The annual Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is back at The Happiest Place on Earth! From February 28th to April 21st, fans can enjoy a variety of food and drink options at Disney’s California Adventure. In a festival that connects cultures, there is much joy to be shared and memories to create. I was invited to attend the first day of the festival, with a preview of all the goodness that’s in store for park guests.
Of the many food items offered in this year’s lineup, my favorite was the Musubi Fried Rice. A savory dish which included Aulani Resort-inspired steamed rice with egg, glazed spiced ham, umami mayo, and furikake. It was very tasty and salty, with a soft bed of rice to round out the flavor. I may have eaten 4 of them during my visit.
There are also many Latine inspired dishes, including the new Birria Mac & Cheese with onion-cilantro sauce and tortilla crunch, and the Loaded Carnitas Pretzel Bites with cheese sauce, salsa verde, cilantro, and onions. I had the chance to speak with some of the Disney chefs and see how they prepare these amazing meals.
Of course, there are plenty of desserts to enjoy, including the return of a fan favorite: the Mickey-shaped macaron made with SNICKERS.
Among some of the workshop stations was a demonstration in piecing together the Mickey-shaped macaron made with SNICKERS bar pieces: Chocolate Mickey-shaped macaron, filled with caramel ganache, made with SNICKERS bar pieces with one of the chefs who is in charge of desserts for all of Disney California Adventure. The macarons are perfect for sharing, although a common sentiment among visitors was once people began eating the macaron they forgot all about sharing. It is very large and very sweet, so those who aren’t into sweet foods may want to avoid this item.
Another favorite of the foods at the festival was the fusion item: Western BBQ Burger Bao with sweet barbecue sauce, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon, and crispy onions. It nails the signature taste of a hamburger but in bao form. It was very tasty and I may be reaching, but I felt as though I could taste a hint of pickles, which I found impressive and interesting because there were no pickle slices in the bao itself.
Fans may remember last year’s favorite Sirloin, which returns in a new form by combining Sirloin Gruyére with Mac & Cheese, served with black garlic chimichurri and garlic butter crunch. The Mac & Cheese is very flavorful, but the steak is thick and chewy, so it might be difficult for certain people who can’t have those kinds foods. The Mini LA Street Dog with jalapeño mayo, pepper and onion relish, Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Bacon, and crispy onions, was also a delicious item. Many of the offerings have a spicy twist, for example, the aforementioned Sirloin Gruyére has peppers on top, and the dish’s jalapeño mayo certainly packs a small kick.
The Food and Wine Festival wouldn’t be complete without drinks! I sampled the Mango Guava Cocktail: Vodka, mango purée, guava nectar, cucumber syrup, and lemon juice garnished with a rainbow sour belt gummy. Not too sweet, with just the right amount of alcohol and mango; the sour gummy at the end rounds out the flavor. Alcohol isn’t the only thing on the drink menu however. The California Punch is a non-alcoholic version of the aforementioned cocktail, but comes with a mango chile lollipop.
One thing that made me extremely happy to learn about is the Black-owned brewery that can be found at the Food and Wine Festival, Crowns and Hops. I got to speak with co-founders Beny Ashburn Jr and Teo Hunter, who own the Inglewood based brewery. Crowns and Hops is co Black woman owned and veteran owned. The owners shared their inspiring story as one of the few Black woman owned breweries in the country, and how they wanted to create a space for people of color and introduce craft to the community.
Ashburn recounted her initial memories surrounding beer, which included sneaking sips from her parents. Ashburn was introduced to the culture of craft beer, going to breweries and watching people hang out and socialize, but realized there weren’t a lot of people of color in those spaces. Ashburn and Hunter decided to create those spaces themselves.
![[L-R] Crowns and Hops Co-Founders Beny Ashburn Jr and Teo Hunter](https://i2.wp.com/pocculture.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/IMG_7523-min.jpeg?resize=880%2C660&ssl=1)
The first beer I sampled was their 8 trill pills pilsner, which is a great place to start your beer journey. Craft beer is refreshing and light. Ashburn laughed at my reaction to one of the beer samples and then promptly handed me their hazy-style beer, with a guava-peach scent to it and a hazy juice quality. Ashburn said that hazy style beer is what converted her to understanding craft. Crowns and Hops aims to introduce more people of color to craft so that newcomers like me aren’t overwhelmed. My eyes lit up as I drank the sample because I had never had something like that before. Be sure to look for Crowns and Hops at the Food and Wine Festival, and they will soon have their own space in Los Angeles.
For a full breakdown of the food offerings at the annual Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, Disney Eats released an essential Foodie Guide highlighting all of the limited-time food and drink offers at Disney California Adventure Park and Downtown Disney District.
The sip and savor pass makes its return. Each 4-entitlement Sip and Savor Pass is $32, including tax. Each 8-entitlement Sip and Savor Pass is $63, including tax. Magic Key holders may purchase the 8-entitlement Sip and Savor Pass for the discounted price of $58, including tax. The Sip and Savor pass does not buy you alcoholic beverages, but it’s a bargain if you make sure to spend your entitlements on food items. For the 4-entitlement pass, buying four $8.00 items breaks you even, but with more expensive items, such as the Musubi Fried Rice, which is $8.50, you can save yourself a few bucks! With the 8-entitlement pass you definitely get even more savings; just make sure you purchase items that are $8.00 or more! I wouldn’t use an entitlement on something like a water bottle, for example.
Soarin’ over California which is the original version of “Soarin over the World” makes its return for the festival, and the ride remains a classic. In the ride, your seats fly into the air, surrounded by a 180 degree dome-like screen, which makes it feel like you are really flying over California. The ride is complete with smells that bring you to the destinations, like the beach, or the forest. After getting to go on it again, Soarin’ over California is certainly a must ride for everyone visiting the park.
Big thanks to Disney for the opportunity to cover such a beloved festival and for the Latinx representation in the flavorful food of Disney’s Food and Wine Festival.
Jorgie is a Senior Writer at POC Culture and a passionate pop culture fan. Jorgie loves learning about visual effects, production, film, and art, and how they all come together to make epic films like Star Wars.
