Disneyland is known for its rides, entertainment, character meet and greets, and iconic Sleeping Beauty castle. Another aspect of theme park enjoyment that they do not fall short on is the food. From exclusive high class restaurants to grabbing a pretzel from a cart, there are so many different ways to experience food at Disneyland California. The same could have been said for the park during its first year in 1955, with plenty of options for guests who were experiencing the magic for the first time. The Walt Disney Company acquired sponsorships and contracts with 47 different well-known brands, like Coca-Cola for the Coca-Cola Refreshment Corner, in order to build credibility and exposure. Let’s take a look at what restaurants were open on Main Street USA and what food was offered in 1955.

Main Street USA

The Red Wagon Inn

Anyone who visited Disneyland from 1955-1965 knew the Red Wagon Inn, but we all know it today as the Plaza Inn. The Red Wagon Inn began as a dual table service and quick service restaurant, modeled after late 19th century eating houses. Lillian Disney played a big part in the design of the interior, including the finishings, stained glass ceilings, and artwork. Inside, there also stayed Walt’s private dining room, where he would frequently host guests. The restaurant was sponsored by Swift’s Quality Meats, a company with which they had a 10-year contract with. The contract stipulated that Swift’s would serve their meat there, but also operate the restaurant as their own. This dining spot was one of the most popular in the park and was one of Walt’s personal favourites, not only because of the 1890s atmosphere, but because it was the only place in the park that sold breakfast, lunch, and a full course dinner for $4.50.

Some of the delicious foods you could enjoy were:

Swift’s Premium Roast Prime Rib of Beef au Jus
Swift’s Premium New York Cut Sirloin Steak
Swift’s Premium Grilled Pork Chops with Spiced Crab Apple
Swift’s Premium Lamb Chops with Mint Jelly
Grilled Halibut Steak with Lemon Butter

The Red Wagon Inn also had 2 other menus, a children’s menu and a babies menu! The children’s menu had 5 different meal options on it, all themed after Disney characters such as Snow White, Lady and the Tramp, Casey Jr., Pluto, and Monstro. The Snow White meal ($1.25) had roasted turkey, potatoes and vegetables. The Lady and the Tramp meal ($1.25) had spaghetti and meatballs with a roll and butter. The Casey Jr. meal ($1.10) had a hamburger with potatoes and vegetables. The Pluto meal ($0.90) included a broiled premium frankfurter on a bun with potatoes and vegetables. And finally, the Monstro meal ($1.25) had a choice of a halibut steak or tuna salad sandwich with potatoes and vegetables. They all came with your choice of dessert. The babies menu was just your choice of 4 different canned meats for 25 cents each - strained beef, strained veal, chopped beef, and chopped veal.

The front of the kid’s menu at the Red Wagon Inn. Image from: https://www.disneyhistory101.com/new-gallery-94

In August 1960, Disneyland made it to the news in a negative light, because the Red Wagon Inn became tied with a burglary crime. One of the cashiers at the time, Richard Lowry, claimed he was taking $10,000 to a bank deposit for the park as a part of his duties, and was held hostage by a robber who took the money and fled. It was later revealed that Lowry himself was the thief, after a large part of the money was found in a closet still at the restaurant.

In October 1964, the Red Wagon Inn officially closed for renovation. There were a few factors that resulted in this renovation, including the Swift Quality Meats lease being up, the table service causing major lineups and wait times, having the ability to decrease prices now that Swift was out, and the décor needing an update. After a $1.7 million renovation, it reopened as the Plaza Inn in July 1965. The atmosphere was upgraded to a more elegant, Victorian-era buffeteria with chandeliers, flower-hung porches, and authentic antiques. The Plaza Inn is still open and running today.

The Red Wagon Inn is still celebrated in a small way on Main Street USA, with the the Little Red Wagon food truck selling corn dogs each day to hungry customers.

The Plaza Pavilion

From July 1955 to July 1998, The Plaza Pavilion stood proudly and was a popular spot for quick service and comfort food. The main attraction for this restaurant was the outdoor patios, which would light up at night and have you sitting right near the entrance of Adventureland overlooking the Jungle Cruise or amongst the excitement of Main Street USA. This restaurant was not open year round, only during the summer months and during the holidays. Some of the most popular foods served here were the French dip beef sandwiches, fried chicken, fried shrimp, biscuits and honey. In its later years, the dining location was sponsored by Carnation Company’s Contadina brand. The menu would evolve into more of an Italian selection, with many different choices of pastas and sandwiches. The Adventureland patio would also become its own restaurant called the Tahitian Terrace Restaurant.

The Plaza Pavilion closed in 1998, after being unable to compete with the Plaza Inn. The building sat for 2 years, unused and abandoned on Main Street until it was decided it would be converted into an annual passholder information center from 2000 to 2004. In 2005, the building became a mish-mash of different experiences, from pin trading, to lemonade stands, to a junior chef baking experience. Finally, in 2012 it reopened as an eatery once again, called the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, which is still open today.

The Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. Image from: https://www.mouseplanet.com/9852/Its_a_Jolly_Holiday_on_Main_Street

Carnation Ice Cream Parlor

What’s better than a cold ice cream on a hot summer day? When conjuring up his idea for a theme park, it only made sense for Walt to include an ice cream parlor for his beloved Main Street USA. The ice cream shop would sit at a corner intersection of the land, and have the options of indoor table service and outdoor patio grazing. Nestle was the sponsor of this restaurant, as the Carnation Company ice cream brand was their own. Not only did they sell ice cream here, but they also sold salads, soups and sandwiches to the hungry guests. As for the ice cream, you could choose from the traditional menu which included a hot caramel sundae, hot fudge sundae, old mill strawberry sundae, Victorian banana split, or a delicious malt or shake.

If you were feeling extra lavish, you could enjoy a “fancy sundae” which were themed after the different Disneyland lands. The Frontierland sundaes were a Cimarron sundae with vanilla and strawberry ice cream, or an “old timer” which was a peppermint stick ice cream, with strawberries, pineapple and whipped cream. The Tomorrowland sundaes included the Mammoth Matterhorn Mountain, which was an extra large sundae with 5 scoops of almost everything. You could also get a Hawaiian Sundae, with various fruits and coconut. The Fantasyland sundaes were themed after Peter Pan and Snow White, Peter’s being chocolate with marshmallows and almonds, and Snow White’s being a marshmallow sundae with coconut topping. Lastly, the Adventureland sundaes included the Lover’s Delight with strawberry, vanilla, marshmallow and almonds, and the Tahitian sundae with vanilla ice cream, chocolate topping and salted peanuts. As the park was updated, even more ice cream flavours would be added in later years, and would be delivered by an old fashioned truck. No matter who you were, there was always a flavour for you.

The Carnation Ice Cream Parlor menu. Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gameraboy/49128960506

The Carnation Ice Cream Parlor was converted into the Blue Ribbon Bakery in the late 1990s. This was largely due to the fact that Nestle stopped carrying the Carnation ice cream brand and offered to sponsor the bakery instead, which had counter service that served pastries, coffees, and juices. Once the Jolly Holiday Bakery opened in 2012, there was no need for 2 bakeries on the same street, so it closed and became the Carnation Café one again. The Carnation Café now serves a selection of breakfast foods and beverages.