Review: 2023 Cookie Stroll at Festival of the Holidays

Is there a one among us who does not like cookies at all? Any cookie? Yeah, probably not. The Festival of Holidays Cookie Stroll is a chance to get rewarded for eating cookies. What could be more perfect?

Cookie Stroll Basics

Before we get to the cookies themselves, let’s review the rules.

• All cookies from Festival locations are $3. The cookies at Sunshine Seasons and Connections Cafe are $3.99.
• You get a stamp in your Festival Passport for each cookie you buy
• When you’ve got 5 stamps, take it to Holiday Sweets & Treats to claim your prize

This year’s prizes are a Chocolate Peppermint Sundae in a keepsake (plastic) cup, and a wrapped Star cookie (from the movie Wish)!

There are two more really important things to know. First, you don’t have to do it all in one day. Second, you can repeat cookies – if one of them is your favorite then yes, you can just eat that one five times. Want to just get the cookies and eat them later? Bring a few plastic storage bags, or if you didn’t plan ahead then see if you can score a couple from the Kidcot Fun Stops. If you really plan ahead, we hear that these cookies stack really well in an empty popcorn bucket.

Recommended Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookie from Yukon Holiday Kitchen

Yes this cookie is made with Snickers bar pieces, so if you’re a Snickers fan then this cookie already has a leg up on your list. In fact, this cookie has basically half a Snickers inside. How do you fit half a Snickers into a cookie? By making the cookie GIANT sized. We loved this but it’s very sweet and easily enough for 4 people to share. Maybe 5. This was the only cookie that was so big that you almost couldn’t see the plate underneath it.

Gingerbread Cookie from American Holiday Table

Can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man! Well m’dear … I hate to inform you, but there you are on the plate. These cookies were tops in the cutest cookie contest, and they tasted great too. A massive upgrade over last year’s Chocolate Crinkle Cookie, which did not receive our recommendation.

Linzer Cookie from Bavaria Holiday Kitchen

This cookie is one of our favorites every year. Raspberry jam. Powdered sugar. Firm shortbread. It’s a classic, and if you feel that you just need to eat this one five times and collect your prize — well, we completely understand. This cookie is big enough to share, but you won’t want to.

Holiday Sugar Cookie from Connections Cafe

Our parks reporters called this “just a good old-fashioned sugar cookie with sprinkles”. Sounds good to me! And like most of the cookies this year, it was humongously sized and perfect for sharing. This cookie is typically very popular with kids.

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookie from Holiday Hearth Desserts

You can’t tell from the picture, but this was soft and cake-y, with a hint of mint. This was another new cookie this year, and it was one of our favorites. It’s not a cookie, but we’ll take a moment to mention the Mint Chocolate Mousse Wreath from this kitchen, which we also loved.

Black and White Cookie from L’Chaim

The Black and White is such a classic. The pastrami and latkes at this booth are wonderful, but heavy, and this cookie is just the right soft/sweet finish to the set. Bonus: if you’re eating a plant-based diet then this is the cookie for you.

Jingle Sugar Cookie from Sunshine Seasons

So, let’s talk. This cookie is recommended, and it has red & green mini-M&Ms. It’s festive and cheery and lovely and like its counterpart at Connections Cafe it will be popular with the kids. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with it. But, it’s not so recommended that it’s worth going out of your way for. You can do better.

Cookies to Skip

Spiced Chocolate Cookie from Nochebuena Cocina

Last year’s Nochebuena cookie was the Alfajores, and it was not a hit with us. Sadly, this year’s cookie wasn’t either. If this is your yum then we’re not going to yuck it, but we found it unattractive and oddly flavored. Not so bad that it should put you off if you’re determined to try every cookie on the list. But if you just want five cookies and a prize, skip this.

Have you been to the Festival of the Holidays this year? Which cookie was your favorite? Let us know in the comments!