Disneyland's Iconic Turkey Leg Left David Chang Confused
As any die-hard Disney fan knows, there are certain theme park foods that are simply legendary. While the title for most iconic sweet treat may be a perpetual tossup between Churros, Dole Whip, and Mickey Ice Cream Bars, there is little argument that — in a sea of delicious and unique restaurants – the park's most recognizable savory snack food is the turkey leg. Known for its whopping 1.5-pound weigh-in and mysterious, uniquely ham-like taste, which is reportedly due to a curing solution, the turkey leg has been a Disneyland and Disney World staple since the 1980s, with the American parks selling over two million of them annually.
One of those two million was recently sold to Michelin-starred chef, TV host, and proud carnivore David Chang, who shared some thoughts about the iconic snack on TikTok. "This was my first ever turkey leg at Disneyland and I gotta say, it wasn't terrible," Change narrated over the video. "It was honestly good dark meat, doused with barbecue sauce. I just really don't know the history of this. It's, like, crazy! How do you eat this godd*mn thing walking around? It's really messy, and yeah, just a strange, strange thing to eat." He even captioned the video, "I don't know how this became a thing," and noted it was difficult to eat while walking.
A delicious mess
Chang is not alone in his assessment of the snack's logistical challenges. It is widely known that this is quite a messy meal, and it's not exactly calorie-free. In fact, there are said to be around 1,093 calories in each leg.
They're also gigantic. As previously mentioned, the Disney turkey legs weigh about a pound-and-a-half each, which is more than the 1.25 pounds per person recommended as an ideal serving for Thanksgiving dinner. Granted, Disney is not serving up its turkey legs with heaping portions of mashed potatoes and stuffing, but it is still a lot of rich meat for a hot day in the Orlando or Anaheim sun. While most fans agree a giant turkey leg is plenty big enough for multiple people, especially if they'll be indulging in other snacks throughout the day, it can still be a mess to pass back and forth.
@davidchang Don't understand how this became a thing...the pickles too. Strange...not the easiest thing to eat while walking around
While Chang's question of how these mutant turkey legs became a theme park staple may remain a mystery, many creative park fans have come up with ways to make them a little more practical. For instance, if you'd like to share your turkey legs with friends or family, you can turn them into sliders with the help of some small rolls.