Tag Archives: Epcot

Feb 18 2016

2016 Epcot International Food And Wine Festival Dates Announced

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival ©Disney

Did you hear the exciting news? Disney has announced the dates for this year’s Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. This delicious event will run from September 14 through November 14 – that is 62 days of fun!

No other details have been released yet, but last year’s festival featured 270 chefs and included more than 25 food and beverage marketplaces scattered around World Showcase, signature dining experiences, chef demonstrations, and music concerts. The 2015 marketplaces included: Africa, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Brewer’s Collection, Canada, China, Craft Beers, Desserts & Champagnes, Dominican Republic, Farm Fresh, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Hops & Barley, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Patagonia, Poland, Scotland, South Korea, and many more. Click here to see last year’s menus!

Remember to check back often; I will share more details as soon as they are announced!

501 WaysHeading 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:

Will you be visiting during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Feb 15 2016

Nine Dragons In Epcot Celebrates Year Of The Monkey

Year of the Monkey

Great news for fans of the Nine Dragons Restaurant in the China Pavilion at Epcot! In celebration of the Chinese “Year of the Monkey”, this dining location is offering some delicious special menu items as well as a brand new prix fixe lunch menu.

The specialty items added just for the “Year of the Monkey” are three types of steamed buns for only $8.98 per order.

Braised Pork Belly Steamed Buns
Steamed Chinese Buns with Braised Pork Belly served with Chili Aioli

General Tso’s Chicken Buns
Steamed Chinese Buns with Battered Fried Chicken Breast topped with Pork Floss and General Tso’s Sauce

Battered Fried Fish Buns
Seasoned Chinese Buns with Battered Fried White Fish topped with Pork Floss and Sweet-and-Sour Sauce

The prix fixe lunch menu includes three courses for only $17.98 per person.

First Course
Choice of Spring Rolls or Pot Stickers

Second Course
Select from Three Entrees:
Happily Family – Sliced Chicken Breast, Beef, and Shrimp Stir Fry
Moo Goo Gai Pan – Stir-Fried Chicken Breast, Mushrooms, and Snow Peas
General Tso’s Chicken Buns Lunch Box – Three Steamed Buns and Hot-and-Sour Soup

Third Course
Choice of Strawberry-Red Bean or Ginger-Caramel Ice Cream

Nine Dragons Restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner from 12:00pm to park closing. These menu specials are available now through January 27, 2017, and several discounts are being offered including Passholder, Disney Vacation Club, Tables in Wonderland, and Golden Oak. To celebrate the Chinese New Year, all of these discounts have been increased to 20% for the entire month of February. In addition, the Disney Dining Plan is accepted. To make reservations or for more information, please click here or call 407-WDW-DINE.

501 WaysHeading 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:

Will you be dining at Nine Dragons during the “Year of the Monkey”?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Feb 8 2016

Sweet Valentine’s Day Treats Around Disney World

Valentine's Day Treat 1

If you’ll be visiting Walt Disney World this week and are in the mood for a yummy treat to share with your Valentine, you’ll have plenty of delicious choices. There are always the classic candy apples, cookies, and rice crispy treats that will be festively decorated for the holiday, but if you are looking for something a little different check out these options.

In Magic Kingdom, stop by Sleepy Hollow in Liberty Square for a Black Forest Waffle with vanilla ice cream or pop into the Main Street Bakery for a chocolate raspberry cupcake.

In Disney’s Hollywood Studios you’ll find an adorable Lady & The Tramp cupcake or head over to Fountain View in Epcot for a chocolate cupcake filled with a strawberry-marshmallow center, topped with strawberry buttercream and a chocolate ganache drizzle.

Finally, if you are looking for something even more decadent to share or that you can give as a gift, stop into The Ganachery at Disney Springs where you’ll find elegantly decorated ganache squares and pops plus Star Wars inspired milk and dark chocolate bars. I tried this place for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and it was absolutely incredible!

501 WaysHeading 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:

Will you be trying a sweet Valentine’s Day treat in Disney World?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Feb 4 2016

2016 Garden Rocks Concert Series Bands Announced

Garden Rocks 1

If you plan to visit Disney World this spring during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, here is some exciting news! Disney has just released the information about which bands will be appearing in the Garden Rocks Concert Series that runs during the festival. Here’s everything you need to know courtesy of Disney:

Thirteen pop bands with hits spanning several decades will play the Garden Rocks Concert Series at the 23rd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2-May 30, 2016. This year’s festival expands from 75 to 90 days, adding two additional concert series weekends to the lineup and extending the final weekend of performances to Memorial Day.

Garden Rocks 2Blood, Sweat & Tears, BRIAN HOWE, former lead singer of Bad Company, Darlene Love and Georgia Satellites will rock Epcot audiences for the first time. Night Ranger, a fan favorite band that’s played the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, will make a Flower & Garden Festival debut. The Orchestra starring former members of ELO, who topped charts in the 1970s and ‘80s, will kick off the concert series March 4-6.

Guests can dance in their seats each festival weekend to classic tunes at the park’s America Gardens Theatre. An eclectic mix of Flower & Garden Festival fan favorites includes the Village People, who debuted at the festival in 2013. With a nod to the 1960s, Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone will rock the house April 1-3. On Memorial Day, The Spinners will close the 90-day festival on a high note, extending their weekend performance to Monday.

Performances are at America Gardens Theatre at 5:30, 6:45 and 8pm every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival and are included with Epcot admission. Here is this year’s lineup (subject to change without notice):

  • March 4-6: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO “Evil Woman”
  • March 11-13: Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
  • March 18-20: Little River Band “Lady”
  • March 25-27: Village People “Y.M.C.A.”
  • April 1-3: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry the VIII, I Am”
  • April 8-10: The Guess Who “These Eyes”
  • April 15-17: New! Blood, Sweat & Tears featuring Bo Bice “Spinning Wheel”
  • April 22-24: New! Brian Howe, former lead singer of Bad Company “Can’t Get Enough”
  • April 29-May 1: New! Georgia Satellites “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”
  • May 6-8: Gin Blossoms “Hey Jealousy”
  • May 13-15: New! Darlene Love “Wait ‘Til My Bobby Gets Home”
  • May 20-22: Night Ranger “Sister Christian”
  • May 27-30: The Spinners “Working My Way Back to You”

Looking for more information about the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival? Please check out this article that includes lots of details about what is currently planned!

501 WaysHeading 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:

What band are you most excited to hear?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Feb 1 2016

More Details About The 2016 Epcot International Flower And Garden Festival

2016 EFGF 1

With over a foot of snow predicted today where I live, I am so excited to be counting the days until spring will arrive and along with it the 2016 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. Recently Disney revealed a few more details about what we can expect this year. Here’s the scoop:

Two new spring-inspired Outdoor Kitchens, three mischievous Disney topiary characters and an innovative musical play garden will debut during the 23rd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 – May 30, 2016. The popular spring festival at Walt Disney World Resort, known for its tasty edibles, sweeping floral displays and dazzling topiary creations, expands from 75 days to 90 days in 2016.

Epcot Flower & Garden FestivalThe new La Isla Fresca and Cider House Outdoor Kitchens will introduce fresh variety and flavor to the culinary offerings at a record 13 festival kiosks surrounding the World Showcase Promenade. Donald Duck’s mischievous nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, make their topiary debut with Donald and Daisy in the park’s signature front-entrance garden. Xylophones, drums and chimes will take child’s play to tuneful levels at the new Harmony Gardens play area featuring “leader-of-the-band” Mickey Mouse topiary.

Live Garden Rocks concerts will set the beat with familiar pop tunes each festival weekend. And special “Fun Fresh Weekends” add new adventures to the seasonal event.

Guests of the 2016 festival can celebrate spring with gardens-full of Epcot options:

  • New culinary creations at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens will take guests on a Caribbean tour at La Isla Fresca with flavors like Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon-Pea Rice and Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa. At the new Cider House, a Field Greens salad with greens harvested from The Land pavilion, heirloom apples, Stilton cheese and dried blueberries will pair well with a blueberry hard cider from Plant City, Fla. Dozens of new food and beverage flavors will debut, as well, at the festival’s 11 other Outdoor Kitchens: Urban Farm Eats, Pineapple Promenade, Fleur de Lys, Florida Fresh, Taste of Marrakesh, Hanami, THE SMOKEHOUSE: Barbecue and Brews, Primavera Kitchen, Lotus House, Bauernmarkt and Jardin de Fiestas.
  • The first-ever Huey, Dewey and Louie topiaries will feature floral interpretations of Donald’s nephews inspired by a 1943 Donald Duck comic book called “The Victory Garden” at the Epcot front-entrance garden display with Donald and Daisy.
  • Epcot Flower & Garden FestivalA new hands-on Harmony Gardens musical playground will debut featuring Disney’s Fab Five topiaries of “band leader” Mickey Mouse plus Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck topiaries. With the playground’s interactive drums, chimes and xylophones, children can create their own musical sounds when they’re not scampering across innovative outdoor climbing systems with safe, but challenging, net-based structures. Watch for music-themed plants that add harmony to this inspired play area. The popular Cactus Road Rally play garden returns with Disney-Pixar topiary pals Mater and Lightning McQueen from the hit film, “Cars.”
  • Fun Fresh Weekends add novel dimension to daily festival fun: April 1-3 — Art in the Garden Weekend spotlights nature through the works of plein air artists; April 8-10 – The new Family Fun Weekend presents outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy and a Festival Center focus on bugs with Disney’s Animal Kingdom specialists; April 22-24 – Earth Day Weekend celebrates our planet with special appearances and activities; and April 29-May 1 – Florida Fresh Weekend features the state’s edible bounty from Apalachicola to Zellwood.
  • On the south side of Spaceship Earth, Disney gardeners will paint the landscape with a Floral Sun garden and yellow “sunbursts” will sprout in a new Future World topiary garden featuring Minnie Mouse and Pluto.
  • The Ranger Mickey topiary garden in Future World will offer a guest selfie and family photo opportunity featuring a Spaceship Earth backdrop to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service launched in 1916 to conserve the country’s natural scenic treasures.
  • Anna and Elsa topiaries will travel to the Norway pavilion festival landscape following their 2015 debut along World Showcase Plaza in a scene from the blockbuster Oscar-winning animated film, “Frozen.” Nearly 100 topiary characters, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Lady and the Tramp, Simba and Peter Pan, will animate the Epcot landscape surrounded by themed gardens featuring herbs, peppers, orchids and more.
  • By night, twinkling lights will shine across festival gardens and topiaries.
  • Epcot International Flower And Garden FestivalThe Garden Rocks concert series will present pop bands with music spanning four decades. This year’s lineup kicks off March 4-6 with The Orchestra starring former members of ELO and will also include new-to-the-festival acts like Bad Company.
  • A new edible flower garden by The Land pavilion will showcase petals with flavor.
  • The Butterflies on the Go garden will return with the story of the Monarch’s epic journey across the continent and featuring butterflies emerging from their chrysalises.
  • Each weekend at the Festival Center, guests can dig in for a complimentary hands-on Gardening Seminar experience and create a take-home souvenir or grab a seat to hear tips from experts on a broad range of topics. The center also offers signature festival merchandise, food and beverages.

Forty 8-to-9-foot-tall Disney-crafted “flower towers” and sweeping beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape.  At least 70,000 bedding plants will surround the Future World east and west lakes alone; on the water, more than 200 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

501 WaysHeading to Disney World this Spring?

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

Will you be attending the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival?
What are you most excited about? Please leave a comment!