California Adventure's Food & Wine Festival started in 2006 and ended in 2010, a victim of the park's billion-dollar-plus construction program. When Disney announced in 2010 that it would not hold the Festival in 2011 due to the park's then-ongoing refurbishment, it also ruled out an event for 2012, but made no commitment one way or the other beyond then.
It turns out that it has taken six years for the event to return. So why now? Let's not overlook that April is the month that Universal Studios Hollywood will open officially its new Wizarding World of Harry Potter land. And with the Disneyland Resort's 60th anniversary Diamond Celebration entering its 12th month by April, and the Star Wars-themed Season of the Force having run for five months by then, Disney could use a fresh event to encourage its hundreds of thousands of passholders to keep coming back, even as Potter lures them up the 5.
Update: In a possibly not-unrelated story, Disney also announced that the Mad T Party will end on March 30. The end of the nightly dance party in Hollywood Land might tell us something about the Food & Wine Festival's primary location within DCA... or it might just tell us that the F&W will be the park's preferred event for selling extra booze after March 30.
The Mad T Party has returned from the dead before, and it's hard to imagine that Disney wouldn't want to do something with all those sets and sell all that extra alcohol once the summer season starts. So look for some form the park's dance party to return in late May.
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It should.
I'm doubtful that Disney is bringing this event back to keep the crowds at their parks. Harry Potter isn't even going to be blip on the radar at the Disneyland Resort. There is excessive demand at the Anaheim parks that will keep them both filled to capacity, even with Harry Potter up the road.
And take note that passes aren't exactly flying off the shelves at Universal Studios Hollywood. I love Harry Potter, and will visit Hollywood soon, but this addition doesn't make me want to become a passholder and regular visitor to USH.
@ 70.114.193.63 I don't know anything about AP sales at Uni and doubt you do either, but I'm pretty sure the Potter kid is going to make more than just a little blip. I personally know of three families that are going to do the Studios instead than Disneyland this year and it's all due to Harry Potter.
IT STUNK!
It was actually was pretty sad. There were more California wineries at EPCOT than there were at DCA. My family was extremely disappointed.
While I think it is great that they are trying again, I do not think it serves the same purpose as EPCOT's. Unlike WDW, locals love to visit DLR. The Food and Wine Festival at EPCOT bring out the locals in a "lull" season.
Anyone else think that the Hollywood area of the park will go under the knife soon? Once Frozen moves into Hyperion Theater, that leaves a nice chunk of land ready for reimagining.
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