Disneyland Tropical Hideaway Review, Pictures & Video

Disneyland’s Tropical Hideaway is a new dining and seating area located in Adventureland. In this post I’ll review some of the food that is available, take a look at the area’s details, and share my thoughts.

If you’d rather watch this review rather than reading, we have a video from our YouTube channel with pretty much the same content:

Tropical Hideaway is an extension of both the Enchanted Tiki Room and Jungle Cruise, which are located to the left and right. In it you’ll find references to both attractions. The best example of this is Rosita, which is the bird mentioned during the Tiki Room show. She obviously looks like a bird from the show, but she tells the same types of jokes the Jungle Cruise skippers tell during their tours. For example, I heard her say “While away, I spend a lot of my free time looking in to my family tree. It is that big one over there.” She then turns to look at a tree in the distance. Her quips are fun and cute, and in my opinion she is the highlight of Tropical Hideaway.

At the entrance to Tropical Hideaway you’ll find this beautiful rock formation and waterfall. A closer look at the area’s marquee.

I’m not sure if this is technically a roost or a birdhouse, but I’d like to think it’s an entrance to the Tiki Room for all the birds from the bird mobile. Either way it’s a nice touch. Tropical Hideaway sits along the bank of the Jungle Cruise canal, so while you’re there you’ll see boats of people drift by. Near the river you’ll find this Jungle River Post Office box.
Near the Jungle Cruise is this package, addressed to Jose at the Tropical Hideaway.

Lamps, lanterns, carpets and other knickknacks to discover.

Tropical Hideaway has this wall of paddles that represent members of Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.), which is Disney’s fictional organization of eccentric characters who’s stories tie together multiple attractions in theme parks around the world. Each of the paddles have names that Disney fans will recognize, including Harrison Hightower from Tower of Terror and Dr. Albert Falls from Jungle Cruise.  Here’s a reference to Adventureland’s extinct quick service restaurant, Sunkist, I Presume. Aladdin’s Magic Carpet from the location’s previous occupant has been saved.  Here’s a look at the dining area. There’s a decent amount of tables and chairs, but I’m guessing it will be difficult to find a spot while the HIdeaway is new and popular. Once the hype dies down I think this area will be a nice place to relax and enjoy a snack. Tropical Hideaway brings new flavors of Dole Whip to enjoy, with orange and raspberry joining the classic pineapple. You can also get floats and swirls that combine any of the three flavors. The new marquee item is the Twisted Ambush sundae that combines pineapple and orange Dole Whip, along with pineapple and orange chunks, coconut flakes, and “spears” (Pocky sticks). It’s sweet, but very tasty and large enough for 2 or more people to share. After you order the Twisted Ambush the skippers on hand will announce it to everyone and bang the gong. My favorite item on the menu is the Pineapple Lumpia. If you’ve had the Lumpia in Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom then you know what to expect. The difference here is that Hideaway’s version is sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. These were fantastic. The outside was perfectly crispy, and the inside is filled with warm cream cheese. Pineapple dipping sauce is included. Overall these are a must try. If you’d rather have a savory snack there is a selection of steamed buns to try. The buns are steamed on site.I tried the beef bao after it was recommended by multiple people. The beef was soft and flavorful, and the bun itself had just the right amount of chewiness to it. I’m not sure I’d buy it again due to the high $5.99 price tag, but it was enjoyable. There’s also this cold ramen noodle salad, which I did not try, but looks like it would be okay.

Overall Tropical Hideaway is a great addition to Disneyland. There’s nothing spectacular to be found, but what is there is charming and well done. Even if this was just an open area with table and chairs it would have been better than what was there before, which was a closed former dinner show venue. The food is good, but a little on the pricey side. It’s worth noting that you don’t need to buy food at Tropical Hideaway to eat there. You can purchase food from any location in the park and bring it in, or simply sit and relax for a bit. Let me know what you think about Tropical Hideaway in the comments below.