorrowland. Its name is also a pun on the animation technique of filling in drawings by lead animators (an in-betweener makes many copies of an animator's drawings, each with minute changes, and thus lends fluidity to the shot).

Westside Diner (not open to the public)

Before the New Orleans Expansion, the only employee cafeteria was the Inn Between. The West Side got their own cafeteria with the Pit Stop - although I freely admit it could have been called something else way back then and I wouldn't know it. The Pit Stop was themed as a Racing Pit Stop, a place for respite. Perhaps due to its location 20 feet below ground level, it became known as the "Pit."

In 1973, a contest was held to rename the Pit, and Robert McKnight won with his entry: the D.E.C. (Disneyland Employee Cafeteria), which was still the name by the time I was hired in 1987. The theme this time around was a French Cafe, though you wouldn't know it. Just steel and chrome for the service area, blue floors, and nondescript tables and chairs. Whatever, the food was cheap.

In 1994 the D.E.C. underwent a major rehab and emerged as the Westside Diner, themed as a 50's diner. This time the theming looked pretty authentic. Elvis holograms, a motorcycle phone, new tables and chairs all contributed. The most noticeable thing, though, was the jukebox. Shaped like the tail end and bumper of some car from the 50's, it was stocked with 50's tunes (nowadays it's got more variety).

Part of the rehab's purpose was to reduce costs. True to form, the new Diner would feature no "busser" to clear tables; Cast Members on break were asked to kindly bus their own tables and one labor shift was thus eliminated.

Location

The Diner is underground in New Orleans Square. If you stand on the street around the meeting of Orleans and Royal Streets, you're standing near the spot (it's actually more like under the shops in front of you).

The Eat-Ticket (not open to the public)

This is an employee cafeteria, located WAY behind Toontown (it's not technically within the boundaries of Disneyland). It is designed to serve the salaried folks in the administration building and thus has higher prices, though better food (arguably) than the other employee cafeterias. The name refers, of course, to the famed E-Ticket attractions.

Like the other employee cafeterias, this one offers most everything (certain hot entrees are changed daily, with a constant menu of some things like sandwiches and salads). This one is different for two reasons: old ride vehicles (original Indian canoe, Motorboat Cruise) hang from the ceiling; and this is the only restaurant at Disneyland Park which is run by a concessions company and not Disney's own food staff.

Location

The Eat-Ticket is located next to Team Disney Anaheim (TDA), the green (on freeway side) and yellow (on other side) administration building way back behind Disneyland. It sits between TDA and Toontown, but there are a couple backstage streets and a few small buildings on the way to Toontown so it's not all that close after all.

DCA Cafe (not open to the public)

This is an employee cafeteria at DCA, but not much is known about it yet. Like the Eat Ticket, it is run by a concessions company and not Disney's own food staff.

Location

The DCA cafe is located backstage behind the farming area. Between the Pacific Wharf and the farming area is a backstage access area. Go through that and make a right and you'll see the cafe on your left. It is run by the same people as the Eat ticket, so the food is similar and the prices similar also.

Employee Cafes at Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel, and Grand Californian Hotel (not open to the public)

These are employee cafeterias run by Disney staff.

Location

The DLH location is below ground, in the tunnels that connect the various towers. The Paradise Pier Hotel location is its own building; the salmon-colored administration building near the Disneyland Hotel (sometimes known as BOB - Big Orange Building). The GCH location, known internally as the Bungalow, is next to the Storyteller's Cafe.

Menu Items for all the above locations

Everything!
These cafeterias offers some menu items on a consistent basis, such as sandwiches, soups, salads, and burgers. There is a rotating menu of five or six items that are different daily; usually these are hot entrees. Cast Members can call the CM Info Line to find out what items are being offered on a given day.

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