A new hard-ticket food and beverage event is coming to Disney California Adventure next month. Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock just emailed cast members the news, which - with the recent return out outdoor dining to Buena Vista Street - will bring about 1,000 of them back to work.
Other California theme parks have been running special outdoor dining events as a way to get paying customers through the gates while the state's pandemic response rules keep their attractions closed. But this new event will be a first for Disney, which has focused on expanding its Downtown Disney shopping and dining district into DCA up until now.
"Currently planned to begin mid-March, we will debut an all-new, limited-time ticketed experience, focused on our world-famous food and beverage offerings from around the resort, the latest merchandise and unique, carefully crafted entertainment experiences...all to be offered multiple days a week," Potrock said in his letter to the cast. "With limited capacity and enhanced health and safety measures in place, Guests once again will get to step into a magical Disney environment - an environment that will provide memorable and fun experiences our Guests are craving.
"Teams across the resort are currently developing this distinctly Disney experience, so there are many more details to come, but I wanted you — our Cast Members - to hear this news first. Stay tuned for the official announcement coming soon."
So we still are awaiting those details, including an official title, dates, and pricing. But that gives fans time to speculate on which food and beverage items from around the resort will make the cut for this event. Dole Whips? Matterhorn Macaroons? Monte Cristos? And what about those "carefully crafted entertainment experiences"?
And how much of California Adventure will guests be able to walk through during the event? Is there any chance that Disneyland might use this event as an opportunity to provide a sneak peek at the new Avengers Campus land, which Potrock said "is making incredible progress"?
We do know that no attractions will be operating in the park during the event, due to those California rules. The state's Covid-19 plan currently allows major theme parks to reopen at 25 percent capacity when their home county reaches the state's least restrictive, yellow tier 4 - which no major county in the state is even close to reaching at this point.
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Looking forward to going to Disney Land. I would go there for shopping and dining and not just for food. As I have been trying to save up money https://flowtobacco.com/blog/how-much-americans-spend-on-unhealthy-things/ so it will be a great time.
Going to Disneyland when you can't ride rides is like going to grandma's house after she passed away and realizing squatters live there now, haha. It would kill me.
Exact words I wanna say hahaha hmm I'd say it will be too risky for the reopening. wedding photography package prices
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It's about time, Knott's has been successfully doing this since last summer. But I prefer Knott's comfort food to the hoity toity foodie fare at Disney's festivals. I am especially looking forward to another Boysenberry Festival.
Dole Whips, Matterhorn Macaroons and Monte Cristos are Disneyland fare, I would just prefer Disneyland open up Main Street for shopping and dining, not necessarily a food 'experience'.
Also this begs the question, is Disney going to close the present Buena Vista Street and only allow admittance to paying hard-ticket holders? That would be a bummer, and I'm sure they would lose some merchandise and restaurant sales.
It would be better to continue to allow free admission (continuation of Downtown Disney), and sell the tasting cards like before. If Buena Vista Street is open only to ticket holders, and the festival is more expensive than Knott's, which I'm sure it will be, I'm going to Knott's.