Photo by Bonus Action
Although I’m part Disney adult in spirit, it’s largely because of games like Kingdom Hearts and Disney Dreamlight Valley. Trips to Disney parks are sadly few and far between when you live in the midwest and are terrified of planes. Even so, I daydream often about the happiest place on earth and love vicariously exploring all the parks have to offer.
Naturally, when I heard about The Unofficial Disney Parks Holidays Cookbook, I knew I had to check it out. This book features recipes inspired by holiday treats from various Disney Parks, with a dish for truly every occasion from Pride Month to St. Patrick’s Day to Christmas and Hannukah. With the winter holiday season upon us and a whole year of 2025 holidays to look forward to, now is the perfect time to take a look at what The Unofficial Disney Parks Holiday Cookbook has to offer.
Key Details
- Publisher: Adams Media / Simon and Schuster
- Author: Ashley Craft
- Where to Buy: Amazon / Simon & Schuster
- Price: $22.99
- Release Date: September 3, 2024
- Review Sample Provided: Yes
Sweet & Savory Treats for Every Occasion
The first thing that impressed me about The Unofficial Disney Parks Holiday Cookbook is the sheer number of holidays represented – and most with at least two or three recipes! Often, “holiday” can be shorthand for the winter holiday season, but not so with this cookbook!
In the list of 100+ Disney-inspired recipes, you will find sweet and savory treats, plus clever mocktails, for holiday celebrations throughout the year. There are dishes for Mardi Gras, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Halloween, and more.
For most holidays, there are a few different options to choose from. As a spooky witchy type, I was thrilled at just how many Halloween treats were on offer. The holiday recipes include savory options like Buffalo Chicken Handpies based on the book from Hocus Pocus and sweet treats like Pumpkin Churros. Similarly, you’ll find Pride Lunch Box Tarts and an ambitious Pride Rainbow Cake for all of your Pride month needs.
The recipes vary in difficulty and effort level. The hand pies I made, for instance, use pre-made pie dough for a quick and easy treat that still feels special. On the other hand, the pumpkin churros required a bit more technique.
I did find myself wishing the book provided some details about difficulty and estimated prep time for this reason, as it would help home bakers and cooks pick the right recipe for their skill level. The instructions were quick and easy to follow for the recipes I tried, but the skill levels felt quite different.
Disney Parks Lore Makes You Feel Like You’re At the Happiest Place on Earth
As someone who loves Disney World but has rarely been, I really enjoyed the extra tidbits of lore about each dish at the parks. With every recipe, you will get some info on which park the recipe comes from, which holiday it’s served on, and where in the park you can order each treat.
The recipes also include a little blurb with more background on how the treat fits into the park’s celebrations, giving more magical context to help you feel like you’re really there. This extra touch makes The Unofficial Disney Parks Holiday Cookbook fun to flip through and read whenever you’re feeling a craving for Disney magic.
Plus, each and every recipe has a full color photo so you can see how the meal should turn out… even if your decorating skills leave you with a different result like mine did.
Organized With Disney Parks in Mind
Each section of the book begins with a map of a specific Disney Parks area, with chapters centered on areas like Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and beyond. This is a fun opportunity to give some history for each Disney attraction and give readers a “tour” of the parks, adding to the feeling of truly being at Disney while flipping through this cookbook.
That said, I did wish the recipes were organized by holiday. Because it’s organized by park, you’ll find the different holiday-themed recipes scattered throughout the book, which can be tricky business when you’re headed to a specific holiday party and looking for a recipe to bring along.
Thankfully, there is an index at the back that lists out the recipes by holiday, so you can use that to easily find the right page numbers to help you celebrate Hanukkah, May the Fourth, and more.
Final Score – 8.5/10
In all, The Unofficial Disney Parks Holidays Cookbook is a must-have addition to every Disney lover’s bookshelf. Not only does it offer a taste of the parks, it’s also a great opportunity to bring fun and surprising savory and sweet treats to your holiday gatherings.
I appreciate the amount of Disney parks information and the variety of exciting holiday recipes available in this cookbook and am sure I’ll be reaching for it for many holidays to come.
**A sample copy of the The Unofficial Disney Parks Holiday Cookbook was provided to Bonus Action for the purpose of this review**
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