We Tried EVERY Booth at Disney's Festival of Holidays - See Our FULL REVIEWS

It’s time for the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure!

The festival runs from November 10th, 2023 to January 7th, 2024, and we attended the very first day (and went to the soft opening)! There’s a lot to see, do, and eat, and we reviewed a TON of the food. Let’s get into the reviews of each location so you know what to prioritize on your visit!

Brews & Bites

If you’re a beer fan, look no further than the Brews & Bites booth!

This is where we grabbed the Churro Ale with Frozen Beer Slushy for $17. The drink includes butterscotch, gingerbread, and house-made churro toffee syrups. Gingerbread is the name of the game with this drink! It was ice cold and refreshing but tasted like drinking a liquid gingerbread cookie. You can taste the butterscotch but it’s not overpowering and adds a nice sweetness. Churro fans will be happy too, because that flavor is prominent. It may be hard to justify spending $17 on a beer, though.

Then we tried the Garage Brewing Co. Churro Ale for $13! The cheaper option of the two, this drink doesn’t scream churro, but there are hints of it. At first sip, it tastes like a regular ale, but the aftertaste is where the churro comes through. It’s a light drink, so even if you aren’t a huge beer drinker, you may enjoy this one!

Overall, if you aren’t a beer fan, you don’t need to spend your time at Brews & Bites. But if you’re looking to expand your Disney beer horizons, we really enjoyed both of these!

Favorite Things

The Favorite Things booth has been around since 2018, and we often find some solid options here. This year, it’s serving up the returning Braised Pork Belly Adobo with garlic rice, Cherry Mango Punch, and Churro Toffee Cold Brew Latte. There is also a new item on the menu — the Mad Santa Macaron Inspired by the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses.

First up, the Braised Pork Belly Adobo with garlic rice, which we ordered for $8.50, was previously sold at the Holiday Duets booth. Similar to last year, this dish really impressed us! The pork was packed with flavor and pulled apart so easily. There was also a generous portion of it! The garlic rice base was pretty mild, but overall we thought this dish was a great choice and worth the price.

Unfortunately, we weren’t as impressed with the new item on the menu. The Mad Santa Macaron, which is a chocolate macaron filled with ganache, peanut butter mousse, and salted pretzels was a little underwhelming. For $7.50, this was a pricey treat, and we thought the cookie was just okay. The pretzel and peanut butter were the best part — and they were just a tiny portion in the very center.

Another returning favorite, the Cherry Mango Punch, was previously available at the Winter Sliderland booth. This year, it was as good as we remembered! For $7, you get a refreshing non-alcoholic drink that’s not too sweet. It’s cherry- and peach-forward and perfect for fruity drink lovers without being overly sweet.

Lastly, we tried the Churro Toffee Cold Brew Latte which is another favorite of ours from the previous year. For $7.25, you get Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Coffee, cinnamon sugar, vanilla bean, and almond milk garnished with churro syrup-flavored whipped cream and toffee crumble. Churro lovers and cold brew fans alike will probably love this one! It’s quite sweet, but super smooth and has a fun texture on top from the crumbles.

While the macaron wasn’t all that impressive, we really did love everything else at this booth, so it’s worth checking out!

Grandma’s Recipes

Stop on by the Grandma’s Recipes booth to get your fill of food and drinks inspired by things your grandma might make. There’s a mix of food, cocktails, and wine here. Just like grandma’s house.

We started with the only food item here – the Barbacoa Tamal de Res with Oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa, and crema for $9, which is also new. We loved the tomatillo salsa verde – It was fresh and spicy but had a mild spice level overall.

This was an excellent tamal – the masa wasn’t dry, instead, it was moist and soaked up some of the juice from the beef. The beef was tender and had warm spices that balanced out the salt. Ours was a little cold, but other than that – this was a total hit!

There’s a new cocktail available here that we HAD to try as well – the Berry Pomegranate Paloma for $16. It’s made with Blanco Tequila, blueberry purée, lime, cranberry, and pomegranate juices, and agave syrup topped with fresca mixed vodka spritz and garnished with an orange wheel and chile lime seasoned rim.

It reminded us of a berry sangria and was also a total hit. The addition of the Tajin-seasoned rim was a nice touch that helped balance out the sweetness. It was fruity, but we tasted more of the cranberry and lime rather than blueberry and pomegranate.

We also ordered the Winter Wineries Flight for $17. You get three wines, including Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc, which you can also order separately for $13. Nothing really stood out to us in this flight, but the sparkling rose was our favorite — it was dry and sweet. The cabernet was good but nothing outstanding – fruity and dry.

The Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon is also available to be ordered separately for $14. Finally, the McBride Sisters Sparkling Brut Rosé can be ordered separately for $14.

Stop by this booth if you’re looking for a good cocktail and a tamal you won’t forget. And make sure to thank Grandma if you see her!

Holiday Duets

Holiday Duets was the next booth on our list, and boy did this one confuse us! The menu sounded great at first glance, but we left with some questions.

First up we tried the Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese with salsa macha and spiced puffed rice for $9. It was a little too cilantro-heavy for our tastes. The portion was nice and the meat was delicious, but it wasn’t anything particularly amazing.

After that, we tasted the Chocolate Tart Made with TWIX Cookie Bar Pieces for $7.50. We had high hopes for this treat, but the consistency was off. The inside was kind of pudding-like, which made it a MESS to eat. Nice and chocolatey though.

For drinks, we tried the Cuban Parranda Cocktail for $17. It’s made with made with white rum, falernum, maraschino liqueurs, soursop nectar, grapefruit juice, and mint syrup garnished with a dried grapefruit wheel. It’s very heavy on the rum, so if you’re not a fan of that beverage, you might want to skip it. The grapefruit wheel was fun though!

And last but not least, we had the Cantaritos Pineapple for $11.50. It tasted a lot like Pineapple Fanta, so it ended up being one of our favorite things at the booth. Nice and fruity!

Ultimately, we left here feeling a little conflicted. Probably not our top recommendation for a festival booth, but not terrible either!

Making Spirits Bright

We stopped by the Making Spirits Bright booth, where you can get some exciting new eats including IMPOSSIBLE Chicken Curry Bites, a pumpkin-flavored cheesecake, and some dessert cocktails.

First, we tried the IMPOSSIBLE Chicken Curry Bites with lemon raita and coriander chutney for $7.50. We thought the nuggets had a good flavor thanks to the curry, but the texture is a little strange if you aren’t used to meat substitutes like this. We wish they were actual chicken nuggets, but if you like curry or are plant-based these might be a good option.

Next up was the Pumpkin Layered Cheesecake for $6.50. This is layers of New York-style cheesecake, pumpkin gooey cake, and graham cracker topped with spiced Chantilly and a chocolate decoration. We loved this one and think it might be one of the best desserts at the festival. It was well balanced and the pumpkin flavor wasn’t too overwhelming.

As far as drinks go, we grabbed the returning Tiramisu Yule Log Cocktail – made with vodka, hazelnut liqueur, oat milk, tiramisu syrup, and chocolate bitters garnished with chocolate shavings for $17. We were surprised by how much we liked this – it was SO good! The flavors were unique and it was creamy and minty. The texture reminded us of a White Russian and we were surprised by how much we liked it. We’d definitely get this again as dessert!

We also tried the new Chocolate Mint Stout Shake for $16. This is made with Garage Brewing Marshmallow Milk Stout, coffee liqueur, crème de menthe, horchata cream liqueur, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup garnished with cookie crumbles. The coffee and mint flavors are the stars of the show here, but you can certainly tell it’s a beer milkshake. It was thick and creamy but we didn’t get much of a marshmallow flavor. There was almost too much going on with this one. It was different but probably not something we’d get again.

Stop by this booth for the pumpkin cheesecake and the Yule log cocktail — and if you like plant-based eats, give those nuggets a try!

Merry Mashups

Merry Mashups has three new items this year, so we’re trying all of them.

There’s only one food to grab here, the Southern Mac & Cheese with andouille sausage and spiced panko crunch for $9. So we have to warn you that this mac and cheese is GREASY, and we know some folks might appreciate that, but we thought it was a bit too much. It tastes great, though, with a lot of cheese flavor throughout. It was also not TOO spicy, although you do get a bit of a kick from the andouille and spiced panko.

You can get two new drinks here, too. The first is the non-alcoholic Santa’s Milk & Cookies Hot Cocoa for $7, which is inspired by The Santa Clauses series on Disney+. It’s made with whole milk, cookies and cream powder, and white chocolate with whipped cream. We LOVED this hot cocoa. It was creamy and smooth and had a wonderful cookes and cream flavor.

If you want something with a bit more oomph, there’s the Maple Hazelnut Hot Buttered Rum for $17 made with dark rum, butter, hazelnut paste, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with a salted caramel whipped cream. We will warn you that you can taste the rum in this drink and it’s pretty strong, but the flavors really work well here. We got a lot of butterscotch flavor, but there’s also a nice sweet and salty thing going on.

Overall, we’d probably skip the food here, but we would return for the drinks.

A Twist on Tradition

If you’re looking for a best-of-the-fest booth, look no further than A Twist on Tradition! You can find three different options here: Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese, Glacier Margarita, and the non-alcoholic Guava Melon Lassi. We tried the Guava Melon Lassi last year, so this year we tried the two new items– the Kugel Mac & Cheese and the Glacier Margarita.

First up, the Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese is mac & cheese with herb breadcrumbs, sour cream, and chives for $8.50!

We loved how creamy this mac and cheese was. It was so rich and savory, it totally gave us comfort food vibes. The chives were also a great touch, providing lots of additional flavor to the dish. We would recommend trying this option!

The Glacier Margarita has Blanco tequila, Blue Curacao, coconut and raspberry syrups, white cranberry, and lime juices and is garnished with champagne bubbles candy. It is $16 and worth every penny in our opinion. This margarita was one of our best of the fest items. It was sweet and fruity with great flavors of coconut and lime. The rosemary syrup was not detectable (probably for the best). And the “champagne” bubbles candy were adorable little gumdrops. We would wait in line every day for this fun, photogenic (and delicious) drink.

We would recommend stopping by this booth; it’s worth the wait in line. If you don’t care for sweet drinks or mac & cheese, then probably skip it. But otherwise, we say stop here!

Winter Sliderland

It’s slider time! Winter Sliderland is home to just that: sliders. One slider, though, is new this year, the Togarashi Karaage Chicken Slider with furikake mayo slaw on a Hawaiian roll for $9. So we have to warn you because furikake is not something everyone appreciates. It’s made with dried fish, so you’ll get a bit of a fishy flavor. We didn’t NOT like it, but we didn’t love it either.

However, on its own, the chicken was crispy, but it does have a kick to it. The flavors here are so strong that you can’t really taste the sweetness of the roll, though. Here’s the thing: we like spicy fried chicken. We also like furikake on sushi and poke bowls. But for some reason, putting spicy fried chicken and furkake together didn’t work for us at all.

We also grabbed the Beef Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll for $9. This is a returning item and our biggest takeaway from last year is that the pretzel bun is the best part of the sandwich. That’s the case again this year, although we did find the brisket tasty, especially with the horseradish ketchup. Don’t worry, though, this slider isn’t TOO spicy, but it does have a little bit of a kick. Again, though, the pretzel roll is what makes this slider great.

There’s a new drink here, too, the Spiced Pear Mule for $16 made with Pear vodka, gin, apricot liqueur, house-made spice syrup, pear nectar, and lemon juice garnished with a white orchid. We loved this cocktail, especially how easy it was to drink – you can’t taste the alcohol at all. Each sip contains a hint of lime, although most of the flavor comes from the pear and spice. The drink is so light, we could drink it like water – which may or may not be a good thing.

Of course, if you don’t appreciate pear flavors or fruity cocktails, this might not be for you, but we think this one is still going to be a crowd-pleaser.

Additional Locations

Studio Catering Co.

Over at Studio Catering Co., we grabbed the Holiday Turkey Empanada for $7.99. This is a fried empanada filled with turkey, stuffing, and gravy served with cranberry dipping sauce.

We LOVED the crispiness of the outside of the empanada while the inside was gooey. All the flavors paired brilliantly together, and the cranberry sauce on the side was just a bonus. It tasted like Grandma’s cranberry sauce to us and was a fantastic addition to the dish.

Overall, if you’re a fan of traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and don’t mind it all being mashed together, this is 100% a dish you should pick up. If you prefer for all of your food to stay separate though, then this one may bother you a bit!

Cappucino Cart

We grabbed the Cafe de Olla Cold Brew for $7.25 at the Cappuccino Cart. It’s made of piloncillo-sweetened coffee spiced with star anise, clove, and cinnamon topped with a hot chocolate cream cold foam.

Trust us when we say we really wanted to like this drink, but the bitterness of the spices and the sweetness of the coffee just didn’t mix well for us.

We loved the taste of the cold brew, that was delicious, but it just didn’t pair well with the rest of the drink. If you enjoy your coffee to have contrasting flavors, we say give this one a try, but otherwise beware.

Pym Test Kitchen

The other cold brew we got to try was the Cold Brew Infusion: Cinnamon & Spice made with cinnamon caramel cold brew with cardamom cream foam. It’ll cost you $6.79.

This was a cold brew drink we loved, even though our reporter shared they typically aren’t a fan of cardamom. The drink doesn’t necessarily have a strong coffee taste, but instead has a sweet and rich caramel taste with a hint of cinnamon.

The cardamom eventually melted into the rest of the coffee, bringing some more spice to it, but it was not overwhelming. We also love the Cinnamon Crunch Toast on top and caramel drizzle. If you’re a fan of caramel and spiced drinks, be sure to snatch this one up!

Churro Stands

At the Churro Cart near Goofy’s Sky School, you can pick up the Fresas con Crema for $7.25. This churro is coated in cinnamon sugar and topped with strawberries saturated in condensed milk. One bite convinced us that this is one of THE things you’ll want to eat at this year’s Festival of Holidays. It’s got a lovely sweet flavor from the cream and the strawberries taste fresh. This is a churro we will order again.

Over in Hollywood Land, you can get the Yule Log Churro for $7.75. This is a crème filled chocolate churro with berry drizzle and powdered sugar. Whereas the strawberry and cream churro was a classic Disney churro, this one is more chocolatey, but the berry drizzle adds a nice tartness to the flavor.

This is another snack we’ll be getting again.

Smokejumpers Grill

At Smokejumpers Grill, we tried out the Kielbasa with Pierogi for $8.99, and we’ve just got to say…this is a CAN’T-MISS item! It’s kielbasa served with potato and cheese pierogis, sauteed peppers and onions, and a dijon sour cream.

The pierogi is filled with cheesy mashed potatoes, which were completely delicious on their own, but the sausage just took this to another level. The kielbasa is seasoned with just a little bit of spice, and nice and juicy. The sauteed peppers and onions really bring it all together.