ABC Soap Opera Bistro

 Source: Laughing Place

February 2001 – November 2002

LOCATION

Hollywood Land – The ABC Soap Opera Bistro was part of Hollywood Land’s grand entrance, standing on the right corner of the street. Today, the Bistro space has been revamped into Disney Junior – Live On Stage!, though the exterior looks the same.

EXPERIENCE

Details:

• Service Type – table service
• Seating – several themed dining rooms
• Entertainment – some theatrical interaction with wait staff

Hollywood Land was built on glitz, glamour, and star quality, and the ABC Soap Opera Bistro was equally as fabulous. This massive table service restaurant had five separate dining rooms, each recreating a famous location from a soap opera:

• The nurses’ station from General Hospital
• Luke’s Night Club from General Hospital
• Kelly’s Diner from General Hospital
• The Chandelier Mansion from All My Children
• Llanview Country Club from One Life To Live
• The docks from Port Charles

In each room, the wait staff brought the experience to life. Every cast member dressed in cliché soap opera characters, like policeman, butlers, doctors, etc. They treated guests like characters, often accusing them of betrayal, asking for relationship advice, or treating them like accomplices. Diners at the Bistro didn’t just step into the worlds of soap operas; they lived them!

CLOSURE

The Bistro was relatively successful, but it was ultimately in the wrong place at the wrong time. California Adventure received widespread criticism in its first few years for being too adult oriented, without enough attractions and shows for children. As a result, even before the major expansion and renovation project, many of the park’s shopping and dining spots closed to make way for more kid friendly attractions. The Bistro was widely praised for having a varied and tasty (though expensive) menu, but that wasn’t enough to save it. In November 2002, the restaurant closed its doors to make room for the Disney Junior theater.

TRIVIA

One of the rooms in the Bistro, themed after General Hospital’s nightclub, had full bar service.

The Bistro had its own gift shop, called “SoapLink”. SoapLink sold merchandise with the Bistro’s logo, as well as real costumes or set pieces from soap operas.

Kelly’s Diner was one of the most popular rooms in the Bistro, because it was the only soap opera set that was an actual restaurant on its show.

The hostess in the front was meant to resemble an ABC page.