It’s always a great time to visit the Disneyland Resort with exciting experiences constantly happening year-round. The best time of the year for foodies to make a trip to the resort has to be during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. This celebration of Californian cuisine features innovative food, beverages, and pairings created with a magical Disney twist. Each year the park fills with California-inspired cuisine and specialty beverages, along with cooking demonstrations, seminars, music, hands-on entertainment and more. This year the festival takes place from February 28 through April 21. Admission to the festival is included in the cost of your park ticket, but select experiences, as well as food and beverage from the festival marketplaces, must be purchased at an additional cost.

Festival Marketplaces

This festival’s main attractions are the food and beverage offerings and they certainly don’t disappoint! Guests attending the festival will have the opportunity to sample dishes inspired by California ingredients and drinks from across the state. Guests can look forward to ingredients like avocados, berries, citrus, peppers and artisanal cheeses expertly crafted into delicious small bites. Guests 21 and older can enjoy the Festival Beer Garden located in Paradise Gardens offering a variety of local craft and brewed beers, as well as cocktails served at Sonoma Terrace. At last year’s festival, you also had the option of ordering your food at any booth and skipping the line at the booth for the item you wanted. You would just pay and then walk to the booth that had the food you ordered, show them the receipt, and they would give you your food! You can check out the full lineup of this year’s offering by clicking here.

Sip and Savor Pass

If you’re wanting to try as many of the delectable offerings as possible at this year’s festival, you’ll want to grab a Sip and Savor Pass. This pass works like a “frequent-eater” card and comes on a collectible lanyard. Each pass allows a guest to try 8 food or beverage items (excluding alcohol) from participating festival locations. Last year’s pass sold for $54 per person ($49 with Annual Pass). This year’s cost has not been announced yet, but we will update this guide when it is. Sip and Savor passes can be purchased at various locations in the park. Check your park map and times guide for exact locations.

Culinary Demonstrations and Seminars

If simply eating and drinking your way through the festival isn’t enough for you, there are also opportunities to learn how to create some of California’s best dishes. A number of culinary demonstrations are held throughout the festival at the Backlot Stage in Hollywoodland. These demonstrations feature celebrity and award-winning chefs sharing tips, tricks, and cooking techniques. Demonstrations happen on Saturdays and Sundays during the festival and are included in your park admission. Check your park map and times guide for current times.

• Saturday, February 29 – Celebrity Chef Brian Malarkey
• Sunday, March 1 – Alex Flores, Chef de Cuisine, Carthay Circle Restaurant, Signature Dining
• Saturday, March 7 – Celebrity Chef Nyesha Arrington
• Sunday, March 8 – Gracie Gomez, Pastry Sous Chef, Disneyland Resort
• Saturday, March 14 – Celebrity Chef, Restauranteur, and Author Richard Blais
• Sunday, March 15 – Amy Benson, Chef, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• Saturday, March 21 – Celebrity Chef and Actor David Burtka
• Sunday, March 22 – Johnny Sequro, Area Chef, Lamplight Lounge
• Saturday, March 28 – Celebrity Chef and Restauranteur Wing Lam
• Sunday, March 29 – Jorge Sotelo, Executive Pastry Chef, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Saturday, April 4 – Celebrity Chef Shaun O’Neale
• Sunday, April 5 – Marcel St. Pierre, Chef de Cuisine, Disneyland Hotel
• Saturday, April 11 – Celebrity Chef and Restauranteur Jet Tila
• Sunday, April 12 – Markus Meza, Disneyland Resort Candy Maker
• Saturday, April 18 – Celebrity Chef, Radio Host, and Lifestyle Expert Jamie Gwen
• Sunday, April 19 – Chris Maggetti, Executive Chef of Disneyland Park and Gary Maggetti, General Manager, Disney California Adventure Park

Family Time

Guests can get the whole family in on the joy of cooking at a special demonstration hosted by Chef Daniella Malfitano. Families will learn how to turn each delicious minute into an opportunity to connect with loved ones. Each seminar lasts roughly 30 minutes and can be enjoyed on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the festival.

Jr. Chef

Aspiring young chefs can get a hands-on culinary experience at the festival’s Jr. Chef seminar. At this fun experience, Chef Goofy leads kids through measuring and combining ingredients to teach them about the techniques of cooking. After popping their concoction into a “magic oven” each participant is given a wrapped, ready-to-eat baked treat. As anyone who’s ever baked with a child knows, it can get messy, so be prepared! Jr. Chef seminars happen on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the festival on the Backlot Stage. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis and kids must be between the ages of 3 and 11 to participate. Children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by a guest 14 or older.

Festival Signature Events

Guests of the festival can enhance their experience with one of Disney’s signature events for this year. These events are meant to expand guests’ palate and culinary knowledge with some of the finest cuisine in the Golden State. These experiences require an extra fee and advanced reservations. Spots can fill up fast, so we recommend making your reservation as soon as possible.

Winemaker Dinner at Steakhouse 55

Steakhouse 55 will host a one-of-a-kind winemaker dinner tailored to sophisticated epicureans and oenophiles alike. Chef Marcel St. Pierre and his team will whip up a gourmet meal expertly paired with wines from around California. Head winemaker Nate Weis will guide attendees through each wine’s journey from grape to glass.

• March 18, 2020
• 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• $175 per person—includes tax and gratuity (discounts do not apply)
• Includes 5 hours of valet parking at the Disneyland Hotel (validation required)
• Alcohol will only be served to Guests 21 and older with a valid government-issued photo ID

Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions

Disney California Adventure’s premier restaurant, Carthay Circle will host 3 special nights highlighting wines from different California vintners. The evening will also include carefully selected menus to enhance the flavor of the wine. Guest presenters from each winery will provide background and tasting notes. Valid theme park admission is required. Guests must be 21 or older to attend.

Skywalker Vineyards (Friday, March 20)
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
$110 per person—plus tax and gratuities

Fess Parker Winery (Friday, March 27)
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
$110 per person—plus tax and gratuities

Silverado Vineyards (Friday, April 10)
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
$110 per person—plus tax and gratuities

Wine, Beer and Mixology Education & Tasting

Festival attendees have the opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s best winemakers, sommeliers, brewmasters, cicerones, distillers, and mixologists. These masters will lead special drink seminars throughout the festival letting guests Dive into the world of craft beers, house-made cocktails, and wines.

Wine Education & Tasting Seminars

• Sonoma Terrace at Golden Vine Winery
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• February 28 through April 21, 2020
• 12:30 PM or 5:00 PM
• $25.00 per person (tax included)

Beer Education & Tasting Seminars

• Sonoma Terrace at Golden Vine Winery
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• February 28 through April 21, 2020
• 3:00 PM
• $25.00 per person (tax included)

Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars

• The Vineyard Room at Wine Country Trattoria
• Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
• February 28 through April 21, 2020
• 1:30 PM, 4:00 PM or 6:30 PM
• $25.00 per person (tax included)

Disney Culinary Adventure Tour

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes for Disney to put on a massive festival like Food & Wine, you can get a behind the scenes look at this tour. The experience features a walking expedition that explores the various elements necessary to create the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. This separately ticketed, 90-minute event includes a backstage visit to the Special Events Kitchen, where a guest chef demystifies the process of planning the Festival’s delectable dishes and festival offerings.

• March 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26
• April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16
• 1:30 PM
• $99 per person (tax not included)
• Meet at the Carthay Circle Theater entrance

Merchandise

Guests can purchase a number of souvenirs and collectibles from the festival. Shirts, hats, water bottles, ornaments, and other gifts emblazoned with the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will be available at various locations in the park. There will also be a selection of Annual Passholder merchandise as well. Festival merchandise can be found at the following locations:

• Studio Store
• Elias & Co.
• Festival Gifts, near The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
• Festival Merchandise Carts
• Trolley Treats (Annual Passholder product only)

Festival gift cards will be available for guests wishing to streamline their tasting experience. These gift cards come on an elastic wrist band allowing for easy retrieval, and maximum snacking! Festival gift cards can be purchased at the following locations:

• Oswald’s
• Elias & Co.
• Trolley Treats
• Off the Page
• Laod Bhang’s Pin Traders Cart
• Festival Merchandise Carts

Food Kitchens

Nuts About Cheese Marketplace

• Fiscalini White Cheddar Lager Soup served in a Mini Boudin® Sourdough Bowl (Vegetarian)
• Impossible™ Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese (Vegetarian)
• Oikos® Greek Yogurt Banoffee Tart
• Honey Bourbon Lemonade (Alcoholic)

Uncork California Marketplace

• California Artisan Cheese with Central Coast Creamery Holey Cow Swiss and Vintage Cheese Co. Cabernet Cheddar (Vegetarian)
• White Wine Flight 
  • Malibu Rocky Oaks, Sauvignon Blanc, California
  • Rombauer, Chardonnay, Carneros
  • Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sofia, Rosé, Monterey County
• Red Wine Flight
  • Erath, Pinot Noir, Oregon
  • The Prisoner, Red Blend, Napa Valley
  • Quilt, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley
• Road Trip Mimosa Trio
  • Pacific Mimosa
  • Mojave Mimosa
  • Sierra Mimosa
• Chandon Brut, Sparkling Wine, California

Golden Dreams Marketplace

• Brunch Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich with Mimosa-inspired Slaw and OJ Bubbles
• Seared Verlasso® Salmon with Lemon Pea Purée, Black Rice and Meyer Lemon Relish (Gluten-Friendly)
• Strawberry-Rose Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)
• Fig & Lavender Cold Brew (Non-Alcoholic)

California Craft Brews Marketplace

• Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls 
• Triple B Cocktail with Beer, Bourbon and Berries (Alcoholic)
• Beer Flight – Fun with Flavor
  • Mother Earth Orange Vanilla Cali Creamin’ Ale
  • Black Market Cucumber Sour
  • Golden Road Strawberry and Pomegranate Balboa Blonde Ale
  • Aftershock Guavaaah! Hazy Pale Ale
• Beer Flight – Bigger & Bolder
  • Bootlegger’s Rocco Red Ale
  • Stereo Perfect Day IPA
  • Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing Hazy IPA
  • Karl Strauss® Wreck Alley Imperial Stout
• Backstreet La Calleja Mexican-style Lager
• Boomtown Ingenue Belgian White
• Divine Science Event Horizon Blonde (Gluten-Friendly)
• JuneShine Acai Berry Hard Kombucha (Gluten-Friendly)
• Meiomi, Rosé, California
• MacMurray Ranch, Pinot Noir, Central Coast
• Joel Gott, Cabernet Sauvignon, California

One in a Melon Marketplace

• Compressed Watermelon and Tomato with Whipped Ricotta and Lemon Olive Oil (Vegetarian, Gluten-Friendly)
• Poke-style Watermelon with Cucumber (Plant-Based, Gluten-Friendly)
• Pabana Cream Puff with Mango, Passion Fruit and Banana Mousse
• Berry Mule (Alcoholic)
• House-made Watermelon Agua Fresca (Non-Alcoholic)

Peppers Cali-Ente Marketplace

• Creamy Poblano Pepper Pasta (Vegetarian)
• Grilled Shrimp Tacos on Jicama Tortillas (Gluten-Friendly)
• Cantarito-style Paloma (Alcoholic)
• Annabella, Chardonnay Special Selection, Napa Valley

LA Style Marketplace

• Asian-style Beef Barbacoa Street Tacos
• Smoked Bacon Barbecue Beef Loco Moco on Rice (Gluten-Friendly)
• Monkey Bread with Caramel Whiskey Glaze and Candied Pecans (Contains trace amounts of alcohol)
• Amaretto Stout-Cream Cold Brew (Alcoholic) 
• Blue Angeleno Cocktail (Alcoholic)

Avocado Time Marketplace

• Petite Impossible™ Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack (Vegetarian)
• Tortilla-crusted Fried Guacamole with Carne Asada
• Mezcal Cocktail (Alcoholic)
• Chapman Crafted Slow Riser with Coconut, Red Ale on Nitro 

Off the Cob Marketplace

• Mini Chicken Chimis with Chimichurri Corn Pico de Gallo and Chipotle Crema
• Shrimp and Braised Corn with Chorizo (Gluten-Friendly)
• Mickey-shaped Caramel-Peanut-Milk Chocolate Macaron
• Fields & Orchards with Elderflower and Artichoke Liqueurs  (Alcoholic)
• Farmstand Punch (Non-Alcoholic)

I  Love Artichokes Marketplace

• Fried Artichokes with Lemon Aïoli (Vegetarian)
• Artichoke Toast with Artichoke Cream Cheese and Olive & Artichoke Tapenade (Vegetarian)
• Lolea, Red Sangria, Spain
• Brooklyn Brewery Special Effects Non-Alcoholic Lager (Alcohol regulations apply)

Cluck-A-Doodle-Moo Marketplace

• Ranch Fried Chicken Wings with Buffalo Hot Sauce Drizzle
• French Onion Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider
• Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch
• Kronenbourg 1664 Blanc Witbier (Limited-Time Offering)
• Craft Micheladas, Beers, and Flights
  • Pizza Port Honey Blonde Golden Ale
  • Golden Road Pineapple Cart Wheat Ale
  • Lost Coast Watermelon Wheat
  • King Harbor Cerveza Hermosa Mexican Amber Lager

Berry Patch Marketplace

• Raspberry-Lychee-Rose Custard with Mixed Berry Compote
• Oikos® Greek Yogurt California Berries Summer Pudding (Contains trace amounts of alcohol)
• Blue Marble Berry Hard Seltzer (Alcoholic)
• Blue Marble Tropical Hard Seltzer (Alcoholic)
• Ruby Citrus Sparkler (Non-Alcoholic)

Garlic Kissed Marketplace

• Black Garlic Soy-braised Pork Belly Banh Mi
• Carbonara Garlic Mac & Cheese with Nueske’s® Bacon
• Aperol Cocktail (Alcoholic)
• Wither Hills, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Paradise Garden Grill

• Impossible™ Meatball Submarine (Plant-Based)
• Beer-battered Fish Tacos, with Karl Strauss® Follow the Sun Pilsner-infused Batter 
• Buffalo-style Roasted Turkey Leg with Celery Slaw and Blue Cheese (Gluten-Friendly)
• Brisket Sliders
• Brisket Fries
• Black Forest Parfait 
• Watermelon Vodka Lemonade (Alcoholic, Gluten-Friendly)
• Matanzas Creek, Sauvignon Blanc, Sonoma County
• Deschutes Pacific Wonderland Lager
• Sudwerk Märzen Amber Lager
• Berry Spectacular Cookie Shake (Non-Alcoholic)

Paradise Beer Garden 

• Smog City Little Bo Pils Unfiltered Pilsner
• Ayinger Bräuweisse Hefeweizen
• Chihuahua Guava Lime Suprema Low-Cal Lager
• 2 Towns Outcider Hard Cider
• Karl Strauss® Practice What You Peach Sour
• Bottle Logic Marceline Muffin Blueberry Imperial Blonde
• Enegren Valkyrie Alt Bier
• Figueroa Mountain Point Conception IPA
• Lost Winds Whirlpool Galaxy Double IPA 
• Allagash Black Stout
• Twisted Horn Raven’s Claw Apple & Boysenberry Mead
• Founders Backwoods Bourbon Barrel-aged Scotch Ale

Outdoor Vending Carts 

• Savory Empanada with Chipotle Crema Sauce
• Sweet Empanada with Caramel Sauce

Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta

• Chocolate-Hazelnut Cheesecake

Hollywood Lounge

• Leading Role Lemonade – Gin with Lavender Lemonade (Alcoholic)
• Opening Night Cocktail – Banana Whiskey with Cream Soda (Alcoholic)
• Movie Star Mule – Whiskey with Black Cherry and Ginger Ale (Alcoholic)
• On Location Libation – Stone Peak Conditions IPA with POG juice (Alcoholic)
• Backlot Michelada – Tomato-based Michelada with Modelo (Alcoholic)
• Modelo Especial Lager
• Hangar 24 Passion Punch Gose
• Stone Peak Conditions Hazy Double IPA
• Honest Abe Limoncello Hard Cider
• Bottle Logic Emerald City Raspberry Piña Colada Hard Seltzer
• Supporting Role Lemonade – Lavender Lemonade (Non-Alcoholic)

Hollywood Churro Cart

• Churro topped with Peanut Butter Cream, Chocolate Icing and Chopped Peanuts

Schmoozies!

• Almond Mocha Shake
• Almond Mocha Affogato

Sonoma Terrace

• California Cheesesteak
• Italian Meatball Sandwich
• Bavarian Pretzel with Cheese Sauce
• Triple Chocolate Brownie 
• Sandy Beach – Green Apple Vodka with flavors of Sea Salt Caramel (Alcoholic)
• Catalina Island – Vodka and Passion Fruit with flavors of Raspberry Lemonade and Lime (Alcoholic)
• Sparkling Greyhound – Vodka with flavors of Grapefruit, Chamomile and Cardamom (Alcoholic)
• Pineapple Passion – White Rum with flavors of Pineapple and Passion Fruit (Alcoholic)
• Firestone Walker Rosalie Beer Rosé 
• Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Sofia, Brut Rosé, Monterey County
• Chandon Brut, Sparkling Wine, California
• Selection of Craft Beers and Ciders

Pacific Wharf Coffee Cart

• Tropicalifornia Tea Cocktail with Berry Vodka, Green Tea, Pineapple and Orange Juices (Alcoholic)
• Fruitful Green Tea with Berry, Pineapple and Orange Juices (Non-Alcoholic)

Pacific Wharf Distribution Company

• Karl Strauss® Crazy Eyes Doppelbock

Downtown Disney District Offerings

Ballast Point Brewing Co.

• Impossible™ Lettuce Cups With Impossible™ Protein, Peppers, Hoisin, Sriracha, Garlic, Lime, Fresno Chilies and Hydroponic Lettuce
• The Ballast Point Burger: 8 Oz Kobe & Chuck Blend Patty, Sharp Cheddar, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, House-made Pickles, and Ballast Point Remoulade on a Brioche Bun served with Fries
• Cioppino: PEI Mussels, Fish of the Day, Argentinean Shrimp, Spanish Chorizo, Stewed Tomatoes, Chili Flakes, Oregano, Crème Fraiche, Chili Thread, House-Made Pasta and Grilled Baguette
• All Three Paired with Designated Beer Flight 

Catal Restaurant

• Smoked Salmon Crostini: Whipped Ricotta, Smoked Salmon and Basil Pesto
• Burrata: Burrata, Prosciutto, and Balsamic Gastrique
• Hand-shucked Oysters with Champagne and Black Pepper Mignonette

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen

• Creole Cobbler with Beefeater Gin, Santhenay Crème de Peche, Fresh Lemon Juice, and Orange Bitter

If you need help planning your perfect vacation, contact our friends at Key to the World Travel® for a free, no-obligation quote for your next trip. Click here.

Photos Courtesy Disney