REVIEW: Disappointing Wings, Delicious Carnitas Mac & Cheese, and More From Merry Mashups Marketplace at Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2021

Katie Francis

Updated on:

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REVIEW: Disappointing Wings, Delicious Carnitas Mac & Cheese, and More From Merry Mashups Marketplace at Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2021

They’re mixing and mingling some holiday classics at the Merry Mashups Marketplace at the 2021 Disney Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure. Here, you can find “fun fusions of seasonal favorites.” So let’s not waste time and dive right into this year’s mashups!

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Menu for the Merry Mashups Marketplace at Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2021

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Food:

  • 🆕 Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese – $8
  • 🆕 Holiday Spiced Wings – $8
  • 🆕 Holiday Mix – $6.50

Beverages:

  • 🆕 Honey Guava Pisco Punch – $14

Photos of Menu Items from the Merry Mashups Marketplace at Disney California Adventure Festival of Holidays 2021

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*NEW* Esquites Carnitas Mac & Cheese – $8

Featuring Cacique Oaxaca & Cotija cheeses with Spiced Puffed Rice

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The mac & cheese was great, as always. The carnitas was flavorful and juicy and lent a nice smoky contrast to the heavy cheese sauce. The puffed rice added some crunch, which was needed. It says it’s spicy, but it wasn’t. However, it was gooey, cheesy, and amazing. If you like your mac & cheese with some meat, this is a winner.

*NEW* Holiday Spiced Wings – $8

with Citrus Cranberries

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They are not quite flavorless, but it’s a close call. The coating and spice bring nothing to these wings. It mildly tastes like chicken, and that is all. The cranberry sauce is overly tart and unsweetened, making for an unpleasant pairing with the wings. This is a dish we advise skipping.

*NEW* Holiday Mix – $6.50

Honey Grahams, Cocoa Puffs, M&Ms, Mini Marshmallows, Cap’n Crunch, drizzled in icing nad white chocolate with holiday sprinkles

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Despite the predominantly breakfast cereal ingredients, this is actually pretty good. It’s nothing to blow your mind, but it’s a nice snack to have in your bag while you walk around the festival. It’s sugary, it’s light, it’s crunchy, and it’s just festive enough to fit with this grouping of foods.  This snack as a whole is more than the sum of its parts.

*NEW* Honey Guava Pisco Punch – $14

Pisco, Guava, Spicy Honey Syrup, Ginger, and Lime juice

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This is a surprisingly spicy drink. It’s sweet and subtly guava flavored. But it’s spiced all the way through. The hot honey comes on strong and doesn’t quit, with almost a cayenne heat that lingers in the throat. The lime wheel is pierced with a honey stick, which is delicious, and we wish they would sell these as a snack in the parks. Between the lime and the Pisco and the heat, it is almost a sweeter version of a margarita with less bite than tequila would bring. A very enjoyable drink, especially if you like a bit of spice.

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