Palm Breeze Bar is a pretty new and exciting addition to the Disneyland Resort dining options. It opened at Disneyland Hotel for the first time in November 2023 and is sure to become a favorite stop for those looking for an al fresco dining experience near Disneyland.
While it is technically the pool bar for Disneyland Hotel’s new Discovery Tower, Palm Breeze Bar is so much more than that – it is a full service, all outdoor restaurant that’s open daily from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm for lunch and dinner, serving a variety of Southern Californian menu options with something for everyone.
Reservations
You can make Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) for Palm Breeze Bar online or in your Disneyland app by selecting the restaurant, entering how many people are in your party, and selecting from the available times. We always recommending making an ADR if you know your plans in advance, as it secures your space and guarantees a table for you on the date and time of your preference.
However, you do not have to make an ADR in order to eat or drink at Palm Breeze Bar. We frequently see reservations available as close as an hour or two in advance. You can also join the walk-up waitlist if they are full or try your hand at simply approaching the hostess stand to see if there is availability. With a full-service wraparound bar, and plenty of seating, getting a seat here is easier than many other restaurants, making Palm Breeze Bar a great choice for last minute drink or dinner plans.
One more great thing about this location is that you do not need to be a guest staying at Disneyland Hotel and you do not need a park ticket to visit here!
Service and Ambiance
The Disney parks and resorts are known for their customer service and The Palm Breeze Bar was no exception to the rule! We arrived earlier than our reserved time, and with a change in the number of our party. It was no problem at all for our hostess, who quickly conversed with a colleague and was able to accommodate the change in our plans.
It was colder than expected the night we dined, and we noticed the bar staff coming out of the hotel with blankets and walking around offering blankets to the guests at the bar! Talk about going the extra mile. They also had tall gas flame heaters stationed around the space which took the edge off of the cold and added to the tropical ambiance of the area. We were seated at a table quickly, right near the live music. There were heaters in some areas so we asked to be reseated to a quieter and warmer area. The cast at Palm Breeze were happy to accommodate!
The bar itself has stools situated around a central bar featuring many large screen TVs, while the standard seating area is a mixture of high top, standard height, and cafe style tables spread out to look and feel like you’re on a pool patio (which technically, you are). The colors and patterns that adorn the space are in the style of Mary Blair, famed concept artist and key contributor on the “it’s a small world” attraction. If you’ve ever been on the ride, you’ll likely notice the influence right away!
Live Entertainment
If you dine in the evening, you might be gifted with a live musical experience to serenade you while you eat, drink, and relax. We experienced two joyful and talented musicians, who beautifully performed some easy listening hits (think pop like Kelly Clarkson or yacht rock) mixed in with beloved Disney classics such as The Lion King’s “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”. It was a welcome addition to an already lovely ambiance right beside the Disneyland Hotel pool and iconic Disneyland signage.
Drink Menu
Palm Breeze Bar is a full-service bar. You can make a reservation or stop by just for drinks, even if you don’t want to eat. In addition to a wide selection of beers and wines, they have a unique cocktail and mocktail menu with inventive takes on familiar favorites. We tried something from each section of the cocktail menu: From “Grove Grown Inspirations”, the Strawberry Thyme Fizz (Tito’s Handmade vodka, Cynar, strawberry-thyme syrup, lemon juice, prosecco). From “Chilled Delights”, the Chilly Mango (Don Julio Blanco tequila, frozen mango purée, chamoy, chili-lime seasoning). And from “Stirred and Strong”, the Blue Bee’s Knees (The Botanist Gin, lemon juice, organic honey, blueberry wine). Everything was delicious and strong! If you appreciate a good cocktail, you should definitely stop by to try some drinks from this menu.
Food Menu
The Palm Breeze Bar menu is delightful. It has options for foodies but less adventurous eaters will find something to enjoy here as well, making a great choice for groups of friends, colleagues, or larger families to visit.
Shareables
Starting with the “Shareables,” (larger plates meant to be enjoyed by a group), Palm Breeze Bar offers cheese fry poutine, ahi tuna tataki, seafood cocktail, and wings cooked in a bourbon barbecue glaze and served with a chile aioli. My party ordered the wings to share. They arrived beautifully plated, with the advertised aioli and extra bourbon barbecue sauce for dipping, which was an unexpected treat! They were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, just how you would want a wing to be. Warning – they are also a bit messy!
Salads
You can customize your salad with a protein option or order one off the menu. Not one of them is a boring old garden salad either! These salads are chef-created, with complex flavor profiles and serve as a full meal. Then there’s the Heirloom Beet Salad, which features roasted & marinated beets, baby kale, Persian cucumber, whipped stracciatella mozzarella, candied walnut, and herb vinaigrette. The other choice is the Southwest Salad, which has little gem, avocado, black beans, charred corn, heirloom tomato, cheddar cheese, jack cheese, and cilantro dressing. This one comes in a homemade tortilla shell that is light, fluffy, and impossible to turn down. Make this meal even more impressive by adding salmon filet, prime flat iron steak, or grilled chicken to either one of these salads.
Main Dishes
The Palm Breeze Bar also offers a spicy crisp chicken sandwich, jumbo lump crab roll, and a Palm Breeze burger with your choice of sides – we recommend the house-made potato chips! Additionally, you can order an artisan personal pizza, although we tried one of the “personal” pizzas and think it could qualify as a shareable!
Dessert
Be certain to leave room for dessert! You have the choice of molten lava chocolate cake, a warm trio of beignets (chocolate, passionfruit, and mixed berry), or a chocolate chip cookie sandwich. The dessert menu doesn’t offer too much of a detailed description, so we assumed that what you order is what you get. At least in the case of the cookie sandwich, you get so much more! Made fresh to order, we loved the presentation of the hidden Mickey with fresh berries and macarons! It was a surprising and filling way to end the meal with a little touch of that Disney magic.
All in all, the Palm Breeze Bar is an excellent new addition to the Disneyland Hotel and to Disney dining in general. It was easy to secure a reservation, the staff were wonderful, and the menu is varied and interesting without being too adventurous for the average diner. Those who enjoy a fun, strong cocktail or who are looking for actually good non-alcoholic options will especially enjoy a visit here.
