Last updated on November 7th, 2024 at 04:39 pm
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 early November through early January.
- 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 about $56 with 8 pre-paid food/drink vouchers. You can also buy a Sip and Savor with 4 pre-paid options if you’re only doing one day at California Adventure.
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 Magic Key discount for the Sip & Savor Pass?
Yes, Magic Key Holders usually get a small discount and a special lanyard for their Sip and Savor.
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. 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.
Festival of Holidays Menu
The full 2024 Festival of Holidays menu is here!
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?
A Twist on Tradition
- Barbecue Pulled Pork Cornbread Bake with creamy slaw
- Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider with herb mayo and cranberry marmalade
Brews & Bites
- Chicken Chicharrón with basmati rice, herb chutney and masala drizzle
Favorite Things
- Braised Pork Belly Adobo with garlic rice
Grandma’s Recipes
- Barbacoa Tamal de Res with Oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa and crema
Holiday Duets
- Chorizo Queso Fundido Mac & Cheese with tortilla crunch
- Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese with herb breadcrumbs, sour cream, and chives
- The Holiday Duet: A half portion of each mac & cheese
Winter Sliderland
- Al Pastor Pork & Pineapple Slider on corn brioche
- Beef Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll
Merry Mashups
- Holiday Mash Bowl: Chicken, cheddar mashed potatoes, and turkey gravy with cranberry stuffing crunch
More locations . . .
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta
- Holiday Pizza: Roasted turkey with roasted butternut squash, cranberries, arugula, fig jam, and cranberry sauce
Corn Dog Castle
- Holiday Stuffing Corn Dog dipped in seasoned corn batter, fried to a golden brown, and topped with cranberry-mustard sauce
Paradise Garden Grill
- Chilaquiles Carnitas Torta: Red chilaquiles, refried beans, avocado spread, queso fresco, pickled onions, and a fried egg served with chips
- Esquite Loaded Chips: Chile lime chips smothered in corn kernels, cotija cheese, chile-lime seasoning, and crema
- Plant-based Huarache with soy-based chorizo beans and seasoned steak tips with lettuce, cheese, avocado crema, and tomatillo salsa served with Spanish rice and refried beans topped with nopales pico de gallo (Plant-based)
- Chile Verde Chicken Flautas topped with avocado spread, shredded lettuce, crema, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa, and pickled onions served with Spanish rice and refried beans
- Al Pastor Tacos: Pineapple-achiote-marinated pork with avocado spread and tomatillo salsa, served with Spanish rice and refried beans, and topped with queso fresco
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
Returning this year, 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
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?
