Must-Try Food Items at Disney California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays 2024

Festival of Holidays is back at Disney California Adventure. This annual celebration offers many unique food items that are only available during this time of year. Various items from sliders, tamales, macaroni & cheese, cake and so much more can be found at 7 themed booths scattered around the park. With so many choices it’s hard to pick what to eat. Luckily we’re here to help. Here’s our must try items at Disney California Adventure’s Festival of Holidays 2024.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Macaron – Favorite Things – $8.00

Disneyland Resort’s macaron game has been on point for several years now. New for this year is another winner that’s also a favorite of many DCA visitors. The Sticky Toffee Pudding Macaron actually does taste like the dessert it’s named after. The macaron is filled with filled with vanilla buttercream, date cake and salted toffee sauce. This tasty treat is also very photogenic, which is a nice plus.

Beef Brisket Slider – Winter Sliderland – $9.00

Sometimes you just need a big pile of meat. If you’re in DCA and that feeling comes upon you, this will not disappoint. The brisket was tender and the included smoked onions and horseradish ketchup were delicious as well. It also comes served on a pretzel roll, which is scientifically proven to be the best bread in the world.

Barbecue Pulled Pork Cornbread Bake with creamy slaw – A Twist on Tradition – $9.00

The combo of moist and tender pulled pork along with some tasty cornbread make this a fantastic combination. The Bake ended up being one of my favorite items of the festival.

Here’s a look at a forkful. Don’t miss out on this one.

Chorizo Queso Fundido Mac & Cheese with tortilla crunch – Holiday Duets – $9.00

Mac & cheese with some sort of topping is a staple of almost every Disney theme park food festival. New for this year is this dish topped with chorizo. It’s not the best chorizo you’ll ever have but solid. This item is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese – Holiday Duets – $8.50

I’m a sucker for kugel and this savory mac & cheese version did not disappoint. It combines the creamy, comforting elements of macaroni and cheese with the sweet, custard-like texture of kugel. It’s served topped with herb breadcrumbs, sour cream and chives.

You also have the option of getting half portions of both the Savory Kugel Mac & Cheese and the Chorizo Fundido Mac & Cheese for $9.25.

M&M’S Peanut Butter Fudge Cake – Merry Mashups – $7.50

The M&M’S Peanut Butter Fudge Cake is chocolate fudge cake filled with peanut praline and M&M’S Peanut Butter Minis, glazed with salted peanut butter, and topped with vanilla chantilly crème. I was not prepared for how heavy this item was going to be. I was not expecting it to be so heavy so when the cast member handed it to me it was like they gave me an iron ball. The fudge cake itself is so thick that you’ll definitely want some help with this one.

Here’s a cross-section showing the inside. This item is decadent with a gloriously heavy peanut butter taste.

Holiday Mash Bowl – Merry Mashups – $8.75

The Holiday Mash Bowl is comprised of chicken, cheddar mashed potatoes, and turkey gravy with cranberry stuffing crunch. If I had to compare it to a fast food item, I would pick a KFC Bowl, but with miniature Wendy’s chicken nuggets. There’s nothing sophisticated about this one, but it’s still pretty good. This is another crowd pleaser that I see a lot of people walking around with when I’m in the park.

Cookie Dough Yule Log – Grandma’s Recipes – $8.00

Look at this perfectly themed Christmas item. Beautiful. The Cookie Dough Yule Log is filled with chocolate chip cookie dough, white chocolate mousse and is covered with chocolate buttercream. My piece was fluffy and delicious with a great taste.

Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider – A Twist on Tradition – $9.00

It’s hard to tell from the picture alone, but the pastry portion of this item is seriously fluffy. The Turkey Galantine Croissant Muffin Slider is also filled with herb mayo and cranberry marmalade, which all blends together to make an excellent Thanksgiving taste.

Al Pastor Pork & Pineapple Slider – Winter Sliderland – $9.25

Not everyone will be a fan of the tart taste of pineapples and pork together, but in my opinion the two tastes come together and balance out to make one tasty slider.

Peanut Butter Mocha Cold Brew – Cappuccino Cart – $7.25

This drink is made of mocha cold brew, peanut butter whip, peanut butter drizzle, and Peanut Butter M&M’S. I’m not a coffee fan at all but this thing is loaded up with so much peanut butter flavor (along with a ton of sugar) that I can hardly taste the coffee at all. I would consider this more of a dessert instead of a refreshing beverage.

This is also available as a cocktail with peanut butter whiskey.

Barbacoa Tamal de Res – Grandma’s Recipes – $9.25

Before someone corrects Disney, or me for that matter, in Spanish a singular tamale is called a “tamal.” With that out of the way, this is shockingly good. It’s topped with with oaxaca cheese, tomatillo salsa and crema, and it’s fantastic. In Southern California outside of Disneyland there are thousands of good and cheap places that sell great tamales, but if you’re in the park and have a tab off your Sip & Savor pass to use you can’t go wrong with this one.

Passion Fruit Rose Lassi – Brews & Bites – $7.50

If you’re not familiar, lassi is a yogurt-based beverage. Disney California Adventure’s version is made of fruit nectar, yogurt, and rose and honey syrups. I can’t recommend it enough. The sweetness of the lassi was refreshing after eating all the savory items on this list.

If you want to try multiple items you should consider getting the Sip and Savor Pass, which is available at multiple kiosks and shops throughout the park. It allows you to pay one price, and then try eight items of your choosing. The DCA Festival of Holidays Sip and Savor Pass is $63 (or $58 if you’re a Magic Key holder). Remember to use the pass on high-value items, not the cheaper desserts. If you use your pass to get eight items that cost $9 each, the total if you paid cash would be $72. But if you use your Sip and Savor pass to get eight desserts that cost $6.50 each, your total in cash would be $52. Be sure to do the math on what you want to buy to make sure the Sip and Savor Pass is a good value for you. You can also get an 4-item pass for $32.

Leave a comment below and let us know what you think about our list of the best Festival of Holidays Food Items at Disney California Adventure.