Best of 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival

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As a foodie, I'm so excited that the Food and Wine Festival at Disneyland is back for 2018. This past weekend, I spent time with some of my girlfriends eating and drinking our way through the 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival at Disney's California Adventure Park. We've tasted our way through the 13 marketplace kiosks of the Festival Marketplaces at the 2018 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival to let you know the best of the best so you can hit the park and grab some of the best eats at the festival. Mixed in with our dining, we rode allllll the rides and used the Disneyland MaxPass to the best of our ability. Thanks to Disneyland for providing meal vouchers and park tickets so we could experience the 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival. This post contains affiliate links.

Best of 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Brie Toast with Fig, Mint, and Almond Crumble. ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Goat Cheese Fromage Blanc Tartine with Rosemary and Hazlenuts ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Watsonville Strawberry Pie ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Strawberry & Coconut Rice “Frushi” ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Spiced Oumph on Pita with Avocado Hummus and Garlic Sauce ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Kickback Michelada with flavors of Pineapple and Lime ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Citrus-brined Pork Roast with Tangy Barbecue Sauce and Lemon Pepper Slaw ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Meyer Lemon Macaron ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Compressed Asian Cucumbers with green-green sauce, toasted almonds, and sea beans ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Beet Kombucha Sangria ©Jana Seitzer

2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival Bourbon Chocolate Whoopie Pie ©Jana Seitzer

About the Food and Wine Festival at Disneyland

From March 2 through April 12, 2018, you can celebrate the bounty of California with irresistible cuisine, beverages, entertainment, and more! There are 13 marketplace kiosks in the Festival Marketplaces at the 2018 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival.

Marketplace Details and Schedule

Wander through the Festival Marketplaces, exploring varied and vibrant cuisine. Visit Disney California Adventure Park for the festival’s events and taste irresistible small plates and beverages for sale at different outdoor Marketplaces. Each marketplace menu is inspired by fresh, California-grown ingredients such as avocado, strawberries, citrus, peppers, or artisanal cheese. You’ll also discover an array of locally brewed craft beers and wines from all over the Golden State.

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Festival Marketplaces Offerings

• Nuts About Cheese – Discover wine’s best friends.
• Uncork California – Sip wine by the glass or try a flight.
• I Heart Artichokes – Partake in the thistle—prepared 3 ways!
• Garlic Kissed – Savor food and drinks featuring the stinking rose.
• California Craft Brews – Cheers to a round of beers from California’s best local breweries.
• Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo – Rally for these sliders, wings ‘n’ beer—a sports fan’s dream!
• Eat Your Greens – Tickle your taste buds with healthy fare.
• Citrus Grove – Zing it up with zesty refreshment!
• Strawberry Patch – Hail the big red berry for top billing!
• Avocado Time – Indulge in flavorful medleys that make your mouth sing.
• Off the Cob – Celebrate the essence of summer’s sweetness.
• Peppers Cali-Ente – Snack on hot ‘n’ spicy fare with a Cali twist!
• LAstyle – Feast on favorite southland food truck flavors.
• The Brewhouse – Wet your whistle with craft beers and beer cocktails.

Cost for 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival

The 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival is included in your standard park admission. Tastes of food and drinks samples will cost you extra. The main dishes samples at the food marketplace kiosks run about $6–$8, desserts and drinks between $4–$6. Alcoholic beverages range between $7–$16.

If you plan to drink alcoholic beverages at the festival, don’t forget to bring your photo ID!

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UNICORN • Always be you, unless you can be a unicorn. #Disneypartner. * * How adorable is this macaron from the #disneycaliforniafoodandwine festival? * * #travelwithme #disneylife #disneyig #disneygram #disneyfan #disneypic #disneyphoto #disneyaddict #disneyfamily #travelislife #howdoyoutravel #themepark #geekgirltravel #travelitmore #adventureislife #Eatdrinkanddisney #californiaadventure #disneyland #drinkeatdisney #wnsxdisney

A post shared by Jana Seitzer | Whisky+Sunshine (@whiskynsunshine) on Mar 4, 2018 at 11:31am PST

Tips for the 2018 Disney California Food and Wine Festival

• The marketplace kiosk lines can get quite long. However, they move along pretty quickly. Even with long lines, we didn't wait more than about 15 minutes or so. To avoid long lines, avoid standard meal times such as lunch and dinner rush. The festival kiosks open at 10:30 am.
• If you have your heart set on a specific food or beverage item at a kiosk, consider asking at the register or window before getting in line. We had a few instances where we discovered they were out of an ingredient for a dish (like an ice cream for a drink) or item (like a whole drink) after waiting in line and getting to the register to order. That said, they may have it as you get in line and then run out by the time you get to the window. Availability vastly improved over last year's festival, which was a plus.
• How it works: stand in line, order your item, pay, hand your receipt to the server at the window, receive your item.
• Be prepared to stand to eat your treats. Many kiosks have some standing tables available nearby where you can eat your food, but not all do. Seating options: The Hollywood Backlot area has some seating benches in front of the stage; you can also take your food and beverages to the Paradise Garden Grill/Festival Beer Garden where there are quite a few tables (and beer!).
• If you are an Annual Passholder, there is a special AP Sip and Savor Pass available for the Disney California Food and Wine Festival. For $45, you can purchase a pass with 8 tickets to sample both food and non-alcoholic items, which can be a significant cost savings, depending on the items you want to try.
• Allergy warning: while most main ingredients are noted on the kiosk signs, not all are. We ordered the Meyer Lemon Macaron and discovered it had a berry filling. After tracking down a cast member who called in to find out what the filling was, it turned out to be blueberry. As someone with an anaphylactic allergy to black currants, while I will never eat anything without knowing, I would have never guessed that the sign that simply said “Meyer Lemon Macaron” had a blueberry filling until we bit into it to find a surprise.
• Looking for a Disney Good Neighbor Hotel? The Courtyard Anaheim at the park entrance is about an 8-minute walk and a really nice hotel accommodation. There are rooms that sleep up to 6 with views of Space Mountain.

Book your Disney Vacation today!

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