REVIEW: Lucky 8 Lantern at the 2024 Lunar New Year Festival in Disneyland

Happy Year of the Dragon, everyone! We’re celebrating the Lunar New Year in Disneyland!

Lucky 8 Lantern

As you may know, every year, Disneyland has a special Lunar New Year Festival at Disney California Adventure, and that festival means that not only do we get to see some FUN Lunar New Year merchandise, but we also get to eat some AMAZING food at the festival’s food booths! We’re heading over to the Lucky 8 Lantern booth now to check things out!

Eats

Okay, let’s start with the savory option here, the Quesabirria Eggroll with Guajillo pepper consommé for $9. Last year, we liked this, although the beef birria was a little dry. So, how does it hold up this year?

Quesabirria egg roll

Unfortunately, we felt pretty much the same this year. It was incredibly soggy on the outside while somehow being just as dry as we remembered on the inside. The consommé had a good flavor and was nice and peppery which helped to elevate the snack a bit, but overall this one was a disappointment again.

Lots of flavor

Now for something a little sweet. We’re digging into the Mandarin Mousse Cake for $6.75. It’s made with layers of mandarin mousse with vanilla cake and clementine compote finished with white chocolate crunch balls and a tangerine glaze. For starters, this is a GORGEOUS cake. Last year, we thought it was okay — we were a little weirded out by that jelly texture on the outside. The flavors of the mousse also seemed artificial. So, how does it taste this year?

Mandarin Orange Mousse Cake

Once again, that jelly texture just didn’t wow us — though we did love the overall flavor of this dessert. It was a bit on the artificial side rather than tasting like fresh oranges, but if you can get past that it makes for a solid little treat. There are definitely better desserts available at this festival, but this one would probably be great for major orange fans.

Mandarin Orange Mousse Cake

Okay, on to beverages!

Drinks

Need a quick pick-me-up? You can grab the Hibiscus Apple Soju-rita for $17. It’s made with Blanco tequila, grapefruit liqueur, soju, green apple and hibiscus syrups, house-made hibiscus tea, and lemon juice garnished with a dried apple chip.

We enjoyed this — it was super bitter and sweet at the same time! We tasted more grapefruit than apple, but it was extremely refreshing. There wasn’t much of an alcohol flavor to this, so be warned!

Hibiscus Apple Soju-Rita

Next up, the Mango Melon Cocktail for $17. It’s made with Overproof rum, baijiu, allspice liqueur, mango nectar, rock melon syrup, and lime juice topped with grapefruit soda and garnished with a lime wheel.

This was a winner in our book — tasted like a crisp mango soda. The melon added a bit of sweetness that added to the overall sugary vibes of the drink. Think something you’d want to sip on while lounging by the pool!

Mango Melon Cocktail

Note that you can also get the Lotus Flower Glow Cube here for $6.25.

Overall

So, should you stop by the Lucky 8 Lantern booth at this year’s Lunar New Year Festival? Well, it’s complicated. We enjoyed the drinks we had here but weren’t too impressed by either of the food offerings. The egg roll is such a great concept that it may still be worth trying, but we’re 0 for 2 over here.

We’re making our way around ALL the food booths at the Lunar New Year Festival, so keep checking back with us for more reviews!