Disneyland Festival of Holidays 2023 Menu, MUST SEE Entertainment, TIPS
Disneyland Festival of Holidays is the central piece of the Disneyland holidays celebration in Disney California Adventure park. The celebration brings together entertainment and food offerings throughout Disney California Adventure park that celebrate Christmas/Navidad, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day.
The 2023 Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays runs from the second week of November until the first week of January. Festival of Holidays menu with all of the food items available, a look at the various entertainment offerings, and tips based on our recent Festival of Holidays visit.
The festival is a refreshing example of how the size of a Disney Park allows for the specific spotlight of multiple cultures without being reductive. The variety of offerings during the Festival of Holidays is a great foil to the more traditional Victorian-esque Disneyland Christmas celebration throughout the rest of the resort.
Disneyland Festival of Holidays 2023 Food Items and Menu
One of the highlights of the festival is the Festival of Holidays marketplace. Throughout Disney California Adventure there are nine different food booths with a variety of food and drink items for purchase. The booths (example seen in the photo above) are the same ones used for the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival. These booths are placed up and down the parade corridor between the Buena Vista Street entrance area of the theme park and Pixar Pier. The festival also extends to some participating food and beverage locations in the park.
You can either purchase items individually or purchase a Sip and Savor pass which is $59 dollars and gives you 8 tabs that you can redeem at booths throughout the festival. I typically use one card to share with an entire group. The pass is a lanyard with tabs around the edges that can be ripped off and redeemed. For more on the pass including the Magic Key discount information, see our specific section below on the Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays Sip and Savor pass.
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Buying tickets from Get Away Today will help you to save money for your trip (so you can have more money to spend freely when you arrive on things like the great food we review from the festival below). All tickets are sent electronically so that you can make your park reservations. They also offer layaway plans so that you can pay off your vacation as you go.
Now, let’s get into the festival of holidays food items at Disney California Adventure…
Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2023 Menu Food and Drinks
For all the other food offered at Disneyland during the holiday period, read our guide to 2023 Disneyland Christmas food.
Favorite Things
- Chicken Tikka Masala with cardamom basmati rice, lemon raita, cilantro, and garlic naan crumble (New)
- Mrs. Claus’ Hot Cocoa Macaron: Inspired by the Disney+ series “The Santa Clauses,” features a red macaron filled with chocolate hot cocoa filling and ganache finished with a chocolate decoration
- Churro Toffee Cold Brew Latte Cocktail: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Blend Coffee, coffee liqueur, demerara, cinnamon sugar, vanilla bean, and almond milk garnished with churro syrup, whipped cream, and chocolate toffee crumbles (New)
Making Spirits Bright
- Mickey Mouse-shaped Gingerbread Cookie
- Santa’s Milk & Cookies Hot Cocoa: Inspired by the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses, whole milk with flavors of cookies & cream and white chocolate topped with flavored whipped cream (New) (Non-alcoholic)
- Maple-Hazelnut Hot Buttered Rum: Rum, maple, hazelnut, demerara, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove garnished with salted caramel whipped cream, sea salt, and demerara sugar sprinkle
- Red Wine Flight: Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon, Kunde Merlot, and Alexander Valley Vineyards Syrah (New)
- White Wine Flight: Zaca Mesa Viognier, Fess Parker Winery Chardonnay, Dr Loosen, Riesling, and Domaine Ste Michelle Brut Sparkling (New)
Grandma’s Recipes
- IMPOSSIBLE Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes with classic gravy and crispy shallots (New)
- Pumpkin Layered Cheesecake: Layers of New York-style cheesecake, pumpkin gooey cake, and graham cracker topped with spiced Chantilly and a chocolate decoration (New)
- Hummingbird Cocktail: Bourbon, créme de banana Liqueur, pineapple juice, banana purée, butter pecan syrup, cinnamon sugar, demerara, and vanilla bean garnished with a pineapple wedge (New)
- Blood Orange-Pom Limeade: Pomegranate and lime juices with cookie butter and blood orange syrups garnished with a lime wheel (New)
Merry Mashups
- Turkey Poutine: Layers of roasted turkey, sweet potato bites, cheese curds, and gravy topped with frosted cranberries (New)
- Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese: Esquites-inspired mac & cheese with carnitas, salsa macha, spiced puffed rice, freeze-dried corn, and chopped cilantro
- Spicy Apple Cider Margarita: Reposado tequila, apple cider, house-made ghost pepper-cinnamon syrup, raspberry syrup, and lime juice garnished with an apple chip (New)
Holiday Duets
- Southern Mac ‘n Cheese: Cajun-style mac & cheese with andouille sausage and spiced panko crunch (New)
- Pork Belly Adobo: Garlic fried rice with braised pork belly, chicharron pieces, and green onions
- Ceylon Splash: Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Black Tea, passion fruit juice, coconut syrup, and calamansi purée garnished with an edible purple orchid (New)(Non-alcoholic)
- Huckleberry Sake Sangria: Merlot, sake, huckleberry syrup, orange juice, and cinnamon syrup topped with sparkling water and garnished with an orange wheel (New)
A Twist on Tradition
- Curry Mac ‘n Cheese with cilantro oil and crispy garbanzos (New)
- Lox & Everything Bagel Nachos: Bagel chips, cream cheese, diced smoked salmon, everything spice, and mixture of onions, tomatoes, and capers
- Guava-Melon Lassi: Guava nectar, rock melon syrup, nonfat yogurt, and honey garnished with cinnamon whipped cream and honey-flavored cereal (New)
Brews & Bites
- IMPOSSIBLE Chorizo Queso Fundido topped with chopped cilantro served with house-made tortilla chips
- Two Coast Brewing Co. Saint Father Festbier: Authentic Oktoberfest Festbier; a Deep Golden Strong Lager with a robust body, a fine balance of spice, hints of floral notes, and a gentle bitterness (New)
- North Coast Brewing Red Seal Ale (Nitro): Full-bodied copper-red pale ale with notes of hops and a spicy finish (New)
- Stone Brewing Imperial Stout: Rich stout with notes of chocolate, coffee, black currants, anise, and roasted malts (New)
- Golden Road Brewing Christmas Cart Wheat Ale: Wheat ale bursting with bright cherries and spiced cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice (New)
- Brewery X Happy Holihaze Blood Orange Hazy IPA: Hazy IPA with simcoe, citra, and mosaic hops flavors and aromas of blood orange and citrus (New)
- Stereo Brewing Love Buzz Coffee Amber Ale: A coffee-forward, light-bodied amber ale with El Salvadorian coffee, whole vanilla beans, and a touch of sweetness with aromas of toffee and hazelnut with a smooth finish (New)
- Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA: Blend of cascade and centennial hops for aromas and flavors of citrus, pine, and floral notes (New)
- Alesmith Brewing Nut Brown Ale: Deep brown color with rich, malt-forward flavor with notes of biscuit, mild cocoa, and earthy hops (New)
- Ficklewood Ciderworks Bramblebark: A creamy and aromatic cider with blackberries and a touch of vanilla aged in Hungarian and French oak barrel (New)
- Juneshine Hard Kombucha Açaí Berry: Brewed with organic açaí and blueberries for a subtle earthiness (New)
- Allagash Brewing Curieux Bourbon Barrel-Aged Golden Ale: Notes of vanilla, caramel, oak, and hints of bourbon (New)
- Bottle Logic Pumpkin Spice Latte Stout: Fresh pastry stout with pumpkin, lactose, spices, and coffee (New)
- Seasonal Special Beer Flight: North Coast Brewing, Red Seal Ale, Stereo Brewing, Love Buzz Coffee Amber Ale, Alesmith Brewing, Nut Brown Ale, Bottle Logic, and Pumpkin Flavored Stout (New)
- Festive Favorites Beer Flight: Two Coast Brewing Co., Saint Father Brewery X Blood Orange Dictionary Hazy IPA Allagash Brewing, Curieux Barrel-Aged Golden Ale Stone Brewing, and Imperial Stout (New)
- Holiday Hoppiness Beer Flight: Ficklewood Ciderworks, Bramblebark Juneshine Hard Kombucha, Açaí Berry Golden Road Brewing, Christmas Cart Wheat Ale, and Sierra Nevada Celebration Fresh Hop IPA (New)
Winter Sliderland
- Holiday Ham Slider with cranberry-bacon jam and Gruyère on a salt and pepper brioche bun (New)
- Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll (New)
- Cherry-Mango Punch: Cherry syrup, mango, and peach nectars with lemon juice garnished with a frozen peach (New) (Non-alcoholic)
- Tiramisu Yule Log Cocktail: Vodka, hazelnut liqueur, oat milk, tiramisu syrup and chocolate bitters, garnished with Valrhona chocolate powder (New)
Visions of Sugar Plums
- Sweet Potato-stuffed Corn Muffin with red beans, rice, and green onions
- Chocolate Bourbon-flavored Tart made with TWIX cookie bar pieces: Layers of caramel and chocolate bourbon-flavored mousse made with TWIX cookie bar pieces (New)
- Cranberry-Chai Pisco Punch: South American Brandy, cranberry, and lemon juices with cranberry and chai syrups garnished with a lemon wheel (New)
- Piña-Hibiscus Mezcal Mule: Mezcal, pineapple-ginger-lemon purée, pineapple, lemon juices, hibiscus syrup, and ginger beer garnished with a pineapple wheel (New)
Available at all Festival of Holidays Marketplaces
- Purple Mickey Mouse Jingle Bell Glow Cube
Treats for Santa Cart
- Santa’s Milk & Cookies Hot Cocoa Inspired by the Disney+ series The Santa Clauses: Whole milk with flavors of cookies & cream and white chocolate topped with flavored whipped cream (New)
- Hot Buttered Rum: Rum, maple, hazelnut, Demerara sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salted caramel
- Cookie Decorating Kit: Mickey Mouse snowman cookie decorating kit (New)
Cocina Cucamonga (Mobile order available)
- Capirotada: Mexican bread pudding with raisins, peanuts, walnuts, and green apples topped with fresh bananas, sweetened condensed milk, and toasted coconut (New)
- Holiday Ponche: Holiday-spiced guava drink served with fresh fruit and sugar cane (New) (Non-alcoholic)
- Holiday Ponche Cocktail: Holiday-spiced guava drink served with fresh fruit, sugar cane, and a shot of tequila
Viva Navidad at Paradise Garden Grill
- IMPOSSIBLE Albondigas Soup: IMPOSSIBLE meatballs in a vegetable soup (New) (Plant-based offering)
- Loaded Yucca Fries topped with arbol chile cheese sauce, carne asada, guacamole, sour cream, and pickled red onion (New)
- Pozole Dip Torta: Pozole-braised pork torta with hominy spread, cabbage, radish, cilantro, and jalapeño served with a side of pozole consommé
- Chicken Tinga Arepa: Handmade arepa topped with refried beans, chicken Tinga, cabbage, avocado, and queso fresco (New)
- Chicken Tinga Burrito: Chicken Tinga, rice, and beans in a flour tortilla served with corn tortilla chips (New)
- Mango Tres Leches: Tres leches parfait with white cake and mango purée topped with caramel Chantilly, green whipped topping, and sprinkles (New)
- Watermelon Candy Cocktail: Tequila, watermelon schnapps, and pineapple juice with a Chamoy and chile-lime seasoned rim
Pacific Wharf Café (Mobile order available)
- Holiday Sandwich: Black Forest ham, whole-grain mustard spread, cranberry mayo, and arugula on a stuffing roll served with chips (New)
- Chicken Tortilla Soup with grilled corn, fresh onion, and cilantro topped with crispy tortilla strips and served in a bread bowl (New)
- Peppermint Bark Bread Pudding: White chocolate, chocolate chips and peppermint with whipped topping and crème anglaise (New)
Pacific Wharf Cappuccino Cart (Mobile order available)
- Caramel Toffee Horchata Cold Brew: House-made rice and cinnamon beverage flavored with toffee and finished with whipped topping, caramel drizzle, and toffee (New)
Pym Tasting Lab (Mobile order available)
- Snack Molecules: Mini pretzels, honey-roasted peanuts, and popped sorghum with winter flavors (New)
Smokejumpers Grill (Mobile order available)
- Loaded Latkes: Traditional latkes loaded with smoked brisket and topped with dairy-free horseradish cream and scallions
Sonoma Terrace (Mobile order available)
- Colombian Empanadas: Colombian-style beef empanadas, served with aji verde and cabbage salad tossed with cilantro dressing and escabeche (New)
- Mistletoe Mule: A twist on a classic mule with cranberry juice and agave garnished with a sprig of rosemary and a cape cranberry
Terran Treats (Mobile order available)
- Hot Chocolate Churro: Hazelnut chocolate, spicy chocolate streusel, and mini marshmallows (New)
Seasonal Outdoor Carts
- Gingerbread Cake topped with a molasses glaze, a gingerbread man, and sprinkles (New)
- Bean & Cheese Pupusa with a side of curtido and tomato sauce (New)
- Calidad Spiked Sparkling Agua Fresca: Sweet prickly pear and tangy pomegranate flavors (New)
Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2023 Sip and Savor pass
How much is the 2023 Festival of Holidays Sip and Savor pass?
The Festival of Holidays Sip and Savor Pass is $59 for regular park guests and discounted to $54 for Disneyland Magic Keyholders. That comes out to tabs costing you $7.38 for regular guests and $6.75 for Magic Key Holders.
If you were to purchase items individually they typically cost about $5-6 per item for sweets and $8 for savory items. Thus, the Sip and Savor pass is really only worth it if you are planning on eating mainly savory items.
Where can you buy the Sip and Savor pass at Disney California Adventure?
Though you’ll see a large line to purchase the Sip and Savor pass at the specific booths labeled selling the Sip and Savor passes, you do not have to wait through the inevitable line that will have formed here. The Sip and Savor passes are sold at locations throughout Disney California Adventure.
Sip and Savor passes are sold at:
- Sip and Savor Pass kiosks
- Each individual festival food booth
- Seaside Souvenirs next to Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
- Kingswell Camera Shop on Buena Vista Street
- Rushin’ River Outfitters next to Grizzly River Run
Best Food We Tried at 2023 Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays
During our sampling of food at the Festival of Holidays we had a couple of stand out dishes. As we try more dishes throughout the season we’ll add our favorites here. In general I find both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks at the booths to be a little too sweet for my taste so for this first round of reviews I just am covering food.
First up are sliders from Winter Sliderland. Both the Holiday Ham Slider with cranberry-bacon jam and Gruyère on a salt and pepper brioche bun and the Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll were both very good. I like the brisket slider more but also really like the cranberry-jam on the ham slider. This booth has been a favorite for all the years of the festival but this is the first time they have had these specific sliders. These might be my favorite at the Festival of Holidays.
Next was the Chocolate Bourbon-flavored Tart made with TWIX cookie bar pieces which was good and also had a kind of gooey Twix style base to the pie. Kids may not like the bourbon alcohol flavor of the tart, but I enjoyed it.
Above see the Turkey Poutine with Layers of roasted turkey, sweet potato bites, cheese curds, and gravy topped with frosted cranberries. I was actually on the fence about ordering this because I wasn’t sold on the mix with the cheese curds, but what was served was much closer to a traditional thanksgiving plate. The turkey pieces were plentiful and the sweet potato bites were very good. The tang of the cranberries provided a nice addition. The cheese curds were barely noticeable.
The Lox & Everything Bagel Nachos features smoked salmon but I was disappointed with the small amount of salmon on the dish and style of broken bagel chips. Not something that I would order again.
Though simple looking, the Sweet Potato-stuffed Corn Muffin with rice and beans was actually a great order and something I recommend. The muffin is moist and not too dry. The center of the muffin is a soft sweet potato filling. The rice and beans were an interesting addition but a good snack none the less.
The Loaded Latkes at Smoke Jumper’s Grill in Grizzly Peak Airfield are loaded with a lot of brisket meat and topped with dairy-free horseradish cream and scallions. The dish was surprisingly filling for it to be considered part of the Festival of Holidays. This is one of the dishes available at a counter service restaurant and not in one of the festival food booths. I still used my Sip and Savor pass to redeem for the dish.
Key Disneyland Festival of Holidays Food Tip – Order from one booth and pick up at another
The Festival of Holidays booths each have their own lines to order food. What most don’t realize is that you can actually order all of the food items that you want from the festival from one of the booths rather than going to each individual booth to order.
So, you should take a look at our above guide and mark down what items you are most interested in and then order them all at the same time from one booth. You’ll then be given a receipt with the items listed out. Don’t lose this receipt. You’ll use it redeem all of your food items from the various booths as you are ready to eat them. As you pickup items, the Cast Member at the pickup line will cross out the item.
At the other Festival of Holidays booths you’ll proceed directly to the pickup lines and skip the growing ordering lines.
Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays Entertainment
I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to be at Disneyland right now. The entire resort across both theme parks is BUZZING with musical acts and character performances. It feels like there is some live music or performance to see at every moment of your day.
The Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure feeds this frenzy of entertainment. There are a number of bands that perform throughout the day, a character cavalcade, and a character street show that you can’t miss.
First up, I’ll share more on what might be my favorite Christmas entertainment that’s part of the festival (it competes for the top spot with A Christmas Fantasy Parade).
Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party During Festival of Holidays
Tucked in the back corner of Disney California Adventure in the Paradise Gardens area the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! celebration is a ~12 minute high energy street party that occurs throughout the day. The show features authentic folklórico dancers, mariachis, Brazilian samba dancers, and drummers. The show also features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the three caballeros (Donald Duck, Panchito, and Jose) and two large Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets.
Throughout the twelve minutes there is a collection of authentic dances and music types. The show artfully mixes together Disney characters and the various music. The dancers are SO impressive and really put a ton of energy out there to give you a great show. Each performer is clad in a beautiful authentic costume. There are floats and bikers darting around the performance area at high speeds which just adds to the energy and excitment.
You can watch the finale of the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! show below.
You can watch the entire show on Youtube here.
The ¡Viva Navidad! area also features character meet and greets with favorite characters (including Mirabel from Encanto), special food items, and other live entertainment. This is a great addition to the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure.
Viewing Area Tip for Disney ¡Viva Navidad!
Right in the middle of the performance area there is a section that is marked off during the lead up to the show because the main float of the show has to turn in that spot and uses the area. Right after the float has turned (happens one minute in), this area opens up and is accessible for guests to view. This is also where the technical leads for the show stand to supervise. As is the rule for most shows, standing right near the director will provide a great central view of all the action.
So, the best way to get a good view for Disney ¡Viva Navidad! is to line up right next to this yellow line and then after the float turns and the Cast Member gives you the go ahead to move forward into this protected section. Stand right in front of Bayside Brews in the shade (the mid day sun can be hot even when in the winter) while you wait. This also allows you to walk up a little closer to showtime and still end up with a front row view.
Other Festival Entertainment – Live Music, Character Cavalcade
Mickey’s Happy Holidays is a character cavalcade that travels the length of the Disney California Adventure parade route featuring toy soldier drummers and some of your favorite Disney characters dressed in holiday gear. You’ll spot some characters that you wouldn’t usually see dressed up for the holidays – Mr. Incredible and Frozone from the Incredibles were sporting red and blue, respectively, Santa hats.
At other moments throughout the day, you’ll also encounter the toy soldier drummers performing in front of Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. These live drummers really bring the energy.
There are also other bands and musical acts representing the various different holidays and cultures that play throughout the event. Those include:
- Mariachi Divas – a supremely talented group of performers that put their own spin on holiday tunes
- Mostly Kosher – Eclectic blend of music that honors Hanukkah with music styles ranging from klezmer and jazz to Latin and rock
- Blue13 Dance Company – The group celebrates Diwali with traditional dances
- Phat Cat Swinger – Big band group that performs swinging holiday music with a twist
- The Mistletoes! – This a cappella vocal group celebrates both Christmas and Kwanzaa through rhythm and soul
- Tina and The Sounds of Celebration! – This group from Latin America fires up the crowd with Salsa, Merengue, Caribbean and Latin Rock music
These music groups provide an awesome atmosphere and are easy to walk up and enjoy at the festival stage in front of World of Color or in the Wine Country terrace area. Check the Disneyland daily entertainment schedule for times during your trip.
Meet Santa at Disney Festival of Holidays
Santa Claus meets guests in Disney California Adventure in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail. Santa will be here meeting guests until Christmas. That day he has to get back to the North Pole to get ready to deliver presents.
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