Thank you to Disneyland for the Sip and Savor Pass I won during the AWEsome Retreat conference! Be sure to check out how to get your discounted Disneyland tickets through my Get Away Today affiliate links below.
Last weekend, I had the chance to go to Disney California Adventure. We’ve been there a lot- even as recently as January- but we’ve never had the chance to enjoy the special event going on now: the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival!
Every Spring {this year the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival dates are March 3-April 25} several specialty food and beverage offerings are available at Disney California Adventure for a limited time only. There is no additional fee required to enjoy the festival, you just pay for whatever items you’d like. It’s every foodie’s dream, and below are some tips that will help you get the absolute most out of your experience!
Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Sip and Savor Pass
One of the best tips I can give you if you plan on optimizing your time at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is to get a Sip and Savor Pass.
The pass costs $59 {Annual Passholders get a discount} and it allows you to purchase 8 food or beverage items {excluding alcohol} from any of the festival booths. This can be a decent savings if you make sure to use it on items that are over $7.38 each, which is the majority of the food items.
Important: When you purchase a Sip and Savor Pass, you’ll be given a lanyard with the pass on it, and 8 stubs attached to it. Make sure you do NOT remove those stubs until you’re paying for your food or beverages as they need to be attached to the pass to be valid.
That means you can’t tear one off to give to someone else in your party who is ordering from a different booth, but that’s okay- that leads me to my next hack!
Time-Saving Hack: Skip Long Lines
During the festival, some of the booths can be pretty busy. Each booth is set up to have a cashier who will give you a receipt that you will hand to the people working in the kitchen section of the booth.
Because of this set-up, you can actually purchase your Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival food and beverage selections from any booth- regardless of where they actually make and hand out that food.
That means if Avocado Time has a long line but you really want to try something there {like the Plant-Based Tacos Al Pastor Tacos}, you can head to any less crowded booth to pay for your food- whether you’re using cash or a Sip and Savor Pass. Then bring your receipt to Avocado Time to be fulfilled.
This can end up saving you a lot of time as some of the booths get really crowded! {And yes, Disney endorses this- since I originally published this hack in 2019, they’ve started posting signs for it at some festivals as well!}
Pick up Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Merchandise
If you want your experience to last beyond your journey home, you can pick up a selection of really fun Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival merchandise to bring home with you! They have lots of food-related items you can bring home to add a touch of Disney magic to your own kitchen all year long. They also come out with new Food & Wine Festival exclusive Minnie ears every year- like these ones from 2019!
You can find these items throughout Disney California Adventure Park- look for them at the Studio Store, Festival Gifts {near The Little Mermaid- Ariel’s Undersea Adventure ride}, Festival Merchandise Carts, and Seaside Souvenirs.
Ride Soarin’ Over California
To celebrate the California-ness of it all, Soarin’ Over the World becomes Soarin’ Over California {the original overlay of the ride} during the Food & Wine Festival.
It’s the same ride as usual but with different locations to soar over, and new scents to smell! If you haven’t ridden it before or if you prefer it to the usual one, make sure you make a point of riding this while you can!
Let the Kids Become Chefs at the Alice’s Wonderland Barkery Unbirthday Party!
Kids ages 3-11 can get into the foodie spirit by celebrating with Disney Junior’s Alice’s Wonderland Bakery! This hands-on cupcake decorating experience is led by a host and features Alice and Princess Rosa from the hit Disney Junior show.
You can find this fun family activity during Disney California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival on the Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land. Note that participation is very limited so if this is a must-do on your list, you’ll need to get to a showtime early to sign up! {See times on the Disneyland app for info!}
Watch Culinary Demonstrations by Pro Chefs
Fridays through Sundays throughout the festival, you can watch culinary demonstrations on the Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land! Samples are not served at this event, but you’ll have the chance to watch some of the best chefs around share their go-to recipes and insider tips. See the full schedule here– no reservations are required and these events are free!
Attend Bookable Experiences
There are other special events during the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival that do cost an additional fee. These include:
Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions
Enjoy hand-selected California wines, masterfully paired with an array of small plates.
Wine, Beer and Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars
Discover something special when sommeliers, brew masters and mixologists divulge their industry expertise during these fascinating 45-minute sessions.
Hotel Winemaker & Mixology Class Experiences
Enjoy a special Winemaker Reception and Trader Sam’s Tiki Mixology Class.
You can check out the full schedule and get your tickets here.
Dairy-Free/Vegan Options at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival
This year the Food & Wine Festival came prepared with plenty of Plant Based options on the menu!
Paradise Garden Grill
Paradise Garden Grill is not one of the Festival Booths, but rather an actual restaurant. They do have some special dishes that are limited-time offerings only for the Food & Wine festival, which are the ones listed below.
All of these items are Plant-Based, and three of them {Bulgogi Fried Rice, Impossible Gyro Fries, and Buffalo Mac and Cheese} can be ordered as a tasting portion, whether you’re using a Sip and Savor Pass or not.
Torta de Chilaquiles: Fresh-made Telera Bread with Green Chilaquiles, Chorizo Beans, Chipotle Crema, Pickled Onions, Cilantro and Avocado Spread {Plant-Based}
Bulgogi Fried Rice: with Kimchi, Egg, Pickled Cucumbers, Green Onions and Sesame Seeds {Plant-Based}
Buffalo Mac and Cheese: topped with Roasted Buffalo Cauliflower, Ranch and Carrot & Celery Salad {Plant-Based}
Impossible Gyro Fries: Waffle Fries topped with Gyro Spiced Impossible™ Ground Beef, Cauliflower Cheese Sauce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Onions, Tzatziki and Pita Bread {Plant-Based}
Kids’ Quesadilla: Mozzarella on a Whole Wheat Tortilla served with a Cuties® Mandarin Orange and Applesauce, with choice of a small Lowfat Milk or small DASANI® Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitutions. {Plant-Based}
Kids’ Mac and Cheese: served with a Cuties® Mandarin Orange and Applesauce, with choice of a small Beverage {Plant-Based}
Peach-Blueberry Cobbler {Plant-Based}
Avocado Time
Avocado Time, one of the popular Food & Wine Festival booths, has two vegetarian options- one of which is fully Plant-Based! If you are dairy-free though, you’ll want to steer clear of the Impossible Mac & Cheese that they offer as it contains actual cheese.
Impossible Al Pastor Taco: Al Pastor Taco featuring Impossible™ Pork with Grilled Pineapple and Avocado-Tomatillo Sauce {Plant-Based}
Plan Ahead
My biggest tip for making the most of the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is to plan ahead. Look at the menus ahead of time- you can find them all right here– or even look up reviews and photos on Instagram using the hashtag #DisneyCaliforniaFoodandWine. There are lots of kid-friendly options and plenty of more adult-oriented items, too, including a large variety of cocktails and other adult beverages.
If you’re planning a trip to Disney California Adventure for the Food and Wine Festival, be sure to check out the great deals going on with Get Away Today! They have discounted Disney tickets and amazing package deals that will save you big on Disneyland vacations. Use code NQSH to save an additional $10 on any of the already discounted Disneyland package deals!
Have you ever been to the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival?
Leave a Reply