Response on Ken Potrock’s Statement regarding Disney California Adventure’s Food and Beverage Event
Disney’s California Adventure Park in Anaheim, CA. Fabio Sasso via Unsplash
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Disney California Adventure Park in Anaheim, the president of Disneyland Resort in California, Ken Potrock, announced the news to Disneyland cast members on Feb. 8.
With the one-year mark of Disneyland’s closure approaching on Mar. 13, fans are eager to step foot into the parks once again. This news is exciting and holds a bright future for fans of all ages.
Measures have been taken to accommodate annual passholders with the recent initiation of the Legacy Passholder program. It offers a 30% off discount on merchandise as well as food and beverages at select Buena Vista Street locations and Downtown Disney establishments.
With the news spreading quickly on social media, the wish for a new event at the parks has been granted. Potrock announces plans to initiate a ticketed ‘experience’ beginning in the middle of March.
“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 stated.
Similar to California Adventure’s Food & Wine Festival that debuted in 2006, this event offers a unique selection of food and beverages. The experience will be around for a limited time and will be open with a limited capacity for guests.
Berkely Farmer, a Saddleback College student and a former Disneyland Annual Passholder has attended California Adventure’s Food and Wine Festival events for two years. Farmer explains how this event would be a great opportunity to give reopening a test run.
“There is not a chance I would miss this one,” Farmer said. “I think Disney bringing this event back is a great way to hire those workers who were laid off during the beginning of the pandemic.”
Despite the recent amount of layoffs from the company, this is a big advancement in terms of re-opening the parks and allowing cast members to work once again. It is unclear what the exact details are regarding the event, but the news is exciting to Disneyland fans.
Disneyland vloggers, Katie and Spencer from the YouTube Channel, Best Life and Beyond, expressed their excitement for the event through Instagram story posts when the news broke out. During an interview with Spencer of the duo, he expressed his hopes of a brighter future for the parks.
“We are definitely excited for the event at DCA and hope it means that hopefully, we are one step closer to opening up all of Disneyland safely much like they have done successfully in Florida,” Spencer said.
Best Life and Beyond looks forward to celebrating the new events that Disneyland puts on for fans in the future. With hopes of the rest of Disneyland opening soon, Best Life and Beyond are excited to get back to vlogging at the parks again.
While the exact date of the food and beverage event remains unknown, Potrock states that they plan to open in mid-March. The full reopening dates of both California Adventure and the Disneyland Resort remain unknown.
Dear Cast Members,
It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since we welcomed our first Guests to Disney California Adventure Park. While I’m relatively new to the Disneyland Resort, I was so excited to visit Disney California Adventure that first year and have enjoyed seeing the park evolve over the last two decades and the role it has played in creating a multi-day destination for our Guests. From the ongoing expansions and enhancements focused on bringing more Disney storytelling to the park, including Cars Land, to our upcoming mission to suit up the next generation of Super Heroes at Avengers Campus, we continue to add new and vibrant experiences for Guests to enjoy.
I’m pleased to report that Avengers Campus is making incredible progress. From the futuristic architecture, theatrical lighting, unique audio, creative food, beautiful costuming and innovative merchandise, the land will be an immersive experience that we know our Guests are going to love. And while we aren’t ready to reveal Avengers Campus to the world just yet, I am excited about another very special opportunity we have at Disney California Adventure Park that speaks to our top priorities: getting more Cast Members back to work and engaging with our Guests in different and relevant ways.
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. 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.
What I’m most thrilled about is that this initiative — along with the recent reopening of our outdoor dining on Buena Vista Street — enables us to bring about 1,000 Cast Members back to work. While that is clearly not all we want to accomplish, it’s a start. Teams are working as we speak to start recalling identified Cast in the coming weeks.
This past year has presented extraordinary challenges, but that has not curtailed in any way our ability to move forward with a spirit of optimism. Thanks to each and every one of you for your contributions to making the Disneyland Resort a place where dreamers around the world are always welcome. Stay safe and stay well.
Sincerely,
Ken
Disneyland Resort President
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