Robert Niles
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Robert Niles

Lunar New Year returns at Disney California Adventure

January 23, 2024, 6:51 PM · Lunar New Year celebrations returned to Disney California Adventure this morning. This year's event includes new characters and a new way to snack around the park's Festival Marketplaces.

Meilin Lee and her mother Ming Lee from Disney/Pixar's "Turning Red" are making their Disneyland Resort debuts during the Lunar New Year event, greeting fans around the corner from The Little Mermaid ride.

Meilin Lee and Ming Lee

For other Lunar New Year character meets, head to the Paradise Gardens gazebo, where visitors can meet Mulan and Mushu, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters, dressed for the celebration.

Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession returns this year, parading multiple times each afternoon through the park.

For many Disneyland Resort visitors, however, food remains the highlight of California Adventure's Lunar New Year celebration. Six Festival Marketplaces return this year, with one big change. The Sip and Savor Pass has gone digital. That's right - no more little plastic tabs to pull off and redeem for dishes at each location.

Now you just turn over your pass to be scanned, punching in a four-digit ID code - that's hidden under a sticker on the pass - to confirm your purchase. If you lose track of how many items you have left on the six-item Sip and Savor Pass, your receipt will tell you how many items remain.

This year's pass costs $46, or $43 for Magic Key annual pass holders. That means that you're only money ahead if you use the pass on items that cost more than $7.67 each. (Passes may not be used on alcoholic beverages.) But you aren't limited to the items at the Festival Marketplaces. The festival guide that comes with each pass lists several other items at DCA eateries that are eligible for use with the pass.

I tried two of those today. First, Char Siu-style Ribs at Studio Catering Co. ($8.49).

Char Siu-style Ribs

The dish included two ribs, topped with scallions and roasted peanuts. One of the ribs was meaty, with the other a bit sparse. Both were tasty, especially with the slightly sweet glaze, but they certainly didn't impress me as being eight bucks worth of food.

For a better experience, try the Gochugaru Shrimp Roll ($9.75) at Sonoma Terrace.

Gochugaru Shrimp Roll

Now this dish delivered. A fat potato roll stuffed with Gochugaru-marinated shrimp and veggies, including a kimchi slaw and a cucumber spear, the Gochujang mayonnaise gave this delicious and filling sandwich a bit of a kick, but not so much that my GERD-suffering tummy could not enjoy it. As always, YMMV (your mileage/misery may vary).

That one filled me up enough that I felt no desire to further test my stomach by stuffing it with more dishes in the name of tasting. Let's close the day on a win, shall we?

But the Lunar New Year celebration continues through February 18, so I suppose there's time for locals to come back and try more. Other items Disney is advertising as new at the Festival Marketplaces include:

For a list of discounted tickets to the park, please visit our partner's Disneyland tickets page.

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