Sep 7 2016

Fun Facts About The 2016 Epcot International Food And Wine Festival

In just a few short days the 21st annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival kicks off, and I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some “Fun Facts” about the festive event to get us in the spirit. Here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of Disney:

Walt Disney World Resort guests are invited to join the fun when the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase turns 21 from September 14 – November 14, 2016. The longer-than-ever party will feature global and specialty cuisine, refreshing new beverages and three live concerts nightly.

The 62-day festival at Disney’s Epcot theme park will showcase 30 global marketplaces including four new Future World marketplaces featuring fresh culinary concepts to pair with select wines, beers, cocktails and other beverages. ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” will broadcast from the festival for the second year and will participate in one of the new Future World festival marketplaces, The Chew Collective. The festival is believed to be the largest food and wine event of its kind in the world.

Here are some fun facts about the 21st festival celebration:

Now 62 days long, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival began in 1996 with a first run of 30 days
At the 2016 festival, 30 global marketplaces will include new offerings like The Chew Collective in Future World’s Next Eats festival area and Islands of the Caribbean along the World Showcase Promenade
Producers of ABC’s “The Chew” will tape 5 episodes of the show before 5 festival guest audiences numbering in the hundreds for each show
The 21st festival will feature 32 new marketplace dishes and 49 new cocktails, beers, wines and ciders
In 1998, 200 domestic and international wines were poured at the festival. This year, at marketplaces and premium events, more than 300 domestic and international wines will be offered
More than 50 wineries and more than 35 breweries from around the world, including local craft beer operations, will be represented at festival marketplaces
The new “The Best of Epcot Festivals 2016” cookbook by Pam Brandon and the Disney Chefs features 75 recipes from the global marketplaces.
3 Rockin’ Burger Block Parties and 6 Party for the Senses grand tastings will take place at World Showplace during the festival run. In all, the festival will feature 204 premium events ranging from Signature Dinners and Food & Wine Pairings to Beverage Boot Camps and Festival Events in World Showcase pavilions
Guest chefs and Disney chefs numbering 250 will present culinary demonstrations and will cook for festival events
Celebrity chefs and visiting culinarians from 10 countries and 26 U.S. states will participate in the festival at culinary demos, book signings, and special tasting events and dinners.
Nearly 400 culinary demos, beverage and interactive seminars will take place during the 62-day festival
During Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak festival scavenger hunt, guests can help Remy scour the park for the ingredients to make his signature dish, ratatouille. Along the way, they’ll find 12 Remy statuettes hidden in each of 11 countries of the World Showcase and at the African Outpost location. Guests can redeem the 12 stickers they’ve collected for one of 6 special pins at Select merchandise locations
More than 375 hours of scheduled seminars will take place at the Festival Center for the 62 days of the festival. These include culinary demos and beverage seminars, the new Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It! interactive events, plus more
186 Eat to the Beat concerts will be performed; 8 musical acts will appear for the first time at this year’s festival featuring entertainment ranging from rock and soul to funk and blues
The Festival Passport (previously called the Marketplace Discovery Passport) was introduced in 2010 for the 15^th annual festival; today, the free passport will feature pages with all 30 festival marketplaces
More than 1,200 fireworks will explode each night over World Showcase Lagoon in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth nightime spectacular
Chase is the festival’s presenting sponsor for the 5^th year; its Chase Lounge at the American Adventure Pavilion is open exclusively to Chase cardholders and offers an inviting place to relax and recharge
More than 225,000,000 festival dishes were served during last year’s 53-day festival
100,000-plus desserts, including the Hard Soda Floats at Desserts & Champagne Marketplace, are expected to be served
In 1997, during the festival’s second year, festival planners introduced the first Grand Tasting culinary extravaganza; in 2002, the event was renamed and moved to World Showplace as Party for the Senses, now featuring up to 50 food and beverage stations and, in 2016, new and different themed entertainment for each event

I’m looking forward to my visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival this month, and I’m so excited to enjoy some of my old favorites as well as to check out what’s new this year!

Heading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Check out my new book 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation for secret insider tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else!
View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Guarantee the best vacation price by clicking here for more information!

Will you be going to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival this year?
What are you most looking forward to? Please leave a comment!

Aug 29 2016

Helpful Information For Your January 2017 Disney World Vacation

So you are planning a vacation to Disney World in January 2017?
January is a wonderful time to visit Walt Disney World!

Weather

The weather in Disney World during January can get chilly. The average high is about 71 degrees, the average low is about 47 degrees, and the average rainfall is about 2.91 inches. This is the coldest month of the year by far, and it can sometimes drop to freezing or just below. Be sure to pack accordingly!

Crowds

The crowds in January vary from moderate to extreme. New Year’s Day is extreme, Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend and Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend the crowds are high, and during the rest of the month the crowds are fairly moderate.

January 1 – January 7
Average Crowd Level 8.3 out of 10
January 8 – January 14
Average Crowd Level 5.4 out of 10
January 15 – January 21
Average Crowd Level 4.8 out of 10
January 22 – January 28
Average Crowd Level 5.2 out of 10
January 29 – January 31
Average Crowd Level 5.0 out of 10

Park Hours

Magic Kingdom
Open most days from 9am – 8pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Epcot
Open most days from 9am – 9pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Hollywood Studios
Open most days from 9am – 7pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)
Animal Kingdom
Open most days from 9am – 5pm (plus Extra Magic Hours)

For specific hours on each day during January, please click this link. Remember that park hours are subject to change and are often adjusted two weeks prior.

Events

If you’ll be visiting Disney World for the ringing in of 2017 there are plenty of fun-filled options available to celebrate the holiday including special entertainment and dining. For more information about celebrating New Year’s in Walt Disney World, please click here.

From January 4 to January 8, 2017, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will be held. This fantastic annual event includes kids races, a 5K, a 10K, a pasta party, a special breakfast, a half marathon, a health and fitness expo, and a cool down party, in addition to the full marathon through all four theme parks. For more information about Marathon Weekend, please visit runDisney by clicking here.

Refurbishments

Periodically throughout the year, Disney closes attractions for refurbishments and enhancements. Here are the currently scheduled closures during January (subject to change without notice):

Magic Kingdom
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Epcot
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Hollywood Studios
Star Wars Land: Opening in 2020
Toy Story Land: Opening in 2018

Animal Kingdom
Pandora – The World of AVATAR: Opening in 2017

Water Parks
Typhoon Lagoon: December 25 – March 11, 2017

Disney Springs
No Scheduled Refurbishments At This Time

Resort Hotels
Walt Disney World Dolphin: Guest Room Refurbishments To Be Completed In 2017
Wilderness Lodge: Hidden Springs Quiet Pool, Resort Beach, Playground and Fire Pit To Be Completed In 2017

Planning Tips

If you are traveling to Disney World in January 2017, your planning is probably well under way at this point. Here’s a checklist to make sure you are on track:

Make sure you have created your My Disney Experience account. If you haven’t, click here to sign up now.
If you haven’t already made your dining reservations, be sure to make them now by clicking here.
If you are staying on site, be sure to customize your MagicBand on your My Disney Experience account by picking the color and adding your name. And if you really want to make your MagicBand special, personalize it with your own custom designed MagicBand Skin from Magic YOUR Band. Click here to get started!
Now is a great time to research what attractions you and your family would like to see at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. Because Walt Disney World is so large, it is very difficult to see everything during one trip, so be sure to get everyone’s top priorities. This is also a great time to begin looking at menus for counter service restaurants so that you have an idea of which locations serve foods that your entire family will enjoy.
Whether you are staying on site or off-property, be sure to purchase your admission tickets and link them to your My Disney Experience account.
Once your tickets are linked and at exactly 60 days in advance of your check in date (midnight EST time) if you are staying on site or 30 days in advance for all other guests, login to your My Disney Experience account and book your Fastpass+ reservations.
If you are staying on site, be sure to check in online at 60 days out from your arrival date.
Double check your flight times and if you will be using Disney’s Magical Express for your airport transportation make your reservation at least 60 days in advance by clicking here.
It’s never too early to start creating a packing list so that you don’t forget anything.
Need more help planning? Please check out my new book 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation, for hundreds of insider tips and secrets for having the most magical Disney World vacation possible!

Special Offers

If you haven’t already made your January 2017 reservations, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save money:

View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Guarantee the best vacation price by clicking here for more information!

Join The Fun

Disney Vacation Planner Jennifer Hardy and I have teamed up to create a new Facebook Group called Next Disney Vacation! It is the perfect place to talk about your next Disney vacation, ask your questions, get them answered, and share the magic. Everyday you’ll find posts, photos, trivia, tips, and more that we find all throughout the Disney Universe. If you’re counting the days until your next Disney vacation or just dreaming of one, we would love to have you join in the fun! Please click here to be a part of our group!

Have a magical vacation!

Aug 24 2016

Counting Down To The Epcot 2016 Food And Wine Festival

Are you planning a trip this fall to Walt Disney World that includes some time at Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival? If so, you are probably like me and are already counting down the days until your vacation. Here are all the latest details about this fantastic event courtesy of Disney:

Top celebrity chefs, brand new Disney resort cooking and dining experiences and irresistible Eat to the Beat dining packages will add fresh twists to the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort.

The annual Disney celebration of global flavors, running 62 days from September 14 – November 14, has become one of America’s top food festivals and features inspired sips and bites at more than 30 marketplaces. And for the second consecutive year, ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” will produce a full week of programs from the festival. “Chew” hosts Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Michael Symon, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz will share their Disney culinary adventures and tasty recipes before Epcot audiences October 5 – 7 in shows scheduled to air October 10 – 14.

More news fresh from festival planners:

Iron Chefs Geoffrey Zakarian and Masaharu Morimoto, “Chopped” judge Maneet Chauhan and other celebrated chefs including Elliott Farmer and Graham Elliot will fire up the burners to host their very first festival special events. Other chef icons like Robert Irvine, Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will return to entertain guests and inspire their palates at premium events that include Party for the Senses grand tastings featuring new entertainment.
Nearly 50 percent of the global marketplace food items are new or reimagined dishes. Just some of the new flavors include: hard soda floats at Desserts & Champagne, savory vegan “nachos” at the Greece marketplace, sweet quesitos with guava sauce at the new Islands of the Caribbean kiosk and peanut butter and white chocolate mousse at The Chew Collective. Festival guests can pair food with wines, beers, cocktails and ciders as they stroll the promenade guided by a complimentary festival passport.
First-time festival resort experiences include Brunch with a Twist at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa; Culinary Adventures with a Master Chef for a hands-on chef’s table experience in a professional working kitchen; The Secret of Flavor three-course lunch that gives guests a “sensory-food connection” at Yachtsman Steakhouse; and a tropical “Zombie” encounter during Behind the Scenes at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
New “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops at the Festival Center will offer guests a chance to learn a variety of culinary skills from chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros.
For a second year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer a wider range of taste sensations. New this year in Future World are: The Chew Collective, the Wine & Dine Studio, Chocolate Studio and Greenhouse Guru; plus Islands of the Caribbean marketplace debuts in World Showcase.
Eat to the Beat Dining Packages give music fans a chance to guarantee seats at an Eat to the Beat concert and enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of many popular Epcot restaurants, including Chefs de France, Le Cellier and Spice Road Table.
Speaking of Eat to the Beat, multiple new Eat to the Beat concert acts debut; fan favorites return to play 186 festival concerts in all –Wang Chung (Everybody Have Fun Tonight!) will open the Eat to the Beat concert series September 14 – 15. Eight new acts in the concert series lineup — including Wang Chung, Plain White T’s, Delta Rae and Toad The Wet Sprocket – will rock their chart-topping tunes. Other popular acts, including Wilson Phillips, Boyz II Men and Jeffrey Osbourne, will return to the America Gardens Theatre stage this fall.
Celebrity chefs, wine experts and mixologists join the fun – Celebrities ranging from Rock Harper to master sommelier Andrea Robinson will share their food and beverage know-how during culinary demos, beverage seminars and a variety of other events spanning the festival’s 62 days.
The popular Festival Private Label California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are back and available by the bottle or by the glass.
Ratatouille returns — Chef Remy of “Ratatouille” returns with his fun-for-the-family culinary scavenger hunt that features six brand-new collectible pins this year.
Festival Center buzzes with activity – Festival Center highlights will include new festival merchandise, the complimentary Back to Basics weekend series featuring epicurean tips and tricks from the pros, book and bottle signings and The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli and offering guest samples.
Premium events like Rockin’ Burger Block Party and Party for the Senses grand tastings will showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips from eminent chefs and beverage experts plus new live entertainment.
Intimate dining and tasting events to book will include the “Umami” Tokyo Pairing and other Epcot restaurant experiences as well as multi-course lunches and dinners at Disney Springs and resort restaurants.
Members can rest and recharge at the Chase Lounge – Chase debit and credit card members –including Disney Visa card members — will find complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments, a charging station and comfortable seating for a relaxing break at the Chase Lounge at The American Adventure pavilion.

Included with Epcot Admission:

Back to Basics series, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation:

The Party for the Senses and Rockin’ Burger Block Party grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Click here for more details!