Tag Archives: World Showcase

Mar 12 2021

First Details Of The 2021 Taste Of EPCOT International Flower And Garden Festival

With spring only a few days away, the Taste of EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival just kicked off in Walt Disney World. From now through July 5, 2021, guests can enjoy bright blooms and delicious flavors throughout the park. Recently Disney gave us a sneak peek into what we can expect this time around, here are the details:

The Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival blossoms to life at Walt Disney World Resort, continuing for 125 days until July 5, 2021. The park-wide event features fun for the whole family inspired by the season, from spectacular Disney character topiaries to lush gardens to fresh flavors from Outdoor Kitchens and more.

Discover Topiaries Full of Disney Character

Nearly 100 individual topiaries bloom across the park, including floral sculptures of Disney characters as well as fanciful gardens. Highlights include:

  • Sorcerer Mickey Mouse at the park’s main entrance
  • Lady and the Tramp in the Italy pavilion
  • Anna and Elsa in the Norway pavilion
  • Remy in the France pavilion
  • Tinker Bell and the Fairy Houses in the United Kingdom pavilion

Gardens Are Flowering and Ready to Explore

Guests can soak in the sights of spring in 20 different garden areas all across EPCOT, including:

  • English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings of London in the United Kingdom pavilion, which also offers a Self-Guided Tea Tour.
  • The Goodness Garden Butterfly House Presented by GoGo squeeZ, offering a kaleidoscopic view of butterflies up close, in all their extraordinary color.
  • Growing the Future Presented by Murata Electronics, a fun and fascinating experience exploring how cutting-edge technology paired with agricultural science can transform the future (beginning April 3).
  • Health Full Trail Presented by AdventHealth, where those looking for inspiration, creativity and some youthful energy learn ways to stay healthy.
  • Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board, where guests learn about honey bees’ critical role in the environment while enjoying sweet and savory treats made possible by their hard work.
  • Outdoor Escapes Presented by OFF! Repellents, a rustic terrace for guests to unwind and find inspiration to create refreshing outdoor spaces for family and friends.

Outdoor Kitchens Feature Fresh Food and Drink

Guests can embark on a mouth-watering journey around the park to experience a smorgasbord of options, with more than 20 delectable stops to choose from. Each Outdoor Kitchen offers a specialty menu of creative cuisine and libations to savor and sip. New options this year include:

  • EPCOT Sunshine Griddle, offering Avocado Toast, Shrimp and Grits, Corned Beef Brisket Hash and more
  • EPCOT Farmers Feast, featuring Spring Onion Soup, Duck Confit and more
  • The Lavender Honey Mustard-marinated Chicken Flatbread at The Honey Bee-stro Hosted by National Honey Board
  • Impossible Sausage and Kale Soup at Trowel & Trellis Hosted by Impossible Foods
  • Lemon-Orange Smoothie in a new Orange Bird sipper cup at The Citrus Blossom
  • Bayou Cocktail at Magnolia Terrace
  • Maple Popcorn Shake at Northern Bloom

Live Music Abounds Throughout the Festival

Fans of live entertainment will have plenty to enjoy this year as music springs to life around World Showcase.

  • ­New this year, featured musical groups from the Orlando area perform songs of yesterday and today at America Gardens Theatre every Friday through Monday of the festival.
  • Voices of Liberty perform an all-American a cappella showcase at America Gardens Theatre, celebrating the landscape, heart and human spirit of America.
  • Mariachi Cobre takes the America Gardens Theatre stage for performances of world-famous Mexican folk music.
  • The Jammin’ Gardeners play rhythmic beats with inspired backyard percussion on the Mill Stage at the Canada pavilion.
  • In World Showplace, the EPCOT Pianist plays a selection of popular songs ideal for springtime.

Scavenger Hunts Offer Family Fun

Special themed scavenger hunts encourage guests to explore the festival and provide a fun way for families and friends to spend their day at the park.

  • Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration – Gardeners of all ages follow Spike on his pollination trail, where he will be busy as a bee collecting nectar and pollinating gardens throughout EPCOT. (Map purchase required, available while supplies last at select retail locations.)
  • Egg-stravaganza Scavenger Hunt (Beginning March 19) – Guests set out on a delightful hunt across the park for decorative eggs inspired by Disney characters. (Map purchase required, available while supplies last at select retail locations for a limited time.)
  • Garden Graze – Guests who purchase five festival menu items from select locations receive a complimentary commemorative keepsake; guests can pick up a Festival Passport to get started.

Festival Merchandise Showcases Favorite Characters

Guests can commemorate their visit with official event merchandise, including apparel, headwear, drinkware and more.

  • Orange Bird welcomes the sunshine with all things yellow, orange and white in a bright collection of apparel, drinkware and a headband.
  • Spike the Bee offers sweet reminders of festival fun, featured on apparel, drinkware and an adorable garden stake.
  • Minnie Mouse lives life in full bloom with a collection of apparel, headwear, garden accessories and MagicBand.
  • Figment brings sustainable materials such as organic cotton, bamboo and repurposed paper to a collection featuring apparel, accessories and more.

The Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is included with park admission (Disney Park Pass reservation required for entry). 

501 WaysHeading to Disney World this Spring?

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Will you be attending the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival?
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Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Apr 9 2020

First Look At Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure

As Disney continues to reimagine Epcot, we must say good-bye to another favorite, Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure, and hello to its replacement, Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure. This is another park experience that I will miss…who doesn’t love the adorable Perry? But I am optimistic, that Disney will not disappoint with new technology and surprises for guests with its updated version – Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure.

Here’s what Disney had to say about Epcot‘s updated experience:

Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure invites guests to join Scrooge McDuck, Donald, nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie, Launchpad and Webby in search of priceless treasure. Using the Play Disney Parks mobile app, guests take a trip around World Showcase discovering exotic destinations, exciting mysteries, and maybe even a few thieves, villains and supernatural guardians of ancient artifacts.

Look for Disney’s DuckTales World Showcase Adventure to be available at Epcot soon!

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Epcot Flower & Garden Festival
Mar 10 2020

First Details Of The 2020 Epcot International Flower And Garden Festival

With snow still coming down here in Colorado, it is hard to believe that in just a few weeks spring will be here and along with it the 2020 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. Recently Disney gave us a sneak peek into what we can expect this time around. Here’s everything we know so far:

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival continually sprouts fresh surprises for Walt Disney World Resort guests, and this year there’s more fun in store than ever before when the 90-day spring extravaganza bursts into bloom March 4. The 27th annual festival will run through June 1 with colorful new topiary whimsy, tasty seasonal bites and daily Garden Rocks concerts starring new musicians crossing many decades and genres.

Epcot International Flower And Garden FestivalFamily-fun at the festival will include the charming new Remy topiary at the France pavilion, where Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will open in summer 2020. The five-foot-tall floral Remy will stand atop a huge wheel of cheese brandishing a giant spoon as he reigns over a veggie-and-herb garden sprouting with tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini and onions. And a stunning new 18-foot-long dragon topiary that changes color in full sun will breathe fresh floral fantasy into the Japan pavilion.

Festival food is always a big draw, and delicious spring flavors will inspire guests to try sweet and savory treats from food-and-beverage stops throughout the park, including the new Magnolia Terrace, one of 16 Outdoor Kitchens popping up during the festival.

What began in 1994 as a 38-day celebration of Disney-style gardens and topiaries has grown over the years to a 90-day spring extravaganza with something for every generation. There’s enough music, food and floral fun to engage everyone in the family.

  • New festival-exclusive dishes will debut at Outdoor Kitchens, including the new Magnolia Terrace at The American Adventure. Here, low-country, gulf-region comfort food will thrill fish fans with a Southern Seafood Boil and Grilled Oysters prepared on site for guests to view. Guests will also enjoy an innovative plant-based menu at Trowel & Trellis hosted by IMPOSSIBLE Foods.
  • Guests can try the new Garden Graze Stroll to purchase five festival dishes from select locations, track their progress with Festival Passport stamps and receive a complimentary commemorative keepsake upon completing the delectable journey.
  • Guests can celebrate spring with festival favorites including Orange Bird and Spike the Bee sipper cups and a Spike the Bee spork (available at select Outdoor Kitchens while supplies last).
  • The popular Garden Rocks Concert Series will run three times daily featuring chart-toppers of the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s on the America Gardens Theatre stage. That’s 270 concerts presenting new acts like Mark Wills and High Valley, and returning fan favorites spanning multiple genres. Back by demand: STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas, The Pointer Sisters, and Blood, Sweat & Tears.
  • One of the best ways to enjoy the music is to book a Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package. Each package includes breakfast, lunch or dinner at a select Epcot restaurant and guaranteed concert seating.
  • Bo Peep in top topiary form will round up her sheep and other Toy Story pals at Bo Peep’s Playtime Training Grounds topiary garden and playground.
  • Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto will wield shovels and other tools to help with the historic EPCOT transformation now under way. Donald and Daisy topiaries will crop up at World Showcase Plaza for a photo op with mischievous nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Dozens of additional character topiaries including Belle, Beast, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Buzz Lightyear and more will dot the festival landscape, along with dozens of Disney-crafted “flower towers” and beds of multi-colored blooms.
  • Spike’s Pollen Nation Exploration family scavenger hunt will be more fun than ever this year with festival surprises to uncover along the garden pollination trail.
  • This year’s Goodness Garden Butterfly House presented by GoGo SqueeZ will move its flurry of vibrant-winged beauties to a new location between The Land and Imagination! Other not-to-miss gardens will include the Urban Spice Garden at the Morocco pavilion; and the Garden Italiano in Italy, where “Lady and the Tramp” topiaries share that famous plate of spaghetti.
  • Epcot Flower & Garden FestivalAt the Health Full Trail presented by AdventHealth, the entire family can learn fun ways to stay active at a playground, enjoy healthy seasonal treats at an Outdoor Kitchen and relax and unwind in a decompression area.
  • Spring themes will brighten festival merchandise collections with irresistible items. Mickey’s Home Grown Collection celebrates farmer’s market finds on clothing, a magnet, and drinkware. The Minnie’s World in Bloom Collection brings the freshest apparel, headwear, and other fashions right from the flower cart.
  • Enjoy some extra sunshine with Orange Bird in a citrus-inspired merchandise collection made up of apparel, headwear, accessories and more. Spike the Bee is also dropping in with merchandise that’s all the buzz. Enjoy this sweet collection, ranging from drinkware, apparel and an ornament, among other items. All merchandise is available while supplies last.
  • The Royal Tea Garden Tour will return each festival morning at the United Kingdom pavilion. For a small fee, guests can follow a knowledgeable guide through a tranquil tea garden setting to learn the history and artistry behind growing and blending tea. A post-tour treat of tea and scones is included. The shorter, complimentary English Tea Garden Tour presented by Twinings of London also will be offered on select days.

For this year’s festival, guests can also explore these just-opened EPCOT film attractions:

  • “Awesome Planet” – This new 10-minute film in The Land pavilion offers a breathtaking look at Earth’s beauty and diversity through spectacular imagery, in-theater effects and an original score from Academy Award®-winning composer Steven Price.
  • “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along” – Directed by Don Hahn, who produced the animated and live-action “Beauty and the Beast” films, this magical experience in the France pavilion invites guests to embrace a twist on a “tale as old as time.” Angela Lansbury, who played Mrs. Potts in the original film, narrates the new sing-along that shares the pavillion’s theater with the classic “Impressions de France” film.
  • “Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” – Canada pavilion’s original “O Canada!” is refreshed with dazzling new scenes, a new musical score by Canadian composer Andrew Lockington and narration by award-winning Canadian actors Catherine O’Hara and Eugene Levy.

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!

May 24 2019

Epcot International Festival Of The Holidays Returns In 2019

With the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival going strong and the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival rapidly approaching, here’s some exciting news for guests with vacations planned for late fall 2019…the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays will be returning again this year running from November 29 through December 30. According to Disney:

“The park’s seasonal celebration invites guests to discover holiday cheer across all 11 World Showcase pavilions and throughout the park. Special entertainment, storytellers, seasonal favorites at Holiday Kitchens and eye-catching holiday decor are all part of the fun. The Candlelight Processional, a holiday must-do for many Epcot guests, will feature nightly retellings of the traditional Christmas story read by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a massed choir and live orchestra.”  

Check back often for more information about the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays!

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May 13 2019

2019 Epcot International Food And Wine Festival First Details Released

Great news fellow foodies! Recently the first details of the 24th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival were released and it looks like it is going to be another fabulous event. Here’s the scoop courtesy of Disney:

A culinary mashup of global cultures and gourmet innovation will bring irresistible bites, sips, entertainment and family fun to the 24th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, August 29 – November 23, 2019. This year, the celebrated summer-into-fall festival at Walt Disney World Resort will add a dozen extra days, expanding the foodie celebration to a delicious 87 days.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival ©DisneyEpcot guests can begin with the aromas and flavors of 30 festive global food and wine marketplaces that extend from Future World to encircle the World Showcase promenade. Guests also can explore opportunities for special tastings and pairings, plus premium dining events featuring chef personalities such as Maneet Chauhan, Rick Bayless, Rock Harper and Florida darling Art Smith. Reservations for special programming and premium festival events open May 15 and can be made by calling 407-WDW-FEST.

Back by popular demand, the Disney du Jour Dance Party in Future World will expand to seven days a week. Sundays through Thursdays, a DJ will lead the interactive fun. Fridays and Saturdays, Radio Disney stars will pump up the mix with live performances. Actress-singer Meg Donnelly, from the Disney Channel original movie “Zombies,” will appear opening weekend, and more weekend celebrity headliners will join the lineup throughout the festival.

Other family activities on tap are Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt and the popular Candy Sushi interactive experience.

Throughout the event, guests can dish with their favorite celebrity and Disney chefs, and book seats for tasting and dining events in Mexico, France, Japan, Italy, Morocco and other World Showcase pavilions. Guests can also get their gourmet groove on during the Eat to the Beat Concert Series that runs three times nightly August 29 – November 19. Eat to the Beat Dining Packages, available at select table-service locations, will include guaranteed concert seating.

The first of five popular Party for the Senses events – each a delectable tribute to the sensory arts – will kick off September 21 in the park’s World Showplace Events Pavilion.

More highlights from the 24th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival:

  • 30 Global Marketplaces, plus additional locations across the festival, will present fresh flavors at a variety of marketplaces such as Africa, where the new Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin with sweet potato and corn mealie pap with Kachumbari slaw will tempt guests to return for seconds. At Earth Eats marketplace guests can dig into the new plant-based Cottage Pie with carrots, mushrooms and peas topped with mashed cauliflower and white beans.
  • The back-by-demand Sunday Brunch with the Chef series in World Showplace Events Pavilion will kick off September 1 with celebrity Chef Jamie Deen and continue on select Sundays through November 17. The chef lineup includes Cat Cora, Carla Hall, Fabio Viviani, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro, Richard Blais, Robert Irvine, David Burtka, Graham Elliot and Aarti Sequeira.
  • Three times nightly, the Eat to the Beat Concert Series – 249 concerts in all – will rev up fans at the America Gardens Theatre stage through Nov. 19 with the biggest musical menu of top talent in the festival’s history, including new acts Lauren Daigle (contemporary Christian), Kris Allen (pop, alt-rock), Sawyer Brown (country) and Boyce Avenue (rock, pop). Returning festival favorites spanning a broad range of eras and genres include Plain White T’s, Sugar Ray, Hanson, Sheila E. and Boyz II Men. Showtimes Sundays through Thursdays will be 5:30, 6:45 and 8pm; Friday and Saturday shows are slated for 6:30, 7:45 and 9pm.
  • Eat to the Beat Dining Packages will let guests choose their favorite restaurant for a delicious breakfast, lunch or dinner plus guaranteed concert seating that evening.
  • The grandest of the festival’s hot-ticket tasting events, Party for the Senses at World Showplace Events Pavilion will welcome acclaimed chefs and vintners September 21, October 5, 12 and 19 (All Disney Chef Night!) and November 9. This event showcases creative bites and palate-pleasing sips with sensational live entertainment featuring Femmes of Rock, who wowed guests last year with their blistering solos and innovative arrangements.
  • “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops on select Mondays and Thursdays through November 14 will offer new opportunities for guests to work side-by-side with visiting chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros.
  • Popular TV chefs and other culinary icons will entertain guests and inspire their palates on select dates at festival seminars and other events. Some of the big names on tap are Bryan Voltaggio, Kenny Gilbert, Maneet Chauhan, Jet Tila, Shaun O’Neale, Keegan Gerhard, Dan Pashman and Rock Harper.
  • Book & Bottle Signings by some of the world’s top vintners and chefs will return on select dates this year, in addition to the popular The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli, offering guests samples.
  • Culinary Demonstrations (available through November 16) and Beverage Seminars (available through November 17) will offer learning and tasting sessions select days throughout the festival.
  • And don’t forget about the exciting new merchandise to commemorate the Festival! Chef Minnie will join Chef Mickey this year to bring a “sprinkle” of fun to the festival. This new merchandise line depicts them busily making cupcakes and other delectable desserts with ingredients that include rose-gold accents and a little sparkle. Chef Minnie will also bring her sense of style to a new cupcake headband and other festival apparel. Guests can also celebrate the Festival with returning favorites including the Taste Your Way Around the World, Brews, Figment, and Remy collections.

Included with Epcot Admission

Eat to the Beat concerts through November 19 only, Disney du Jour Dance Party, Festival Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

Party for the Senses, Sunday Brunch with the Chef, Cheese Seminars and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. Reservations for special programming and premium festival events open May 15 and can be made by calling 407-WDW-FEST.

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