Full Menus & Special Event Registration Date Announced for 2013 Epcot Food & Wine Festival

Foodie fans of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival know how important it is to call ahead for spots at the first-class events during the festival. With even more new events and cuisines to try this year, including a Parisian breakfast, a Scottish part and a Hibachi dinner, it will be even more crucial to have the reservation phone number on speed dial.

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Attendees of the upcoming International Food and Wine Festival, held from September 27th to November 11th, will need to set their alarms for 7 a.m. on August 13th to make a reservation for their selected events. The number on speed dial? 1-800-WDW-FEST (939-3378). There is a full listing of demonstrations and seminars, go to www.epcotfoodfestival.com.

During a sneak peek this past weekend, diners were able to sample a few of the upcoming festival dishes, including a  Brazilian crispy pork belly with pureed black beans and sweet onions, avocado and cilantro micro-greens. Another favorite of the diners was the South Korean marketplace’s kimchi hot dog with spicy mustard sauce. Scotland’s seared Scottish salmon with cauliflower puree, watercress and malt vinaigrette, was served alongside Canada’s Le Cellier wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce.

Dole Whips also made an appearance at the preview event; the festival Whips were made with oranges and a hint of crème de cacao white.

You can find a complete list of Marketplace Menu, including wine, beer, and cocktails, for the 2013 International Food & Wine Festival below:

Terra:

  • Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice featuring Gardein™ Chick’n Breast
  • Chili Colorado with House-made Chips and Cashew Cheese featuring Gardein™ Beefless Tips*
  • Chocolate Cake with Coconut Mousse and Passion Fruit Sauce
  • Fresh Watermelon Juice
  • Napa Smith Organic IPA
  • The Vegan Vine Chardonnay
  • The Vegan Vine Red Blend

Brazil (All-New Menu):

  • Seared Scallop with Ragout of Tomatoes, Peppers, Hearts of Palm and Steamed Rice
  • Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro
  • Cerveharias Kaiser Brewery Xingu Black Beer
  • Carnaval Moscato White
  • Frozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça

Argentina:

  • Beef Empanada
  • Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Purée
  • Pascual Toso Sparkling Brut
  • Terrazas Reserva Malbec
  • Terrazas Reserva Torrontes
  • Kaiken Cabernet Sauvignon

Australia:

  • Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes, Lemon Myrtle and Rapini
  • Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies
  • Pavlova (Crispy Meringue Shell with Fresh Driscoll’s® Berries and Vanilla Custard)
  • Rosemont Estate Pinot Grigio
  • Wolf Blass Gold Label Chardonnay
  • Rosemont Estate Merlot
  • Penfolds Bin 8 Cabernet Shiraz

Mexico:

  • Shrimp Taco with Purple Cabbage
  • Taco de Ribeye with Salsa de Chipotle
  • Rice Pudding
  • Dos Equis Beer
  • Sangria
  • Tequila Flight
  • Mango-Habanero Margarita

Singapore:

  • Lemongrass Chicken Curry with Coconut and Jasmine Rice
  • Seared Mahi Mahi with Jasmine Rice and “Singa” Sauce
  • Tiger Beer
  • Marqués de Caceres Satinela
  • Singapore Sing featuring Hendrick’s Gin and Cherry Herring (garnished with Cherry Man Farm-to-Market All-Natural maraschino cherry)

China:

  • Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun
  • Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
  • Chicken Potstickers
  • Silky Spun Ice with Toppings (three flavors: Coconut, Strawberry, Chocolate)
  • Tsing Tao Beer
  • Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Riesling
  • Francis Ford Coppola Su Yuen Syrah
  • Kung Fu Punch with Vodka
  • Happy Lychee with Vodka
  • Lychee Aerated Water

South Korea:

  • Kimchi Dog with Spicy Mustard Sauce
  • Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw
  • Bohae Black Raspberry Wine – Bokbunjajoo
  • Jinro Chamisul Soju
  • Soju Fruit Slushy featuring Jinro Chamisul Soju

Africa:

  • Berbere Style Beef with Onions, Jalapeños, Tomato, Okra and Pap
  • Spinach and Paneer Cheese Pocket
  • Man Vintners Chenin Blanc
  • The Wolftrap Red (Syrah, Mourvèdre, Viognier)
  • Porcupine Ridge Syrah

Cheese:

  • Almond Crusted Blue Cheese Soufflé with Fig Jam
  • Artisan Cheese Selection: Flagship Reserve Cheddar, La Bonne Vie Triple Crème Brie, Wijngaard
  • Goats Gouda
  • Once Upon a Vine’s The Lost Slipper Sauvignon Blanc
  • Once Upon a Vine’s The Fairest Chardonnay
  • Once Upon a Vine’s The Big Bad Red Blend
  • Once Upon a Vine’s A Charming Pinot

Brewer’s Collection:

  • Schöfferhofer Grapefruit
  • Altenmünster Oktoberfest
  • Warsteiner Premium Verum
  • Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
  • Radeberger Pilsner
  • BraufactuM Palor
  • BraufactuM Roog Smoked Wheat Beer
  • BraufactuM Darkon
  • Beer Flight 1: Schöfferhofer Grapefruit, Altenmünster Oktoberfest, Warsteiner Premium Verum, Warsteiner Premium Dunkel
  • Beer Flight 2: Radeberger Pilsner, BraufactuM Palor, BraufactuM Roog Smoked Wheat Beer, BraufactuM Darkon

Germany:

  • Schinken Nudel (Pasta Gratin with Ham & Cheese)
  • Roast Bratwurst in a Pretzel Roll
  • Apple Strudel with Werther’s Original Karamel and Vanilla Sauce
  • Altenmünster Oktoberfest
  • Braufactum Darkon
  • J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Kabinett
  • Selbach-Oster Mosel Riesling Spätlese
  • J&H Selbach Bernkasteler Kurfürstlay Riesling Auslese
  • Weingut Pitthan Dornfelder Dry Barrique Style

Poland:

  • Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions and Sour Cream
  • Zapiekanki (Toasted Mushroom, Caramelized Onion and Cheese Bread with House-made Ketchup)
  • Okocim Brewery, Okocim O.K. Beer
  • Temptation Zinfandel
  • Frozen Szarlotka (Apple Pie) featuring Zubrowka Bison Grass Vodka

Italy:

  • Ravioli de formaggio all’emiliana
  • Salsiccia e ‘Papacelli” Napoletani
  • Cannoli al Cioccolato
  • Moretti Beer
  • Moretti La Rosa
  • Procecco
  • Pinot Grigio Placido
  • Chianti Placido
  • Italian Margherita

American Adventure Coffee Cart:

  • Shakin’ Jamaican Coffee – Made with Kāhlua, Vanilla and Caramel. Served Hot or Frozen

Hops & Barley:

  • Lobster Roll with Lemon Herb Mayonnaise
  • New England Clam Chowder with a side of Tabasco®
  • Craisin® Bread Pudding with Grand Marnier Anglaise
  • Samuel Adams Boston Lager®
  • Samuel Adams® Octoberfest
  • Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat®
  • Rogue Chocolate Stout
  • Iron Horse Fairy Tale Cuvée
  • Beer Flight 1: Samuel Adams Boston Lager®, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat®, Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat®, Rogue Chocolate Stout

Florida Local:

  • Florida Grass Fed Beef Slider with Monterey Jack and Sweet & Hot Pickles
  • Florida Shrimp Ceviche with Fire Roasted Vegetables and Micro Cilantro
  • Cigar City Brewing Florida Cracker Belgian-style White Ale
  • Orlando Brewing, Sun Shade Organic Pale Ale
  • Florida Orange Groves, Hurricane Class 5 White Sangria
  • Florida Orange Groves, Key Limen-Key Lime Wine

Japan:

  • California Roll
  • Spicy Hand Roll
  • Teriyaki Chicken Hand Roll
  • Youki Tofu topped with Miso Sauce, Edamame and Served with Grilled Vegetables
  • Sapporo Draft Beer
  • Sake: Junmai Ginjo
  • Green Tea Colada

Morocco:

  • Kefta Pocket
  • Harissa Chicken Roll
  • Baklava
  • Casa Beer
  • Ksar White
  • Sangria
  • Mimosa Royale

New Zealand:

  • Gratinated Green Lip Mussels with Garlic and Herbs
  • Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney
  • Venison Sausage with Pickled Mushrooms, Baby Arugula and Black Currant Reduction
  • Kim Crawford Pinot Grigio
  • Mohua Sauvignon Blanc
  • Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay
  • Kim Crawford Pinot Noir

Belgium:

  • Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef
  • Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream
  • Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote featuring Driscoll’s® Berries and Whipped Cream
  • Hoegaarden
  • Stella Artois
  • Leffe Blonde
  • Leffe Brune
  • Beer Flight 1: Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Leffe Blonde, Leffe Brune
  • Chilled Coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

France:

  • Escargots Persillade en Brioche (Garlic and Parsley Snails in Brioche)
  • Boeuf Bourguignon (Braised Short Ribs in Cabernet with Mashed Potatoes)
  • Crème Brûlée au Chocolat au Lait (Chocolate Milk Crème Brûlée topped with Caramelized Sugar)
  • Beer Kronenbourg Blanc
  • Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, La Côte Blanche
  • Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Château Bonnet
  • Sparkling Pomegranate Kir
  • Eiffel Sour Cosmo Slush (Vodka, Grey Goose Cherry Noir, Grand Marnier, Cranberry Juice)

Ireland:

  • Lobster and Seafood Fisherman’s Pie
  • Kerrygold Cheese Selection: Reserve Cheddar, Dubliner with Irish Stout, Skellig
  • Warm Chocolate Pudding with Bailey’s® Custard
  • Guinness Draught
  • Bunratty Meade Honey Wine
  • Chilled Irish Coffee featuring Bunratty Potcheen

Canada:

  • Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
  • Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette
  • “Le Cellier” Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce
  • Moosehead Lager
  • La Face Neige Apple Ice Wine
  • La Face Neige Sparkling
  • Mission Hill Family Estate Syrah

Greece:

  • Taste of Greece: Grilled & Marinated Calamari, Hitipiti, Eggplant Dip, Olives and Pita Bread
  • Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey
  • Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce
  • Spanakopita
  • Dannon Oikos® Light & Fit Blueberry Greek Yogurt
  • Domaine Skouras Moscofilero
  • Domaine Siglas Assyrtiko/Athiri
  • Alpha Estate Axia Syrah
  • Ouzo by Metaxa

Refreshment Port:

  • Dole® Pineapple Fritters
  • Fried Shrimp with Dole® Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Fried Chicken Chunks with Dole® Pineapple Sweet and Sour Sauce
  • Orange Dole® Whip
  • Orange Dole® Whip with Crème de Cacao White
  • Dragon Berry Colada featuring Bacardi® Dragon Berry Rum

Desserts & Champagne:

  • Chocolate Orange Cupcake
  • Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
  • Morello Cherry Pistachio Mousse
  • Dessert Trio
  • Guylian Belgian Chocolate Seashell Truffles
  • Frozen S’mores
  • Pyramid™Weiss Cream Beer
  • Möet & Chandon Ice Impérial
  • Möet & Chandon Impérial
  • Möet & Chandon Nectar Impérial Rosé
  • Nicolas Feuillatte Rosé

Hawai’i:

  • Kālua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise
  • Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Lotus Root Chips
  • Kona Brewing Company’s Big Wave Golden Ale
  • Kona Brewing Company’s Pipeline Porter
  • Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Réserve
  • Aulani Sunrise featuring Ocean Vodka

Scotland (New):

  • Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress and Malt Vinaigrette
  • Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties-Griddled Vegetable Cake with Rutabaga and Mashed Potatoes
  • Scottish Banoffee Tart with Bananas, Scottish Whisky Toffee, Walkers Shortbread Crumbles and Sweet Cream
  • Innis & Gunn® Original
  • Loch Lomond featuring Glenfiddich® 12 year
  • Glenfiddich® Scotch Flight (12, 15 and 18 year)

Craft Beers:

  • Dogfish Head Brewery, Namaste
  • Abita Brewing Company, Fall Fest
  • Leinenkugel’s® Seasonal Shandy, (Summer Shandy/Orange Shandy)
  • Florida Beer Company, Devil’s Triangle
  • New Belgium Brewing Company, Fat Tire
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing®, Alchemy Ale
  • Red Hook, Audible Ale
  • Sierra Nevada, Torpedo® Extra IPA
  • Beer Flight 1: Dogfish Head Brewery Namaste, Abita Brewing Company Fall Fest, Leinenkugel’s® Seasonal Shandy, Florida Beer Company Devil’s Triangle
  • Beer Flight 2: New Belgium Brewing Company Fat Tire, Widmer Brother s Brewing Alchemy Ale, Red Hook Audible Ale, Sierra Nevada Torpedo®

Are you attending this year’s International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot? Which menu items will you be trying?

Win Prizes For Singing Like Ariel in Disney’s “Find Your Voice” Contest – Open Now!

Now’s your chance to sing like Ariel, in Disney’s “Find Your Voice” Contest, which opened for entries August 1st and become eligible to win prizes such as a Grand Prize trip to LA for a VIP studio recording experience, a tour of Radio Disney, and a $1,000 cash prize.

Find Your Voice 2

You won’t need a collection of gadgets and gizmos aplenty to sing your own rendition of your favorite songs from The Little Mermaid for Disney’s latest contest. Go visit Disney.com/FindYourVoice to upload a video of you doing your best 60 second or less rendition of a Little Mermaid song – you can join the ranks of the Nashville stars and YouTube sensations, the Stella sisters, who posted their version of “Kiss the Girl” and Sarah Close who made a video of her version of “Under the Sea.”

All the information you need to upload your own version of your favorite song from The Little Mermaid can be found at Disney.com/FindYourVoice:

 Let’s see how many WDWNT readers have found their voice! Good Luck!

The Pirates League is Back for a Limited Time Only at the Disneyland Resort!

For the ultimate pirate fan in your family, the Disneyland Resort has announced that the popular Pirates League will be returning for a limited time during the Halloween season.  From the Disney Parks blog:

Yes, you read the subject line right! For those of you who made The Pirates League part of your Halloween Time experience at the Disneyland Resort last year, good news – it’s back! For a limited time beginning September 13, The Pirates League will come ashore taking over part of Festival Arena in Frontierland at Disneyland park.

At The Pirates League, landlubbers will be transformed into the most swashbuckling of pirates, receive a sea-worthy name, train with some of the League’s most veteran Pirate Masters, take the official Pirates League Oath and learn the ways of the scurvy sea dogs as they apply yer buccaneer beard, scars, earrings and eye patches.

                               

Experiences will be as follows:

Jake and the Never Land Pirates
Includes Jake and the Never Land Pirates bandana with faux hair, Jake facial effect, sword and sheath, The Pirates League bag and a unique pirate coin necklace.

The First Mate
Includes choice of facial effect (Options: Black Beard, Black Eyed Jack, Captain Hook and Ghosted Pirate), Reversible bandana, earring and eye patch, sword and sheath, The Pirates League bag, temporary tattoo, unique pirate coin necklace, personalized pirate oath and an official pirate name.

Empress
Includes reversible bandana, earring and eye patch, sword and sheath, The Pirates League bag, temporary tattoo, unique pirate coin necklace, personalized pirate oath, official pirate name. The Empress package also includes vibrant makeup, nail polish, lip gloss and face gem!

Packages at the Pirates League range from $29.95 to $34.95 plus tax.

Experiences and operating hours may vary. Reservations will be available beginning Aug 20 at 714-781-STYLE or 714-781-7895.


 


Don’t miss out on this limited time opportunity if you are at the resort around Halloween time.

 

VIDEO: This is what we call “My Muppets Show”!

MyMuppetsShow

Imagine being able to build your own band! Well now you can, in Disney Interactive’s new free game “My Muppets Show”, available now on Android and iOS mobile devices. Join all your favorite Muppets in this game of building music, to create a band of epic proportions.

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Players, you will manage your own Muppet Theater stage, and then recruit all your favorite Muppets to sing and play all sorts of crazy instruments, and get ready to put on the show! Once you unlock all your Muppets into your band, you can play a gig of a lifetime.

In this fun Disney Interactive game, you’ll get the chance to:

  • Collect over 20 different Muppets, some old favorites and also some new Muppets
  • Perform over a variety of stages, including Muppet Theater and Swedish Chef’s Kitchen
  • Send your Muppets on recruiting missions to find more Muppets, using inventions from Bunson & Beaker
  • Play with friends by visiting their stages to give ratings and collect prizes

Check out highlights of this funny and irresistible new game here:


So get the band back together with “My Muppets Show” today, available for Android and iOS.

Video and Images courtesy of the Walt Disney Company  

Limited Time Magic Reversible Heroes & Villains “Cover Your Ears” Now at Magic Kingdom

In celebration of the “Year of the Ear,” Walt Disney World is introducing some very cool Cover Your Ears reversible base wraps for Limited Time Magic. These wraps cover the base of the Mickey Ear hats, and this new release introduces a new hero and villain-theme.

Disney hats1

This wrap slips right over your everyday Mickey Mouse black ear hat. The photo above shows the front and back of the reversible wrap.

The hero/villain Cover Your Ears base was designed by long-time Disney Design Group artist, Mark Seppala. “A few years ago my fellow artist Brian Blackmore and I worked on a project that featured heroes and villains,” explained Mark. “I pulled character elements from that project for this hat as I thought it would be a neat concept. I’m happy with the final version as the colors and printing really pop! I’m partial to the villain side and included as many characters as I possibly could. There are approximately 34 villains and 61 heroes represented on this base. Now that’s a hat with a lot of character!”

Disney hats2

You can find these reversible wraps in Fantasyland’s Mad Hatter at the Disneyland park, at the Disneyland Resort, and at Chapeau Hat Shoppe in Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort. Because this is park of the Limited Time Magic celebrations, there are  limited numbers of the reversible covers available, while supplies last.

What villain or hero would you like to see on your Cover Your Ears?

Dirk Wallen’s 8/2/13 Downtown Disney/Disney Springs Photo Report

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Downtown Disney to check out the progress on Disney Springs and has a few photos to share with us from his trip:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Still not much to see from the main entrance of Pleasure Island

From the other side, we can see that Comedy Warehouse has been leveled

All gone

Work is progressing on the new bridge between the West Side and Pleasure Island

The former site of the Rock ‘N’ Roll Beach Club is full of materials

A look from farther away

New “Good Luck/Bad Luck” pin features Constance from the Haunted Mansion

The August 2013 poster series pin was also released recently

Disney Releases Teaser Trailer for Muppets Most Wanted

 

Disney has released a new teaser trailer for the upcoming sequel “Muppets Most Wanted” which hits theaters March 21, 2014. The sequel to The Muppets features The Muppets, Ricky Gervais, Ty Burrell, and Tina Fey in an action-packed adventure through Europe. Check out the teaser trailer above.

WDWNT is Your D23 Expo Central – August 8, 9, 10, & 11, 2013

Since the first D23 Expo back in 2009, we here at WDWNT have strived to bring you the absolute best coverage of this amazing, multi-day event. Well, this weekend will be no different. With multiple reporters in attendance as credentialed media, we look to bring the excitement of the D23 Expo to you faster and in more detail than any other site can provide.

D23ExpoCentral2013

Live updates will be pouring in via our twitter and Vine accounts, but we we also be constantly adding articles, pictures, and video stories to the main site here at WDWNT.com throughout the weekend.

Also, every evening we will be presenting live audio reports from the Anaheim Convention Center on www.WDWNTunes.com. These shows will be released on the WDW News Today Podcast feed and here on the site as well for your convenience and will act as episode 301 of the WDWNT Podcast.

UPDATE: We have also been invited to a special media preview on Thursday evening August 8th, so our coverage will actually begin then and not on the 9th as posted. This preview includes the Parks and Resorts Pavilion, Disney Consumer Products, and Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives.

As you can see, we are ready to bring you the magic of the D23 Expo from Parks and Resorts to television and movies. It’s going to be a great three days, so please make sure you join us for our coverage as WDWNT.com becomes D23 Expo Central August 8, 9, 10, & 11, 2013!

Mary Poppins Penguin Fountain To Grace The Villas at the Grand Floridian

When guests enter the Grand Atrium Lobby of the Villas at the Grand Floridian, not only will they find two 45-foot-long gold chandeliers, but they will also find this charming fountain:

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Made of bronze, guests will find seven penguins from Mary Poppins in playful poses in this lobby feature

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Here is an artist crafting the penguins for the fountain

Screen Shot 2013-08-07 at 10.16.04 AM

The penguins during the casting process

So, what do you think of this accent for the lobby of the Villas at the Grand Floridian?