ALERT: Disney’s Festival of Holidays Has Officially Begun!

It’s Christmastime in Disneyland!

The Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure runs November 15th through January 6th this year — but we’re getting a sneak peek starting November 14th! Come with us!

We are at Disneyland’s Festival of Holidays for its soft opening today, November 14th. We are excited to try out the food booths and get a taste of what this year’s festival is going to be like!

When we arrived, we found a Celebration Guide for the festival. In past years there has been a festival passport which has detailed information about all the offerings. The Celebration Guide contains a QR code to the menus, but limited information about the booths. We are still on the lookout for a passport and will let you know if we spot one!

Let’s take a look at the booths we have tried so far!

Festive Food Marketplaces

Various marketplaces offer holiday fare with some twists in flavors and presentations. There are also special menus at other dining locations — like Paradise Garden Grill and Smokejumpers Grill.

We started out at A Twist on Tradition, so let’s get to the food.

A Twist on Tradition

At this Festival Marketplace, indulge in favorite holiday foods with a twist. We grabbed the Barbecue Pulled Pork Cornbread Bake with creamy slaw for $9, the Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider with herb mayo and cranberry marmalade for $9, and the Berry Pomegranate Paloma for $18.

We loved the Barbecue Pulled Pork Cornbread Bake and even though we are just getting started, we think this is likely in the running for best food of the festival.

The Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider was tasty, but the croissant was a bit on the dry side, and it overall didn’t wow us. The Berry Pomegranate Paloma was super fruity and tart, and the flavors all worked well together.

Brews & Bites

Imbibe tasty brews and delight in savory snacks. At Brews & Bites, we got the Chicken Chicharrón with basmati rice, herb chutney and masala drizzle for $8, and the Passion Fruit Rose Lassi which is passion fruit nectar, yogurt, and rose and honey syrups garnished with a rose petal for $7. As well, we also grabbed the Festive Beer Flight for $18.50 and the Holiday Beer Flight for $19.

We really enjoyed the Chicken Chicharrón. It has a bit of a kick and an Indian and Mediterranean taste to it. All the flavors came together really well. The Passion Fruit Rose Lassi was a bit too milky, and while we enjoyed the flavors, it did not seem to come together super well.

Merry Mashups

Next, we are headed to Merry Mashups where you can savor flavorful cuisine with hearty flair. We got the Holiday Mash Bowl which is chicken, cheddar mashed potatoes, and turkey gravy with cranberry stuffing crunch. You can get this for $8.75. As well, we got the M&M’S Peanut Butter Fudge Cake which is chocolate fudge cake filled with peanut praline and M&M’S Peanut Butter Minis, glazed with salted peanut butter, and topped with vanilla Chantilly crème. This costs $7.50.

Finally, we all tried the Glacier Margarita which is made with Blanco tequila, blue curaçao, coconut syrup, lime and white cranberry juice, and rosemary syrup garnished with champagne bubble candies on a skewer. The margarita costs $17.50.

The Holiday Mash Bowl was yummy, but a bit salty. We wish there was more gravy and stuffing in this dish, but overall, it was a good comfort food item. The M&M’S Peanut Butter Fudge Cake was delicious and so rich. It is very fudgy and a good dessert to get to share. The margarita was tasty as well, it was a good balance of tart and sweet flavors.

Favorite Things

At Favorite Things, we got to try holiday classics infused with a festive kick. We got the Braised Pork Belly Adobo for $9.50 which is topped with chicharron and served with garlic rice. All the flavors worked so well together. We also loved the Sticky Toffee Pudding Macaron for $8, which could be the cutest and tastiest holiday macaron we’ve had in Disneyland.

The Spiced Coconut Cocktail for $17.50 tasted just like Christmas to us. It’s got rum and coconut plus evaporated and condensed milks with a sprinkling of nutmeg on top and a wafer stick.

Holiday Duets

We are harmonizing with perfectly paired savory foods, including the Chorizo Queso Fundido Mac & Cheese for $9 with a tortilla crunch. This one surprised us — in a good way. We also ordered the Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese for $8.50. It’s rich and creamy and SO delicious. 

The  Cranberry Christmas Mule for $17.50 is probably one of our favorite drinks we’ve tried so far. It’s a little sweet, but also has some nice tart flavors to balance that out.

Grandma’s Recipes

Head home for the holidays with time-honored dishes like the returning Barbacoa Tamal de Res for $9.25. It’s served with is served with Oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa and crema, and there’s a reason we keep coming back for this dish — it’s delicious. Warning, though: it IS a little spicy. The Cookie Dough Yule Log for $8  is new this year, but we hope it comes back next year. If you love cookie dough, this is your new favorite treat.

We also ordered the Café de Olla Cold Brew for $8.25. offrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Coffee, low fat and condensed milks, house-made spiced syrup with star anise, clove, and cinnamon, then topped with a chocolate dulce de leche sweet cream. Pro tip: swirl it around a bit before taking a sip. Also, it comes with its own snack on top.

Check Out ALL the Festival of Holidays Menus Here!

Winter Sliderland

Sink your teeth into a savory slider like the Beef Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll for $9.25. It’s smoky, it’s meaty, it’s everything. We also grabbed the Al Pastor Pork & Pineapple Slider on corn brioche, also priced at $9.25. It didn’t wow us as much as the brisket, but it was still a solid slider.

The Cookies and Cream Hazelnut Hot Cocoa is made with Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. hot chocolate with cookies and cream flavors, melted chocolate, hazelnut purée, and Irish cream syrup garnished with strawberry whipped cream for $6.50. A boozy version is also available, but we opted for the regular. It’s a lovely sweet drink.

Sip & Savor Pass

The Sip & Savor Pass is back for this year’s Festival of Holidays! The pass lets you get 4 food or beverage items for a flat fee of $32, or 8 food or beverage items for a flat fee of $63. Cast members and Magic Key holders can get the 8-voucher pass for $58.

We’ll keep updating this post as we experience the opening days of the 2024 Festival of Holidays! Follow along for more!

When are you going to Festival of Holidays this year? Let us know in the comments!

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