As all of you know, I have a very healthy obsession with all things Disney. From their theme parks to their fashion and down right to their memorabilia, I LOVE IT ALL! Throughout the year, I try to make it out to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure every month. Yes, I have an annual pass. I admit that I love all the festivals Disney offers. But my all-time favorite has to be Festival of Holidays!

From the way the park sparkles, to Mickey and Minnie having their cute winter holiday themed outfits, and the festive decorations, Festival of Holidays is the kickoff celebration to the Winter Season.

Rich and I were very lucky this time around; we went during the first two weeks. Not only did we get to ride all the attractions we wanted to, take all the photos, but we also got to try all the food we wanted to eat during this trip.

Festival of Holidays also offers a variety of Holiday food with a unique twist. Last year, we tried as much food and drinks as we could. This year, we decided to stick to a few of our favorite stalls and share what we thought were ‘worth it’ items.

Braised Pork Belly Adobo with Garlic Fried Rice & Holiday Mickey and Minnie Cookies
Worth it! 100% worth it! Well at least for the adobo. I know, I’m Filipino. I should know what adobo tastes like; it all should taste the same. Not true at all! Everyone’s adobo is different! But Disney nailed it on the flavor. The garlic rice was paired with small pieces of pork grinds; the ASMR in me felt giddy because each bite was crunchy. However, my rice lacked in the garlic flavor and was a tad on the oily side. The texture of the rice wasn’t too hard or too sticky; it was cooked thoroughly. I just wished the rice wasn’t too oily and they added a bit more garlic. The Pork Belly made this dish! That Pork Belly was beyond juicy and had so much flavor! It was quite close to homemade adobo. I thought it was weird that they added the pork grinds on to the plate, but the Pork Belly was sweet. If you add on the saltiness of the pork grinds, it’s a perfect combo! Hats off to the Disney chef who made this happen!

I wish I could say I enjoyed the Holiday Cookie, but it was just a… cookie. Well it was a sugar cookie. A bit too much sugar though. Great for a photo on the gram, but after two bites I was done.

Curried Cauliflower and Chicken with Lemon Tahini Sauce and Black Garlic Drizzle & Navidad Punch

Save your money on the Curried Cauliflower and Chicken. It was just all around dry, both the cauliflower and the chicken. You can barely taste the Lemon Tahini Sauce and the Black Garlic Drizzle was too overwhelming in taste. Not worth it! Save your money or your sip and savor tabs!
The Navidad Punch on the other hand! ONE of the BEST DRINKS I have had at Disney! The Navidad Punch is a mixture of Simply Limeade, Apple Juice, and Pomegranate Premium Syrup. All ingredients made this drink; there’s nothing more I can say. It wasn’t too tart or too sweet. It was the perfect flavor. Even if it was negative degrees outside, I would order this drink over and over again. Major brownie points to the creator of this drink. I had 2 of these in one sitting. That’s how good it was.

Reimagined Beef Wellington
I wish I could have eaten this more, but Rich absolutely loved the Beef Wellington from ‘A Twist on Tradition’ booth. I was amazed at how savory the Beef Wellington was. I was a bit apprehensive when I saw the Beef Wellington because I thought the bread was going to take up the flavor. And overly wet bread is not my favorite. To my surprise, there was an adequate amount of stew and crème. I made sure my fork had everything this dish could offer; beef, mushroom, a bit of the crème, and then that bread. Let me tell you, after that first bite, you’re going to be coming back for more. This was so rich in flavor! The bread was flakey, the beef and mushrooms were seasoned very well, and the crème was just right. All together was a very delicious dish. I would LOVE to see this back next year!

Holiday Stuffing Mac & Cheese
Stuffing and Mac & Cheese?!?!?! Umm, need I say more?! My body has a love/hate relationship with cheese, but I was willing to take the owies for this one! Not too sure how many types of cheese was in this, but it was the right consistency and it was very mild in taste. Along with the saltiness of the stuffing, it became a beautiful combination of flavors. The pasta was cooked al dente; couldn’t really be mad at that. Will I say, “is it worth it?” Maybe! But like I said! You really can’t go wrong with Mac & Cheese. So, I will say it… “WORTH IT!”

If you ever get to experience Festival of Holidays at Disney’s California Adventure. Try and get the Sip and Savor pass. With your $54 pass, you have eight different tabs. The tabs can be used at any marketplace that is a part of Festival of Holidays. The only thing you can’t use it towards is alcoholic beverages. If you know you’re about to devour a bunch of food or would like to try it all, this pass will save you a few bucks since most of the food and non-alcoholic drinks average between $6 to $8 each.

After you get your sip and save pass, look over the passport they give you! They breakdown each dish to let you know which holiday it falls under. Also, if you have any food allergies they list which booths are allergy friendly! I give major credit to Disney when it comes to their food safety. As someone who has a food allergies (I’m allergic to seafood, shellfish, and tree nuts), it can be a bit difficult to find places to eat. However, whenever I go to Disneyland or any Disney Resort, I know I am safe. Only because they do have the warning labels and the cast members are very knowledgeable about the food they put out.

Last tip! I highly recommend going at the start of the Holiday season, specifically the second or third week. Once it gets knee deep into the holidays, the lines get really long and you can be waiting for food for 20 minutes or more. Or worse, food can sell out! Yes! Surprise! Disney can run out of food!
If you’re going to Disneyland anytime soon, click here to learn more about the Festival of Holidays!

Until my next adventure!
Toodles!!!