Every day it seems Disney is releasing exciting new details about what we can expect during this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival running 62 days from September 14 through November 14, 2016. With more celebrity chefs, dining options and resort cooking experiences, this year’s festival is destined to be one of the best. Guests are now able to book reservations for the popular premium events by calling 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378). Here’s a sneak peek at some of the returning favorites as well as some fantastic new opportunities courtesy of Disney:

A new lineup of popular celebrity chefs and a series of first-time Disney resort cooking and dining experiences will add fresh culinary appeal to the 21^st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort.

The annual Disney tour of tastes from six continents has become one of America’s top food festivals and features inspired flavors at more than 30 global marketplaces.

Culinary notables Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan, Duff Goldman, Elliott Farmer, Masaharu Morimoto and Graham Elliot will step up to the stove to host their first festival special events such as seminars and culinary demonstrations. Other chef icons like Robert Irvine, Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will return in 2016 to entertain foodies and inspire their palates at premium events.

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.

“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.

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.

Rockin’ Burger Block Party and Party for the Senses grand tasting events will showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips from eminent chefs and beverage experts plus new live entertainment.

Intimate dining and tasting events 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.

The always-popular Cheese Seminars return. Learn “the wheys of the world” paired with wine, beer and other beverages with Max McCalman along with other experts.

You’ll want to masquerade in chic yellow and black for the Yelloween Masquerade Party for the Senses October 28 and 29, an elegant, dance-the-night-away, gourmet tasting party with Champagne, wine, craft beers and specialty cocktails paired with food.

What’s Cookin’ With … some of the country’s top celebrity chefs will begin the morning with a delightful plated brunch and sparkling wine toast. The fun starts with a demo, and the chefs answer questions from the audience and share secrets of their successes. The brunch is on select Fridays and Sundays at 10 a.m.

Guests include:

• Friday, September 16 – Elizabeth Falkner
• Sunday, September 18 – Bryan Voltaggio
• Friday, September 23 – Andrea Robinson
• Sunday, September 25 – Robert Irvine
• Friday, September 30 – Graham Elliot
• Sunday, October 2 – Buddy Valastro
• Friday, October 7 – Jamie Deen
• Sunday, October 9 – Cat Cora
• Friday, October 14 – Emily Ellyn
• Friday, October 21 – Andrew Zimmern
• Sunday, October 23 – Rock Harper
• Sunday, October 30 – Geoffrey Zakarian
• Friday, November 4 – Alex Guarnaschelli
• Sunday, November 6 – David Guas
• Friday, November 11 – Sarah Fioroni
• Sunday, November 13 – Jehangir Mehta

For even more details and information about this year’s premium events, please click here!

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 attending the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival?
Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!

Now that the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has come to an end, Disney is releasing more information about what we can expect during this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. With more celebrity chefs, dining options and brand new resort cooking experiences, this year’s festival is destined to be one of the best. Here’s the latest details courtesy of Disney:

A new lineup of popular celebrity chefs and a series of first-time Disney resort cooking and dining experiences will add fresh culinary appeal to the 21^st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort.

The annual Disney tour of tastes from six continents, running 62 days from September 14 – November 14, has become one of America’s top food festivals and features inspired flavors at more than 30 global marketplaces. For the second consecutive year, ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” will arrive to produce a full week of programs on the show’s exclusive Epcot festival stage.

• Culinary notables Geoffrey Zakarian, Maneet Chauhan, Duff Goldman, Elliott Farmer, Masaharu Morimoto and Graham Elliot will step up to the stove to host their first festival special events such as seminars and culinary demonstrations. Other chef icons like Robert Irvine, Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will return in 2016 to entertain foodies and inspire their palates at premium events that include Party for the Senses grand tastings featuring reimagined entertainment.

• 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.

• “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 will be: The Chew Collective in the Next Eats area of Future World; the Wine & Dine Studio and Chocolate Studio, also in Future World; plus Islands of the Caribbean marketplace in World Showcase.

Festival guests can pair wines, beers and ciders with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the World Showcase Promenade using their complimentary festival passports as a guide.

New marketplace menus debut and festival favorites return – Hard soda float, anyone? Guests can choose a favorite hard soda to mix with vanilla ice cream for a sweet treat at Desserts & Champagne marketplace. A savory vegan dish will debut at the Greece marketplace, and the popular Farm Fresh marketplace will showcase Florida’s bounty with new savory dishes. Up to 47 percent of the menu food items are new or reimagined dishes.

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. More new acts in the concert series lineup, including 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 cooks on all burners –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.

Rockin’ Burger Block Party and Party for the Senses grand tasting events 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.

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 American Adventure.

Included with Epcot Admission:

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

Special Programming by Reservation:

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. When a reservation booking date is announced this summer, guests can call 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378) for more details.

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 attending the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival?
Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!

Back in February, Disney announced the dates for this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, but since that time there hasn’t really been any news to report. Until now! Disney has just released the first details of its plans for the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and it looks like it is going to be another fabulous event. Here’s the scoop courtesy of Disney:

The annual Disney culinary tour of flavors from six continents will expand in 2016 with nine extra days of sipping and savoring at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival September 14 – November 14, 2016. The 2016 festival, presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort, will grow from 53 to 62 delicious days, add a new interactive culinary experience and debut new marketplace tastes from around the world.

Growing in scope each year since 1996 as one of America’s top food festivals, the Epcot event features inspired flavors at more than 30 global marketplaces.

This year, “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops at the Festival Center offer guests a chance to learn a variety of culinary skills from chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros. Nightly Eat to the Beat concerts kick up the energy with new musical acts covering a broad range of musical styles and eras including rock, pop and rhythm and blues. Even more Disney resort festival experiences are planned, with a new brunch, cooking school and other fresh culinary adventures.

For a second year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer a wider range of taste sensations. Culinary icons like Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Masaharu Morimoto, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will entertain foodies and inspire their palates at new and returning premium events that include reimagined Party for the Senses grand tastings with new concepts and themes.

Festival guests can pair wines, beers and ciders with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the World Showcase Promenade using their complimentary festival passports as a guide.

New marketplace menus debut and festival favorites return – Hard soda float, anyone? Guests can choose a favorite hard soda to mix with vanilla ice cream for a sweet treat at Desserts & Champagne marketplace. A savory vegan dish will debut at the Greece marketplace, and the popular Farm Fresh marketplace will showcase Florida’s bounty with new savory dishes.

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. More new acts in the concert series lineup, including 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 demos and premium events. At the new “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” workshops, guests will put expert advice to use whether mixing cocktails, decorating cakes or using herbs to kick up a dish’s flavor.

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.

Festival Center cooks on all burners –Festival Center highlights will include 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.

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 American Adventure.

Plan for a premium adventure:

• Rockin’ Burger Block Party and Party for the Senses grand tasting events will showcase creative bites and palate-pleasing sips from eminent chefs and beverage experts plus new live entertainment.
• New resort premium events to book will include a Grand Floridian brunch with a twist and a new cooking school experience.

Included with Epcot Admission:

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

Special Programming by Reservation:

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. When a reservation booking date is announced this summer, guests can call 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378) and get details at EpcotFoodFestival.com.

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 attending the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival?
Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!