Review: Maurice’s Treats

Ambiance

Who could forget the eccentric father of Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast movie?  Maurice was constantly mixed up with directions and seemed to suffer a bit of ADD.  As homage to this twisted character, Disneyland constructed a special Old-World European food “wagon” inside the new Fantasy Faire area in Fantasyland (I use quotes because there are no wheels on this so-called wagon).  Amid the Renaissance-style activities one can find a quick snack. It is conveniently located across The Royal Theatre.  As such, you can partake in some vittles whilst watching either the Tangled or Beauty and the Beast mini stage productions.  Or, you can simply purchase an easy to carry treat or drink while walking the surrounding area.

Menu

The food featured at this stand are Twists, both sweet and savory styles.  The sweeter versions include a choice of either Strawberry or Chocolate.  There is only one savory type, which is the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist.  Unfortunately, there are no Pork Shanks or Turkey Legs.  Personally, I believe this to be a shame because those items would be extremely apropos to the area and even enhance the Renaissance-type experience.  But I digress.  Anyhow, the selection of beverages is limited to the Boysen Apple Freeze or bottled water.  There is an option to get a souvenir mug for the freeze.  However, if you’re in the mood for soda or juice, you must look elsewhere.

Food and Drink

My wife and I were going to watch the Beauty and the Beast show at The Royal Theatre.  It was mid-afternoon, so I decided to sample what Maurice’s Treats had to offer.  Generally speaking, I’m not into sweets.  As such, I opted to get the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist and my wife wanted to try the Boysen Apple Freeze.  When placing my order, I was a bit surprised they didn’t carry sodas.  This meant that I had to go to another food stand nearby to get a Diet Coke.  It was a bit inconvenient and hopefully Disney changes this soon.

Judging by appearance, the Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist looked outstanding.  The twists inside the glass case glistened with oil providing a magnificent sheen to the exterior crust.  Cheddar cheese oozed from the grooved crevices.  Sprinkled atop was a mixture of poppy seeds, sesame seeds, garlic and onion flakes.  Basically the ingredients one would associate with a traditional “Everything Bagel.”

Conceptually speaking, this twist had all the makings of an awesome snack.  But, what is essential to bringing out all those wonderful flavors is heat.  The Cheddar Garlic Bagel Twist I received was room-temperature.  The bagel was dense, chewy, and difficult to macerate inside my mouth.  I did enjoy the flavor of the seeds and garlic.  However, the cheese tasted somewhat waxy due to its temperature state.  Overall, it was decent tasting but a let down based on its beautiful appearance.  Hopefully Food Services at Disneyland will install either heat lamps or a small oven to really bring out the true flavor.

The Boysen Apple Freeze, at first blush, seemed very similar to Red’s Apple Freeze at the Cozy Cone Motel in Cars Land.  However, unlike the drink you find at Disney California Adventure, this one has a distinctive red syrup running through it to provide the appearance of an actual apple.  Furthermore, the Boysen Apple Freeze has a sweet and sour flavor profile.  It’s not as sweet as Red’s Apple Freeze, which is a good thing in my opinion.  The sourness is fairly subdued, so there’s no need to worry about your mouth puckering.  On top of the drink is a passion fruit foam, which added a nice fruity touch.  This is a really good drink and worth getting if you’re okay with spending close to $5.00 for a deluxe slushy.

Service

There is not much to say about the service other than it’s pretty standard.  Basically this is a food cart without the wheels.  The cast member cashier’s were friendly enough and the line moved briskly.

Overall

Maurice’s Treats is a convenient spot to catch a quick bite to eat while enjoying the Fantasy Faire area.  The Boysen Apple Freeze had me saying “Huzzah!”  While the bagel made me think “Lords and Ladies, thine taste buds would perchance be better served elsewhere.”  Once Disney figures a way to heat up the pastries and bagels, this location will surely improve in my book.