Are you headed to the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival this year? If you’re bringing kids along, this is a must read list of all the family activities at the festival! 

If you love the Disneyland resort and food…..then you know it’s the most wonderful time of the year…..one of our favorite seasonal events is BACK!  From March 4 – April 26, 2022, it’s the Disney California Food and Wine Festival!  This festival returns and gets better and better every year with more booths at the Festival Marketplaces, new food options, great activities and fun for the whole family.  Break out your favorite Disneyland outfits, and get ready to celebrate with some cuisine inspired by the California regions created by your favorite Disney chefs!  There is so much to do included in your regular park admission, that this is a GREAT time to visit.

Each year, our family purchases one or two sip and savor passes (this year they cost $56 or $51 with an Annual Passholder discount)….we visit the Festival a few times and use one or two tabs on each visit to trade for a Marketplace Item or two.  We do a couple of the activities each visit as well.  You could easily do it all in a day if you are visiting from out of town or at a leisurely place if you visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure often.  The DCA food options during this time of year are so much fun, and make visiting truly a unique experience!

Disneyland Food and Wine Festival: Family Friendly Activities at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival

1. Kid Friendly Food Options at the Marketplace Booths: This year there are 13 food booths in the marketplace, and they’ve got food options for everyone….including the kids.  Be sure to grab a Food Festival passport at any kiosk, it has a list of all food items available and even indicates which are kid friendly.  A few of my top suggestions to try with younger kids? The Impossible™ Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese from the Nuts About Cheese Marketplace Booth, the Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls from the California Craft Brews Marketplace Booth, and the Strawberry-Rose Lemonade from the Golden Dreams Marketplace Booth.
2. Jammin’ Chefs Show: The jammin’ chef show is so much fun!  This short drum show features Chip and Dale, along with some pretty amazing musicians.  It’s great for younger kids, and takes place many times each day in the Paradise Gardens Park (the circular area in front of the Little Mermaid ride and at the entrance to the Pixar Pier).  Check the Disneyland app for showtimes.
3. Junior Chef Show: This is my favorite event to take Lydia to every year during the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival, it’s truly one of the most unique and special activities for kids.  On the Hollywood Land Backlot Stage, Chef Goofy along with a few friends leads his favorite Jr. Chef friends through an important baking lesson.  There is a TON of audience participation and each kid leaves with a cookie.  Pro tip: get to the Backlot Stage area early if you would like your child to participate and ask where to wait.  This one fills up quickly!
4. Craft Area: The Craft Area for kids is in the Hollywood Land Backlot Area in Disney California Adventure Park (next to the stage) and it’s way bigger than last year.  Kids can do really fun craft activities like decorating chef’s hats, and there’s an adorable new placemat to color and enjoy.  This area has tables with buckets of crayons and umbrellas, it’s a great place to relax and enjoy the festival.
5. Chef Goofy’s Meet and Greet: Breaking news! For the first time ever, Chef Goofy is doing meet and greets as a part of the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival.  He’s absolutely adorable, so be sure to check the app for his appearance times (along with other Disney characters)!
6. Family Time Cooking Demonstrations: I loved seeing this family friendly cooking demonstration for the first time.  It’s usually at 3:15 on the Hollywood Land Backlot Stage and features Chef Daniella Malfitano sharing her favorite family friendly recipes with a little help from the audience (be sure to check the Disneyland app each day for showtimes).  Pro tip: these complimentary culinary demonstrations are a great time to sit down and rest a bit, a great unique live entertainment offering and…..they often feature fun and unique celebrity chefs!
7. Find Hidden Mickeys: Scavenger hunt time! Four of the Marketplace booths have murals painted on the sides and each of those murals has a hidden Mickey!  The murals are located at I Heart Artichokes, Cluck a Doodle Moo, Uncorked California, and Pepper’s Cali-ente.  Visit them to grab food and let your kids look for the hidden Mickeys while you wait!

Going WITHOUT kids? I’m excited to check out the one of the Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions this year (these require a separate reservation and pair local California wines with small plates) and some of the Wine, Beer and Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars (these are shorter, about 45 minutes or so).  These special signature events will be open for reservations on the Disneyland website.

And if fun festival merchandise is your thing…..then the Food and Wine Festival Disneyland merch will NOT disappoint.  They always have the cutest stuff for sale at festival merchandise carts throughout the annual event.

Will you be visiting the Disneyland Food and Wine Festival this year? With or without kids?