Pixar Fest is well underway at Disneyland Resort, and today marked the opening of six new marketplace booths themed to Pixar films. Of course, we reviewed every single item.

Pixar Fest Marketplaces

These booths are open now through August 4, 2024, the end of Pixar Fest.

Portorosso Pasta inspired by “Luca”

Food:

• Portorosso Pesto Pasta – $8.25

Drinks:

• Sea Monster Lemonade – $7.50
• Silenzio Limoncello! – $17

Portorosso Pesto Pasta – $8.25

Ribbon pasta tossed in basil pesto with potatoes and green beans

Rating out of 7: 2

The pasta here is not very good. The pesto sauce tastes like it’s straight out of the jar, and the freeze-dried green beans are weird and do not work in any way with the rest of the ingredients.

This is an okay dish if you like pesto, but it tastes like something you could make at home. Unless you’ve got a craving for pesto pasta, we would recommend staying away from this one.

Sea Monster Lemonade – $7.50

Lemonade, white grape juice, and peach syrup garnished with blue citrus mango jellies (Non-alcoholic Beverage)

Rating out of 7: 4

The Sea Monster Lemonade is just fine. It’s not super sweet for a non-alcoholic drink, and we mostly get notes of lemonade with peach syrup at the end. The green jellies are a nice addition if you don’t mind the texture. They offer a slight citrus taste.

Silenzio Limoncello! – $17

Limoncello, amaretto & Aperol liqueurs, blood orange syrup, lemonade, and house-made oregano tea garnished with micro daisies

Rating out of 7: 4

Like the lemonade, the Silenzio Limoncello is just an average cocktail. The flowers are a nice garnish. The drink itself is very heavy on the amaretto, so if you don’t like that almond flavor, you might want to skip this.

We didn’t get a lot of the limoncello flavor; this is mostly notes of almond from the amaretto with blood orange on the back end. It’s a fine drink, if a little on the syrupy side.

The Spark inspired by “Soul”

Food:

• Supper Club Chicken & Potato Waffles – $8
• Half Note Jazz Cake – $7.25

Drinks:

• The Great Beyond – $18.50
• SPARK-ler – $13.50
• Bottle Logic Brewing Aurora Borealis Honeydew-Lime Hard Seltzer
• Delahunt Brewing Co. Salvatore Italian Pilsner 
• Malibu Brewing Company Canyon Rosé Lager
• Garage Brewing Co Prickly Pear Hefeweizen 
• Eagle Rock Brewery Populist American IPA
• Dust Bowl Brewing Company Porch Punch Imperial Fruit IPA
• Ballast Point Brewing Company Grunion Pale Ale
• Animated Hops Flight: Delahunt Brewing Co. Salvatore Italian Pilsner, Eagle Rock Brewery Populist American IPA, Dust Bowl Brewing Company Porch Punch Imperial Fruit IPA, Ballast Point Brewing Company Grunion Pale Ale 
• Inspirational Flavors Flight!: Malibu Brewing Company Canyon Rosé Lager, Bottle Logic Brewing Aurora Borealis Honeydew-Lime Hard Seltzer, Garage Brewing Co Prickly Pear Hefeweizen, Ballast Point Brewing Company Grunion Pale Ale – $18.50

Supper Club Chicken & Potato Waffles – $8

with peach cobbler sauce and cinnamon-herb crumble

Rating out of 7: 5

The Supper Club Chicken & Potato Waffles is a very interesting dish. At first, our group didn’t like it, but it eventually grew on us as we continued to eat. The chicken is just small chicken nuggets, which are super crispy and well-cooked.

The waffles beneath the nuggets and peach cobbler did nothing for the dish in our opinion, but the pairing of the sweet peach with the savory chicken oddly worked. We think this is worth a try just for curiosity’s sake.

Half Note Jazz Cake – $7.25

Traditional red velvet cake

Rating out of 7: 6

This red velvet cake is amazing. It’s very thick, but tastes quite light and isn’t overly sweet. There’s just enough icing around it to let you know it’s there and add a touch of sweetness. We think the piano keys on top are a cute touch as well.

The Great Beyond – $18.50

Gin, maraschino liqueur, violet & blue curaçao syrups, lemon juice, and pear nectar topped with butterfly pea flower tea and garnished with a white orchid

Rating out of 7: 2

This cocktail was way too gin-forward for us. It takes a beautiful photo, but unfortunately tastes like straight gin. You do get a tiny hint of pea flower coming through, but if you don’t like gin, we don’t think you’ll enjoy this much.

SPARK-ler – $13.50

Cotton candy & blue curaçao syrups, mango purée, and pineapple & lime juices garnished with a glow cube

Rating out of 7: 5

This is a solid non-alcoholic drink option. Despite being green, it reminds us somewhat of the POG juice at Smokejumpers Grill for AAPI Heritage Month. This is very tropical and pineapple-forward, with a touch of blue curacao coming through.

It is expensive because it comes with a glow cube; we’d like to have the option of getting it without. Overall, this is a good non-alcoholic option if you like tropical flavors and don’t mind sugary drinks.

Gusteau’s To-Go inspired by “Ratatouille”

Food:

• Ratatouille Pizzetta – $8
• Gusteau Macaron – $7.75

Drinks:

• Le Critique Cognac Sidecar – $17
• Little French Daiquiri – $17

Ratatouille Pizzetta – $8

topped with mozzarella, eggplant, squash, zucchini, a drizzle of tomato sauce, and a wedge of French camembert

Rating out of 7: 2

This looks like the pizza we used to eat for lunch in middle school, and, unfortunately, also tastes like it. The crust is your typical frozen pizza crust and very cardboard-like. The tomato sauce on top is very sweet and tastes like it’s from the jar. Ultimately, this dish falls flat of what it’s attempting to achieve, and not even the giant wedge of cheese on top can save it.

Gusteau Macaron – $7.75

Crème brûlée mousse with caramel center

Rating out of 7: 3

We’ve had better macarons than this from festivals past at Disney California Adventure. The shell here is light and crispy, as it should be, but did not offer a ton of flavor. We mostly got vanilla, with a bit of caramel on the back end, but it all comes together to taste simply average.

It is a large portion and takes a cute photo; otherwise, it’s nothing special.

Le Critique Cognac Sidecar – $17

Cognac, apricot liqueur, house-made fig syrup, strawberry purée, and lemon juice topped with sparkling wine and garnished with a strawberry

Rating out of 7: 5

This cocktail is the best thing at Gusteau’s To-Go. The strawberry puree tastes as though it’s been freshly made, and does give the drink an overall sweet flavor that pairs nicely with the alcohol. It reminds us of a strawberry mimosa, and would no doubt be great on a hot day.

Little French Daiquiri – $17

Rum, French wine aperitif, pear nectar, cherry plum syrup, and lime juice garnished with a brûléed pear chip

Rating out of 7: 1

Sadly, this daiquiri sounds amazing on paper but tastes like the cardboard straw you’re drinking it out of in practice. None of the advertised flavors come through here. To us, is simply tastes like watered-down pear. We did not like this.

Elemental Table inspired by “Elemental”

Food:

• “Smoked Fire Wood” – $8.50
• Kol Nut Whoopie Cookie Pie – $7

Drinks:

• H2O-rita – $17
• Exothermic Margarita – $17

“Smoked Fire Wood” – $8.50

BBQ-spiced IMPOSSIBLE Chicken with hot mustard sauce, pickles, and charred onions (Plant-based)

Rating out of 7: 6

This dish is so convincing, we would’ve not known this was Impossible Chicken had it not been listed on the menu! It’s a huge portion for the price, with three giant “chicken” tenders per serving. The charred onions are super crispy and the mustard sauce adds some nice heat to the dish. If you don’t like charred onions you can easily scrape them off.

Overall, we think this is a well-themed dish that offers a large portion size paired with great flavors.

Kol Nut Whoopie Cookie Pie – $7

Cake cookies baked with cocoa powder filled with cream cheese frosting and topped with crushed cinnamon candies

Rating out of 7: 3

This is a super cute, themed treat that takes a great photo, but ultimately the cookie itself is super dry and has no flavor. The cocoa powder is very drying, but the cream cheese frosting is good despite being super heavy.

If you like cream cheese flavor, you’ll likely enjoy this, but there are better desserts available from the other booths.

H2O-rita – $17

Tequila, blue curaçao syrup, lychee nectar, yuja (yuzu) purée, and lime juice garnished with a rock candy stick

Rating out of 7: 3

This margarita is just okay. The yuzu flavor is very prominent, but some tequila is able to make its way through. If you like yuzu, you’ll probably like this, but it feels too sweet and one-note for us.

Exothermic Margarita – $17

Tequila, ancho chile liqueur, passion fruit nectar, lime & grapefruit juices, and agave nectar garnished with a rock candy stick

Rating out of 7: 5

This margarita was much better than its sister drink on the menu and had way more flavors going for it. The ancho chili offers a hint of smoke, but it’s not spicy by any means. The grapefruit flavor comes through and pairs well with everything while still lingering on the sweet side.

4*Town Fav*4*ites inspired by “Turning Red”

Food

• Red Panda Bao – $9
• Panda Apocalypse – $6.75

Drink:

• Nobody Like U Cooler – $7.50

Red Panda Bao – $9

Jumbo pork and vegetable stuffed bao with chile-garlic sauce

Rating out of 7: 6

The bao bun is fantastic and perfectly cooked. It’s light and fluffy, and the inside is tender and tastes just like a pork egg roll.

It doesn’t offer a lot of vegetables, but the flavors mix well. It’s also huge and easy to share.

The garlic chili sauce is a bit spicy, and elevates the entire dish if you don’t mind the heat. We also think the bao is great on its own.

Panda Apocalypse – $6.75

Layers of chocolate chunk brownie and New York-style Cheesecake topped with orange and red cream cheese frosting

Rating out of 7: 7

The Panda Apocalypse is absolutely amazing. We were worried that the brownie layer would be too hard, but this all comes together nicely. The brownie is, to our surprise, very soft. The cheesecake layer is dense, but flavorful. The frosting on top brings it all together.

If you like chocolate cheesecake, this will hit the spot.

Nobody Like U Cooler – $7.50

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Raspberry Rose Tea, white cranberry, lime & orange juices, and cherry syrup garnished with an orange wedge gummy candy (Non-alcoholic Beverage)

Rating out of 7: 2

Compared to the food at this booth, this non-alcoholic drink is disappointing. To us, it tastes like a cherry Starburst but is way too sweet and syrupy to be enjoyed. This might work for the kids in your group if they love cherry, but most will likely find this to be sickly sweet.

Hanger Management inspired by “Inside Out”

Food:

• Joyful Yellow Comforting Mac & Cheese – $8.50
• Angry Red Hot Mac & Cheese – $8.50
• Mood Swing – $9

Drink:

• Mood Stabilizer Mule – $17

Joyful Yellow Comforting Mac & Cheese – $8.50

with happy cheesy puffs

Rating out of 7: 5

This is a solid dish that we think most picky eaters would be happy with. It’s your average mac and cheese, with an emphasis on the cheese. The pasta is well-cooked, and the puffy Cheetos on top offer some texture and crunch, which we appreciate. It somewhat reminds us of boxed mac and cheese by Velveeta, but it definitely tastes better than that.

Angry Red Hot Mac & Cheese – $8.50

with spicy cheese crunch

Rating out of 7: 1

This mac and cheese is inedible and far too spicy. The Flaming Hot Cheetos on top bring some texture, but the only flavor we noted here is an overwhelmingly spicy jalapeño. It does live up to its name, so if you like drowning in spice, you might enjoy this more than we did.

Mood Swing – $9

Half portion of the Joyful Yellow Comforting Mac & Cheese and the Angry Red Hot Mac & Cheese

Rating out of 7: 2

With this dish, they swap the toppings of the two mac and cheese options.

We actually really enjoyed the Joyful Mac and Cheese with the spicy Cheetos on top. It was the perfect amount of spice for us.

Sadly, you do get a serving of the spicy mac and cheese on the opposite side of the plate. Mixing the two doesn’t make this dish worth it to us.

Mood Stabilizer Mule – $17

Bourbon, watermelon liqueur, candied orange & watermelon syrups, and orange & lime juices topped with ginger beer and garnished with watermelon candies

Rating out of 7: 5

This mule is very watermelon-forward, with the bourbon coming through just a bit on the back end. It’s not the best mule we’ve had at Disney California Adventure, and it is a bit too sweet but not terrible. The ginger beer helps cut the syrupy flavor, and despite it not being our favorite, it was still one of the better drink options we tried.

Video Review

If watching food reviews is more your style, check out our video:

For even more Pixar Fest food reviews, check out our thoughts on the offerings at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, as well as our reports on the talking Dug meet and greet, “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” parade, and more.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.