PHOTO UPDATE 4/27: A taste of Disney's 2007 California Food & Wine Weekends, +MORE!

[MasterGracey]

Disney's California Food & Wine Weekends is now back for its second year! I'm a big fan of this event, simply because it breathes life into a typically stagnant DCA. Its something to look forward to in the spring, and brings some interesting things to do in the brief off-season.

This year Disney has doubled the offerings, adding numerous new complimentary events to the festival line-up, they've changed the Taste of California Marketplace menu a bit at the Lucky Fortune Cookery, and they've added some new "Signature Events" that range from around $20 all the way up to around $400.

From delicious food, cooking school, junior chef demonstrations for the kids, celebrity chef dinners, beer seminars, and lifestyle and exercise seminars, there's definately something for everybody.

Anyway, let's get to a photo-tour of some of the festival activities...

Enjoy

DISNEY'S CALIFORNIA
FOOD & WINE WEEKENDS 2007
Scans of the Festival guide:

Back (left), Front (right)












The following three images is a listing of all of the Complimentary (FREE!) events going on. There's a LOT of stuff to see and do - and so much of it's free. Awesome!









The Festival encompasses The Golden Vine Winery and Pacific Wharf districts of Disney's California Adventure. We'll start at...

THE GOLDEN VINE WINERY


The Festival welcome center is located at the Golden Vine Winery, along DCA's Performance Corridor:


Along with a CM to help you find the information and event times you want, the welcome center has a listing of the day's events:




These directional signs are all over the place, marking the location of different events and seminars:


The other sides of the signs feature Food & Wine trivia:





The Golden Vine Winery area hosts numerous events, including wine tastings and seminars, and the upper terrace of the Winery is where The Chef Jamie Gwen Radio Show will broadcast live for the first three Saturdays of the festival, as well as other Festival events.

A Wine Tasting Seminar with Mirrasou Winery was taking place:



The lower patio is also home to the Festival Wine Shop. The Wine Shop features a variety of Festival merchandise including cheese boards, wine glasses, trading pins, wines, olive oil, wine totes, books and other items.






























PACIFIC WHARF
Over at Pacific Wharf, more complimentary events are taking place, including a Culinary Demonstrations at the Wharf Demonstration Kitchen, Beer & Spirits Seminars at the Pacific Wharf stage, and the "Taste of California" Marketplace at the Lucky Fortune Cookery.

We'll start with the "Taste of California" Marketplace at the Lucky Fortune Cookery.
We sampled a few items, they range from $3.75 to $5 each, and each one is a small portion, not intended as an entree, but as a sampling of different dishes.



This is the delicious Israeli Couscous with Roasted Pork. $4.


The dry, but okay California Skewers. $5.


The awesome White Cheddar Soup. $3.75


And the rich, but really good Chocolate Marquise. $4.



Next to the Lucky Fortune Cookery is the Wharf Demonstration Kitchen:




Hidden Mickey!


And nearby the Karl Strauss beer truck is the Pacific Whard Stage where they'll be hosting Beer and Spirits Education and Tasting Seminars.




Anyway, that's all for Food and Wine Weekends. For more images of decor and other set-up including photos Disney has provided of all of the "Taste of California" Marketplace dishes, check out my 4/26 Photo Update.

I plan on attending at least several of the complimentary events. I'll be sure to share photos from those events in upcoming updates.



DISNEYLAND AFTER DARK,
+MORE
Here are some shots of Disneyland after dark and some other odds-n-ends.

Rockin' Space Mountain is no more. The Rockin' addition to the Space marquee is gone, but the changing color lighting is still there. It isn't a big deal, but I'd actually prefer it to be gone. I never liked the way the flashing colored lighting looked, as it only lit up the top portion of the spire above the marquee, but not the base. Oh well.








The sea-themed Agrifuture of the Sub queue is really nice, especially under the glow of the blue neon and coral-colored overhead lighting in the Subs queue.




Fireworks


Fire.


Works.


The Court De Angels in New Orleans Square is closed. They've put up a photo-covered refurb wall, blocking the entrance.


Windows and doorways of neighboring New Orleans Square shops are covered up as well.




Adventureland Bazaar...

...Alright. I think that's it for now. Get out and go check out Food and Wine Weekends!

[Nancywitt]

Awesome! We attended the festival last year and had a great time. Your photos are beautiful but they are making me hungry! Especially for that chocolate thing! Thanks for all your work in taking the photos and posting them here. Wish I could go to the festival this weekend.

[Wendygirl]

Thanks for the detailed information on this event. I have never been before. My daughter's birthday is May 13 (yes, Mother's Day and she actually was born on Mother's Day!) and she wanted to go to DCA to get a free package of tortillas
Now with this event there maybe we can look around, take in a demonstration and sample something. She is taking culinary courses and I think would enjoy this. My only concern is that as it is Mother's Day, it will be crowded.

Loved all your night shots.

[mcow1]

Great pics. I think we were standing next to you when you were taking those pictures yesterday at the wine marketplace.

[Armadillo4]

Terrific photos! Thanks for sharing all those details about the Food & Wine Weekends with us. I'm definitely heading down there sometime in the next few weekends. The couscous and cheddar cheese soup will be must-haves during that trip. LOL! Thanks again for your photos!!!

[matcase]

Great shots

[Nor Cal Tinkfan]

The lobster/crab quesadilla was really good!

[barfownz]

Very cool!

[Koutesu]

Beautiful pics (I like the photo you took from the Innoventions down ramp as it looks futuristic). Good to see they're using agrifuture to make the landscaping blend in with the theme of Nemo and TL'98 (can you die happily now, Eisner?). Not that I agree with alcohol, but it's great to see Food and Wine Weekends @ DCA. A reason to buy a ticket to DCA. I heard last year's event actually drew people who would never go to a Disney park if given the option.

[peoplemover1]

Awesome update as usual MasterGracey!!!

I had the choc. desert and the cheddar cheese soup and they were both excellent! I would recommed them highly. I did have a taste of the couscous which had an asian flavoring (I thought) which I liked, and I would like to go back and try the artichokes this year... among other things.
I am so excited for this years festival... you all should all go out and take in some of the free demos!

Thanks again MG!!

[figment1986]

great report... now I'm hungry.

love the photos and compositions. thanks for sharing.
-goes out and gets dinner-

[wickeddisneygurl]

now i'm hungry after looking at all that good food!

anyways, awesome pics as always! thanx for sharing!

[Rex Dopey24]

Very nice pictures. thanks.

[PragmaticIdealist]

I'd like to see some of the festival made a permanent part of Bountiful Valley.

The winery, especially, needs more activities and educational seminars that can make it into more of an attraction.

[Goofy Daddy]

Thanks for sharing the pics.

I agree with Prag...they should do more with that winery all year round.