Non-Foodie’s Guide to 2020 Disneyland Food and Wine Festival

This year is my 3rd year attending The Disney California Food & Wine Festival at the Disneyland Resort. While I consider myself a non-foodie, I still find myself enjoying the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival each year and am excited to always see what new food offerings they have each year. 

Non-Foodie’s Guide to Disneyland Food and Wine Festival

So here’s the reality. I am not a foodie. Not. At. All. Of course, I prefer tasty food to meh food but I am not the type of person that goes out of my way to stand in line at the trendy new restaurants or spend lots of extra cash on the latest food trend. Give me something yummy, easy, and let’s move on to something else, like Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout. 😉

So I’m not a foodie, nor do I drink alcohol. I know, how can someone be so fun and not drink alcohol, I am definitely an anomaly. 😉 So keep in mind that my opinions are only my own and represent a non-foodie.

2020 Disneyland Food and Wine Festival Dates and Hours

The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival is a seasonal event held at Disney California Adventure. It typically runs from from late February to April. They’ve added two additional days to the festival this year, making it a full 54 days of Disneyland Food fun. The 2020 Disneyland Food and Wine Festival runs from February 28 – April 21, 2020. The Food and Wine Festival Marketplaces are open from 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM daily (**there were a few dates listed with a 8:00PM closing time). I did notice signs at each booth with the closing time listed as well. 

2020 Disneyland Food and Wine Festival Prices

Admission to the Food and Wine Festival is included in your ticket to Disney California Adventure. Food offerings and select events are available for an additional fee, like celebrity chef demonstrations.

Food prices at the 14 Food and Wine Festival Marketplaces vary from $5 to $18.00. The desserts were priced at the lower end, alcohol at the upper end and regular food items were generally $7-$8.

Tasty Food Options at 2020 Disney Food and Wine Festival

There are 13 Food and Wine booths located along the Festival Corridor. Each one offering fresh, California-centric cuisine. I’ve listed the food and non-alcoholic drink options at each stand below, these are the items you can purchase using a Sip and Savor Pass.

• Nuts About Cheese – Celebrate California’s bounty with taste bud-teasing cuisine.
  • Fiscalini White Cheddar Lager Soup in a Mini Boudin Sourdough Bowl
  • Impossible Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese
  • Oikos Greek Yogurt Banoffee Tart
• Uncork California – Discover the Golden State’s wine-making artistry!
  • California Artisan Cheese Selection
• Golden Dreams – Please palates with well-seasoned eats.
  • Brunch Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwich
  • Seared Verlasso Salmon
  • Strawberry-Rose Lemonade (non-alcoholic)
  • Fig & Lavender Cold brew (non-alcoholic)
• California Craft Brews – Quench that thirst with craft beer and appetizing bites.
  • Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls

• One In A Melon – Nosh on nature’s super-juicy treat!
  • Compressed Watermelon and Tomato with Whipped Ricotta and Lemon Olive Oil
  • Poke-style Watermelon with Cucumber
  • Pabana Cream Puff
  • House-made Watermelon Agua Fresca (non-alcoholic)
• Peppers Cali-Ente – Snack on hot ‘n’ spicy fare with a California twist.
  • Creamy Poblano Pepper Pasta
  • Grilled Shrimp Tacos
• LAstyle – Gobble up some of the southland’s food-truck faves.
  • Asian-style Beef Barbacoa Street Tacos
  • Smoked Bacon Barbecue Beef Loco Moco
  • Monkey Bread

• Avocado Time – Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of this fleshy fruit.
  • Petite Impossible Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack Cheese
  • Tortilla-crusted Fried Guacamole with Carne Asada
• Off the Cob – Refuel with flavorful medleys that make your mouth sing!
  • Mini Chicken Chimis with Chimichurri
  • Shrimp and Braised Corn with Chorizo 
  • Mickey-shaped Caramel-Peanut Milk Chocolate Macaron
  • Farmstand Punch (non-alcoholic)
• I Heart Artichokes – Feast on cuisine featuring this thorny thistle!
  • Fried Artichokes with Lemon Aioli
  • Artichoke Toast

• Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo – Sink your teeth into finger-lickin’ bliss!
  • Ranch Fried Chicken Wings
  • French Onion Grilled Beef Tenderloin Slider
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch
• Berry Patch – Say “yes” to berries in a big new way!
  • Oikos Greek Yogurt California Berries Summer Pudding
  • Raspberry-Lychee-Rose Custard
  • Ruby Citrus Sparkler (non-alcoholic)
• Garlic Kissed –  All hail the stinking rose!
  • Black Garlic Soy-braised Pork Belly Banh Mi
  • Carbonara Garlic Mac & Cheese with Nueske’s Bacon

In addition to the Festival Marketplaces, you will find festival food at a few other locations in Disney California Adventure.

• Paradise Garden Grill – Both full size entrees and Sip and Savor tasting-size portions are available at this location.
  • Impossible Meatball Submarine
  • Beer-battered Fish Tacos
  • Brisket Sliders
  • Brisket Fries
  • Black Forest Parfait
• Festival Cart 
  • Savory Beef Empanada with Chipotle Creama
  • Sweet Apple Empanada with Caramel
• Cappuccino Cart
  • Fruitful Green Tea
• Hollywood Churro Cart
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Churro

Cooking Demonstrations and Live Entertainment

Beyond the food, check out the daily schedule for cooking demonstrations and live entrainment like the Jammin’ Chefs with Chip & Dale. And don’t miss the 4 fun Instagram photo walls at the following festival booths: Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo, Uncork California, I Heart Artichokes and Peppers Cali-Ente.

Should you bring kids to the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival?

Maybe. If your child  is a foodie or loves the watching chefs in action, then this event would totally be up their alley. My kids aren’t much for waiting in lines and can be kind of picky eaters too. The Food and Wine Tasting Passport does have a list of kid-friendly food options available at the festival. You can also print up this Food and Wine Festival  Scavenger Hunt to help keep them busy.

While I wouldn’t plan a family trip just to attend the Disney Food and Wine Festival with kids, I would consider it a bonus if we happened to be there during the event. If you didn’t visit Disneyland during Rodeo Break, and area headed there for spring break instead then you are in luck! This year the festival dates  all of the spring break season. It’s definitely worth stopping by to grab some really yummy food and catch some fun kids entertainment.  

Disney Food and Wine Festival Jr. Chef Events

Jr. Chef is a hands-on cooking event for kids ages 3-11. Kids will help mix a batch of oatmeal raisin cookies with the help of cast members and Chef Goofy. At the end of the show, Disney magic allows each kiddo to go home with their own packaged treat at the end of the event.

Jr. Chef is scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during the festival in the Hollywood Backlot. There is no sign up for the event, so it is first come, first served. Plan on arriving 30-45 minutes before the scheduled show. There are tables set aside for kids to color at while they wait. 

Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Tips

• Save time waiting in line! Pay at the booth with the shortest line and then pick up your food as you go. There are two lines, one to pay and one to pick up food. There is no need to wait in more than one line if you know what you want to buy!
• Grab a free chefs hat as you walk into California Adventure, cast members hand them out just under the bridge on Buena Vista Street
• Seating is very limited. There are standing tables in most areas but they can go fast. Grab one when you see one!
• The best seating options are in the Festival Beer Garden near Goofy’s Sky School. There is a lot of seating back there including some covered tables which could be important if it’s raining or you need shade from the sun.

• You can purchase a Sip And Savor Pass that includes 8 coupons good for food or non-alcoholic drinks at the Festival Marketplaces for $56. Annual Passholders get a $5 discount and special lanyard. You can share a Sip and Savor Pass with someone but do not remove the tabs (coupons) until you are paying for the food item. In other words, don’t rip off the tabs and split up to buy food. 
• Disney does an excellent job with food allergy concerns. The Tasting Passport lists Gluten-Friendly and Vegetarian options. You can also check with cast members about ingredients for other food allergies.

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If your trip is a little further out you can use their layaway program and save towards your next Disney trip all year long. Don’t forget to use my exclusive Get Away Today coupon code DCHICA. Book online or call Get Away Today at 1-855-GET-AWAY.

Disclosure: I have been a guest of Disneyland for some of my Food & Wine Festival experiences in the last few years. Many of my other visits have been at my own expense. As always, all opinions are my own.

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