Ears to you: Disneyland toasts golden anniversary with upgraded foodservice

Nation's Restaurant News, July 11, 2005 by Lisa Jennings

ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Fifty years ago on July 17, Disneyland opened its doors and a global theme-park empire was born.

This week hundreds of thousands of fans wearing gold-colored Mickey Mouse hats are expected to make a pilgrimage to the seminal Magic Kingdom in Anaheim, Calif., for the pinnacle event of the "Happiest Homecoming on Earth," an 18-month celebration that began in May.

The celebration also culminates nearly two years of strategic upgrades among foodservice operations throughout the 85-acre property, which now includes two theme parks--Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure--three hotels and a bustling "Downtown Disney," where 11 outside foodservice vendors operate outposts.

The surge in attendance this year is expected to be a boon for the resort's parent, The Walt Disney Co., which for the six-month period ending April 2 reported worldwide theme park revenue of $4.2 billion, up 28 percent over the first half of the previous year. The rebound, which follows years of post-Sept. 11 slump at Disney's U.S. parks, was credited in part to a 3-percent increase in visitors to Disneyland during the second quarter and a 12-percent increase in per capita guest spending there.

This year will mark two more milestones: the September opening of Hong Kong Disneyland, the company's 11th theme park and the first in China, and the official stepping down of chief executive Michael Eisner, who in October will be replaced by Robert Iger, current president and chief operating officer.

What began in a Southern California orange grove in 1955 offered little in the way of a meal for hungry guests. Hamburgers and hotdogs were the primary dining option then.

Last year Disneyland welcomed more than 13 million guests, and officials describe food and beverage throughout the resort as a more than $200 million-per-year operation serving an average of 50,000 meals per day. Dining options include a range of venues, from the churro wagons to the elegant white-tablecloth dining rooms of Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Hotel and The Vineyard Room at Disney's California Adventure.

A handful of anniversary-related food items have been introduced this year. The Blue Bayou, for example, one of the most popular venues at Disneyland, is offering a special anniversary "Golden Ears" dessert: raspberry-filled chocolate mousse in the shape of Mickey Mouse ears. The popcorn wagon on Disneyland's Main Street has been "golden-ized," or painted gold, and popcorn is served in souvenir cups. On July 17, visitors will receive a "special treat" at any of the food outlets throughout the resort, but officials won't say what it might be.

Rather than creating anniversary-related promotions, the focus has been on bringing all foodservice options up a notch. Nearly all venues throughout the resort have been updated in some way for the anniversary, including several complete concept overhauls.

"At one point we were roiling out new concepts every week in preparation for the 50th," said Mary Niven, vice president of food and beverage for Disneyland Resort.

In the 18 months leading up to the anniversary, Niven spearheaded a committee charged with making menus more contemporary and offering more price points, while still being true to the "story" of each location.

About half of foodservice sales throughout the resort come from quick-service outlets, with another 15 percent from food courts and "buffeterias," and the balance from table-service restaurants, room service and the 200-some outdoor vending carts, said Niven.

Fine-dining options also have grown in popularity. The most expensive restaurant is Napa Rose, which opened in 2001, where entrees range from $26 to $36 and the wine list, with an inventory of more than 1,000 labels, is a prominent feature.

But inside the parks the most upscale option is The Vineyard Room, which was first operated by the Mondavi winery when California Adventure opened in 2001. A year later the restaurant was converted to an in-house operation.

Downstairs a casual dining room offers wine tastings, while upstairs guests can enjoy wine-friendly dishes, such as grappa-oregano-marinated rib-eye steak with cauliflower gratin, roasted potatoes and Cabernet sauce. A three-course menu with wine pairings is available for $62 on the restaurant's balcony, which makes the theme park seem a world away--except for the screams heard from the nearby Twilight Zone Tower of Terror thrill ride.

Granville's Steakhouse at the Disneyland Hotel was a "steakhouse stuck in the 1980s with wagon wheels on the walls" before the anniversary-related upgrade, said Niven.

Last year the restaurant was redesigned with a more sophisticated 1950s West Coast jazz theme, and black-and-white photos of celebrities of the era were hung on the walls. A refrigerated room serves as a tasting center where guests can sample from the extensive by-the-glass wine collection.

Niven noted that more than 130 "cast members"--Disney's term for "employees"--throughout the resort are certified sommeliers--which is significant considering alcohol wasn't served publicly at the resort until 2001.