According to the Disney Parks Blog, Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival will not be held in 2011 and 2012. This decision is due to the significant construction happening in Disney California Adventure over the next two years and the difficulty it presents for an event like the Food & Wine Festival.
This festival, which just celebrated its 5th year in 2010, was much loved by Disneyland devotees and Disney food fans the world over. And after five years of climbing the ranks of American food festivals, bringing some incredible celebrity names to the table, and delivering what I felt was a very special event that only a place like Disneyland could produce (i.e. it was hip), I’m sad to hear that it will be postponed (just postponed, right, Disneyland? I know you didn’t say for sure it was coming back, but it is, right? It is???).
2010 Food and Wine Festival Welcome Center
My feeling when I visited the festival in 2010 was that Disneyland had gained a lot of ground over the past five years and was poised to grow the Food and Wine Festival into an even bigger success. I’m very sorry to hear that the potential is now there to lose ground on the progress and traditions that they’ve made, but I also know that Disneyland clientele will welcome the festival back with open arms if and when it re-appears.
I know I’ll be there.
In the meantime, you can check out our coverage from Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival 2010 here.
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Hmmmm, so AJ, when will you come out now????
Heather — Excellent question! The festival gave great motivation to work Disneyland into our budget for next year, so now that it’s gone we’ll have to determine the best next step. I really hope we still get to go (after all, there’s still food there to cover, right?) — maybe I’ll cash in my Christmas and birthday gifts for the near future! But, if not, I have an awesome Disneyland columnist who’s hitting all the highlights!
I know Matt and I will go back to DL once Cars Land is open. Hopefully the festival does come back in 2013, as that would be a perfect time to experience both!
Wow. That makes me sad. DH and I have attended the CA Food and Wine Festival for the past 2 years and loved it. In fact I was all set on making it an annual trip during Memorial Day weekend and already made my DVC reservations at the Grand Californian… It would be a terrible shame to let this wonderful event fall to the wayside just when it was picking up steam. I sincerely hope they bring it back in 2013, bigger and better. Can you imagine if they set up the Wine Walks along the new Buena Vista Street?
Sarah — I’ll see you there! I’m pretty sure I owe you a drink or two!
Madoka — Agreed. It would be an incredible event with the new Buena Vista Street background!
Seriously? Not nice at all. I bet that evil Eisner had a hand in this.
I really do hope it is just postponed. Over the last 5 years it really did improve each time and was certainly something which I looked forward to. It is already such an important event at Epcot and was becoming established in Anaheim too. I will definitely miss it.
Eisner? Really.
Funny one John! I’m more than sure the guy isn’t even allowed near the Headquarters, much less liked by anyone still currently working there.
I think they are trying to stay vague about whether it is coming back or not, so they don’t have a bunch of upset people when they decide to say “It’s an Epcot Exclusive now.”.
I’d have to say if you step back and look at the real effects of it, they are going to pretty much be forced to bring it back because it brings them a whole lot more guests.
It’s just the main construction of Cars Land and Ariel’s Undersea adventure that they have to focus on, and probably the less foot traffic in the area, the quicker they will be done with it.
Incase anyone is curious on the exact wording here it the article from the DisneyParks official blog: http://bit.ly/bQWHrS
Now ny ither half wants to go to F&W in October next year, and though I like WDW, I’m only 20 minutes from DL. I do understand why (right now Buena Vista St is all blocked off and the wave fountain is being changed) but why can’t it go somewhere else? I like the Cars Land idea, but I don’t like having to get rid of F&W for it or any other expansion! (although some of the “celebrity” chefs can take a hike [Geerhard, that’d be you!])
John and Alan — Not sure on that one! 😉
Alison — I’ll miss it as well. I’m hoping it comes back bigger and better.
Josh — Not sure if they’ll be forced to bring it back or not. I always figure Disney’s thinking years ahead in terms of guest attendance projections; and sometimes they take a turn away from the adult-centered events (e.g. pleasure island) in favor of more family friendly offerings altogether.
John — Have you guys ever been to Epcot’s F&W? I’m interested to hear if you make the plans to go there instead.
I agree that it’s a tough loss to see F&W leave Anaheim for any length of time!
I have not yet. Ive been during the flower and garden, the off season and christmas so far. (We were kind of bummed on the christmas as well as what you get here in DL is almost the same as what you have to buy a hard ticket for at WDW; and that small world just isn’t the same there as it is here.) I’ve got pictures of the one event I managed to get to at our F&W this year, and we were outside of the event. It was Robert Irvine’s demonstration and I had my 4 year old son with me cause we wanted to see Robert; he sees Robert (from my shoulders) and shouts “Hi, Chef Robert!” and next I know Robert tells us to come around back and I got some great pics of my kid getting face time with my favorite TV chef! What will I do if it isn’t here next year?!?!?
John — I hear ya; what an incredible experience with Chef Irvine (who’s just too freakin’ cool). I think it’s a serious loss for DLR over the next two years. However, thank you so much for sharing that story. It’s things like that that are nigh impossible to find anywhere but at these great events.