Anyone who’s visited Disneyland recently knows the feeling: the prices just keep climbing. It’s a fact of life, apparently. We’ve seen families turning to kids’ meals just to keep the budget in check, and even Disneyland itself is pushing out more discounts. The goal? Maybe to soften the blow of those ever-increasing per-guest costs that seem to be pushing attendance numbers down.
But here’s a curious thing. While most folks are tightening their belts, Disneyland is still finding ways to cater to the big spenders. Case in point: a little offering at a snack cart inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. This isn’t just any snack cart; it pops up for special occasions like Lunar New Year or Halloween. And right now, during the holiday season, it’s selling something that’s getting a lot of attention. Not for its cuteness, but for its price tag. We’re talking about a single drink that costs a jaw-dropping $250.
Now, before you spit out your coffee, let’s break this down. The item in question is a ‘cookie shot.’ These are baked shot glasses made from chocolate chip cookie dough, then lined with chocolate to hold liquid. They’re pretty popular. You can get one filled with milk for a relatively modest $10.75. Want to make it an actual ‘shot’? Fill it with something like Baileys or RumChata, and it’ll run you $19. That’s a decent jump, but still within theme park splurge territory for many.
Then there’s the other option. For $250, you can have that edible shot glass filled with Louis XIII cognac. This isn’t just any booze; it’s one of the most expensive and sought-after spirits in the world. Disneyland isn’t unfamiliar with Louis XIII; you can find it in a few places around the resort, including fine dining establishments like Napa Rose.
What makes this particular holiday offering so noteworthy, beyond the cost, is the presentation. Louis XIII is usually served in a snifter or a tulip-shaped glass, designed to showcase its complex aromas. Here? It’s in a sugary, chocolate-lined cookie. A choice that certainly raises an eyebrow for connoisseurs.
But here’s where the ‘bargain’ part of this story comes in, if you can believe it. Just around the corner from this very snack cart, in the Grand Californian’s Hearthstone Lounge, a pour of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Grande Champagne Cognac will set you back $260. And a pour of Rémy Martin Louis XIII Cognac? That’s a staggering $690. So, believe it or not, the $250 cookie shot, while absurdly priced for a ‘snack,’ is actually the *cheapest* way to experience Louis XIII at the resort. It’s almost like they’re doing you a favor, if you squint hard enough.
It’s also worth noting this isn’t the first time this particular indulgence has surfaced. When it was first reported in 2022, the Louis XIII cookie shot cost $185. That’s a price hike of $65, or over 35%, in just a few years. It illustrates a clear trend: even luxury items within the resort are not immune to inflationary pressures, or perhaps, simply increasing demand for the extraordinary.
The snack cart, along with other festive offerings like an enormous gingerbread house, photos with Santa, and caroling, is part of the Grand Californian’s holiday charm. These offerings are typically available for a limited time, with the holiday season wrapping up on January 7. So, if you’re inclined to spend a quarter of a grand on a cookie and a sip of premium cognac, you haven’t got long. It seems Disneyland is continually redefining what ‘value’ means in its parks, even if it means serving a luxury spirit in a dessert cup.
