On March 1, Anaheim will welcome the return of the annual Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, which this year will run until April 22.
The celebration of some of California’s most delectable food and wine has come a long way since it first debuted within Disney California Adventure Park in 2006. Today, the 7+ week long celebration is one of the most eagerly anticipated events in Disneyland Resort’s ever changing Event Calendar, that this year will also see the return of favourites like Pixar Fest, and Season of the Force in April.
But for now, the destination is focused on all things culinary, offering visitors an epicurean experience with a Disney twist. And this year, the festival will also welcome some of Anaheim’s world-renowned chef’s, brewers, sommeliers, and bartenders for culinary and tasting seminars that will not only showcase the best of the Disneyland Resort, but the best of Anaheim’s incredible food and beverage scene as well.
Top 3 Anaheim culinary hotspots that will feature in the 2024 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival:
The Best of the Disneyland Resort
For decades, visitors have flocked to Disneyland Resort for some of the best sweet treats and Mickey Shaped sensations to tickle their taste buds. From Mickey shaped pretzels and ice-creams, to world-famous churros and turkey legs, the Disneyland Resort offers more snack options than guests can cram into even a 5-Day visit. But for those looking for a more opulent dining experience, there are plenty of options that will not disappoint within the grounds of The Happiest Place on Earth.
Whether it’s fine dining in a recreation of the Carthay Circle Theater where Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs first premiered in 1937, or taking a 5-course gastronomic journey through California’s freshest produce whilst listening to live Jazz at the stunning Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Californian Hotel & Spa, foodies will not be disappointed by the sumptuous culinary journey that awaits.
For those looking to venture a little further, over in Disneyland Park, Oga’s Cantina offers tasty morsels and one-of-a-kind cocktails in a setting that’s out of this world. Or for those looking for a quieter affair, you can always choose to laze by the waters of Pixar Pier and take in the creativity and colour of Pixar animators in the relaxing Lamplight Lounge.
Whilst these restaurants and bars are open year round, during the 7 week long festival, guests can meet the chefs and bartenders responsible for each venues unique flavours during special ticketed events that can be booked via the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival website.
Anaheim craft beer
Anaheim also now hosts one of the fastest growing and most dynamic craft beer scenes in the USA with more breweries than any other city in Orange County. With over 20 breweries – all easily accessible from the Disneyland Resort – beer lovers can sip for days and still not get the chance to sample all of the region’s crafty brews.
During the annual Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival several of the region’s brewers are invited to host Beer Education and Tasting Seminars within Disney California Adventure Park. These tastings take place every Saturday and Sunday, and this year’s robust roundup includes Downtown Disney District favourite, Ballast Point Brewing Co.; Brewheim; and Unsung Brewing Co., located within the regions iconic Anaheim Packing District.
And if any brews take your fancy, the breweries themselves are just a short 10-minute drive from the Disneyland Resort so you can pick up a pack to take home as a souvenir.
Tiki Bars & Speakeasy’s
As a city founded by imagination, it’s little wonder that Anaheim’s bar scene has kept this tradition of storytelling and creativity alive.
Surrounding the pools of the Disneyland Hotel, nestled around tiki torches and bamboo, lies a bar that even the locals will queue for. Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar offers classic tiki libations with quintessential Disney flare and is a must-do for any fan of the World-Famous
Jungle Cruise attraction located within Disneyland Park. But during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival this one-of-a-kind bar opens its doors for ticketed mixology classes hosted by the venues colourful cast members. It’s a mixology session you’ll likely never forget.
Also joining in on the fun is the Anaheim Packing House’s very own speakeasy, The Blind Rabbit. This Alice in Wonderland themed bar has been thrilling visitors to Anaheim for almost 10 years, and during the festival, the bartenders venture out of the intimate rabbit hole and make their way to Disney California Adventure Park for their own mixology sessions on select days. If your dates don’t align, you can always take the 10-minute journey to the Anaheim Packing House and visit the Blind Rabbit for yourself.
The OTHER Food and Wine Festival
Lastly, whilst not a part of Disneyland Resort in California’s own Food & Wine Festival, just down the road in neighbouring Buene Park, California’s first Theme Park, Knott’s Berry Farm, also puts on its own festival for the tastebuds every March and April.
Knott’s Boysenberry Festival will run from March 8 until April 28, and as the name suggests, is centered on the park’s namesake, the boysenberry. Over 100 years ago, Knott’s Berry Farm was a working berry farm, and every year the Park celebrates that legacy with a food and wine festival honouring the boysenberry – which was engineered in the region in the 1930’s – and the parks other famous culinary icon, Mrs. Knott’s Fried Chicken.
These festivals and year-round culinary must-do’s highlight Anaheim and Orange County’s rich history as farming land, and how the locals continue that tradition to offer the freshest produce and flavoursome feasts to visitors from all around the world.
For more information about Anaheim, see www.visitanaheim.org.
