2026 Disney Festival of Holidays Guide for California Adventure

Disney California Adventure Park is bringing back the Disney Festival of Holidays for the 2026-2027 season. This annual event highlights diverse cultural traditions through seasonal food, beverages, and live entertainment throughout the park.

What's new

The 2026 festival introduces several new food and beverage items across its marketplace booths. New savory options include Chicken Pot Pie Wings topped with herb pie crumble and a Reimagined Beef Wellington. The "Holiday Duets" marketplace will feature two new varieties of KRAFT Deluxe Mac & Cheese: a Holiday Brisket version with BBQ sauce and dill pickle onions, and a French Onion version with caramelized onions and garlic croutons. Visitors can also order a "Duet" plate containing half portions of both.

New sweet and non-alcoholic drinks include the TWIX Bits Iced Chocolate, made with chocolate oat milk and cookie butter syrup, and the Merry Berry Holiday Punch, which is topped with cupcake sweet cream and candy clusters. New alcoholic offerings include an Apple Cider Guava Margarita and a Chocolate Snowball Blonde Ale from Unsung Brewing Co.

For entertainment, the festival features a new Disney Gift Card wristlet design for 2026, themed after The Three Caballeros.

When and where

The festival runs from November 13, 2026, through January 6, 2027, at Disney California Adventure Park. The food marketplaces are primarily located along the Performance Corridor.

In addition to the food booths, seasonal activities are spread across the park:

* Redwood Creek Challenge Trail: Hosted character meet-and-greets for Santa’s Holiday Visit.

* Buena Vista Street: Mickey Mouse and other characters appear in winter attire.

* Paradise Gardens Park: Home to Disney ¡Viva Navidad!, featuring live performances and Latin American-inspired food.

* Park-wide: Cultural performances including the Holiday Toy Drummers and "Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season."

What it means for your visit

If you are visiting during this period, the Festival of Holidays adds significant dining capacity to the park, but the marketplace lines can become long during peak lunch and dinner hours.

To manage costs and wait times, consider the Sip and Savor Pass. This pass includes six digital coupons that can be redeemed for select food and non-alcoholic drinks at the festival marketplaces and participating permanent dining locations. Using the pass can often save money if you choose higher-priced food items.

For those who prefer to travel light, the wearable Disney Gift Card wristlet is a practical tool for quickly paying at the booths without reaching for a wallet. Because the festival draws local crowds, especially for the limited-time food items, visiting the marketplaces on weekdays or immediately at park opening can help you avoid the longest queues.

Returning favorites like the Cafe de Olla Cold Brew and the Turkey Tamale remain on the menu, so regular visitors can still find familiar staples alongside the 38 total offerings available this year.

Source: Disney Parks Blog