June 26 2008: Hollywood & Dine

[Werner Weiss]

When Disney’s California Adventure opened to the public on February 8, 2001, the Hollywood & Dine food court was ready to serve the masses.

The masses never showed up.

Link to Hollywood & Dine at Yesterland

Please discuss it here.

[mickeyandme67]

Thanks for the peek. I never actually made it in there!

[composerboy]

The Orange Chicken at Don's was the BESSSST!! I totally miss it! It was the only Orange Chicken that was better than Panda Express.

[MasterGracey]

Thanks for the article, Werner. I've tried several times to find decent photos of the inside of this location, but never with any success. Glad your article now has some good reference photos available.

I remember eating at Hollywood & Dine way back when it was still open. I remember the Chinese from Don the Beachcomber being underwhelming and as overpriced as your article notes.

It's too bad that Hollywood & Dine didn't have better food -- I imagine that if it did, good word of mouth would have encouraged people to seek it out, despite its "dead" location, which could have possibly saved this location. As it stands now, DCA needs some better dining locations (including an Asian option) -- what it has now is all pretty terrible.

[BassBone]

It opened with too many dining locations, then they closed too many of 'em. Now there's no place to eat in the HPB except Award Weiners. They could have turned H&D into something suited to the Hollywood Tower Hotel.

[mikeland]

I ate here once - the first time I went to DCA. It reminded me somewhat of the Back lot Express at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida.

[scrappydawg]

When DCA first opened we ate at Hollywood and Dine. I don't really remember whether or not the food was good, I just remember that it was a good place to get out of the heat. I agree that now DCA doesn't have enough decent places to eat.

[Monorail Man]

It sucks it's gone. I enjoyed it strictly for the massive amount of options that were available when eating in there. I have a feeling if it we're still open, it would be the meet choice of where to eat.

[Athlonacon]

I went to DCA in 2002 and I just don't remember even seeing these restaurants. I was really new to the park and I just wanted to do the rides, but they sure didn't do a very good job publicizing these restaurants. The ideas behind them are really good and interesting, the problem lies in the execution.

I *really* hope that Disney realizes that restaurants done right can be just as exciting and atmospheric as a good ride. The Tahitian Terrace and Golden Horseshoe add so much to their respective lands that the area loses something when they're missing. They seem to have $1 billion to blow on some major renovations, I hope they plan to do some really nice themed restaurants in addition to rides.

And on a side note...Tomorrowland really needs a Tahitian Terrace or Golden Horseshoe. The old Mission To Mars building is just begging for a full-blown E-ticket restaurant.

[R2P2CM]

the last time i was in there was last year, when i did a photo shoot for a recruting campaign...it was where we would take breaks, eat, change wardrobe, and make up...haha

i think now the culinary program uses the kitchen..

[Dustysage]

I really liked Hollywood and Dine but we would never remember it was there unless we just happened to be back in that dead corner of the park. Then we'd say "Why don't we ever eat here?". DCA is missing a high capacity restaurant with a lot of seating.

Thank you for the pictures Werner!

[Tach]

This shuttered, underused former eatery has fantastic potential. It could feature prominently in the re-furbishment of DCA, and be the answer to a dilemma that has arisen from time and budget constraints since the announcement in October.

Carsland's initial concept included a Drive-In movie theater restaurant, patterned after the Sci-Fi Dine-In at DHS. It's been placed by the wayside. Why not put it in the existing area that H&D used to operate? The kitchens are still there, and there is plenty of space inside, the theme of a drive-in theater still fits with the new "Hollywoodland" theme, AND another top-notch dining experience is exactly what DCA needs in this area.

So, it's not "Cars" themed- but then again, the concept art was "50's" oriented, not "Radiator Springs". I'm really wondering if anyone had thought of this?

[stitchon]

It's so ironic how the park had so many shops and restaurants and a lack of attractions, and now it has too little restaurants and a larger amount of attractions. DCA needs a good Table Service place, IMO. Hollywood and Dine and Millionaire are prime real estate and need to be utilized no matter what the special events department says. Sci-Fi Dine In could fit in Hollywood and Dine, and a new attraction inside Millionaire.

[Club 33]

I agree with everybody; Hollywood and Dine was a great eatery that wasn't in a great location. I'm still kinda sad that restaurants such as Hollywood and Dine and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro are gone, they were one of the things that made the park interesting at the time. Now, the park is really lacking in unique food locations.

I think the location could be reopened at some point with greater success- it's now surrounded by the successful Monsters Inc and Tower of Terror attractions, so guests have a real reason to go to that corner of the park anyway (whereas before they did not). Plus this corner of the park is really missing any sort of real dining option (beyond the above mentioned Award Wieners, which recently had it's seating expanded). I say if everything is intact in there than open it back up. Or maybe this would even be a good location for the proposed Drive In Theater Restaurant that the park might be getting with Carsland? At any rate, paying guests deserve more than a closed off building with no future plans.

[triesch]

Thanks for another great article, Werner!

Add me to the list of those that never got to eat at Hollywood & Dine (I was only at DCA once before it closed). To be honest, I always thought this was the location of the Soap Opera Bistro (another one I didn't get to try). Where was that one located, and has anything taken its place yet?

-Jon