It is the start of the year, and there is nothing like a new celebration at Disneyland to kick it off. What better way to start it off then with the Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration! The festival celebrates their 90-year legacy and features new treats and meals across the parks and resort. You will also find a new nighttime show and exclusive merchandise for sale. But of course, there is always the question of what is there available if I am on a restrictive diet? Like most festivals, there are not a lot of options, but there are a couple of standout choices.
Starting with the beverages, there is the ever classic Frozen Strawberry Horchata available at Rancho del Zocalo. This time around, the frozen horchata is strawberry flavored with chocolate drizzle, topped with whipped cream, dehydrated strawberry, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. The drink is a bit lackluster, overly artificially flavored, and kind of a letdown especially for a frozen drink in the middle of winter.
On the other hand, the Piranha Lemonade Slushy at the Bengal Barbecue is a home run. A mango and pineapple lemonade with lychee and pomegranate popping pearls, topped with a large slice of mango. It was a perfect drink. Unlike most slushies, it is perfectly blended so that it was not overly frozen and ended up with just a chunk of ice at the end. The lemonade was fantastic, but only if you like pineapple as it was sweet and fruity but very strong in flavor. The popping pearls added a nice burst of flavor to the drink as well. This drink is definitely worth getting, even in the cold.
Food Selections at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration
For main dishes at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration, unfortunately, most are not allergy-friendly, but there are a few exceptions. At Rancho del Zocalo the Molcajete Platter featuring a mixture of meats and seafood is gluten-friendly. If the Oaxaca Cheese is left off, the dish becomes dairy-free as well. It was highly recommended to me based off reviews by a couple of people I spoke to at the park.
Over at California Adventure, the “Share Your Ears” Cheeseburger can also be made gluten-friendly. An Angus 1/3 lb. Burger with American Cheese and 2 Cheeseburger Slider ears, perfect for sharing. After talking with a chef, they mentioned that they could switch the bun for the gluten-friendly option and the slider buns for sliced gluten-free buns. This is an excellent special meal option at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration.
The best option is the Roasted Vegetable Spring Roll at the Bengal Barbecue. A rice paper wrap filled with roasted vegetables, mint, basil, and sesame seeds, served with baba ganoush and an oil and herb blend. A fantastic dish that also happens to be a large portion, the vegetable themselves tend to be a bit on the bland side, but when added with the baba ganoush and herb blend the dish really comes to life. Full of flavor and worth going back for a second helping.
Sweet Treats at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration
Onto everyone’s favorite at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration, dessert. As usual, there is not too much in the way of allergy-friendly selections, but if you are willing or able to cheat, there are some great options. At the Jolly Holiday bakery, the Mickey Mouse Club Hat Dessert is a chocolate mousse dome filled with chocolate cookie balls, atop a chocolate cake, and topped with two chocolate ears and a white chocolate Mickey Mouse Club Logo.
At Rancho Del Zocalo, they have the Chocolate Tamale which is served with espresso whipped cream and cherry compote. Others told me that it was a bit doughy with not enough whipped cream and compote.
At the Pacific Wharf Café, the Cookies ‘N Cream Bread Pudding was fantastic, probably one of the best desserts I think I have ever had at the parks. Perfectly cooked and glazed to perfection.
Another dessert worth the cheat is the Steamboat Willie Black and White Cookie. The cookie is topped with glittering chocolate balls and a white chocolate steamboat Mickey wafer. It is an alright cookie, but if you can pair it with milk, it is worth getting and can be found at almost any bakery counter.
Other bakery options at Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration include a Mickey Cake Pop and a Birthday Cake Crisped Rice Cereal Treat.
Some slightly more allergy-friendly options include the Birthday Hat Macaron at the Cozy Cone Motel stand, but you may have to look around to see which one has it. The macaron itself comes with the warning that they can not guarantee that it is gluten-friendly. The macaron is just dyed blue and topped with two stripes of blue frosting and filled with a light blue fluffed whipped cream and glitter sprinkles. The party topper is not edible so make sure to remove it before eating. The macaron itself is alright and might be cotton candy flavored, but I cannot guarantee it.
As a counter, the Mickey Mouse Button Macaron at the Jolly Holiday Bakery in Disneyland is one of the best macarons I have ever had on property. A red and yellow macaron shell filled with a rich chocolate ganache and whipped cream center and topped with two white chocolate buttons and two milk chocolate ears. I am not a huge chocolate person, but the ganache was perfectly paired with the whipped cream and macaron to create a fantastic sandwich. This macaron is definitely worth getting if you are able.
If you are looking for a guaranteed gluten-friendly option, get the Hand-Dipped Mickey or Minnie Ice Cream Bar at Clarabelle’s. It is just an Ice Cream Bar of your choice dipped in chocolate with two chocolate ears and sprinkles. Of course, Mickey ice cream is never JUST ice cream! As long as you do not choose cookies and cream, this dessert is perfect for gluten-friendly dieters.
As usual, the dishes created for this festival are not super allergy-friendly, but if you are okay with a little bit of a cheat now and then, do not be afraid to enjoy yourself. Of course, if you have medical reasons for avoiding certain foods, do not go off your diet. Always speak with a chef to discuss your dietary restrictions and needs. You can download the Get Your Ears On – A Mickey and Minnie Celebration festival food guide here.