Robert Niles
Editor
Robert Niles

Disneyland Paris climbs aboard the Disney food festival bandwagon

August 25, 2017, 10:47 AM · What's a resort to do when it needs to boost attendance at a lagging theme park during the off season? Well, it could build and open a must-see new ride, but that costs millions and millions of dollars and only further crowds the park during peak seasons. No, a park needs something that it can put up relatively quickly to make a few bucks, then take down when the vacation crowds return.

C'mon, you've already guesses this, haven't you, Theme Park Insiders? It's time for a food festival!

The Disneyland Paris Resort is the latest to climb aboard this bandwagon, announcing its first food festival, for next month at the Walt Disney Studios Park.

Rendez-vous Gourmand de Disneyland Paris will run from September 8 through 24, following the model of the California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, showcasing the cuisine of the park's home. The event will feature six kiosks on Rue de Paris, which leads to the park's Ratatouille-themed Place de Remy.

Guests will experience a festival of flavours as they sample regional dishes from Brittany, Alsace, the South of France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Alps. The chalets will serve savoury, sweet, fruit, and even alcoholic treats – something for everyone! Each chalet will have a dozen options, including wines, main courses, desserts, cheeses, and drinks. Guests can visit the chalets as they wish and taste a galette from Brittany, choucroute from Alsace, tartiflette from the Alps, snails, leg of lamb, or even foie gras and caviar! Red, white, rosé, and champagne wines will be available to go with the specialties.

The event runs from 10am-6pm on weekdays, extending to 8pm on weekends. Still hungry? From September 15-24, the neighboring Disney Village district will host "A Taste of Oktoberfest" featuring regional specialties and entertainment from the Bavaria region of Germany.

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Replies (8)

robert
Editor
Robert Niles
August 25, 2017 at 10:52 AM · I haven't been to the Chinese parks yet, but the Disneyland Paris Resort had, hands down, the worst food of any of the other Disney theme park resorts I've visited (Anaheim, Orlando, Tokyo, and Paris). So I would love to see the resort try some actual French cuisine and make money on it, so it would see a business case to ditch - or at least, deemphasize - the lame impression of American fast food that dominates the meal offerings throughout the resort.
Anonymous878
Anton M
August 25, 2017 at 2:14 PM · Been to Hong Kong Disneyland. Food isn't bad, but it's mainly Chinese comfort foods like beef noodle soup and sold relatively cheaply. I felt Tokyo had the best food. Orlando isn't bad especially if you're on a dining plan and eating the best they have to offer. Orlando has so many table service restaurants that you need to try them all. Anaheim is just okay. A little rough and lots of carbs. Haven't been to Disneyland Paris, but Paris itself is quite nice. Many places to eat so just eat in the city.
FloreanFortescue
FloreanFortescue
August 25, 2017 at 3:26 PM · Am I the only one who doesn't get excited by these festivals? It's nice to have so many diverse options to pick from, but your still paying for overpriced food at a place where you have a very diverse choice of snacks and meals anyway (at least at Epcot's version). If anything, the wknd crowd's make the whole experience less enjoyable anyway.
Is the benefit in this mostly just to extract money out of AP holders by offering these limited-time options? And sell high-margin drinks?
IanRobinson
Ian Robinson
August 25, 2017 at 5:20 PM · 10am until 6pm is longer than most of the regular food outlets are open at DLP. At least you'll be able to eat after 3pm, although I'm not sure foie gras and caviar are quite to my taste.
ChadH
Chad H
August 25, 2017 at 8:42 PM · I don't get it. Why would a park in France try to show off food to the French? The French are serious about food and I can't see them coming to the park for a food festival. Non locals also aren't going to go all the way to France simply to experience food in a theme park.

I think this is the whole DCA problem again - Selling California to California.

jhs
Writer
Jeffrey Siegal
August 26, 2017 at 1:30 PM · I agree with Chad here. If they are going to have a food festival, it better be darn good. The French make exceptional food.
TielO
O T
August 27, 2017 at 11:15 AM · And again Disney shows to not understand it's market in Europe. Do they know you can drink champagne and have raw oysters on the market in Antwerp (just one example). When I went to Paris Disneyland (we skipped the movie park that just opened) I found the prices for food so ridiculous that we chose not to eat that day. We had an excellent breakfast that morning in our hotel in the city of Paris and we knew many excellent, cheap restaurants at Montmartre for when we got back.
I don't expect the France (or any European) to pay a hefty entrance fee to buy overpriced sample food, non of the guests are taken hostage like at WDW and will leave for better food for better prices.
anonymous
87.14.27.178
August 29, 2017 at 2:42 PM · A food festival in a movie studio? That sounds so inappropriate thematically

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