Is the Disney California Food & Wine Festival Kid Friendly?

From February 28 through April 21, 2020, guests of Disney California Adventure can experience the Food and Wine Festival. I had the opportunity attend the media event as an attendee of the AWEsome Mastermind, a retreat for writers who focus on theme park travel. Prior to my visit, though, I had reservations. Why? Because I’m not a theme park foodie and I don’t drink alcohol. However, I do love food and Disneyland and so does my 7 year old son. As a result, I set out on my mission to determine if the Disney California Food & Wine Festival is just as fun for kids. From food and drinks to entertainment, here are the reasons why I think that the Disney California Food & Wine Festival is kid friendly!

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Is the Disney California Food and Wine Festival Kid Friendly?

This is the first Disney California Food and Wine Festival that I’ve ever attended so I didn’t quite know what to expect. Now that I’ve had the chance to experience it for myself, I can say that while the festival is fun for couples and/or a girls trip, it’s also kid friendly as well. Not only are there plenty of kid friendly meals, drinks and desserts, but there is also family friendly entertainment. While I was provided with a Sip & Savor pass (more about that below) as part of media, I paid for park admission, transportation, and lodging all on my own. The Food and Wine Festival is included with general park admission, although the meals and the drinks are not included in the park ticket.

Kid Friendly Meals

There are a total of 13 food stations where guests can purchase food and beverages, including non-alcoholic drinks. Guests can receive a Tasting Passport which lists all the festival marketplace stations and the type of meals sold at those stations. I was surprised to see that the index contained a list of several kid friendly meals. And not only does it contain the kid friendly meals, but it also lists meals for certain dietary restrictions, like vegetarians and those who are gluten-free.

The kid friendly meals include the following:

• Impossible Cheeseburger Mac & Cheese (sold at Nuts About Cheese),
• Pepperoni Pizza Egg Rolls (sold at California Craft Brews),
• Smoked Bacon Barbecue Beef Loco Moco (sold at LA Style),
• Petite Impossible Burger with Guac and Pepper Jack Cheese (sold at Avocado Time),
• Carbonara Garlic Mac & Cheese with Nueske’s Bacon (sold at Garlic Kissed), and
• Impossible Meatball Submarine (sold at Paradise Garden Grill).

Mini chicken chimis (sold at Off the Cob) are listed as a kid friendly item, however, I found it to be a bit spicy, so that it is something you should be aware of if you decide to order it for your child.

All in all, though, kids will definitely not feel left out, especially when it comes to the food options!

Sip & Savor Pass

As I indicated above, I was provided with a Sip & Savor Pass as part of the media. The pass contains 8 coupons that can be used at participating festival marketplaces and dining locations. The food purchased with the coupons are smaller portions, which makes it ideal for kids. How many times have you eaten out with your child and your child doesn’t eat everything? While the pass costs $56, there is a $5 discount for Annual Passholders. I highly recommend purchasing the Sip & Savor pass since 8 coupons are more than enough to sample food and drinks.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

Even though it’s called the Food and Wine Festival, there are several non-alcoholic beverages available for kids as well as adults like myself who don’t drink alcohol. My personal favorite drink at the Food and Wine Festival is the Strawberry-Rose Lemonade, which can be purchased at Golden Dreams. It contains strawberry, rose, pure amber honey and fresh lemon juice. The House-Made Watermelon Agua Fresca (sold at One in a Melon) is also a kid-friendly drink, and contains watermelon, peaches, agave nectar, and fresh lime juice. Kids who also love drinking punch are in luck - Farmstand Punch can be found at Off the Cob. It contains Simply Orange, Pineapple Juice, Peach and Grenadine. And last but not least, another non-alcoholic drink is the Ruby Citrus Sparkler, which can be purchased at Berry Patch.

Kid Friendly Desserts

Kids who have a sweet tooth will no doubt want to order the Mickey-shaped Caramel-Peanut Milk Chocolate Macaron from Off the Cob. I don’t like macarons but oh em gee - this particular macaron was extremely delicious. I’m still drooling over it. But, there are also other dessert options available such as the Oikos Greek Yogurt Banoffee Tart (from Nuts About Cheese), the Pabana Cream Puff (from One in a Melon), and the Chocolate Hazelnut Crunch (from Cluck-a-Doodle-Moo).

Jr. Chef

During the Festival (on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays), kids between the ages of 3 to 11 years old can help bake cookies on the Hollywood Backlot Stage. Chef Goofy even makes an appearance! This experience is first come, first served, so if you know that your child will want to participate, you’ll want to be sure you are lined up well in advance. Check the official Disneyland app and Festival Guide for times.

Meet & Greet with Chef Goofy

Disney California Food and Wine Festival 2020 is the first year where Chef Goofy is available in Disney California Adventure for meet and greets with guests! He can be located in the Hollywood Backlot, but you’ll want to check with the official Disneyland app for times. You can read why downloading the official Disney app is one of my Disneyland tips for first time visitors here.

Kid Friendly Entertainment

There aren’t just kid friendly meals at the Food & Wine Festival, there’s also kid friendly entertainment. For example, kids are in for a treat with Jammin’ Chefs, featuring Chip and Dale. Like the meet and greet with Chef Goofy, showtimes are throughout the day and you’ll want to consult with the official Disneyland app for times. Performers use pots and pans for musical instruments and the performances occur in Paradise Gardens Park.

Family Time

There are several cooking demonstrations that occur during the Food & Wine Festival, but one in particular is especially kid friendly and it’s called Family Time. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, select audience members can join Chef Daniella Malfitano for an interactive cooking demonstration that focuses on celebrating family time. Like the other activities listed above, you’ll want to check the Festival Guide and official Disneyland app for location and time.

Kids Crafts

While I was walking around in the Hollywood Backlot area, I noticed craft tables set up with crayons. My son would love this, especially since he loves to color! This is also a great way to sit down and take a break during the day.

As you can see, there are several reasons why the Disney California Food and Wine Festival is kid friendly. I wouldn’t hesitate to take my son next year, especially since Goofy, Chip and Dale are some of his favorite Disney characters, and he loves to help me and my husband cook. Besides that, there are several kid friendly rides at Disney California Adventure, including Soarin’ Around the World, which turns into Soarin’ Over California for a limited time during the festival.

Do you like visiting Disneyland during special events and holidays? Click here for Disneyland during the holidays and here for mistakes I learned from the Oogie Boogie Bash, Disneyland’s Halloween Party.

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