FULL GUIDE to the 2024 Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure

? It’s tiiiiiiIIIIIIIiiiiiiime! ?

We hope you sang that in your head as Mariah Carey because it’s time to celebrate the holidays! Disney California Adventure‘s Festival of Holidays is running from November 15th, 2024 to January 6th, 2025 and there’s a lot in store. From food booths to entertainment to merchandise and more, we’re covering it ALL. So without further ado, here’s everything happening for this year’s festival!

Food Booths

Let’s get into the most important part here — the FOOD. This year, you can taste food from seven food booths and several other additional locations around the park. Check out the full menus before heading to the fest, but here are a few of our favorites we got to try!

At Brews & Bites, there’s only one bite this year – we have the Chicken Chicharrón served with basmati rice, herb chutney, and masala drizzle for $8. This had a little kick to it and there was some Mediterranean and Indian flare thanks to the herbs and spices. It was tangy and citrusy and all the flavors worked really well together. The chicken stayed nice and crispy even with the sauce on top. We’d definitely get this dish again!

The Braised Pork Belly Adobo at Favorite Things served with garlic rice, is a returning item. For $9.50, you get a delicious, well-seasoned, tender piece of meat topped with a crunch on top that gives us a pork rind vibe. The garlic rice adds a nice additional flavor to the dish as a whole. All the flavors and textures just meld together perfectly.

A new treat debuting this year at Grandma’s Recipe is the Cookie Dough Yule Log for $8. If you’re a BIG fan of cookie dough…we think you’re gonna love this one! We’d even go as far as to say it’s a best-of-the-fest item for us. The chocolate in the center wasn’t too strong, which was something we were a bit concerned about at first glance.

At Holiday Duets, we got the Cranberry Christmas Mule for $17.50 which is a twist on a classic vodka Mule with gin, elderflower and ginger liqueurs, cherry purée, and cranberry & lime juices. Then, it is topped with a citrus hard seltzer and a lime wedge gummy. This was one of our favorite drinks, and it gave us all the Christmas vibes. While the drink is on the sweeter side, it isn’t too sweet, and the tartness of the cherry, cranberry, and lime flavors helps to balance out the sweetness. We didn’t taste too much of the alcohol, which made this a very easy drink to sip on.

If you want to see our FULL list of reviews from the festival, check out our massive review post below!

Check out all of our reviews here!

Entertainment

The Festival of Holidays is introducing some new entertainment this year! First up is an Encanto-themed show called Mirabel’s Gifts of the Season. Over in Paradise Gardens Park, you can join Mirabel as they tell stories and sing songs about the holiday season.

Showtimes occur daily at 1:10 PM, 2:10 PM, 3:45 PM, 4:45 PM and 5:45 PM. Be sure to catch it before it goes away on January 6th, 2025!

A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría de Disneyland & Miguel! is another new entertainment offering this year! Miguel from Coco will celebrate the holidays with you and Mariachi Alegría through song and storytelling.

You’ll find this on Buena Vista Street at 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 7:45 PM, 8:45 PM, and 9:45 PM.

A Musical Christmas with Mariachi Alegría

Here is the rest of the entertainment with showtimes. Four locations around the park have performers that switch out depending on the day. Be sure to check the Disneyland app for the latest times and performers!

Holiday Toy Drummers — 10:15 AM, 11:15 AM, 12:15 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:00 PM
Adelaide Pilar Band — 12:40 PM, 1:40 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:10 PM, 5:10 PM, 6:10 PM
Performers at Hollywood Backlot Stage — 4:50 PM, 5:50 PM, 7:15 PM, 8:15 PM
Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting — 4:50 PM
Performers at Hollywood Lounge Stage — 4:15 PM, 5:15 PM, 6:15 PM, 7:40 PM, 8:40 PM
Paradise Garden Bandstand — 1:40 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:10 PM, 5:10 PM, 6:10 PM
Performers at Paradise Garden Park — 5:15 PM, 6:30 PM
Performers at Sonoma Terrace Stage
Mickey’s Happy Holidays Cavalcade
Meet Santa at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail from November 15th-24th

Also on certain days, you can check out the Disney ¡Viva Navidad! Street Party. This includes authentic folklórico dancers, mariachis, Brazilian samba dancers, drummers and incredible 12-foot-tall mojiganga puppets of Santa and Mrs. Claus, and a special appearance by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse! You can find the parties on the following dates, but be sure to check your Disneyland app for the most recent information!

2024: November 16, 17, 23, 24, 30; December 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, 29
2025: January 4, 5

There are several other characters you can meet around the festival, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!

Merchandise

Head to Elias & Co. or Festival Gifts to shop this year’s merchandise collection. There’s an assortment of long-sleeved shirts, a Loungefly backpack, and some mugs!