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Maurice's Treat in Fantasy Faire: Disneyland Dining Review

by Randy Crane, PassPorter Guest Contributor
Last modified 05-17-2013

With the opening of the new Fantasy Faire at Disneyland Park last month, Disney has created an enchanting new area, two new shows, an elegant location to meet some of your favorite Princesses, a new themed shop, and some fun new characters.

But what would a new location be without food, right? Sure enough, Maurice's Treats provides just that, with some great "twists."

This snack stand is themed to Belle's father from Beauty and the Beast. As you may recall from the movie, Maurice was an inventor, but his inventions never seemed to work quite right. They always came out a little … twisted. So it's no surprise that the food served here would be the same way. In this case, though, they're twisted in a good way!

I sampled all of the offerings at Maurice's Treats shortly after Fantasy Faire opened, and the food and drink did not disappoint. There are three food items -- the Chocolate Twist, the Strawberry Twist, and the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist—and a new signature drink, the Boysen Apple Freeze. If you're thirsty but don't want the fruit drink, you can also get bottled water.

The Chocolate Twist and the Strawberry Twist are the ones to go for if you want a sweet snack, but something other than ice cream or a churro. Each is a twisted and filled flaky pastry. The chocolate one tasted like it was made with a fudge sauce, and the strawberry one tasted like strawberry jam. Both are sprinkled with powdered sugar, and are sweet without being overpoweringly so. They're a bit messy, though, so be sure you pick up plenty of napkins! I snacked on them while in line to meet the Princesses at the Royal Hall, and pieces of the pastry kept flaking off and falling to the ground. I didn't end up with any powdered sugar on my clothes, but that may have been luck more than anything else.

The other food item is of a more savory variety. The Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist is not flaky like the other two and the taste is a little stronger. The flavor is excellent, with the garlic being noticeable but not overpowering, and the cheese tasting very fresh. Surprisingly, it wasn't greasy at all. Because this one is a little denser—and somewhat larger—than the others, it's great for sharing! I will say that it cools down rather quickly on cold days and it tastes better warm than cold, so keep that in mind when you order it.

The signature drink, the Boysen Apple Freeze, is similar to Red’s Apple Freeze in Cars Land, but not quite the same. The name itself is a pun relating to another Disney animated fairy tale. The Fantasy Faire beverage is mostly apple juice with a touch of boysenberry juice, and topped with a fruit foam. I couldn’t quite place the taste of the foam, but from what I’ve been told, it’s made from passion fruit juice. The foam was a little tart, but that was actually a great compliment to the sweetness of the juice, adding a little to the boysenberry’s tartness and making a great balance of sweet and sour.

Because this is Disneyland, there’s more to good food than just the taste, and Maurice’s Treats delivers here, too. The food and drink aren’t just tasty, they’re fun! It may not seem like much, but the fact that the foods are all twists actually adds a touch of whimsy to it, and the powdered sugar on top is sprinkled on almost playfully. (Having the powdered sugar on it is also a very French thing, reminiscent of crepes, which fits the Beauty and the Beast theme.) The iciness of the Boysen Apple Freeze is fun to drink, too, from the mix of colors to the way the ice crystals look in the cup, like a cluster of frozen bubbles.

I love strawberry, so I really expected that to be my favorite, but it wasn’t. The Strawberry Twist was good, as was its chocolate counterpart, but the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist wins my vote for best new (food) twist in Fantasy Faire, and the Boysen Apple Freeze is the perfect complement to it.

The Chocolate and Strawberry Twists cost $3.49 each, the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist $4.19, and the Boysen Apple Freeze costs $4.69 for a 16-ounce cup, or $9.99 for the same size but in a plastic "Souvenir Goblet or Stein." The bottled water sold at Maurice's Treats is $2.79. As with other snack carts, Annual Passholder discounts do not apply.

About the Author: Randy Crane is a Travel Consultant affiliated with CruisingCo. & MouseEarVacations.com, and lives with his wife in Southern California. He is also the host of the Stories of the Magic Disney podcast. Along with his many Disney trips, he makes multiple trips to the San Diego area and loves to help people plan not only Disney trips, but Southern California vacations to all its amazing destinations.

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Updated 05-17-2013

Check for a more updated version at http://www.passporter.com/articles/maurices-treats-disneyland.html