Your Complete Guide to Dining at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival

My latest visit to Disney California Adventure Park was different. Instead of dashing for a Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! FASTPASS and then jumping into the single rider line for Radiator Springs Racers, I began my day with a creamy dish of Mac & Cheese. I then proceeded to peruse the remaining Festival Marketplaces in search of Avocado Ice Cream and a Bourbon Chocolate Whoopie Pie during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. This was my first visit to Disney California Adventure Park during the festival, so I decided to scope out the best foods in the name of research.

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival

During the Disney California Adventure Food & Wind Festival, guests can experience food, wine, and drinks inspired by our beautiful Golden State plus exclusive, limited-time entertainment. The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival runs for 6 weeks through April 12, 2018 and is included with admission to Disney California Adventure Park. However, food tastings must be purchased separately.

Festival Marketplaces

There are over a dozen Festival Marketplaces to experience during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. Each marketplace offers small plates featuring California-grown ingredients like avocados, strawberries, peppers, and artisan cheeses. Additionally, guests can enjoy and discover locally brewed craft beers and wines from California.

Family-Friendly Food and Cooking Seminars

Have you ever wanted to learn how to plant and grow your own vegetables?  Or prepare easy, 30-minute meals? The Backlot Stage in Hollywood Land will present daily seminars on topics that include cooking demonstrations and seminars. During my visit to the festival, Chef Daniella Malfitano enlisted the help of a local junior chef to demonstrate 3 easy kid-friendly meals that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.

Junior Chef

Disney’s littlest of guests can participate in a hands-on cooking experience with Chef Goofy. Designed for kids ages 3 to 11, these young chefs will follow a recipe and mix ingredients together to create a variety of treats. During my visit, Chef Goofy taught the Junior Chefs how to make Magical Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and enjoyed them after the demo.

Sweet Sundays

On select Sundays during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, guests can enjoy baking demonstrations by celebrity chefs. This experience takes place at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa and includes a light breakfast and a sparkling wine toast during the demo. After the chefs have shown you how to make their signature desserts, enjoy samples of their completed dishes.

Sunday, March 4, 2018 – 10:00 AM to noon
Keegan Gerhard
Food Network Challenge

Sunday, March 11, 2018 – 10:00 AM to noon
Emily Ellyn
Food Network Star and Cutthroat Kitchen

Sunday, April 8, 2018 – 10:00 AM to noon
Duff Goldman
Cake Masters and Ace of Cakes

Event Location and Price
Napa Rose, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa
$99.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers.

Celebrity Chef LIVE! at the Hyperion

Join celebrity chefs Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine as they share their journey to success, personal stories, and their favorite recipes. These chefs will create some of their dishes live on stage at the Hyperion Theater.

Guy Fieri LIVE! at the Hyperion
Friday, March 9, 2018
8:00 PM

Robert Irvine LIVE! at the Hyperion
Friday, March 30, 2018
8:00 PM

Event Location and Price
Hyperion Theater is in Hollywood Land in Disney California Adventure Park.
$99.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers. It should be noted that theme park admission is NOT required for this event.

VIP Opportunity
Be seated ON STAGE for the Celebrity Chef LIVE! – VIP Experience. This experience includes being part of the action on stage while the chef prepares his dishes and a private Meet & Greet with a backstage toast and a signed gift before the show.

Guy Fieri LIVE! at the Hyperion – VIP Experience
Friday, March 9, 2018
8:00 PM

Robert Irvine LIVE! at the Hyperion -– VIP Experience
Friday, March 30, 2018
8:00 PM

Event Location and Price
Hyperion Theater is in Hollywood Land in Disney California Park.
$250.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers. It should be noted that theme park admission is NOT required for this event.

Winemaker Dinners

On select nights during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, Disney will offer 3 nights of gourmet wine-focused pairing meals. Each dinner includes wines from California vintners and meal courses selected to enhance the flavor of the wine. This experience also includes presentations from the featured wineries on background and tasting notes and how the chef planned the dishes to bring out the flavor of the featured wines.

Flora Springs
Thursday, March 15, 2018
6:00 PM
Steakhouse 55
Disneyland Hotel
$175.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers

Join Flora Springs vintner Nat Komes for a 4-course meal expertly prepared by Steakhouse 55 Chef Marcel St. Pierre. Each course is created to pair harmoniously with selected Flora Springs wines. After each course, Nat will visit your table to share stories about his family’s vineyards and winery, located in beautiful Napa Valley, California.

Disney Family of Wines
Thursday, March 29, 2018
6:30 PM
Napa Rose
Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa
$250.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers

Enjoy a very special evening featuring the wines from 4 “Disney Family of Wines” winemakers: Fess Parker Winery, Kurt Russell’s GoGi Wines, Silverado Vineyards and Skywalker Vineyards. Each course of the inspired menu, created by Executive Chef Andrew Sutton, will be paired with a hand-selected wine from one of the featured wineries. With the beautiful Napa Rose hosting this stellar event, your evening is sure to sparkle.

David Arthur Vineyards
Thursday, April 5, 2018
6:30 PM
Carthay Circle Restaurant
Disney California Adventure Park
$300.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers

Delight in an exclusive evening under the stars celebrating David Arthur Wines. This 1930’s Hollywood-themed evening is limited to 24 Guests, with vintner David Long expertly pairing each course with the ideal wine. The event begins with a reception at Carthay Circle Restaurant, followed by a 4-course dinner created by Executive Chef Andrew Sutton on the North Patio. If you like, come dressed in 1930’s attire to add another layer of fun to this stylish event!

Brewmaster Beer Dinner

Enjoy a four-course beer pairing menu celebrating the flavors of Karl Strauss Brewing Company. Beers will be hand-selected, paired, and served with a special menu created by the Disney culinary team. Brewmaster Matt Johnson will present each beer and describe how the chef planned the dishes and pairings.

Thursday, March 8, 2018 – 6:00 PM
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Matt Johnson, Brewmaster of Brewing Operations

Event Location and Price
Steakhouse 55, Disneyland Hotel
$150.00 per person, plus tax and gratuities for servers

Wine, Beer, and Spirits Education and Tasting Seminars

Have you ever wanted to dive deeper into wine varieties?  Or learn what goes into making your favorite beer? Experts in Beer, Wine, and Spirits will present a variety of seminars during the festival, each of which includes guided sample tastings.

Wine Education & Tasting Seminars
Sip in the glory of California wines outdoors on the lovely Sonoma Terrace at Golden Vine Winery as you learn about different wine varieties, get tasting notes and ask questions about the wine being served.

Join Disneyland Resort Sommeliers, on Mondays through Thursdays during the event, with each seminar focused on a varietal, region or style. Each Sommelier will hand-curate their selection based on their own experience, knowledge base and personal favorites.

Beer Education & Tasting Seminars
Here’s your chance to learn more about some of these favorite grown-up beverages and find out what goes into making them, as samples are presented with notes about the flavors, ideas for food pairings and how best to serve each one.

Spirits Education & Tasting Seminars
Mix, muddle, shake and stir with acclaimed distillers and makers of craft spirits. Each seminar will focus on a single spirit or style of drink and will end with the featured cocktail—made by you!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Caryn Bailey

Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.

Latest posts by Caryn Bailey (see all)

• Discover Luxury at Sonesta Irvine: Your Ideal Staycation - August 8, 2024
• CHOC Walk Returns to the Disneyland Resort – Special Events and Ways to Support - June 28, 2023
• Beastly Ball Returns to the Los Angeles Zoo - May 8, 2023