REVIEW: France Alsace Holiday Kitchen, Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 2017

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

We continue our series of reviews of the booths for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays this year by visiting the Alsace Holiday Kitchen today. This marketplace can be found in the France pavilion in World Showcase.

Here’s the menu:

  • Napoléon de Saumon Fumé, Brioche á l’aneth: Smoked Salmon Napoleon in a Dill Brioche – $5.75
  • Le Réveillon de Noël: Turkey Breast Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chestnuts with Sweet Potato Purée – $6.75
  • Bûche de Noël au Chocolat: Slice of Chocolate Christmas Yule Log – $4.75
  • Spiced Rum Punch Slush: Spiced Rum, Rhum Clement V.S.O.P., Orange and Pineapple Juice with Cinnamon – $10.75
  • Merlot & Cabernet Blend, Château de Bechuad, Saint Emilion – $6.75
  • Holiday Kir: Sparkling Wine and Monin® Cranberry Syrup – $7.00
  • Champagne Brut, Nicolas Feuillatte – $15.00

Napoléon de Saumon Fumé, Brioche á l’aneth: Smoked Salmon Napoleon in a Dill Brioche – $5.75

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This is a nice departure from other festival items since it is served cold, and it delivers in the flavor department. The brioche is really nice and the salmon quite flavorful with the cream having a taste akin to a cream cheese.

Le Réveillon de Noël: Turkey Breast Stuffed with Mushrooms and Chestnuts with Sweet Potato Purée – $6.75

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It looks like cat food, which is a little off putting, but it tasted good. In fairness, it’s hard to go wrong with turkey, mushrooms, and sweet potato.

Bûche de Noël au Chocolat: Slice of Chocolate Christmas Yule Log – $4.75

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This was a huge disappointment. It has a chocolate cake flavor and that’s really all you can say about it. If you want a chocolate dessert, I again refer you to Les Halles (the France bakery) which has a pretty amazing Yule Log for sale right now.

Spiced Rum Punch Slush: Spiced Rum, Rhum Clement V.S.O.P., Orange and Pineapple Juice with Cinnamon – $10.75

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The wine slush that is so popular at other festivals is back here with a twist. Sadly, that twist makes it less memorable than the similar offerings at other Epcot events. If you want “rum juice” then you should get this, but otherwise I would skip it.

On a side note, they gave us a cup that was pretty much not completely assembled and then refused to make us a new drink in a new cup (and yes, we were going to give this one back). I can’t begin to tell you the anxiety had during this photo shoot that the slush was just going to fall off of the base.

Holiday Kir: Sparkling Wine and Monin® Cranberry Syrup – $7.00

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You can do much better elsewhere at Epcot if you like sparkling wine, this one just tastes very syrupy.

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BREAKING: New Details Revealed for Guardians of the Galaxy Ride at Epcot, Coaster Will Not Feature Inversions

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

Since it was announced at the D23 Expo 2017, very little has been said about the Guardians of the Galaxy attraction coming to Epcot, other than that it will be a roller coaster ride. Well, thanks to some internal documents, we now have a better idea of what this attraction will be like…

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Guests will enter where they once did, but this doorway will now take them into the Welcome Gallery. This area consists of ramps leading upwards towards the next part of the queue. The building appears to be on multiple levels, with guests climbing upwards as the queue progresses to reach the elevated load platform for the roller coaster.

The second queue room is the Xandar Gallery, likely to feature relics from the Xandarian culture (prominently featured in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie). This then leads the the merge point and the first pre-show, labeled in documents as “singularity”. You may recall that the Infinity Stones are referred to as singularities by The Collector in the first Guardians film. They are also a source of energy (wink, nudge). Regardless, we’re just speculating that the Infinity Stones will be the connection here, but something completely different could be happening in this room.

The "transformation room" in the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Epcot

The “transformation room” in the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Epcot

The secondary pre-show, the transformation room, is what you see above. There will be two of these for added capacity. Inside, some sort of transformation will take place for guests involving the red cannon-like device above Rocket Raccoon and Groot. The characters and the Milano ship will be projections. The attraction does not appear to have any audio-animatronic characters.

After this, guests then head down a hallway and upstairs to the load area. The attractions features a dual-load and unload, meaning two trains at a time. Coaster trains for the ride feature 5 cars that hold four guests each with a two-by-two seating configuration. In case you don’t want to do math, that means a train can hold 20 guests.

A rough idea of the layout for the Guardians fo the Galaxy attraction at Epcot

A rough idea of the layout for the Guardians fo the Galaxy attraction at Epcot

After loading and being dispatched, the trains take a quick trip around the load area and head into the launch tunnel, where they are then shot into the added building behind the old Universe of Energy. This building is 133 feet tall, so 12.2 stories in height. To our surprise, the coaster itself has no inversions and appears to be fairly family friendly. Think of it as a modern take on Space Mountain. The track layout consists of many tight turns and long straightaways that will likely be accented with projection effects. It’s hard to tell in the documents if there will be any physical show scenes, but there really doesn’t appear to be, other than some abstract lighted walls that the trains pass through at a few points in the ride. After the lengthy coaster ride, the trains travel back to the old building and unload station, allowing guests to go downstairs and exit through a store and out the right side of the facade.

Details of the storyline and what exactly is going on in this attraction are scarce, but the layout and ride specifications shared above are confirmed to be accurate.

Disney has still not set an opening date for the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster at Epcot.

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REVIEW: Morocco Tarabaki Holiday Kitchen, Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 2017

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

We continue our series of reviews of the booths for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays this year by visiting the Tarabaki Holiday Kitchen today. This marketplace can be found next door to the Morocco Pavilion, as you might imagine.

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Here’s the menu

  • Grilled Lamb Kefta and Grapes with Julienne of Euro Cucumber, Red Pepper, Pickled Pearl Onions, Harissa and Cilantro Dressing – $7.00
  • Confit of Chermoula Chicken Drum with Cinnamon Granny Smith Apple, Toasted Almonds, Brussels Sprouts and Pinot Noir Syrup – $7.00
  • Triangle Honey Briwat with Almond Paste, Rose Water and Toasted Sesame Seeds – $4.00
  • The Andalusian “Poinsettia” Cocktail: Sparkling Wine, Orange Liqueur and Cranberry Juice topped with Orange Blossom Water – $8.00
  • Walnut Spiced Coffee with Walnut Liqueur, topped with Cinnamon and Whipped Cream – $7.00
  • Casa Beer – $4.00

Grilled Lamb Kefta and Grapes with Julienne of Euro Cucumber, Red Pepper, Pickled Pearl Onions, Harissa and Cilantro Dressing – $7.00

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And the award for the smallest dish ever served at an Epcot Festival goes to… this.

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It was good, but look at the size of it. I can’t in good conscience tell you to pay $7.00 for this, no matter how it tastes. End of story.

Confit of Chermoula Chicken Drum with Cinnamon Granny Smith Apple, Toasted Almonds, Brussels Sprouts and Pinot Noir Syrup – $7.00

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Again, $7 is a lot for a chicken drum, but this was quite good. I can’t recommend it, but I don’t think you would be unhappy with it if you were to have it. The Brussels Sprouts were quite good, but not Polite Pig good.

Triangle Honey Briwat with Almond Paste, Rose Water and Toasted Sesame Seeds – $4.00

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These were just about the driest food item I have ever eaten. They were so dry that I can’t even discern what flavor there was supposed to be.

The Andalusian “Poinsettia” Cocktail: Sparkling Wine, Orange Liqueur and Cranberry Juice topped with Orange Blossom Water – $8.00

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This is light and easy to drink, so it’s highly recommended for sparkling wine lovers out there.

Walnut Spiced Coffee with Walnut Liqueur, topped with Cinnamon and Whipped Cream – $7.00

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I love alcoholic coffee drinks and this was one of my favorites that I’ve had at Walt Disney World. It’s a sizable pour and the flavors are mixed perfectly, offering a bitter coffee offset nicely with walnut and cinnamon flavors, as well as the sweet whipped cream. Probably my favorite drink at the entire event. You may want to pick a nice, cool day to enjoy this though…

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BREAKING: New Concept Art & Details Released for the Disney Skyliner Gondola System & Park Stations at Walt Disney World

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

Earlier this year, Disney finally announced the Disney Skyliner transportation system that will give resort guests an unforgettable journey and a picturesque view of Walt Disney World Resort as they take to the sky to travel from select Disney resorts to Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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Today, Disney is sharing new details on what you can expect from the Disney Skyliner system.

Select Disney Skyliner cabins will have iconic Disney characters incorporated into their exterior design to give the appearance that a Disney pal is riding along with guests, such as characters from the ‘Fab Five,’ figures from Disney attractions, fan favorites from movies, and more.

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The design of the Disney Skyliner station at International Gateway at Epcot will be inspired by the park’s nearby European Pavilions, and will be covered with metal and glass canopies, hand-painted murals and ornamental steel structures that harken back to the early 18th century Art Nouveau style. Guests traveling to Epcot via the Disney Skyliner will be welcomed to the park with a rare birds-eye view of World Showcase.

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The Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station will be the hub of activity for Disney Skyliner. This station is inspired by the open air village marketplaces of the Caribbean and will showcase the nearby resort’s architectural detailing and color schemes. At this station, passengers will be able to transfer gondola routes to reach their destination, or are invited to sit and admire the waterfront resort setting.

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The design style of the station at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will fit with that of the park’s main entrance and bus stations. Passengers traveling here from the Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station can expect a new aerial perspective of the park’s iconic attractions, like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will share a Disney Skyliner station that feels whimsical and contextual with both resorts. Upon departing the gondola station, Skyliner passengers will ascend over Hourglass Lake and enjoy a panoramic view of these two colorful resorts.

Finally, cabins will slow down at the Disney Skyliner turn-station along Buena Vista Drive, where guests can see the mechanical and aerial components that make up the Disney Skyliner.

No opening date has been set for the Disney Skyliner as of yet.

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The American Adventure State Collection T-Shirts Now Available Online

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

A few weeks back, you may remember that we showcased the new American Adventure state collection at Epcot, as well as the available United States phone cases at Disney Springs. Well, guests can now acquire all 50 state logos on apparel through ShopDisney.com…

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Guests shopping at the American Adventure at Epcot may be given this card to remind them to shop for items representing other states online at ShopDisney.com/StateFair.

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All 50 state shirts are available online now and can arrive for Christmas if you hurry!

Moonlight Magic Events for 2018 Announced

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

Disney Vacation Club Members will enjoy more Moonlight Magic event dates than ever in 2018, with parties confirmed for every month from January through November, with more dates still to come. To help you plan accordingly, Disney Vacation Club is sharing confirmed party and booking dates.

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The confirmed slate includes the first Moonlight Magic events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where Toy Story Land is scheduled to have made its debut by the time Members take over the park. Also confirmed is a return to Disney California Adventure park, where Paradise Pier is scheduled to have become Pixar Pier – headlined by the highly anticipated transformation of California Screamin’ into “The Incredibles”-inspired Incredicoaster.

Complimentary Moonlight Magic events invite Disney Vacation Club Members and special guests to turn Disney Parks into their own personal playgrounds at the end of the parks’ operating days. While attendees may get a jump start on the fun by mixing in with the regular crowd earlier in the evening, the real magic happens after the park has closed to the public. It’s then that privileged partiers discover shorter-than-usual wait times on popular attractions, meet off-the-beaten-path characters, enjoy complimentary refreshments, let loose at dance parties and more.

Here’s a look at the confirmed 2018 Moonlight Magic schedule, including the dates on which online reservations will open for each event:

  • Jan. 11 and 28, and Feb. 6 at Magic Kingdom Park
    (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Dec 7. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Dec 21.)
  • March 21, April 17 and May 16 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
    (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Feb 8. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Feb 22.)
  • May 30 and June 11 at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
    (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates April 19. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on May 3.)
  • July 16 and Aug. 13 at Epcot
    (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates June 6. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on June 20.)
  • Sept. 19 and 26, and Oct. 3 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
    (Booking begins for Members with Resort reservations on the event dates Aug 30. Pending availability, booking opens for all Members on Sept. 13.)
  • Nov. 15 at Disney California Adventure Park
    (Booking begins for all Members on Oct. 4.)

Please note that, in order to allow as many Members as possible to enjoy Moonlight Magic, only one event date for each participating park will be available per Membership. Watch disneyvacationclub.com for additions to the Moonlight Magic event slate, as well as party hours and transportation information.

An R.S.V.P is required for these events. At least one valid Disney Vacation Club Membership Card with photo ID will be required for these experiences. Activities, entertainment and Characters are subject to change and these events are subject to cancellation in the event of inclement weather.

RUMOR: Epcot Adding Future World Hotel That Will Stand Over the Park’s Entrance In Front of Spaceship Earth

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

Imagine walking into Epcot from the parking lot and walking under or through a giant hotel before you reach Spaceship Earth. If plans are approved, this may very well be the scene at the entrance area of Walt Disney World’s 35-year-old vision of the future.

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If approved, the resort will stand at one of two proposed sites (seen above), either between The Land and The Seas pavilions in Future World, or directly over the entrance to Epcot, most likely connecting to the preexisting monorail station in some way. If the design located in front of Spaceship Earth is approved, it shouldn’t block the view of Spaceship Earth completely, but rather be used to frame the famous structure between towers or something of the sort.

It is no secret that the Walt Disney Company sees a lot of promise in the idea of resorts connected to or inside of the theme parks. This isn’t a new concept as Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Hotel Miracosta are already in existence (both opened way back in 2001), as well as the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris, which is sprawled out in front of the park’s entrance, requiring guests walk under it to enter the park. Disney has also already announced a Star Wars hotel that would in theory be connected to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, home of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Guests pass under the Disneyland Hotel in Paris to enter Disneyland Park.

Guests pass under the Disneyland Hotel in Paris to enter Disneyland Park.

The resort would be part of the ongoing expansion and re-imagining of Epcot, which is already announced to include a Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster, a Ratatouille family ride, a space restaurant, and a new seamless Circlevision film for the China pavilion.

The hotel is still in the very early stages of development, which means it could end up in front of Spaceship Earth or off to the side, or maybe not even happen at all. Either way, should it happen, it will offer quick and easy entrance into Epcot from the front of the park and offer unparalleled views of Future World.

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REVIEW: Cookie Nook Inside The Festive Center, Odyssey at Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 2017

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

We begin our series of reviews of the marketplaces at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays with the Cookie Nook, located inside what is being called The Festive Center, which is the Odyssey building perched between Future World and World Showcase.

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Here’s the menu:

  • Warm Apple Fritter –  with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Warm Caramel Sauce – $4.75
  • Snowflake Sugar Cookie – $4.00
  • Snickerdoodle Cookie – Sugar Cookie rolled in Cinnamon Sugar – $3.50
  • Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie – $3.50
  • Gingersnap Cookie  – with Cream Cheese Icing and Cranberry Jam – $4.50
  • Sachertorte – Chocolate Cake with Apricot Jam and Dark Chocolate Glaze – $4.75
  • Decorated Gingerbread Cookie – $4.00
  • Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie – $4.00
  • Chocolate Chunk Cookie – $3.00
  • Brew Hub Pumpkin Spice Dunkelweiss, Lakeland, Florida – $4.25
  • Playalinda Brewing Company Sparkling Christmas Coffee Blonde, Titusville, Florida – $4.25
  • Central 28 Beer Company Joy From the World Holiday Dubble, DeBary, Florida – $4.25
  • Cranberry Sprite Punch with Pear Vodka – $9.00
  • Holiday Beer Flight – $9.00
  • Specialty Red Wine – $6.00
  • Specialty White Wine – $6.00
  • Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Cranberry Wine – $6.00
  • Nestlé Chocolate Delights Hot Cocoa with Crème de Menthe – $8.00
  • Nestlé Chocolate Delights Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic) – $3.00

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The Cookie Nook is a rather pleasant place to enjoy a snack while watching classic cartoons, including Mickey’s Christmas Carol in its entirety.

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OK, let’s go item by item…

Warm Apple Fritter –  with Cinnamon Ice Cream and Warm Caramel Sauce – $4.75

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This was fantastic. The warm apple fritter went perfectly with the cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce. I’ll look to have this again before the festival is over.

Snowflake Sugar Cookie – $4.00

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These are nothing special, but I love sugar cookies, so personally I would order this again. No one else in the party was impressed with this, and I get it, but I still think it is enjoyable.

Snickerdoodle Cookie – Sugar Cookie rolled in Cinnamon Sugar – $3.50

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The snickerdoodle was fairly flavorless and is not worth a buy. I don’t even know what else to say about it, that’s how bland it was.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookie – $3.50

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If you like peppermint, then get this. If you don’t, then do not. It was pretty good, offering a rich chocolate flavor offset nicely by the peppermint twist.

Gingersnap Cookie  – with Cream Cheese Icing and Cranberry Jam – $4.50

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A nice departure from the other cookies, this has a nice-sized dollop of sweet cream cheese icing which really elevated the ginger flavor of the cookie. This is worth a try if you are interested.

Sachertorte – Chocolate Cake with Apricot Jam and Dark Chocolate Glaze – $4.75

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If you really love chocolate cake, then this dessert is all you. It’s really fantastic for what it is, but it is probably no different from something you can make at home or even buy at the store.

Decorated Gingerbread Cookie – $4.00

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I appreciate that this is decorated after you order it and it is very good for a gingerbread cookie. If you are really craving a gingerbread man, this will do the trick.

Holiday Tree Sugar Cookie – $4.00

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Again, no one but me seemed excited about this, but I love these kind of cookie at this time of year. I enjoyed this one so much that I took the remaining half home and enjoyed it there. It’s nothing special, but sometimes you just want a sugar cookie, right?

Chocolate Chunk Cookie – $3.00

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Speaking of unremarkable, this is the usual Disney counter service chocolate chip cookie, so unless your kids are screaming that they want one, I would stay away from this.

Holiday Beer Flight – $9.00, Brew Hub Pumpkin Spice Dunkelweiss – $4.25, Playalinda Brewing Company Sparkling Christmas Coffee Blonde,  – $4.25, Central 28 Beer Company Joy From the World Holiday Dubble – $4.25

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An enjoyable beer flight with three unique enough flavors that it is worth a try if you enjoy such things. We really liked two out of the three, which is usually the case with these Festival beer flights.

Cranberry Sprite Punch with Pear Vodka – $9.00

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There’s noting particularly special about this, but Cranberry Sprite mixes really well with alcohol. This is probably something you could make at home, but it hits the spot and feels pretty festive. It looks like it would be super sweet, but it really wasn’t, which is probably why I enjoyed it so much.

Florida Orange Groves Sparkling Cranberry Wine – $6.00

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If you want to pair a wine with your cookies, this is probably what you want. According to Josh of EasyWDW.com, it is light, sweet, and tart with every sip, and I would agree.

 

FastPass Reservations for Frozen Ever After at Epcot Now Available Beginning at 9AM Daily

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

Previously beginning at 11:00AM every day, guests can now find FastPass reservations for Frozen Ever After at Epcot beginning at 9AM daily through the Walt Disney World website and the MyDisneyExperience app.

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Frozen Ever After takes guests through the kingdom of Arendelle from the Disney animated hit, “Frozen.” Located in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot, Frozen Ever After celebrates a “Summer Snow Day” on a journey through a frozen willow forest, past Troll Valley and up to Queen Elsa’s palace high up on the north mountain. Epcot is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

Up until this point, only standby was available for the first two hours of the day at the attraction, but now there will be FastPass reservations covering the entire operating day for the Epcot ride.

If guests aren’t interested in hunting for a FastPass or braving the standby line, the Frozen Ever After Sparkling Dessert Party is also still available.