2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival: Your Guide
Wondering where to start as you dive into this year’s festival festivities? Here’s your comprehensive guide to the 2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, with information on activities, live entertainment, schedules, food booths, and more.
The 2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival is back for a brand-new year! This year, the jam-packed festival runs from March 3 through April 25. We’ve broken down everything you can expect to do, see, and eat at the festival in our comprehensive guide to the 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival.
What is the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival? It’s your chance to celebrate California’s culinary and wine history! The state is known for its creative cuisine and its winemaking from south to north, and this festival brings together creative culinary concoctions with California-made wines, beer, and more. A popular event since the first festival took place in 2006, the 2023 Food & Wine Festival is now in its seventh year. And this year, you’ll find plenty of delicious eats to try, performances and culinary demonstrations to catch, and activities to participate in as you visit Disney California Adventure in March and April.
Keep scrolling to find everything you need to know about DCA’s Food & Wine Festival.
2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival?
The 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival kicks off on March 3, 2023 and ends on April 25, 2023.
How long does the DCA Food & Wine Festival run for?
It lasts for just over seven weeks, giving you nearly two months to experience this food-filled fest.
What are the park hours for California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival?
During the festival, Disney California Adventure Park is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day.
However, festival booth and activity times will vary. Each day, the food booths (or festival marketplaces) open at 11 AM. Make sure you grab a festival guidebook upon entering California Adventure Park for the 2023 Food & Wine Festival. This is your guide to the day’s activities (and all the festival food booths).
How much is the 2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival?
All Disney California Adventure festivals, including the 2023 Food & Wine Festival, are included with the cost of admission to California Adventure Park.
- If you’re a Magic Key holder, attending the 2023 Food & Wine Festival costs nothing.
- If you’re purchasing a ticket, a standard single-day ticket to Disney California Adventure starts at $73.
However, there are other Food & Wine Festival costs to factor in before you head to the park. For example, one of the main draws of the festival is the collection of food booths (or festival marketplace kiosks), where you can purchase small plates of food, snacks, and drinks. These vary in cost; the cheapest items are typically in the $2 to $3 range. However, the fanciest cocktails may hit $13 to $15.
While the Food & Wine Festival at DCA has held free demonstrations and classes in the past, there have also been paid classes you can take (as little as $25 per person). There are a number of Food & Wine Festival experiences you can book in advance, too, that start at $25 per person and can cost as much as $100 or more, from cocktail classes to winemaker receptions to chef-led dinners.
And of course, there’s plenty of special festival merch to go around. If you’ve gotta have the 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival merch, be ready to spend a pretty penny.
What’s free at the Disney California Food & Wine Festival?
If you’re hoping to do the Food & Wine Festival on a budget, there’s still plenty to enjoy! There’s a slew of live performances you can catch throughout the day – and each one of these performances is completely free! Additionally, you can enjoy the festival marketplace kiosks, or food booths, on a budget with the Sip and Savor Pass, which gives you eight tabs to use for any food and nonalcoholic drinks you’d like to try. And there are regular culinary demonstrations and shows happening throughout the park each day of the festival. You will, however, want to skip
While the 2023 entertainment schedule is still yet to be released, you can expect the following live entertainment to be free once you’re inside EPCOT for the festival:
- Culinary Demonstrations, which feature local, visiting, and Disney chefs as they prepare a few of their favorite recipes on stage Friday through Sunday.
- Family Programming, which takes place throughout the duration of the festival, allowing you to find something fun for everyone in the family including special activity zones and demonstrations.
- Live Music, with musical performances setting the vibe at locations throughout DCA.
- Soarin’ Over California, which returns just for the festival! Head over to Soarin’ and you can catch the original California-centric ride film.
In addition to these free entertainment offerings, there’s plenty to see around California Adventure during the Food & Wine Festival. And it’s all free! You’ll be able to find photo opportunities, participate in demonstrations, or even try limited-time festival offerings at restaurants throughout the park.
What’s New at the 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival
Right now, we’re eagerly awaiting the official word on what will be new at this year’s Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival. Each year, many fan-favorite food booths, activities, and entertainment return – but the festival always brings something new and fresh for a brand-new year. Check back here before the festival kicks off in March to find out what can’t-miss new fun you’ll want to make sure to catch!
2023 Food & Wine Festival Food Booths
Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
One of the big draws of the annual DCA Food & Wine Festival is the food booths. While every festival held at California Adventure Park includes food booths (or festival marketplaces), the Food & Wine Festival is the biggest, with the largest number of booths. And the special focus on California flavors, ingredients, and chefs means this is your chance to try local fare – in fact, many of the beers offered come right from local Anaheim breweries!
While we’re still eagerly awaiting the announcement of which deliciously creative dishes will be available during the 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival, you can always take a peek at last year’s festival booth menus to get a general idea of what will be served. Often, returning favorites appear – and you can start making your plans of which you’ll want to visit first based on last year’s hits!
Not sure what to order? That’s why we offer dedicated reviews of each food booth (called “festival marketplaces”) once the festival launches. We try to sample as much food as early in the festival as possible so we can steer you in the right direction.
In the list below, tap on a food booth name to learn more about the 2023 menu items (and see photos!)
Here’s the full list of 2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival food booths:
- Avocado Time
- Berry Patch
- California Craft Brews
- Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo
- D-Lish
- Garlic Kissed
- Golden Dreams
- I Heart Artichokes
- LA Style
- Nuts About Cheese
- Peppers Cali-Ente
- Uncork California
We’ll update the list above with fresh reviews of the exciting 2023 festival offerings as soon as they’re available!
Food & Wine Festival Sip and Savor Pass
Don’t forget to grab your Sip and Savor Pass if you’re planning to spend the day at Disney California Adventure sampling all of the food and drink options! The Sip and Savor Pass is returning for the 2023 festival, and it’s always a great buy. All Guests can purchase a Sip and Savor Pass (though Magic Key holders will typically get a discounted price), and the pass provides you with a commemorative festival credential, lanyard, and eight tabs that can be redeemed for select food and nonalcoholic beverages at participating festival locations.
The Sip and Savor tabs are accepted at the festival’s food booths as well as some restaurants throughout DCA that offer small sample-sized portions and limited-time festival creations. For example, some of last year’s redemption locations included:
- Cappuccino Cart
- Cocina Cucamonga
- Lucky Fortune Cookery
- Pacific Wharf Café
- Paradise Garden Grill
- Pym Tasting Lab
- Smokejumpers Grill
- Sonoma Terrace
- Terran Treats
Check back for all of the details on the 2023 Food & Wine Festival Sip and Savor Pass when the festival kicks off on March 3!
Activities at the 2023 DCA Food & Wine Festival
Learn from your favorite chefs. Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
In addition to eating your way throughout the park, the Food & Wine Festival has so much to do, from photo ops to shopping experiences to actual learning opportunities.
Here’s a full list of things to do at the 2023 California Adventure Food & Wine Festival:
Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions
If you’re looking for an elevated and truly special experience, the Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions offered during the annual Food & Wine Festival at DCA are a total treat. These unforgettable events are designed to highlight wines from different California vintners, and those wines are paired with carefully selected menus. As you sip and dine, you’ll also hear from guest presenters from each winery, who will offer background and tasting notes to enhance the evening.
Carthay Circle Winemaker Receptions cost $150 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Here’s a look at the planned receptions for 2023:
- GoGi Wines (with Kurt Russell): Friday, March 10, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
- McBride Sisters Wine Co. (with Nicole Rabago & Amy Butler): Friday, March 31, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
- Fess Parker Winery: Friday, April 14, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
Advance reservations and payment are required for these winemaker receptions. Space is limited, as each reception is an intimate affair, and these events tend to sell out quickly. You can book your spot here.
Hotel Winemaker & Mixology Class Experiences
Another special event that takes place only during the California Adventure Food & Wine Festival is a small series of Hotel Winemaker & Mixology Class Experiences. Hosted by the restaurants at the hotels of the Disneyland Resort, these experiences are very limited and welcome only a few guests each year – but if you can snag a spot, you’ll learn a lot and get to try some incredible treats! Chefs, mixologists, and winemakers will share their culinary expertise with Guests, and you’ll learn about wines, mixing cocktails, and pairing delicious homemade dishes with your beverages.
For 2023, the Hotel Winemaker & Mixology Class Experiences cost $159 to $225 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Here’s a look at the seminar options and dates for the 2023 Food & Wine Festival:
- Trader Sam’s Tiki Mixology Seminar: Learn to make the HippopotoMai-Tai, one of the legendary libations served at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar. Then, sample sweet-and-spicy snacks around the outdoor fireplace. At the end, you’ll take home a tiki mug as a souvenir. Available Monday, March 6 and Monday, April 10.
- Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa Food and Wine Experience: Meet the chefs, sommeliers and art historians from Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa as you sip wines paired with specially crafted plates at the venerable Hearthstone Lounge. Available Friday, April 21.
Remember, you’ll need to make an advance reservation and have a valid, government-issued ID to prove you’re 21 years old or older to join these events!
Soarin’ Over California
The original version of Soarin’ is back for the 2023 DCA Food and Wine Festival! If you’ve been missing the attraction’s original California-centric film, the festival is your opportunity to experience it once again. From March 3 to April 25, 2023, Soarin’ Over California will be back in action, flying Guests over the state’s most iconic landmarks (which, of course, includes Disneyland Park!).
Wine, Beer, and Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars
If you want to learn from experts in wine, beer, and mixology, you can sign up for one of the education and tasting seminars offered during the DCA Food & Wine Festival. These seminars are always a popular activity with Guests – though they do come with an additional fee, it’s an opportunity to sip some wine or beer (or a cocktail!) and learn from experts who had a hand in creating the products you’re sampling. From renowned California winemakers and brewmasters to Disney mixologists, these seminars will teach you a little more about wine, beer, and mixing the perfect cocktail.
Here’s a look at the schedule of Wine, Beer, and Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars for the 2023 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival:
Wine Seminars
- Friday, March 3: Testarossa Winery
- Saturday, March 4: Testarossa Winery
- Sunday, March 5: Testarossa Winery
- Friday, March 10: GoGi Wines
- Saturday, March 11: GoGi Wines
- Sunday, March 12: GoGi Wines
- Friday, March 17: Wiens Family Cellars
- Saturday, March 18: Wiens Family Cellars
- Sunday, March 19: Wiens Family Cellars
- Friday, March 24: BEV Wines
- Saturday, March 25: BEV Wines
- Sunday, March 26: BEV Wines
- Friday, March 31: Disney Sommelier Arielle Harris
- Saturday, April 1: McBride Sisters Wine Co.
- Sunday, April 2: McBride Sisters Wine Co.
- Friday, April 7: Hill Family Estates
- Saturday, April 8: Hill Family Estates
- Sunday, April 9: Hill Family Estates
- Friday, April 14: Disney Sommelier Eri Horii
- Saturday, April 15: Fess Parker Winery
- Sunday, April 16: Fess Parker Winery
- Friday, April 21: Canvasback Winery
- Saturday, April 22: Canvasback Winery
- Sunday, April 23: Canvasback Winery
Beer Seminars
- Friday, March 3: Crowns & Hops Brewing Co.
- Saturday, March 4: Crowns & Hops Brewing Co.
- Friday, March 10: Honey Pot Meadery
- Saturday, March 11: Honey Pot Meadery
- Friday, March 17: Unsung Brewing Company
- Saturday, March 18: Unsung Brewing Company
- Friday, March 24: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Saturday, March 25: Bottle Logic Brewing
- Friday, March 31: Golden Road Brewing
- Saturday, April 1: Golden Road Brewing
- Friday, April 7: Stone Brewing
- Saturday, April 8: Stone Brewing
- Friday, April 14: Three Weavers Brewing Co.
- Saturday, April 15: Three Weavers Brewing Co.
- Friday, April 21: Pizza Port Brewing Co.
- Saturday, April 22: Pizza Port Brewing Co.
Mixology Seminars
- Saturday, March 4: Bad Birdy of Kuduowl
- Sunday, March 5: Bad Birdy of Kuduowl
- Saturday, March 11: Disney Mixology featuring the Lamplight Lounge
- Sunday, March 12: Disney Mixology featuring the Lamplight Lounge
- Saturday, March 18: Disney Mixology featuring Carthay Circle Lounge
- Sunday, March 19: Disney Mixology featuring Carthay Circle Lounge
- Saturday, March 25: Disney Mixology featuring the Festival Marketplaces
- Sunday, March 26: Disney Mixology featuring the Festival Marketplaces
- Saturday, April 1: The Blind Rabbit
- Sunday, April 2: The Blind Rabbit
- Saturday, April 8: 818 Tequila
- Sunday, April 9: 818 Tequila
- Saturday, April 15: Disney Mixology featuring the Hollywood Lounge
- Sunday, April 16: Disney Mixology featuring the Hollywood Lounge
- Saturday, April 22: Disney Mixology featuring Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar
- Sunday, April 23: Disney Mixology featuring Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar
Advance reservations and payments are required for the Wine, Beer, and Mixology Education & Tasting Seminars. And keep in mind these events are only open to Guests age 21 and older! You’ll be asked to show a valid, government-issued ID when you arrive for the seminar. Space is limited for these events, so you’ll want to book in advance! You can see which seminars are available and make your reservation here.
2023 Food & Wine Festival Merch
Photo courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
When the festival commences, we’ll bring you photos and videos of the hottest merch. As always, expect a fair amount of food and wine themed merch, including apparel, accessories, and special pins.
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