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 1-April 23} 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 $54 {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 $6.75 each , which is the majority of the food items. 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 the Impossible Burger Slider, you can head to I Heart Artichokes {if they’re less crowded} to pay for your food {whether you’re using cash or a Sip and Savor Pass} and 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!
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, like a cutting board, fridge magnets, coasters, an apron, and even these adorable ears! The “Perfect Match” Spirit Jersey has been really popular, too!
You can find these items throughout the 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.
Let the Kids Become Chefs at the Jr. Chef Show!
Have little chefs with you? They might enjoy the Jr. Chef show! Young chefs can get in the “kitchen” with Chef Goofy, who will help them follow a recipe and use a magic oven to make delicious wrapped, ready-to-eat treats. There is NO cost to watch or participate in the Jr. Chef show, and it happens several times a day in the Hollywood Backlot. You can find the showtimes for the current day listed on the Backlot- and keep in mind that only a limited number of children aged 3 to 11 can participate in each show so if your kiddo wants to get on stage with Chef Goofy, be sure to arrive a little bit early and find the cast member taking down names to sign up!
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 Special Events- Dinner with Chefs, In the Kitchen With…, and Sweet Sundays
There are other special events during the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival that do cost an additional fee. These include the Dinner with the Disney Chefs Event, In the Kitchen With… events, and Sweet Sundays.
Dinner with the Disney Chefs
This event happens just one time, on March 28, 2019 from 6:30pm to 9pm at The Vineyard Room at Wine Country Trattoria. The cost is $225 per person {not including tip and gratuity} and includes a 4-course dinner inspired by Festival recipes. You’ll have the chance to meet the Disneyland Resort chefs and sommeliers featured in the Disney Festivals Cookbook, and you’ll learn cooking techniques and even get your cookbook signed. Wine and cocktails will be paired with each course as well for guests over 21.
In the Kitchen With…
During each “In the Kitchen With…” event, you’ll see the star chefs share some of the secrets of their success, personal stories, and their favorite recipes. They’ll make their dishes live in Paradise Gardens Park and after the demo, ticketed guests will be treated to a brunch buffet {featuring one of the chef’s dishes}, along with one beverage. You’ll also have the opportunity to take a photo with the visiting chef!
Tickets to this event cost $110 per person, plus tax and gratuities. This special event happens four times throughout the festival- though two of the events {featuring Fabio Viviani and Richard Blais} have already happened. But you can still sign up for the March 31st event with Graham Elliot or the April 14th event with Claudia Sandoval!
Sweet Sundays
Sweet Sundays are very similar to the “In the Kitchen With…” events- they cost the same $110 ticket price and are held at the same location. The difference is that this event is, of course, sweeter! The visiting chefs are pastry chefs and they will each give a dessert-focused demonstration. Guests will still be able to enjoy a light brunch buffet and one of the chef’s sweet dishes!
This event also happens four times throughout the event, though two {featuring Jean-Marc Viallet and Matt Lewis} have passed. You can still get tickets for Emily Ellyn on April 7th and Keegan Gerhard on April 21st!
Vegetarian and Vegan Options at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival
There ARE vegan and vegetarian options at the festival, including the vegetarian Impossible Burger at Avocado Time {which I tried and it’s delicious!} and a couple of great vegetarian Macaroni and Cheese options {I loved the Garlic Mac & Cheese at Garlic Kissed!} For a complete list of Vegan and Vegetarian options at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, check out The Healthy Mouse!
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 {don’t miss the Yippee! Mickey’s Cotton Candy Soda at Golden Dreams!} and plenty of more adult-oriented items, too, including a large variety of cocktails and other adult beverages.
What to Eat at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival
Everyone will definitely have a different “must try” food or drink from the festival- but I tried a handful of the items last weekend. So what do I think you need to try?
If I had to pick just one food item, I’d go with the Deconstructed Teriyaki Chicken Musubi from Golden Dreams {the same booth that has the Yippee! Mickey’s Cotton Candy soda- above- that you also must try if you have a sweet tooth}. This was the food at the festival that I wish would be a year-round staple at the parks, and the one item that I could see myself using an entire Sip & Savor Pass on. It was that good. That said, I didn’t think anything that I tried was bad, so definitely take a look at all the options and just pick what sounds like something you’d love to try!
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?
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