Most Important Tip for Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will be starting soon, offering delicious foods, special educational and tasting seminars, Disneyland Resort Hotel events, the return of Soarin' Over California, and more. This festival is what makes Disneyland in Spring one of the best times of the year to visit, and visitors are eagerly looking forward to it!

See our review of the Best Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Foods 2024 for a ranking of all of the marketplace offerings we tried this year.

One of the biggest draws of the Disney California Food and Wine Festival is the special foods offered at each Festival Marketplace inspired by California-grown ingredients. From the return of favorites like the Mickey-shaped Macaron made with SNICKERS bar pieces from Nuts About Cheese to new additions like the Cheeseburger Bao from California Craft Brews, there are so many great foods to enjoy.

In preparation for the Food & Wine Festival, we will share our number one tip for making the most of your time when ordering food. Keep reading for everything you need to know!

Most Important Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Tip

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Marketplaces

There is one important tip that is essential for navigating the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival: order from one marketplace and pick up at another. Some don't realize that you can actually order from any of the marketplace booths at the festival and then use your receipt to go to the other locations and pick your food up.

Food & Wine Festival ordering sign

For the most effective way to do this, we recommend first looking to see which food items most interest you (see them listed out in our Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Guide) and then marking them on our Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival printable before your trip.

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival empanada

When you're ready to order on the day of your visit, you'll want to find the marketplace booth with the shortest line and order all of your food items here by either purchasing them or redeeming coupons on your Sip and Savor Pass. If you are considering whether or not to get one of these passes during the festival, see our guide to the Sip and Savor Pass for everything you need to know.

Snickers Mickey-shaped Macaron

Then, make sure to hold onto your receipt (this is how you will redeem your items!) and go to pick up each of the food items you ordered at the other booths across the park when you are ready to eat them. You'll wait in the pickup line and hand your receipt to a Cast Member, who will mark off each food item to indicate it's been picked up and then give your receipt back to you.

Peppers Cali-Ente

With this strategy, you can avoid long ordering lines and save the hassle of needing to put in separate orders for each food item. Make sure you have the festival map available so that you can effectively plan your walking route when picking up your food items—you might be passing one of the marketplace booths on the way back from an attraction or on the way to another booth, so it's worth familiarizing yourself with the map to get your bearings.

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Disclosure: We have used all the products recommended on Mickey Visit. We may receive compensation when you click on links to some products featured.

About Emily Midgley

Emily Midgley is a writer from San Diego, California. She was introduced to Disneyland when she was two and has been in love with all things Disney ever since! At Mickey Visit, she will keep you updated with the latest news from the Disney Parks and provide helpful planning content for your vacation. Her favorite rides at Disneyland are Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout, Space Mountain, and Rise of the Resistance. She loves Marvel (especially Guardians of the Galaxy) and lives and breathes anything to do with Star Wars.

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