It’s TIME!!!! Yes, the holidays have arrived at Disney California Adventure and we are THERE.

The 2023 Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays has officially kicked off and we’re checking out EVERYTHING. You’ll be able to visit the festival from now through January 7th, 2024, to enjoy some amazing food and drinks, check out some holiday entertainment, and more! We’re going to focus on food right now, though, because we’re heading over to the Winter Sliderland booth.

Menu

If you haven’t figured it out, the Winter Sliderland booth is ALL about sliders. This year will have one brand NEW slider, plus a returning one.

Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself!

Eats

First up, we grabbed the Togarashi Karaage Chicken Slider with furikake mayo slaw on a Hawaiian roll for $9. This is a brand-new item this year, so we couldn’t wait to try it out. We’re going to warn you now — this is not going to be something everyone will like. Furikake, which is a condiment that includes dried fish and seaweed, is an acquired taste. This sandwich is also moderately spicy and might be TOO spicy for a lot of folks, too.

With the warnings aside, though, we liked the heat and the crispy chicken. It is an overwhelming flavor, though, and the chicken’s flavors overpower the Hawaiian roll. The cucumber also cuts through the fishy taste of the furikake. We’d say it reminded us of what fried chicken sushi might taste like. But there was still something about the sandwich as a whole that seemed off to us, and we’re not sure we’d get it again.

You can also get the returning Beef Brisket Slider with smoked onions and horseradish ketchup on a pretzel roll for $9. We tried this last year and it was a bit of a “swing and a miss” for us. This year, though, we thought the brisket was hearty and packed with flavor.

The horseradish ketchup is light with a slight kick (so be warned) and gives the brisket a more barbecued flavor.  The pretzel bun, though, is the real star here, as it was for us last year. We are a little biased, though — a pretzel bun is always going to elevate a snack for us.

We will say that you do need to enjoy smoked meat and a lot of flavors to really appreciate this slider.

Drinks

In terms of drinks on this menu, there’s just one available here and it’s new this year. The Spiced Pear Mule for $16 is made with Pear vodka, gin, apricot liqueur, house-made spice syrup, pear nectar, and lemon juice garnished with a white orchid. This one is DANGEROUS because you can barely taste the alcohol. It’s very light and refreshing and tastes almost like a Vitamin Water but without the artificial flavors.

This drink also has a subtle floral aroma and some hints of lime. The pear and spice flavors come through the most with a citrusy aftertaste. We will say we’re not sure it’s worth $16, especially since you can drink it like water and it goes down smoothly. This is one for those who love light and fruity cocktails.

OVERALL

As far as the sliders go, we’d skip the Togarashi Karaage Chicken Slider (unless you’re feeling really adventurous) and go for the Beef Brisket Slider if we visit this food booth again. It’s a solid slider that we’d certainly return for. We also liked the Spiced Pear Mule, especially if you’re looking for a light fruity cocktail that’s perfect for a warmer day.

That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from!

Click here to see FULL menus and food photos of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Festival of Holidays at Disneyland Resort!

Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the Festival? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know:

• See our full page on the Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays here
• Check out ALL of the Festival menus here

And stay tuned for more Disney news!

Will you be visiting the Festival of Holidays? Tell us in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Um…We’re CONFUSED About This Slider at the Disney Festival of Holidays first appeared on the disney food blog.