Your Favorite Theme Park Foods to Recreate Now

Funnel cakes, corn dogs, and Monte Cristo sandwiches—does anything conjure up as many memories as theme park foods do? From going to water parks with all of your best friends on a class field trip to visiting Disneyland for the very first time, each amusement park memory is inextricably tied to its smells and tastes, so eating these foods can easily transport you back to your favorite places. 

The Golden State's Best Amusement Park Foods

Though you may not be able to visit your go-to amusement parks regularly, you can bring the fun times to you with these mouthwatering recipes from your favorite theme park restaurants, snack stands, and food carts. 

Disneyland Food

With so many unique Disneyland restaurants—and so many things to eat and drink throughout the resort—choosing a favorite food can seem impossible. Between Disney’s turkey legs, churros, and Dole Whips, there are hundreds of foods to consider and dishes to make. If you’ve already cooked up our makeshift magical recipes, try your hand at the oddly satisfying Monte Cristo sandwich from Disneyland’s Blue Bayou; with a polarizing palate, you’ll likely either love it or hate it.

The Best Food at Disneyland: The Monte Cristo Sandwich

Serves 8

Ingredients

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1 ½ cups milk

16 slices of thick white bread

16 slices Swiss cheese

16 slices turkey

16 slices ham

½ cup vegetable oil (for frying)

Powdered sugar (to taste)

Raspberry sauce or jam

Pro tip: Finish the meal with some Disneyland churros, and you’ll swear you’re dining at one of the best theme park restaurants. 

Six Flags Food

Funnel cake is one of those theme park foods that just screams fun, but Six Flags’ funnel cakes stand above the rest, leaving lasting memories of wandering around the parks. If you haven’t had the pleasure of trying this iconic dish yet, it’s a fried-batter dessert that looks like a tasty woven doily. It’s light, fluffy, and covered in powdered sugar—basically, it’s everything you’re looking for in a sweet treat. Trust us, if you’re going to make any recipe on this list, it ought to be this food from Six Flags Great America. 

Six Flags-esque Funnel Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, sifted 

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups milk

1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Pro tip: Add crushed Oreo cookies, whipped cream, and soft-serve to recreate the sundae funnel cake from Six Flags, or go a bit simpler with strawberry and chocolate syrups—no matter how you top it, this theme park food is a winner. 

Knott’s Berry Farm Food 

When it comes to Knott’s Berry Farm, there are nearly too many delicious foods to count. With options ranging from hot dogs and churros to raspberry shortbread cookies and pretzels, there are endless ways to indulge. But when it comes to family meals, Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner Restaurant is unlike any other, so load up your plate and get ready for seconds. 

Make Mrs. Knott’s Chicken Dinner At Home

Serves 6

Ingredients

4 cups cold water

6 tablespoons kosher salt (or 3 tablespoons table salt)

3 pounds of chicken, separated into pieces 

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 quart vegetable oil (for frying)

Pro tip: Pair the biscuits with boysenberry jam, and follow up your dinner with a chocolate bundt cake for an authentic Knott’s experience.

Legoland Food 

The best food at Legoland is a hotly debated topic, but one thing is clear: Legoland’s apple fries are good enough to get kids to eat fruit. Whether you’ve got an insatiable sweet tooth or you’re looking for a fun activity to fill your afternoon, you might be able to whip up a batch of these treats without going to the grocery store. 

Legoland Apple Fries

Serves 8

Ingredients

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Vegetable oil (for frying)

8 Granny Smith apples

1 cup cornstarch

1 can whipped cream