We Ate A Bunch Of Holiday Foods At Disneyland, And Here Are Some Of Our Favorites

If there is something magical that the Disney Parks know how to do during the holidays, it's making treats that are both delicious and Instagram-worthy.

Hey all, Crystal and Brian here! As your resident Disneyland fans, we made it our duty to check out the Holidays at Disneyland Resort this year to report back about one of the best parts: all the amazing food and drinks!

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Now, the Holidays at Disneyland Resort is, of course, always a fun and magical time.

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From The Nightmare Before Christmas Haunted Mansion Holiday to the enchanting It's a Small World Holiday, there are so many festive things to see and do.

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But our absolute favorite thing is all the seasonal treats you can get throughout the park and at the Festival of Holidays Marketplace inside Disney California Adventure. Now, keep in mind, there is A LOT to try. Like, literally, we tried several things, but we barely even made a dent in our wishlist! And here's a look at some of our favorites:

1. Hot Chocolate Churro

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What's in it: A churro topped with hazelnut chocolate, spicy chocolate streusel, and mini marshmallows.

Where you can get it: Terran Treats in DCA

What we thought: 

Crystal: I really got that "hot chocolate" flavor from all the toppings on this churro, and I'm surprised that the heat lingered in my mouth after this one! It's a cozy little snack.

Brian: Maybe because I am more of a purist when it comes to my Disney churros, but I didn't really like this. I think it was missing a bit of the chocolate flavor for me, though I did get the heat. Worth trying if you're looking for something different, but if you want to satisfy your churro itch, just get the regular one.  

2. Turkey Poutine

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What's in it: Layers of roasted turkey, sweet potato bites, cheese curds, and gravy, topped with frosted cranberries.

Where you can get it: Merry Mashups, Festival Marketplace in DCA

What we thought: 

Crystal: This one tasted VERY festive, and I loved the cranberries. The actual turkey I liked a little less, but it was fun trying a holiday-themed poutine!

Brian: This had a twist on poutine with its use of sweet potato tots. However, that was pretty much the only component that I liked...the turkey I don't think really added anything to it, and the curds were a bit meh. I will say, I am not the biggest fan of poutine, so my review is going to be a bit more biased. I'd have a whole serving of just the sweet potato tots alone, though!!!

3. Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese

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What's in it: Esquites-inspired mac & cheese with carnitas, salsa macha, spiced puffed rice, freeze-dried corn, and chopped cilantro.

Where you can get it: Merry Mashups, Festival Marketplace in DCA

What we thought: 

Crystal: I loved this. The carnitas was super tender, and the corn added a nice contrasting flavor. The star of this dish was the spiced puffed rice! Random, but fun!

Brian: I think this was one of my favorite treats of the day. The carnitas mixed with the mac & cheese doesn't sound like an obvious combination, but it really worked. I wasn't expecting the corn in it, but the sweetness of it added a nice touch.

4. Holiday Ham Slider

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What's in it: A ham slider with cranberry-bacon jam and Gruyère on a salt and pepper brioche bun.

Where you can get it: Winter Sliderland, Festival Marketplace in DCA

What we thought: 

Crystal: This was a solid slider. The cranberry-bacon jam was REALLY good, and it made the whole thing feel very festive. I could've eaten several more of these.

Brian: This was actually really tasty. It tasted like a leftovers Thanksgiving sandwich, but with ham instead of turkey. Basically, it tastes like the holidays, and that's exactly what I wanted. 

5. Brisket Slider

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What's in it: A brisket slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel bun.

Where you can get it: Winter Sliderland, Festival Marketplace in DCA

What we thought: 

Crystal: The brisket itself was great; it was super tender (which is sometimes hard to do!). I probably would've preferred a sweeter BBQ sauce on this, but the horseradish ketchup was an interesting twist.

Brian: I had high hopes for this, but was a little disappointed. The brisket and pretzel bun were good, but the sauce I wasn't a fan of. ... It was maybe a bit too sour for my taste. If you're going with a slider, def go with the Holiday Ham one.

6. Cranberry BBQ Chicken Sandwich

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What's in it: A fried chicken sandwich with cranberry-flavored BBQ sauce, provolone, onion ring, arugula, and citrus bacon aïoli served on a toasted brioche bun.

Where you can get it: Galactic Grill in Disneyland

What we thought: 

Crystal: I really enjoyed this. It may not look as fancy as some of the other holiday foods you can get in the park, but boy, was this yummy. Props to the cranberry-flavored BBQ sauce because it was *chef's kiss*.

Brian: I wasn't sure what to expect, but I ended up being pleasantly surprised. The fried chicken itself is pretty standard, but the addition of the provolone, onion ring, and aïoli really take it up several notches — the aïoli even has a slight kick to it. I'd definitely have it again. 

As we mentioned, we could only try SO much in one day (and, ya know, we may have treated ourselves to some ~non-holiday~ snacks along the way, too). But here are some of the other amazing-looking foods we saw that we'd 100% go back for...

7. Mickey Gingerbread

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What's in it: A soft Mickey gingerbread cookie.

Where you can get it: Jolly Holiday Bakery Café

8. Chicken Tikka Masala

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What's in it: Made with cardamom basmati rice, lemon raita, cilantro, and garlic naan crumble.

Where you can get it: Favorite Things, Festival Marketplace in DCA

9. Christmas Brownie

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What's in it: Dark chocolate brownie with white chocolate mousse Santa hat, sprinkles, and chocolate ears.

Where you can get it: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland

10. Sweet Potato-stuffed Corn Muffin

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What's in it: Served with red beans, rice, and green onions.

Where you can get it: Visions of Sugar Plums, Festival Marketplace in DCA

11. Chicken Tinga Arepa

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What's in it: Handmade arepa topped with refried beans, chicken Tinga, cabbage, avocado, and queso fresco.

Where you can get it: Viva Navidad, Paradise Garden Grill in DCA

12. Santa Hat Macaron

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What's in it: Almond macaron shells with white peppermint cream filling and rich chocolate ganache.

Where you can get it: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland

13. Salted Caramel-Mocha Bundt Cake

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What's in it: A salted caramel-mocha topped with a bundt cake filled with salted caramel, finished with ganache, sprinkles, and white chocolate mousse.

Where you can get it: Pacific Wharf Cappuccino Cart in DCA

14. Colombian Empanadas

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What's in it: Colombian-style beef empanadas, served with aji verde and cabbage salad tossed with cilantro dressing and escabeche.

Where you can get it: Sonoma Terrace in DCA

15. Thanks-mas Sandwich

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What's in it: Roasted turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry sauce on rustic bread served with house-made chips. 

Where you can get it: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland

16. Peppermint Cookie Donut

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What's in it: Specialty donut with peppermint icing, crushed peppermint, chocolate crème-filled cookies, and whipped topping.

Where you can get it: Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe in Disneyland

17. Chocolate-Cherry Yule Log Shake

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What's in it: A chocolate-cherry shake topped with a slice of hazelnut-chocolate yule log.

Where you can get it: Schmoozies! in DCA

18. Dulce de Leche Mickey Mouse Shake

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What's in it: A dulce de leche shake topped with whipped topping, caramel sauce, and vanilla crème cookies.

Where you can get it: Schmoozies! in DCA

19. Mickey Mouse Gingerbread

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What's in it: Soft gingerbread Mickey Mouse-shaped cookie. A classic!

Where you can get it: Market House in Disneyland

And, although these aren't a part of the Holidays at Disneyland, we still want to give a special shoutout to the limited-time Flavors of Wakanda foods you can try right now, too:

20. Butterfly Pea Tea Lemonade

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What's in it: Lemonade, honey, ginger beer with butterfly pea tea.

Where you can get it: Flavors of Wakanda in DCA

21. Maafe

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What's in it: Ground peanut stew with sweet potatoes, tomatoes, black-eyed peas, and spices with naan.

Where you can get it: Flavors of Wakanda in DCA

22. Peri-Peri Chicken

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What's in it: Served with yellow jollof rice.

Where you can get it: Flavors of Wakanda in DCA

23. Wakandan Roasted Pork Wrap

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What's in it: Featuring spiced pork with black garlic sauce and chermoula.

Where you can get it: Shawarma Palace & Shawarma Palace Too in DCA

The Holidays at Disneyland is going on now through January 8, 2023! To find out more and get your tickets, check out www.disneyland.com. (And don't forget, you still need to make a reservation, too!!!)

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