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 which makes each menu item $7 (normal pricing $5-$11+). Magic Keyholders price is about $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 Magic Key discount for the Sip & Savor Pass?
In the past AP holders could 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 2021-2022 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:
- Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese featuring Oaxaca and Cotija cheeses with spiced puffed rice
- Holiday Spiced Wings with citrus cranberries
- Holiday Mix
Viva Navidad at Paradise Garden Grill Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Chile Relleno Plate – Roasted poblano stuffed with veggie stew topped with roasted tomato sauce and tofu crema served with Spanish rice and black beans (plant-based)
- House-made Pozole – Mild red chile and pork stew with hominy topped with shredded cabbage, onions, radish, lime, and oregano served with tortilla chips (Sip and Savor Pass portion eligible)
- Torta al Pastor – Soft telera roll, chorizo beans, pork al pastor, cabbage, guacamole, and crema served with tortilla chips and molcajete salsa (Sip and Savor Pass eligible)
- Street-Style Tacos – Three corn tortilla tacos filled with carne asada, carnitas, and chicken with white onion and fresh cilantro served with Spanish rice and black beans topped with queso blanco (Sip and Savor Pass portion eligible)
- Pineapple Tres Leches Roulade – Vanilla sponge with layers of pineapple filling and cinnamon buttercream finished with white chocolate mousse and tres leches soak
- Kids’ Street-Style Tacos – Corn tortilla taco filled with choice of carne asada, carnitas, or chicken served with Spanish rice and black beans topped with queso blanco and choice of small lowfat milk or small DASANI Water
- Kids’ Cheese Quesadilla – A whole-wheat tortilla with melted cheese served with a mandarin orange and choice of small lowfat milk or small DASANI Water
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
- Beef Tamale with Red Sauce
- Guava and Cheese Pan Dulce – Guava and cheese pan dulce finished with a colorful chocolate sarape
- Maple-Hazelnut Hot Buttered Rum – Rum, maple syrup, and flavors of hazelnut, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove topped with a house-made salted-caramel whipped cream
Brews and Bites Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Impossible 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.
Holiday Duets Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Braised Pork Belly Adobo with Garlic Fried Rice
- Shrimp & Grits with Andouille Sausage
Drink Favorites:
- Pabana Cachaça Colada – Cachaça, passionfruit, banana, mango, coconut cream, and lime
- Calamansi Melon Lemonade – Calamansi, cantaloupe, and house-made lemonade
Grandma’s Recipes Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Impossible Arepa Encantada
- Gingerbread Mickey
Drink Favorites:
- Berries ‘n’ Crema – Huckleberry, strawberry, and raspberry house-made syrup, condensed and whole milk, and fruit-flavored cereal topped with house-made strawberry whipped cream
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 Bites with Russian Dressing & Rye Toast Crumble
Making Spirits Bright Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Cinnamon & Sugar Holiday Tart
- “Hot Cocoa” Marshmallow Macaron this is my favorite dessert of the entire holiday season!
Winter Sliderland Festival of Holidays Menu
Food Favorites:
- Nashville Hot Turkey Slider with dill pickle
Drink Favorites
- Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail – Bourbon, cranberry, orange, and cinnamon
- Prickly Pear Tea Lemonade – Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Black Tea (cold brew), prickly pear beverage syrup, and house-made lemonade
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?