REVIEW of New Food Items at Disneyland Festival of Holidays at California Adventure
The Disneyland Festival of Holidays has officially begun at Disney California Adventure, featuring entertainment and food offerings celebrating holidays including Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. One of the most highly anticipated offerings each year is the food, with unique offerings at different marketplaces across the park.
We had the opportunity to explore some of the Festival of Holidays foods this year at the opening day of the holidays at Disneyland, and we will share our thoughts on must-try items. Keep reading for a food review of the 2023 Festival of Holidays offerings at Disney California Adventure!
You can see our guide to the Disneyland Festival of Holidays for the full menu of food items, a map of food locations, tips, and more.
2023 Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays Food Reviews
At the Festival of Holidays, we tried 8 food and drink items from various locations across the park. We will take you through our favorites per location and what made them stand out!
Get a FREE PRINTABLE of the Festival of Holidays and Disneyland Christmas foods at the button below.
A Twist on Tradition
At A Twist on Tradition, we tried the Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese with herb breadcrumbs, sour cream, and chives. This is a new offering this year and definitely did not disappoint!
The sour cream really enhanced the flavor, and it was a very nicely balanced dish with a great blend of textures between the smoothness of the mac and the crunchiness of the breadcrumbs. The marketplaces always do an excellent job with their mac and cheese offerings, and this is no exception. This was my personal favorite food I tried at the Festival of Holidays!
We also tried the Guava-Melon Lassi, which is made of Guava nectar, rock melon syrup, yogurt, and honey, garnished with cinnamon whipped cream, and honey-flavored cereal. This drink is truly heavenly. It's creamy, the guava shines through clearly, and it's a great contrast to the mac and cheese. I actually felt that the whipped cream wasn't necessary given the amazing flavor of the drink itself. Even for those who aren't a fan of really sweet drinks, I would say it would still be worth it to give this a try.
Studio Catering Co.
At Studio Catering Co., we tried the Holiday Turkey Empanada, which is a fried empanada filled with turkey, stuffing, and gravy with cranberry dipping sauce. I was especially excited about this offering, and I can safely say this is a must-try. The exterior has a great, crispy texture, and the interior is reminiscent of a turkey pot pie. As can be expected, this tasted like a bite of Thanksgiving dinner! The flavors blended together so nicely that I actually felt it didn't need the cranberry dipping sauce, but it provided some nice variety. This was definitely one of our favorite items we tried, and personally, I think it's even worth getting a second time.
Winter Sliderland
At Winter Sliderland, we tried the Beef Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll. Although this can get pretty messy to eat, it's absolutely worth it. The flavors from the smoked onions and meat blend together harmoniously, and the pretzel bun is a perfect choice to tie everything together. We definitely recommend this slider! Plus, we love the marketplace's location overlooking Grizzly River Run.
Brews & Bites
At Brews & Bites, we tried the IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Queso Fundido with house-made tortilla chips. This was smooth, creamy, and just touch spicy. The IMPOSSIBLE chorizo was super flavorful! When we tried this, the chips were a bit heavily salted. This is a perfect snack to grab in the afternoon if you're a bit hungry but aren't ready for a full-on meal yet.
Grandma's Recipes
At Grandma's Recipes, we tried the Barbacoa Tamal de Res with Oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa, and crema. This came highly recommended, but it was a bit underwhelming compared to some of the other dishes we tried. The presentation and flavor are both great, but there wasn't anything especially unique about this dish when you compare it to the other Festival of Holidays marketplace offerings.
Favorite Things
At Favorite Things, we tried the Mad Santa Macaron, which is a chocolate macaron filled with ganache, peanut butter mousse, and salted pretzels. The filling is very fudgy, and the exterior is chewy and crispy. Though this may be a matter of personal taste, I feel the filling didn't need to be so thick, as the dessert was so rich that it was satisfying in only a few bites.
We also tried the Churro Toffee Cold Brew Latte, which features 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. This coffee is pretty sweet, but not as sweet as others that have been offered at the park. When I tried this, the strongest flavor that shone through was the cinnamon, but I wished that the toffee flavor was a little stronger. However, that is just a matter of personal taste, and I think that overall this is a great holiday drink.
For the media event on the first day of the holidays at Disneyland, we received a Sip and Savor Pass to try various foods. The Sip and Savor Pass provides 8 entitlement tabs that you can redeem for select food items and nonalcoholic drinks at participating locations. Our review remains unbiased, as we have continued to try all these Festival of Holidays foods throughout the entire season.
Be sure to try some of these Festival of Holidays foods during your trip to Disneyland this Christmas!
Plan Your Disney Vacation Today
For the best resource and helpful information for planning your Disney trip, make sure to subscribe to our FREE Deals newsletter. We’ll provide you with helpful planning information, exclusive Disney deals, and access to the lowest-priced Disney tickets anywhere.
You can find more information on planning your vacation in our guides:
Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.
