2024 Plaza de la Familia Foodie Guide
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers.
Plaza de la Familia is making its return to Disney California Adventure Park from August 23 through November 2, 2024! The entire familia can join in on a celebration inspired by the traditions of Día de los Muertos. With festive décor, lively music and delicious food, it's a celebration you won’t want to miss. Plus, there are special offerings inspired by Pixar’s award-winning film, Coco!
Over at Paradise Garden Grill, you can indulge in both savory and sweet treats that draw inspiration from Coco and the rich cultures that celebrate Día de los Muertos. From Al Pastor Tacos to Street-style Watermelon, you’re in for a treat.
Once you’ve satisfied your cravings, why not get creative? Design your own paper alebrije, or spirit guide, and craft masks of Pepita or Dante, Miguel’s loyal companions. You might even get to meet Miguel himself! And don’t forget to leave a heartfelt message to a loved one on the Memory Wall at the Mexican Árbol de la Vida, or Tree of Life.
2024 Plaza de la Familia Foodie Guide
Paradise Garden Grill (Available through Nov. 14; mobile order available)
Carnitas Wet Burrito: House-made pork carnitas, Spanish rice, refried beans, cilantro, onions, salsa verde, and salsa roja served with house-made tortilla chips
Al Pastor Tacos: Pineapple-achiote-marinated pork with avocado spread and tomatillo salsa, served with Spanish rice and refried beans topped with queso fresco
Huarache with soy chorizo beans and seasoned steak tips topped with lettuce, cheese, avocado crema, and tomatillo salsa and served with Spanish rice and refried beans topped with nopales pico de gallo (Plant-based)
Street-style Watermelon with lime juice, chile-lime seasoning and chamoy (Plant-based)
Chile Verde Chicken Flautas topped with avocado spread, shredded lettuce, crema, queso fresco, tomatillo salsa, and pickled onions served with Spanish rice and refried beans topped with nopales pico de gallo
Street-style Taco: Pineapple-Achiote-marinated pork in a corn tortilla served with Spanish rice and refried beans topped with queso fresco (Kids Meal Offering)
Vanilla Layer Cake: Layers of vanilla cake filled with a cinnamon mousse and sweet cream cheese frosting
Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta (Available through Nov. 14)
Horchata Cheesecake: Horchata-flavored cheesecake finished with orange, white chocolate curls
These offerings should come as no surprise to anyone who visited during Plaza de la Familia last year, as many (if not, all) of the dishes are repeats of 2023’s event. Additionally, quite a few of the entrees, including the carnitas wet burrito, chicken flautas, and the al-pastor tacos are the exact Coco-inspired offerings from Pixar Fest.
For me, the clear stand-out is the horchata cheesecake offered at Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta. I’m a sucker for anything horchata and I don’t remember seeing this one on the menu last year, so I’m looking forward to it. The remaining offerings, however, are a bit of a dud for me.
We tried a number of these on our visit during Pixar Fest and to put it simply, we weren’t impressed. The chicken flautas depended too much on the toppings, with the chicken itself lacking any kind of flavor. Additionally, the wet carnitas burrito was not only equally bland in flavor, but doughy in texture as well.
To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. I’d like to say that Disney improved upon these entrees for this event, but I seriously doubt it. Personally, I would have liked to see a complete overhaul of the menu and possibly even bring in a reputable chef to handcraft the menu. It feels as though this event is an afterthought, just living in the shadow of the concurrent Halloween festivities and considering what this event represents, it deserves more. A lot more.
Beyond the food and celebrations, Disney characters representative of Hispanic culture regularly conduct meet and greets in this area of the park. There’s a hut placed between Goofy’s Sky School and Paradise Garden Grill - that’s where the characters will often be.
Typical characters you’d encounter here are Miguel from Coco, as well as Mirabel and Bruno from Encanto. Additionally, it isn’t unheard of to see some of Disney’s legacy characters, such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Daisy in special outfits, stop by to celebrate with guests.
As is, this isn’t an event I would plan an entire trip around. I do hope to see it ascend to that status, as it’s a deeply meaningful celebration and should be treated as such. That aside, if you’re already planning a trip to the parks during the event’s timeframe, I definitely recommend carving out some time to partake in the festivities.
