We LOVE Disney food, so when a new restaurant opened up at the Disneyland Resort, you KNOW we had to check it out!

Pixar Place Hotel recently opened after a refurbishment and retheme and aesthetically it’s beautifully unique and captures that quintessential Pixar charm! But we know what you’re thinking — how are the food offerings??! You’re in luck, as we just tried one of its quick service options.

We visited The Sketch Pad Café at the hotel to try some of the snacks from the breakfast quick service location and we were kind of surprised by what we saw!

Atmosphere

Located in the lobby, The Sketch Pad Café is easily accessible and hard to miss.

The theming here is excellent. Everything is brand new, cute, and depicts modern Pixar theming.

You can even watch a Pixar movie or short while you eat!

As for seating, if it’s busy, the options are kind of limited. The best seating is likely the standard tables and chairs or booths.

There are also some coffee tables and chairs spread out but be advised, if Derek Zoolander were to sit at them, he may question if they were for ants — that is, they are very small and meant for smaller individuals or children.

There is a large conjoined table, however, perfect for larger groups.

Of course, this is a quick service spot so there is a grab-and-go station as well as very friendly servers behind the counter ready to assist you!

Despite its small space, Sketch Pad is very charming with its wall art and total embrace of Pixar! But what about the food? It offers a lot!

Menu

Taking a look at the menu, Sketch Pad offers a wide variety of quick bites in the form of snacks and pastries, as well as to-go protein boxes and drinks.

First things first, this is the place to go if you want to grab a coffee or espresso. You can build your own with flavored syrups or order one from the menu.

The restaurant also offers tea and on-the-run snacks like Avocado Toast and a Pizza Bagel.

Finally, it also offers other prepared items, such as a Grab & Go Box, sandwiches, and fruit cups. Overall, you’re looking at an elevated grab-and-go menu.

Eats

We tried a few of the items and we have to say — we were slightly disappointed! However, it wasn’t necessarily the taste of the food that was disappointing. We’ll explain, starting with Seasonal Lavender Latte.

We quite liked this latte! It was served hot, the coffee taste was smooth, and not too bitter or strong. The lavender taste was light, sweet, and floral with a minty aftertaste.

If you like sweet or floral flavors, give this a try! With that said, it costs $7, and we found that to be a bit pricey for the drink, a trend you’ll see come up again.

Up next we tried the Pizza Bagel for $12. This was fine. We appreciated how the cheese was warm and gooey in the middle but crunchier and more burnt on the outside, adding some really nice texture. The inside was filled with a warm and sweet marinara flavor, but the bagel was not very soft or doughy, making it tough to chew. For $12 we expected better.

For $2 extra, you can add pepperoni and if you like pizza and bagels, you may really enjoy this. Like we said, we thought it was fine but not quite justifiable for the price.

Lastly, we tried the Brownie for $5. The brownie was warm with a rich chocolate flavor and hints of caramel throughout. We thought it was definitely an improvement from the Pizza Bagel.  It was warm and gooey with a bit of a hard layer on top and a soft interior.

The brownie was pretty big, making this the first thing we tried where we really thought the price was justified. We had no complaints and if you love strong chocolaty flavors, definitely give this a try!

So how what did we think overall?

Overall

Our thoughts on The Sketch Pad Café are simple: solid but overpriced. We really didn’t have any issue with how anything tasted, and we think the theming of the restaurant is a winner.

This is a location dedicated to breakfast, so if you’re on the go and don’t mind overpaying a bit, we still think it will get the job done. There are definitely worse ways to spend a breakfast.

Nosh or Not?

Hop on down to The Sketch Pad Café if…

• You’re staying at Pixar Place Hotel and need breakfast before you enter the parks. The staff is friendly, the food was pretty good (at least the food we tried), and the offerings will likely do the job of filling your bellies before long park days.
• You’re in a rush. Getting to the parks and then getting food is a waste of time. If you get up early and stock up at The Sketch Pad Café, you can save time for what you really came for — attractions and entertainment.
• You’re a packrat. This quick service location has quite a few options that will serve as good snack items throughout the day, saving you from waiting in line for a snack in the parks or at Downtown Disney.
• You’re in desperate need of coffee. It may be slightly overpriced, but that doesn’t mean the coffee here is bad. We really liked our latte and figure you might like many of the other coffee options as well.

Skip this spot and dine elsewhere if…

• Your budget is important. There are cheaper breakfast options all throughout the Disneyland Resort and if you want to save a buck or two, it may be prudent just to eat inside the parks. For example, you can get a Mickey-shaped Waffle served with applewood-smoked bacon or smoked sausage for $15 at Carnation Cafe inside Disneyland.
• You want a more immersive dining experience. This is a quick service restaurant, so the goal is to get you in and out as fast as possible. If you’re looking for character dining and something more memorable, we recommend the character breakfast Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn in Disneyland.

Check out The Sketch Pad Café when you get the chance and let us know what you think! In the meantime, be sure to follow us at the Disney Food Blog for all the latest Disneyland news, reviews, and tips!

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Do you prefer quick service or sit-down breakfasts before your park days? Let us know in the comments!