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All the food, entertainment and more—we’re talking Disneyland Festival of Holidays. I’m ready to eat, shop and enjoy how about you?
Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays is better every year, and it’s not just about food. Festival of Holidays is a celebration spanning all of California Adventure park with so many things to highlight. But first, let’s start with a few Festival of Holidays FAQs.
Festival of Holidays at Disneyland Resort
Festival of Holidays celebrates the diversity of the season through “sights, sounds and tastes” incorporating Christmas, Navidad, Hanukkah, Diwali and Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day. While the holidays extend through both parks, Festival of Holidays is celebrated at Disney California Adventure Park.
Here’s some more quick details on Festival of Holidays:
- Festival of Holidays is celebrated throughout Disney California Adventure Park.
- Experience all the festivities November 8 through January 6, 2020.
- The festival is free with theme park admission, including all entertainment and activities.
- Food or drinks are an additional cost, but you can save with the Sip & Savor pass, more details on that below.
- Get discount Disneyland Resort tickets here and keep reading for more Festival details.
Festival of Holidays Sip & Savor Pass
Festival of Holidays Sip & Savor Pass gives you the opportunity to taste your way through Festival of Holidays. Choose your favorite food items, Festival of Holidays desserts or non-alcoholic beverages with the convenience of a pre-paid Sip & Savor Pass.
How much is a Sip & Savor Pass?
Sip & Savor Pass is $56 with 8 pre-paid food/drink vouchers which makes each menu item $7 (normal pricing $5-$11+). Annual Passholders price is $51 with 8 pre-paid food/drink vouchers which makes each menu item $6.37 (normal pricing $5-$11+). Buy your Sip & Savor Pass at Festival Merchandise Carts, Seaside Souvenirs, Kingswell Camera Shop, and Rushin’ River Outfitters. See all pricing here to see if this is a good deal for what you’d like to try.
Is there an AP discount for the Sip & Savor Pass?
Yes, Annual Passholders can purchase the Sip & Savor Pass at a $5 discount.
Can I share my Sip & Savor Pass?
Yes, you can purchase one Sip & Savor Pass for your group (but you might need 2 or more!), just keep the tabs intact and detach only when using it as payment for your items.
What is a Festival of Holidays Tasting Passport?
The tasting passport you’ve seen in my Facebook videos simply outline each Marketplace offerings, a map, photos and special details. The Tasting Passport is free and helps you keep track of things to try!
When do the Festival Foods Marketplace open?
The Festival Foods Marketplace opens daily at 10:30 am through January 8, 2019. Most signage in the parks and on the app says Festival of Holidays runs from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, but the food venues open at 10:30 am.
California Adventure Festival of Holidays Menu
A full 2019-2020 Festival of Holidays menu will be released soon, keep checking this article for more details. In 2018-2019, there were so many delicious foods and desserts to try.
I covered “Disneyland Holiday Desserts” in their entirety here. I’m also listing some of my favorite food items with hopes they’ll return this season. Twelve different marketplace booths are overloaded with food and drinks. Which one will you stop at first?
Merry Mashups Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Turkey & Stuffing Tamale – With Cranberry Relish, probably my favorite entree I tried. I love tamales and I finished this off completely.
- Pork al Pastor Naan Taco – With Pineapple Pico de Gallo and Cilantro-Lime Crema
- Churros Yule Log. I thought this was an excellent dessert, it was light and fluffy but not overwhelming. Even the frosting was good.
Drink Favorites:
- House-made Horchata
Viva Navidad at Paradise Garden Grill Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Burrito
- Plant-Based Chile Relleno
- Torta al Pastor
- Street-Style Tacos
- House-Made Pozole
- Kid’s Cheese Quesadilla
- Kid’s Street-Style Tacos
Bonus tip: order something from this location and sit close to the open air windows just before a performance of Viva Navidad. You’ll get front-row viewing and a place to sit and enjoy your meal.
Paradise Garden Seasonal Cart Festival of Holidays Menu
- Holiday Tamale, I tried the other tamale on the menu as mentioned above but I wish I could have tried this one too.
- Seasonal Empanada
Brews and Bites Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Chorizo Queso Fundido with House-made Tortilla Chips
Favorite Things Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Glazed Ham Shanks – With Honey Crumble
- Holiday Stuffing Mac & Cheese, I am usually underwhelmed with the Mac and Cheese options but this year they got the crunch on top right. This is pretty rich, so prepare to share with a friend or add in another item to balance it out.
- Gingerbread Mickey Cookie, I am always skeptical about gingerbread cookies but Disney knows their stuff! They’re moist and delicious, not hard and brittle.
Drink Favorites:
- S’mores Frozen Chocolate Milk (Non-Alcoholic)
Holiday Duets Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Braised Pork Belly Adobo – With garlic fried rice
- Shrimp & Grits – With Andouille sausage
- Holiday Mickey and Minnie Cookies
Drink Favorites:
- Churro Toffee Cold Brew (Non-Alcoholic)
Visions of Sugarplums Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Eggnog Wreath Éclair with White Chocolate Icing
- Horchata Fudge
Drink Favorites:
- S’mores Frozen Chocolate Milk with House-made Toasted Marshmallow-infused Whipped Cream, Graham Cracker Crumble and Chocolate Drizzle (non-alcoholic). They ran out of this when I was there, so go early if this is a must-try!
Blissfully Braised Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Braised Pork Belly Adobo with Garlic Fried Rice
Grandma’s Recipes Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Shepherd’s Upside-down Pie (Plant-Based)
- Curried Cauliflower & Chicken – With lemon tahini sauce and black garlic drizzle
Drink Favorites:
- Navidad Punch (Non-Alcoholic)
Spicy Celebrations Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Jalapeño Latkes with Chipotle Crema
- Chocolate Chipotle Pot de Crème
A Twist on Tradition Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Reimagined Beef Wellington, want to encourage your kids to try new foods? Maybe this Mickey shaped dish will do the trick!
- Reuben Potato Tots with Russian Dressing and Rye Toast
Making Spirits Bright Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Caramelized Apple Cake – With Crème Anglaise and Salted Caramel Sauce. I tried this side by side with the macaron and there’s a clear winner here . . . keep reading to find out!
- Hot Cocoa Marshmallow Macaron (Gluten-Friendly), this is my favorite dessert of the entire holiday season!
Winter Sliderland Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Fried Turkey Slider – With cranberry sauce, I thought this was decent. Not a huge winner but not a bust. I would have liked a thicker cranberry sauce as this was more of a glaze.
- Beef Pot Roast – Served on a potato roll with horseradish cream
Drink Favorites
- Warm Peppermint Chocolate Float (Non-Alcoholic), this photo is from last year, they’ve changed the topping up a bit but the deliciousness remains the same.
Festival of Holidays Entertainment
There is so much going on during the merriest season of the year, it’s not just all food! From character meet and greets to live performances and interactive fun—you’ll want to dedicate a day or two to do it all.
Mickey’s Happy Holidays
New in 2019, Mickey’s Happy Holidays is a cute and festive way to see your favorite Disney and Pixar characters.
The show starts in Paradise Gardens Park and then makes its way to Carthay Circle. I really enjoyed the location in front of Carthay Circle best. I found it to be less crowded, you can show up even a few minutes before it begins and have excellent viewing without the blinding sunlight at Paradise Gardens Park.
See the video performance of Mickey’s Happy Holidays on my Facebook page.
Disney Parks Blog’s Shawn Slater also shares, “twice daily, a cheerful celebration featuring favorite Disney and Pixar characters enters the park to a mix of high-energy music, as you’re invited to dance along with Mickey Mouse and pals to the magically merry rhythms of the Holiday Toy Drummers. Look for them at the Paradise Gardens Park Obelisk and Carthay Circle, where everyone can sing and dance along!”
Holiday Sunset Concerts & More
New in 2019, located on Palisades Stage feature various live bands playing favorite selections of holiday music throughout the day and early afternoon.
Returning performances by Blue13 Dance Company (Indian folk dances and Bollywood), Mostly Kosher (Klezmer, Jazz and Rock & Roll), The Sound celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa (A cappella), Toy Drummers and the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas.
Want to hear more music from Disneyland Resort as you prep for your holiday visit? This Disney Festival of Holidays playlist is what you’ll hear in the background when strolling through Festival of Holidays. There’s samplings from familiar tunes celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings’ Day. There’s also tons of live music throughout the day.
Disney Viva Navidad
I love this show so much, I felt it deserved its very own article. Watch a video preview and read all about Viva Navidad Street Party and why it’s bound to become a favorite of yours as well.
Meet Santa Claus at Festival of Holidays
Round out your Holiday experience with a visit from our favorite North Pole resident. Santa Claus himself heads to Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for meet and greets throughout the day. Read all my “meeting Santa tips” for less wait and more fun here.
It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year! Catch all my holiday articles here, along with my holiday video playlist featuring snippets from all the things mentioned in this article. I want to hear from you. What’s number one on your list for Festival of Holidays?