The Disneyland Resort on Thursday announced it has finally set a return date for tram service after a nearly two-year-long closure, and it’s just in time for the popular Food and Wine Festival.
Starting Feb. 23, guests will once again be able to board the transportation that whisks them from the Mickey and Friends and Pixar Pals parking structures to the Esplanade, the area that separates the entrances between Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park.
Without the service, visitors have had to make the long walk to the Anaheim theme parks if they parked in either of those two structures. For guests who wanted or required transportation to the theme park entrances, the off-site Toy Story parking lot has been providing shuttles to the resort.
Once the tram reopens, visitors who want to walk to the Downtown Disney District or the theme parks can use the pedestrian bridge over Magic way, according to a Disney spokesperson.
Food and Wine Festival also coming back
The Feb. 23 date also means the service will be in operation for Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival, the first time the annual event will be returning since March 2020, when it — along with the theme parks — was forced to abruptly shut down due to the burgeoning pandemic.
With closures still in place at the beginning of last spring, the resort got creative and offered the food-centric “a Touch of Disney” inside California Adventure. While the rides weren’t operating, guests had the chance to gorge on their favorite Disney treats, shop for merchandise and just stroll around the theme park in a limited-capacity environment.
This year, fans can indulge in the full Food and Wine Festival, which begins March 4 and will run through April 26, according to a Disneyland Resort news release.
The event is billed as “an exciting celebration of California’s diverse cultures and cuisines,” highlighting the Golden State’s unique flavors in a variety of food and beverage offerings. Fans can savor small bites throughout the park, as well as sip on beverages with or without alcohol.
A dozen Festival Marketplaces will also be scattered around the park, most of them located in the expansive walkway beginning roughly around the new Avengers Campus and ending in the Paradise Gardens Park section, each serving up different creations.
Also, in honor of the festival, Disney will temporarily once again temporarily retheme its ‘Soarin’ Around the World’ attraction to ‘Soarin’ over California.’
More information about Food and Wine Festival can be found here.
