Which Epcot Festival should you attend?

Let's face it, Epcot is now the festival park. Nearly 3/4's of the year Epcot has festivals going on. This past year Epcot celebrated 4 different festivals which were:

Epcot International Festival of the Arts in the winter, Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival in the spring, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in late summer/fall, and Epcot International Festival of the Holidays in late fall.

The popularity of Food and Wine has made all the other festivals step up their game, especially in terms of food booths. A little background, during the festivals there are booths (often referred to as outdoor kitchens) that will have pairings of food and wine, beers and libations themed to that certain booth.

In general, each of the festivals have special food booths, photo opportunities, a limited edition Magic Band and merchandise as well as a concert series or musical act at the American Gardens Theater at the American Adventure in World Showcase. My goal is to help you figure out which festival is the right one for you. Here are my thoughts!

Epcot International Festival of the Arts (January 18th - February 25th, 2019)

The Festival of the Arts, which debuted in 2017, is the newest of the festivals. Our group was lucky enough to go the the first year of the festival, and to be honest it really surprised me. I thought it would have it's lulls and start off slow, but it was more than I was ever expecting.

This festival is the underdog of the four of them. It's the most interactive and engaging of the festivals and does a great job of allowing guests to do things that they normally wouldn't do. Travel around World Showcase to find many giant photo opportunities, listen to performers from past and present Disney Broadway shows, but most unique of all, the ability to be able to paint or draw pieces of art and have it displayed for all other festival goers, whether it be a huge paint by numbers paintings that you and your fellow Walt Disney World guests paint, or sketches of Wall-E and EVE for Valentines day!

And the finished product! (below)

Many of the Disney artists that make art in the parks and resorts or sell for merchandise are on hand for meet and greets, as well as get some background about some of their works.

(Photo cred: Disney Parks Blog)

I am head over heels for the Epcot Center concept paintings.

I would "oceans eleven" this painting of Horizons at night ;)

The standouts in terms of foods that we must have, are actually at the same booth, Taste Track next to, you guessed it, Test Track. The savory option here is the Lobster Bacon Macaroni & Cheese served on a Warm Bread Cone, which fans of Food and Wine or Epcot in the 80's will remember as the Handwich. Also at Taste Track is the Paintbrush Churros dipped in colorful white chocolate which is good taste, but really just there to show off to your jealous followers on Instagram, both pictured below.

(Photo cred: EasyWDW)

Disney on Broadway concert series are the musical acts located in the American Garden Theater at the American Adventure. Acts like Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White, who performed songs from “Tarzan,” “The Lion King,” “Aida,” “Aladdin,” and “The Little Mermaid.”.

While the booths have very colorful and fun food and drinks they don't match those at Food and Wine or Festival of the Holidays. The food and the concert series are really the only area that is still lacking in my opinion, but the activities sure make up for it. This festival is an Instagrammers paradise, so if you like to take washed out photos of churros in front of a bathroom, you do you. If you are visiting in January or February don't miss the Festival of the Arts.

Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival (March 6th - June 3rd, 2019)

Debuting in 1994 this is the oldest of the annual festivals at Epcot. If you have been to Walt Disney World during the spring break season, you have probably attended the Flower and Garden Festival. In recent years, Flower and Garden has started to add more booths and food options, but not as many as Food and Wine as the focus is on the beautiful flower and garden displays.

The topiaries and gardens are among the best at any theme park I've ever seen. Epcot's beauty shines during this festival. Every walkway and path is adorned with patterned flowers.

My favorite food that is available at the Flower and Garden festival is located in Japan; Frushi! It is great for non-adventurous eaters (like myself) and adventurous alike, the Frushi is fresh fruit wrapped up like sushi (minus the fish) and featured with a strawberry dipping sauce and a little whipped cream (featured below).

Also the Beijing-style candied strawberries at the Lotus House are pretty killer. You can taste the sesame seeds which help give it a sweet and salty taste, if you dig that, which I do, this is a dessert for you.

The Garden Rocks concert series invites bands and vocal talent to present mini concerts every night of the festival. In the past, bands have included: Herman's Hermits, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas, Simple Plan, and The orchestra of ELO among many others! Many are rock groups from the sixties and seventies.

I don't think that there is a more beautiful theme park than Epcot during the spring. The flower creations around the walkways and entrance to World Showcase are truly beautiful! If you love gardening and flowers this is the festival for you.

Epcot International Food and Wine Festival 
(Projected dates: August 29th - November 23rd, 2019)

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival debuted in 1995 as the brain child of the now President of the Walt Disney World Resort, George Kalogridis. This festival is hands down the most popular of the four and for good reason. There are now 37 food locations/booths (not including other offerings at permanent locations) that adds many new countries and more food options from the already permanent countries of World Showcase.

There are many food seminars, and food demonstrations, as well as wines to buy and other merchandise in the Festival Center, however with the new Play Pavilion it may no longer be in this location in the future (which previously was the Wonders of Life pavilion R.I.P!)

The food and wine is of course the main draw and it does not disappoint. My favorites include:

Loaded Mac n' Cheese (most recently seen at Active Eats)

Cripsy Pork Belly at Brazil (personally my favorite booth at Food and Wine currently)

My absolute favorite Schinkennudeln from Germany. It's basically like super rich ham and mac and cheese.

And don't forget our favorite drink is of course the famous Dole Whip with Meyers Dark Rum at Refreshment Port.

The Eat to the Beat concert series is very popular as many well know performers or bands come down to perform annually. Send me free stuff Sugar Ray!

The only downside to Food and Wine is the crowds and it can be a BIG downside if you go at the wrong time. It used to be considered off season, but with this and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party going on during the same time, it has become extremely busy on the weekends. Usually the lines at Food and Wine aren't as bad on the weekdays, but it's a zoo on weekends. Also try to avoid the RunDisney event that usually takes place at the end of the festival, as that is crowded as well.
If you love food, and drinks, and tapas, this is a not to be missed festival.


Epcot International Festival of the Holidays (November 29th-December 30th)

Back in 2016, Holidays Around the World was re-imagined into Festival of the Holidays. I hadn't attended any Holidays at Epcot before 2017, and I immediately loved it. This year's Festival of the Holidays will be shortened due to the Food and Wine Festival being extended to mid November.

The biggest draw of Festival of the Holidays has been, and will be the Epcot Candlelight Processional. Celebrities and Disney Legends will narrate the biblical story of Christmas with choir and orchestra. Narrators have included Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Gary Sinise, Jodi Benson among many others. While this isn't an extra charge, the auditorium dose not hold many so if you want a seat at one of the performances you will have to wait in line as it is first come, first serve. If you absolutely want to guarantee a seat, consider doing the Candlelight Processional Dinner/Seating package. I forget what restaurants participate, but you pay for dinner and get a reserved seat for a performance.

(Photo cred: Disney Parks Blog)

My Favorite part of Festival of the Holidays is the storytellers that tell their traditions. My personal favorite is Japan and how they celebrate the New Year. Many of the countries have traditional

This festival has considerably less booths than Food and Wine, with something around 13 locations, but has a lot of holiday comfort food!

Our favorite of course is of course the Slow-Roasted Turkey from the American Holiday Table at the American Adventure. It is classic Thanksgiving dinner and perfect for the holidays!

The next time you are in Disney for the Holidays be sure to check out Festival of the Holidays!

Happy Birthday 63rd Disneyland!

63 Years ago, something amazing happened. A dream that one man had from his early twenties was realized, Disneyland was opened to the world.

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past…and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." - Walter Elias Disney

A heartfelt look back at California Screamin' and Paradise Pier!

As you have probably come to find out, I grew up going to the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. I always wanted to go to Disneyland in California but my family wasn't really into it and had been in the late 70's and really didn't enjoy it.

My first time going to Disneyland was in early 2009 on a choir tour and really only had a day and a half to experience both DCA and Disneyland. This was before the 1 billion dollar re-imagining of the park so I was lucky enough to experience the hideous Sunshine Plaza entrance, and the cool Golden Gate Monorail Bridge. I also got a glimpse of the Sun Wheel (now Mickey's Fun Wheel) and the Mickey loop on California Screamin' (seen below) which have both been changed.

Anyways, the only real highlight at that time, for me anyways, was Paradise Pier and California Screamin'. It was so beautiful.

Especially at night OMG!

This is such an underrated area. It's truly so much fun just to be on the pier and watch the trains take off on California Screamin' or have an ice scream and stroll along the pier. I have to admit, I'm not much of a Fun Wheel person, but if that floats you boat I'm sure its a wonderful view! The lagoon here is also home to World of Color (below), which again is a gorgeous show of water and lights and really adds to the magic of this area.

But the main attraction here and one of the two "headline attractions" when the park opened in 2001, is California Screamin'. I love this ride! Out of all of Disney's coasters in the U.S. this is my favorite. No, it's not the fastest, not the scariest, it is actually the longest, but that is not why it's my favorite, it's simply the setting and the music.

There is a viewing area with benches where guests and family and friends can watch as you make a fool of yourself during the launch. I could probably watch that all day. Wait a minute, I did...

This coaster is one of the most unique in that you start the ride under the pier, right next to the water. Neil Patrick Harris, who is actually obsessed with Disney Parks, who voiced the spiels will countdown the launch and you are off! It's one of the coolest ride experiences I've had. Definitely different than anything in Walt Disney World. Below is a really good video with the audio synced to the ride to give you that full experience.

I am definitely going to miss this ride as it is closing in early January 2018 to be re-themed to (meh) the Incredicoaster as part of the Pixar Pier (meh) re-imagine as seen in the concept art below. 

This marks the first time Disney has used a IP (intellectual property) to cover up and re-theme something original. 

Oh wait..

ExtraTerrorestrial Alien Encounter to Stitch's Great Escape!

 The Timekeeper (super outdated but RIP) to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor

The Tower of Terror (DCA) to Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! (Gregg DeGuire getty images)

Maelstrom to Frozen Ever After

This iconic scene from Pirates of the Caribbean to the pirate Redd.

(Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog)

El Rio del Tiempo to the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros

I could go on, but I think point made.

RIP California Screamin' and Paradise Pier 2001-2018.

Epcot, a 35th Anniversary look back!

Epcot, or Epcot Center as it was known in 1982 is perhaps the most interesting theme park ever constructed. If you want to brush up your Epcot history, or you just want a good read here are my things you should know about Epcot especially since the 35th anniversary is upon us.

E.P.C.O.T was Walt Disney's original dream for the "Florida Project" as Walt referred to it as.

Yes there was always going to be a theme park in Florida, but the main "most exciting part of the Florida Project...is the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow"or as we know it today (although in a different form) Epcot. E.P.C.O.T was going to be just that, a groundbreaking city that would have been more advanced and sophisticated than anything we had seen up to that point, and probably would still be, but ironically I think Walt Disney World Resort has taken that honor, so in a way it did happen, just not how Walt originally envisioned.

Epcot Center was originally going to be either Future World or World Showcase.

When it came time to decide what the final plans for the park would become, Marty Sklar who was Vice President of Planning at the time said, why not both? He shoved both the Future World and World Showcase models together and the rest is history.

Future World and it's attraction's reflected the ideals of E.P.C.O.T and the innovations that have and will shape our world in the years to come.

Energy, Communication, The Land, The Seas, The Human Body, Transportation, Technology, Imagination and The Future of Mankind. Each one of these subjects would have it's own pavilion and rides dedicated to it. In fact to decide on what the themes should be used, Epcot Forums were created as sort of a town hall. Ray Bradbury (Author of Fahrenheit 451, Something Wicked This Way Comes) attended more than one and even spoke at one. I was surprised to hear he was actually a contributor to the ride Spaceship Earth.

A grandiose Space pavilion was originally planned and announced for Epcot Center, but Disney was unable to find a corporate sponsor who would back such a project, also much of the technology for such a pavilion would have had to be invented which takes time and money. A form of the Space pavilion was realized with Mission: Space, however it had replaced what many consider the greatest ride ever created, Horizons which already touched on life in outer space.

Also a Movies/Film pavilion was talked about and had renders done of where it would have been located (by the bathrooms to the right of imagination and in between the land) but that was the inspiration for building its own park, the Disney MGM Studios!

A thoughtful look back at Walt Disney World's Year Long Celebrations (1997-2017) Pt 1

A Year of a Million Dreams, Millennium Celebration, 100 Years of Magic, Walt Disney World 25th Anniversary. What do they all have in common? You guessed it, they were all year-long celebration. These celebrations were iconic, some for not the right reasons, but each made lasting changes at Disney Park and I wanted to take a look back at some of them. For this list I will be focusing on 1997-2017!

Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary

Do you "Remember the Magic"? I sure do. Whether you loved or hated the cake castle you still remember it. Even if you weren't there I'm sure you've seen pictures or at least heard about it.

Not gonna lie though, I thought the Castle looked hideous. And on top of the paint job it received, only the front part was decorated.

 

ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was one of the attractions that opened in preparation for the 25th anniversary, which is now legendary as the only attraction "too scary" for audiences at the Magic Kingdom, which led to it's unfortunate early departure and hideous refurbishment into Stitch's Great Escape.

Also, the Remember the Magic Parade debuted, featuring new guest interaction segments. This parade lasted until 2001. Interestingly enough, most of these floats have survived since 1996, with most of them reappearing in various Disney parades since being retired.

Millennium Celebration (1999-2001)

I won't lie, some of these celebrations definitely feel like they were just celebrated so Disney would have something new for guests that year, and seem a bit insincere, this however was not one of them. My personal favorite of the celebrations, Millennium Celebration was designed as a once in a lifetime event. Some of the celebrations had theme songs like the 25th celebration (Remember the Magic) and the Millennium Celebration had "Celebrate the Future, Hand in Hand".

I will probably make a whole post of just this Celebration, so I'll keep it short.

The newly redesigned Epcot was the center of the celebration. Both the Entrance and the "Hub" were changed to incorporate the new millennium.

The beautiful entrance fountain (above) was changed to... well just a fountain, and ugly fake marble slabs were painted on Spaceship Earth (below), they have since reverted back to the original color.

And the entrance area added huge marble slabs where you could "Leave a Legacy" by putting your picture (which etched a metal picture) on the marble for the rest of time (below).

And of course the Mickey wand! I really thought the Mickey 2000 wand was really cool, however the post 2000 "Epcot" sign was really out of place.

Journey into Imagination was also replaced by Journey into YOUR Imagination. Sadly this got rid of the Dreamfinder and the wonderful nuances that made the original so unique. 

Also the color scheme was changed on the exterior of the building to an odd orange, red and turquoise mixture.

But enough of the negatives, this celebration introduced some awesome additions such as:

Tapestry of Nations: Tapestry of Nations was a wonderful parade around World Showcase Lagoon which included life sized puppets and guest interactions. the amazing score was written by Gavin Greenaway.

IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth: The most notable and lasting addition is IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This show which is still running nightly, is a true magnificent sight to behold and really embodies the meaning of World Showcase which is togetherness. If you haven't been to Epcot in the past 18 years, you should head on over to watch it.

Check out my review of IllumiNations on my blog as well!

Stay tuned for Pt.2 and also Epcot 35th Anniversary coverage!

Hidden Gems of Walt Disney World

Some of the best attractions and activities at Walt Disney World are actually little known to the majority of tourists. Some of these are actually hidden and don't have a scheduled time or place, and some of these will be classic Disney attractions that have for the most part remained untouched. I wanted to start a new series that covers some of these hidden or in some cases just less popular jems.

The Country Bear Jamboree - Frontierland - Magic Kingdom

The Country Bear Jamboree is a classic Disney attraction that has been around since opening day of the Magic Kingdom. While the show was shortened and has received cosmetic updates over the years, the core show has remained pretty much the same. I used to pass up this show every time I went to the Magic Kingdom. I saw the show once in my early teens and thought is was "lame" and not funny. Fast forward to 2014, I was talked into seeing it by a friend who had loved the show since she was a kid. I absolutely loved it! If you've never seen it before and are past your teenage years, you need to see this. Parts of the show are kind of absurd actually, but that also adds to the joke of the show too. It has so many jokes in it that I didn't understand as a teen, it truly is hilarious!

Did you know?

Did you know that this show was originally created for a Disney ski resort located in Sequoia National Park but fell through after Walt's death. Also in "A Goofy Movie" there is a parody/nod to the Country Bear Jamboree. The show is "The Awesome Posse Jamboree" at Lester's Possum Park. Actually my first experience at country bears was very similar to Max's in the movie.


Tom Sawyer Island - Frontierland - Magic Kingdom

Just like the country bears, I used to pass up opportunities to go to Tom Sawyer Island because it was out of the way, and wasn't a "ride". I recently journeyed to the island and realized there is so much to see there its ridiculous. Not only are there a bunch of paths to explore, but it's beautiful as well. You really do feel as if you are on an island on the Mississippi River. You can also get amazing views of Big Thunder Mountain, the Haunted Mansion and the Liberty Belle. The only real downside is that it still takes a little while to get there on the rafts, and they are the only way on or off the island.


Backlot Express - Echo Lake - Disney's Hollywood Studios

(Photo by: themeparktourist)

This is actually a quick service restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios, located in-between Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Star Tours. While the food is actually pretty decent for a quick service (serves american fare), the actual reason why its on this list is because there are actual props from movies and past Disney attractions inside the seating area as well as outside. Some of these props include: the skeletal body of Benny the Cab as well as the Toon Patrol car from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", the hot air balloon and a couple of animal AA's from World of Motion, the desert hovercraft from Horizons, as well as many other props. Interestingly enough the chairs that are used here are actually chairs from all around the property. They are displaced chairs or chairs that are no longer being used at their original location.

Beaches and Cream - Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resort

(Photo by: Keys to the magic)

It's still a well known restaurant for repeating visitors, but if you have never been, It is truly a treat to eat there! If you haven't eaten there, it is pretty much a diner right out of the 50's. Akin to the 50's Prime Time Cafe, the theming is awesome here. It has more of a soda fountain/ice cream parlor feel and way more relaxed than the Prime Time, complete with a jukebox and connected is an arcade (which was totally the reason why I loved this as a kid).

Tonga Toast - Captain Cook's or Kona Cafe - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Oh Man. Tonga Toast is my favorite breakfast food at Walt Disney World. Amazingly, I found that actually everyone I have traveled with to WDW  that has had Tonga Toast doesn't like. That's my little preface. I absolutely love this though. It is a fried piece of Hawaiian sweet bread stuffed with actual bananas, and the outside is coded in cinnamon sugar. It takes a while to eat so I recommend going to the Poly early then hit up Magic Kingdom at rope drop!

"Tapestry of Nations" playing after IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth - Epcot

If you remember the Millennium Celebration at Epcot in 2000, you will undoubtedly remember the truly magical and downright impressive Tapestry of Nations. This was a parade that was held twice nightly around World Showcase and set up the story of IllumiNations: ROE. There were puppets worn on the backs of performers and they would interact with guests as they would their way though each country. The story changed a little in 2001 and came to a close in 2003. It had a very short run, but always stuck out in my memory as one the best shows or parades in the last 20 years.

You can now hear the soundtrack of Tapestry of Nations as you leave Epcot (the music plays once IllumiNations has finished). It is definitely comparable, to me at least, to Magic Kingdom's Kiss Goodnight (credit:iThempark and hanstrevor).