ANAHEIM, Calif. — David Nguyen smiles and chuckles whenever someone approaches him and points at the lemon tea cake sitting on the Disneyland food and beverage display.
During a preview of the Disney100 celebration at Disneyland Resort last week, members of the food and beverage team laid out the variety of food, drink and themed merchandise offerings that visitors can indulge in and purchase throughout the yearlong celebration at the resort.
Standard items include a Mickey Mouse-themed popcorn bucket, a sipper cup and a new shiny purple-and-silver sugary churro.
But the plump yellow lemon tea cake stood out.
"A lot of people have been asking us, 'Why would you offer a lemon tea cake to the park to celebrate Disney 100?'" said Nguyen, a member of Disneyland Resort's food and beverage team. "This is actually one of Walt's favorite desserts. We brought it back for the 100th anniversary."
The Disneyland Resort kicked off the company's 100th anniversary last week.
Walt Disney and his brother Roy founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Hollywood in 1923. The company's name changed a few years later to the Walt Disney Co.
While the company has planned several cross-studio festivities throughout the year, the Disneyland Resort, which Walt Disney founded in 1955, is the heart of the centennial celebration.
Disneyland Resort, which comprises two theme parks and a retail and dining strip, has debuted two nighttime spectaculars, a new Mickey and Minnie-themed ride, the return of a daytime parade, photo opportunities, decorations and more.
While the new fireworks show, attractions and other entertainment get most of the glory, the themed food and beverage complement the rest of the celebration and honor some of the company's history.
There's the black and white Oreo cookie milkshake with whipped cream, an homage to Disney's Steamboat Willie, one of the first Mickey Mouse films to be distributed in 1928. The Oreo cookies are placed on top of the cup, one on each side, like Mickey Mouse's ears.
There's a platinum-colored poison apple mug, a reference to Disney's animated feature-length film "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," released in 1937.
The Lemon Chiffon Pie, a chiffon pie with graham cracker crust topped with vanilla Chantilly cream, is a favorite of one of Walt Disney's nephews, Nguyen said.
"Every item being offered tells a story about the Disney company," said Nguyen, who is part of the food and beverage team that came up with some of the offerings.
And there are favorites, dolled up for the 100th anniversary.
The Minnie candy apple has a platinum bow and a silver sugar dress with purple candy pieces. Disney officials said that the churros, a staple at Disneyland, are rolled in cherry sugar, drizzled with white icing and topped with purple and silver pearls.
The Mickey Mouse Sipper is a cup shaped like Mickey Mouse wearing the same platinum and purple costume as the mascot at the park. And there's also a platinum Mickey Mouse balloon popcorn bucket that is so shiny that one could see their reflection on it.
The Mickey Mouse sipper cups are already being sold on eBay for $70.
"We know how popular these items are, so we're going to offer them throughout the year," said Nguyen.
Nguyen noted that the food and beverage team has more in store as the year progresses. Some of the souvenir items that the team makes are priceless to many visitors.
"These are things that we all love," he said.