The Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival has happily made its delicious return to the Disneyland Resort, and we couldn’t be more excited (or hungry!). This weeks-long feast inspired by the Golden State runs for almost two full months, from March 3 to April 25, 2023.
So, if you’re hoping to join the celebration, put on your stretchy pants and bring your appetite as we quench your thirst for details on this popular foodie festival at Disneyland.
Food and Wine Festival 2023: A Tasty Way to Celebrate the Golden State
While there are several other gastronomic-themed activities to enjoy at this epicurean event, one of the highlights of the Disney Food and Wine Festival at California Adventure Park is all the yummy things to eat and drink. It even says so in the name!
Along with the return of great educational offerings like cooking demonstrations, tasting seminars and winemaker receptions, guests can also dig into a buffet of festival-exclusive dishes and drinks at dining locations across the Disneyland Resort, from Festival Marketplaces to restaurants at Downtown Disney and California Adventure.
With so many tempting possibilities on the table, you may find it difficult to narrow it down or stick to a budget. Relax, we’re here to help with a few helpful hints for maximizing your culinary experience while minimizing the damage to your wallet and sanity.
Tips & Tricks for Eating Your Way Through the California Adventure Food Festival
Hoping to try as much Disney California Adventure festival food as possible without breaking the bank? Or, maybe you’re looking to further your foodie experience beyond just stuffing yourself silly on items from the various Festival Marketplaces and restaurants at California Adventure?
Here are our favorite tricks for doing the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival right:
Share Small Plates to Sample More While Splitting Costs
While you could keep all the food to yourself, not only do you end up getting full faster, but you also spend more overall. Instead, team up with a friend or your family members to try even more items while keeping your food costs low.
Save Time By Ordering All Your Festival Food at Once
All of the festival menu items can be purchased at any of the food booths. So, if you know all the dishes and drinks you’d like to try, skip the hassle and the crowds by purchasing everything from the Festival Marketplace with the shortest line. Then, flash your extra-long receipt to a cast member at each food booth to pick up your bounty stress-free.
Stick to Your Food Budget and Save a Few Bucks with a Sip and Savor Pass
Disneyland’s seasonal festivals can get expensive quick, especially if you want to try as many of the limited-time menu items as possible. That’s where the Sip and Savor Pass comes in – share it with a friend to save it all for yourself.
Eight food and beverage entitlements keep your snacking simple and your travel budget on track. Best of all, if you’re strategic with your ordering and choose the most expensive items available, you can even save a few dollars.
Rest Your Feet and Eat to the Beat During Live Music
While you could nosh on your festival feast anywhere around Disney’s California Adventure Park, why settle for standing awkwardly somewhere when you could kick back, relax and tuck in while a live band provides the soundtrack? Live music, starring acts from the Golden State, takes place throughout the day at both the Paradise Garden Bandstand and Palisades Stage.
Take Your Cooking (and Drinking) Skills to the Next Level at a Culinary Demo or Alcohol Seminar
Wish you could create your own California-style cuisine back at home? Expert-led cooking demonstrations by visiting, local and Disney chefs make for a fun – and free! – way to improve your skills in the kitchen.
If you’re a fan of booze – be it beer, wine, cocktails or even sake – and you have room in your budget, you may want to book a seat at one of the festival’s alcohol-soaked education & tasting seminars. For those on a budget but still wanting to learn and imbibe at the same time, the $25 seminars held at Sonoma Terrace in California Adventure make for a fascinating and surprisingly affordable way to do some drinking at Disneyland.
Looking to treat yourself? The handful of sessions in the Disneyland hotels –the Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disneyland Hotel, respectively – are pricey. Even more so are the spendy winemaker receptions, perfect if you want to splash out.
Food and Wine Festival 2023: Menus, Marketplaces & More
If you couldn’t already tell from the location and the name, the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival pays homage to the gastronomic bounty of the Golden State. Whether it be Festival Marketplaces highlighting California-fresh ingredients, dishes inspired by the state’s tapestry of cultural cuisines at different Disney California Adventure restaurants, or Friends of the Festival dining at Downtown Disney District, this food-driven party has it all.
No need to worry about guests with dietary restrictions or picky eaters, as a variety both vegan and vegetarian items will be on offer alongside more kid-friendly flavors. It’s a great excuse to do some drinking at Disneyland.
While you’re eating, be sure to wash it all down with a glass of Napa Valley wine, a fun cocktail or a refreshing beer crafted right there in the state. For those who like a bit of bling with your drinks or kiddos who get a kick out of colorful lights, you can even add a fun glow cube shaped like grapes (in red or green, of course) to any drink. Just buy one from any of the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival 2023 locations.
Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Menus for Festival Marketplaces
California Adventure Festival Marketplaces, along with epicurean educational events (plus tastings for some), are the stars of this savory show. For 2023, guests can indulge in 12 different Festival Marketplaces. Like other festivals at Disney California Adventure, most marketplaces are located in Paradise Gardens Park. However, there are other seasonal food booths spread along the path up towards Buena Vista Street, as well as in Grizzly Peak.
Items with an (S&S) can be enjoyed with a Disneyland Sip and Savor Pass.
Avocado Time | Near Embarcadero Gifts
California Cuisine:
- IMPOSSIBLE Nacho Mac & Cheese – Cheddar mac featuring seasoned IMPOSSIBLE ground beef, tomatoes, olives, jalapeños, and guacamole (New!)
- IMPOSSIBLE Al Pastor Tacos – Al pastor taco featuring IMPOSSIBLE pork with grilled pineapple and avocado-tomatillo sauce (New! Plant-based)
Golden State Sips:
- Blackberry-Lavender Lemonade – Blackberry purée and syrup, lavender syrup, and pineapple and lemon juices garnished with a lemon wheel (New! Non-alcoholic)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Berry Patch | Across From Entrance to Avengers Campus
California Cuisine:
- Kenny’s Family Cheesecake – Topped with mixed berry compote (New!)
- Blueberry-Buttermilk Pie – Creamy Blueberry Custard Pie in a Buttery Crust
Golden State Sips:
- Blueberry Pancake Cold Brew – Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Mexico Origin Coffee, brown butter, maple and demerara syrup, and oat milk with a blueberry sweet cream made with cream, oat milk, vanilla syrup, and purée garnished with cinnamon-flavored cereal crumble (New! Non-alcoholic)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
California Craft Brews | Near Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar
California Cuisine:
- IPA Sausage Dog – Grilled sausage on a soft pretzel roll with onion-pepper jardinière, cheddar cheese sauce, and malt vinegar-onion crunch
Golden State Sips:
- La Bodega Brewing Company Helles Lager (New!)
- Unsung Brewing Co. Light Ale (New!)
- Harland Brewing Co. Double Dry-Hopped Pale Ale (New!)
- Altamont Brewing Maui Waui IPA (New!)
- Barrelhouse Brewing Mango Fruited IPA (New!)
- Delahunt Brewing Co. 1924 Raspberry Blonde (New!)
- Brewery X Pineapple Vanilla Milkshake IPA (New!)
- Bottle Logic Brewing Co. Aurora Borealis (New!)
- Chapman Crafted Beer Zodiac Series Hazy IPA (New!)
- Crowns & Hops Brewing Co. The Dopest Hazy IPA (New!)
- Golden Road Brewing Strawberry Cart Wheat Ale (New!)
- Ballast Point Brewing Co. Watermelon Dorado Double IPA (New!)
- Russian River Brewing Company Happy Hops IPA (New!)
- Bright & Balanced Beer Flight (New!)
- IPA Beer Flight (New!)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo | In Front of The Little Mermaid
California Cuisine:
- Smoked Honey-Habanero Chicken Wings – Chicken wings tossed in honey-habanero seasoning (New!)
- BBQ Beef Brisket Slider – Featuring Fiscalini Farmstead Smoked Cheddar with dill pickles on salt and pepper brioche (New!)
Golden State Sips:
- Chipotle-Pineapple Bourbon Sour – Bourbon, pineapple and lime juice, honey syrup, and chipotle sour purée garnished with a dried red pineapple wheel (New!)
- Smoked Cherry Mezcal-iki Cocktail – Dark rum, mezcal, cherry purée, grapefruit and lime juices, vanilla syrup, and bitters garnished with a dried grapefruit chip (New!)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
- Food & Wine CORKCICLE Stemless Flutes
D•Lish | Near Entrance to Avengers Campus
California Cuisine:
- Beef & Barley Poutine – Potato bites with braised beef short rib, cheese curds, stout gravy, and lager micro sponge (New)
- Cubano Slider – Slow-roasted, mustard-crusted pork, and sliced smoked ham with melted Swiss cheese and pickle served on a Hawaiian roll
Golden State Sips:
- Sake Melon ’75 – Sake, ginger liqueur, prosecco, rock melon syrup, and lemongrass citron purée garnished with an edible purple orchid
- Apricot Tequila Colada – Reposado Tequila, Aperol, apricot purée, coconut cream, and orange and lime juices garnished with a lime wheel
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Garlic Kissed | Near Golden Zephyr
California Cuisine:
- Grilled Top Sirloin – Grilled sirloin bites with roasted garlic, gruyère smashed potatoes and black garlic chimichurri
- Carbonara-Garlic Mac & Cheese – Gooey mac & cheese crowned with Nueske’s Peppered Bacon and crispy breadcrumbs
Golden State Sips:
- Guava-Lychee Mule – Vodka, guava nectar, ginger and lychee syrup, and lemon juice topped with guava and grapefruit hard cider and garnished with a lemon wheel (New!)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Golden Dreams | Near Grizzly River Run
California Cuisine:
- Elote Paleta – Sweet corn paleta with parm crema, chile-lime seasoning, corn crunch, and cilantro (New!)
- Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Flatbread – Crispy flatbread topped with roasted beets, creamy goat cheese and herbaceous basil pesto (New!)
Golden State Sips:
- Central California Cooler – Peach purée, apple, orange and lemon juices garnished with an apple chip
- Ficklewood Ciderworks Guava Grove – Grapefruit, guava, and tropical flavors with Nelson Sauvin Hops (New!)
I ♥ Artichokes | In Front of Sonoma Terrace
California Cuisine:
- Artichoke Pizzetta – Artichoke and roasted garlic cream cheese with sun-dried tomatoes, pickled onions, and lemon olive oil-drizzled micro greens (New!)
- Artichoke Toast with Olive Tapenade – Toasted sliced baguette with artichoke cream cheese topped with olive and artichoke tapenade and drizzled with olive oil
Golden State Sips:
- Passion Fruit Rum Cocktail – White rum, Italian amaro, passion fruit nectar, orange and lime juices, and guava purée garnished with an orange wedge
LA Style | Near the Studio Store
California Cuisine:
- Glazed BBQ Pork Belly – Sticky-sweet pork belly with a BBQ glaze, served with mac salad with furikake-togarashi sprinkles
- IMPOSSIBLE Gyro-inspired Naan – Gyro-inspired flatbread featuring IMPOSSIBLE ground beef with chipotle hummus, tzatziki, and spiced crispy chickpeas
Golden State Sips:
- Echo Park Cooler – Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon & Raspberry Rose Tea, raspberry purée, lychee and rose syrups, and lime juice garnished with a lime wheel (New! Non-alcoholic)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
- Food & Wine CORKCICLE Stemless Flutes
Nuts About Cheese | Across From Entrance to Avengers Campus
California Cuisine:
- Petite Burrata – Grilled ciabatta with tomato and olive jam, burrata cheese, pesto, and freeze-dried balsamic (New!)
- Crackers & Cheese – House-made herb crackers with white cheddar fromage blanc, spicy salami spread, and cherry jam
- SNICKERS Caramel-Peanut Milk Chocolate Mickey Macaron – Chocolate Mickey macaron filled with caramel ganache and SNICKERS cookie bar pieces
Golden State Sips:
- Flowers & Bees – Gin, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and honey, hibiscus, and lavender syrups garnished with a purple pansy (New!)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Peppers Cali-ente | In Front of Wine Country Trattoria
California Cuisine:
- Chile Relleno Empanada – Crispy empanada stuffed with arbol pepper salsa and Oaxaca and cotija cheeses
- Camarones a la Diabla – Spicy shrimp with California chile and cilantro rice (New!)
Golden State Sips:
- Cantarito-Style Paloma – Reposado Tequila, habanero-infused pineapple juice, lime juice, rock melon syrup, and Fresca garnished with a pineapple wheel and chile-lime seasoning
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
Uncork California | Across From Entrance to Avengers Campus
California Cuisine:
- California Artisan Cheese Selection – Marin French Cheese Co. Jalapeño Triple Cream Brie, Fiscalini Farmstead Purple Moon Cheddar, and Craft Beer Cheddar
- Celebration Chocolate Fudge Brownie – Gooey chocolate brownie with pecans, topped with chocolate pecan glaze and finished with chocolate pearls and silver stars
Golden State Sips:
- 1923 Mimosa – Prosecco, white cranberry juice, white peach syrup, and lemon juice (New!)
- 1939 Mimosa – Prosecco, pineapple and orange juices, and passion fruit and guava nectar (New!)
- 1955 Mimosa – Prosecco, dragon fruit and rose syrups, hibiscus water, and lemon juice (New!)
- Century of Magic Mimosa Flight (New!)
- Daou Vineyards Chardonnay (New!)
- Meiomi Rosé (New!)
- Duckhorn Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc (New!)
- McBride Sisters Wine Company Red Blend (New!)
- Garnet Vineyards Pinot Noir (New!)
- Robert Mondavi Vineyards, Private Selection
- Cabernet Sauvignon aged in bourbon barrels (New!)
- Scharffenberger Cellars Brut (New!)
- White Wine Flight (New!)
- Red Wine Flight (New!)
- Purple Glow Grapes and Green Glow Grapes
- Food & Wine CORKCICLE Stemless Flutes
Disneyland Food and Wine Festival Menus for Other California Adventure Restaurants
The Disneyland Food & Wine Festival food booths aren’t the only places you can find festival-exclusive bites and beverages. Other restaurants around Disney California Adventure – namely in Paradise Gardens Park, Pixar Pier, Grizzly Peak, Buena Vista Street, Pacific Wharf and Avengers Campus – also get in on the foodie fun and offer limited-time menu items.
Cappuccino Cart | Pacific Wharf
Golden State Sips:
- Horchata Cold Brew – Creamy blend of cold brew and house-made rice and cinnamon beverage
Churro Cart | Buena Vista Street
California Cuisine:
- Pineapple-Coconut Churro – With pineapple sugar, pineapple topping, coconut cream icing, and toasted coconut
Churro Cart | Hollywood Land
California Cuisine:
- Tiramisu Churro – Rolled in vanilla-cocoa sugar and drizzled with espresso sauce
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill | Pacific Wharf
Golden State Sips:
- Strawberry Horchata – House-made rice and cinnamon beverage with strawberry sauce (Non-alcoholic, available with Spiced Rum)
- Seasonal Mango Margarita
Lamplight Lounge | Pixar Pier
California Cuisine:
- Ribeye for Two paired with a specially selected glass of wine: Share a 28oz bone-in ribeye with glazed baby carrots, poblano-potato bake, roasted mushrooms, cipollini onions, and bourbon-bacon compound butter with Cookies & Cream Donuts for dessert
- Cookies and Cream Donuts – Fresh, glazed donuts topped with chocolate cookie crumble, with vanilla and chocolate crème cookie dipping sauce
Golden State Sips:
- Blue Peach-Basil Cocktail – Gin, elderflower liqueur, peach, basil simple syrup, lemon, blue curaçao, and fresh basil
Lamplight Lounge Boardwalk Dining | Pixar Pier
Golden State Sips:
- Blue Peach-Basil Cocktail – Gin, elderflower liqueur, peach, basil simple syrup, lemon, blue curaçao, and fresh basil
Pacific Wharf Café | Pacific Wharf
California Cuisine:
- Grilled Peach Toast – With with ricotta-mascarpone spread and arugula salad on toasted sourdough bread (New)
- Berries and Cream Bread Pudding – Seasonal berry bread pudding with whipped topping, strawberry sauce, and crème anglaise (New!)
Paradise Garden Grill | Paradise Gardens Park
California Cuisine:
- Torta de Chilaquiles – Fresh-made Telera bread with green chilaquiles, chorizo beans, chipotle crema, pickled onions, cilantro, and avocado spread (New! Plant-based)
- Bulgogi Fried Rice – With kimchi, egg, pickled cucumbers, green onions, and sesame seeds (New! Plant-based)
- IMPOSSIBLE Gyro Fries – Waffle fries topped with gyro-spiced IMPOSSIBLE ground beef, cauliflower cheese sauce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, tzatziki, and pita bread (New! Plant-based)
- Buffalo Mac and Cheese – Topped with roasted buffalo cauliflower, ranch, and a carrot and celery salad (New! Plant-based)
- Peach-Blueberry Cobbler (Plant-based)
Golden State Sips:
- Wine Float Cocktail – Tequila, Triple Sec, Agave and Lime & Orange Juices with a Red Wine Float
Paradise Garden Grill Beer Garden | Paradise Gardens Park
Golden State Sips:
- Stereo Brewing Co. Perfect Day IPA
- Stone Brewing Co. Buenaveza Salt & Lime Lager
- Golden Road Brewing Get Up Offa That Brown Ale (New!)
- Golden Road Brewing Ride On 10 Hop Hazy IPA
- Mother Earth Brew Co. Cali Creamin’ Vanilla Cream Ale
- The Bruery Or Xata Blonde Ale
- Rincon Reservation Road Brewery Rez Dog Hefeweizen (New!)
- Smog City Brewing Co. Coffee Porter
- Beer Flight: Create your own flight of four beers
Sonoma Terrace | Pacific Wharf
California Cuisine:
- Black Forest Ham Grilled Cheese – Sourdough grilled cheese with black forest ham, smoked mozzarella, and red wine-poached pear jam served with sun-dried tomato-cheese sauce (New!)
Studio Catering Co. | Hollywood Land
California Cuisine:
- Korean Fried Chicken – Topped with gochujang sauce, kimchi, coleslaw, and pickled onions served on sweet Hawaiian bread
Golden State Sips:
- Watermelon Punch – Korean-style watermelon punch with Sprite and oat milk
Terran Treats | Avengers Campus
California Cuisine:
- Raspberry Spiral Ration – Yellow Spiral Churro with Rasberry Compote
Willie’s Churros | Buena Vista Street
California Cuisine:
- Like a Lemon-Raspberry Pie Churro –Raspberry-flavored spiral churro topped with a lemon and marshmallow glaze and pie crust crumbles (New!)
Disney Food and Wine Festival Menus for Downtown Disney Restaurants
Don’t want your gourmet adventures to end? Thanks to a smorgasbord of Friends of the Festival menu offerings and special events at several Downtown Disney restaurants, it doesn’t have to.
Ballast Point Brewing Co.
California Cuisine:
- Tomato & Burrata – California grown heirloom cherry tomatoes, California burrata, parsley, garlic, shallots red wine vinegar, and olive oil (New! Available March 3 through 31)
- Coconut Curry Shrimp – Marinated shrimp served on white rice with curry broth and nori leaf (New! Available April 1 through 24)
Naples Ristorante e Bar
California Cuisine:
- Pizza Caprina – White pizza, fresh mozzarella, and bruschetta tomato mix topped with fresh arugula and goat cheese (New!)
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
California Cuisine:
- BBQ Shrimp & Grits – Gulf shrimp simmered in a New Orleans BBQ sauce with roasted garlic, lemon, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasonings served over andouille sausage and parmesan grits
Splitsville Luxury Lanes
California Cuisine:
- Grilled Ahi & Avocado – Seared buttery ahi tuna tossed in kimchi ponzu and stuffed into a scored and grilled avocado plated with sushi rice and drizzled with additional kimchi ponzu and spicy mayo and garnished with sesame seeds finished with wonton chips
Well, fellow Disneyland foodies, that is all the tempting options at the California Adventure Food and Wine Festival. Have you sunk your teeth into this Disney Food & Wine Festival? What dishes are you most looking forward to or missing this year? Let us know in the comments!
Wish you could explore Disneyland Park and still enjoy the Food & Wine Festival (without using Disney Genie+)? Use our 1-Day Disneyland Park Plan to accomplish a lot in not a lot of time. Want more festival food instead? Save some cash with our discount Disneyland Food and Wine Festival tickets.
