According to event guides for Epcot’s Holidays Around the World this year, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival will begin in August for the first time ever in 2017.
The event dates for next year are August 31st through November 13th, 2017. The event will run for an astonishing 75 days straight, 15 days more than ever before.
Holidays Around the World began today at Epcot, offering a number of marketplaces selling food and drink, very similar to the 37 other festivals that occupy Epcot throughout the year. OK, there isn’t 37 festivals, but the announcement of a new festival, the extension of the Food and Wine Festival in 2017, and these additions are starting to leave very little of the year without such offerings in the park.
American Holiday Table Menu at Epcot
We stopped by the American Holiday Table booth at the American Adventure first, and while we will review more of the booths from the event, the sheer size of the food is making it really hard to try quite as much at one time as we do for the Food & Wine and Flower & Garden Festivals.
American Holiday Table at Epcot
I enjoyed this strange seasonal beverage, but 16oz of a beer with eggnog flavoring is too much. 8oz of eggnog flavoring would have been quite enough, but especially with the flavor settling at the bottom, this became very hard to finish (but rest assured, I did finish it). If you enjoy beer and eggnog, this is at least worth a try, but maybe find someone to share it with.
The firenog was good, albeit a little small for $9.50. We would have liked a little more fireball whiskey in here, but maybe it just depends who pours you the drink.
If you think the meals are a little expensive at Holidays Around the World, let me refer you to the size of the plates… they are full size meals. They are not small plates like at the other Epcot Festivals, they are in-fact larger than many counter service meals around Walt Disney World. I’m not sure why this decision was made, but be prepared should you order one of these meals that you will probably not be eating again for a while.
This was really, really good. The turkey was cooked very nicely, the stuffing patties above and below the turkey were quite tasty, and the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce blended perfectly with it. The unadvertised stringbeans were a nice touch too, marking the only time I think I have ever enjoyed this side. Rather than blow an ungodly amount on similar food at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom, you should just come here and spend $11.25 on this more-than-filling meal.
The wreckage about the time when we started to get full…
The gingerbread cookies are apparently decorated in-house. Yes, it is all messed up and poorly decorated and no, we didn’t do that, that is how it came. Unless the kids really want one, you can probably do without this treat.
We will be visiting more of these booths over the next few days, but please allow us a little time to digest…
From the people who brought you bus stop pizza, there is now a mobile cart in the Epcot parking lot selling drinks and snack.
The parking lot snack cart has assorted drinks, chips, and whole fruit. It is located at the very top of the parking lot, just before the tram lane in front of the park.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Celebrating 24 years when it kicks off March 1, 2017, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival will jump-start spring with gardens of earthly delights plus new character topiaries, entertainers and food and drink offerings.
The festival, which expanded to 90 days in 2016, will open with an irresistible array of fresh surprises and new treats:
A Figment topiary of a smaller size graced the exterior of the pavilion many years ago.
One of the popular Outdoor Kitchen gardens, Urban Farm Eats, will return with savory bites, sweet treats and ideas for planting produce that can inspire growing numbers of guests who want to learn to grow their own edibles.
“A lot of people, including young children, are serious foodies now, and they have lots of questions about gardening,” says Eric Darden, festival horticulture manager. “We’re getting more and more people in their 20s and 30s asking, ‘How can I grow this?’ I think we’ll be creating more gardeners because people can see what’s possible.”
The 2017 festival forecast will be sunny with colorful floral bursts by day and a nighttime landscape aglow with twinkling lights:
The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.
We continue our series of reviews of the booths added for the Holidays Around the World event at Epcot this year by visiting the Feast of the Three Kings today. This marketplace can be found next door to the Refreshment Port, just behind the Imagination pavilion on the way to World Showcase.
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
The space reuses what was the Puerto Rico booth in past years, and Island of the Caribbean at the Food and Wine Festival this year.
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
There displays at many of the marketplaces for Holidays Around the World feature facts about the celebrations in that region. A nice touch.
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Feast of the Three Kings Menu at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Above is the menu. Keep in mind that these are full size dishes, not the portions you would expect from the annual Epcot festivals.
Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
In classic fashion, we ordered the entire menu pretty much, so let’s dive into the review, shall we?
Roasted Pork – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
This roasted pork dish has to be one of my favorite counter service items at Disney World right now. The pork was cooked perfectly, presented in a heaping portion that is tender and juicy. The yucca underneath is cooked perfectly with a nice, buttery flavor. I have eaten a lot of yucca in the last year or so, this was the best portion of the side dish I have ever had. I could do without the pickled green bananas, but they were fine on their own.
Roasted Pork – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Coquito – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
I enjoy a sweet alcoholic beverage so this was right up my alley. Coconut and cinnamon flavoring mixed with rum is pretty delicious, but the portion size is pretty small as you would expect. It’s really delicious, but just not enough of it is in this serving for $9. A non-alcoholic version is also offered.
Shredded-Beef Tamale – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
The shredded beef tamale was also good, but the ratio of breading to beef was poor. The Avacado Crema sauce had a really nice flavor paired with both the rice and the tamale. If there was more beef in this, I would highly recommend it, but it’s hard to compete with the pork dish.
Shredded-Beef Tamale – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot
Traditional dessert with a rich, white, sugary icing on top over a flaky, soft bread. This was really wonderful in its simplicity and was similar to many Italian baked good I have enjoyed over the holiday seasons in New York, so I may be a little biased in my nostalgic feelings for this dish. I still think you will enjoy it though.
This booth is a real winner and is definitely worth your time if you are going to do Counter Service dining at Epcot before December 31st. Even if you just stop by for some Coquito and Three Kings Bread, you should be in for a pleasant snack stop.
If you enjoyed this review, please check out our full marketplace review of the American Holiday Table, another offering during the Epcot Holidays Around the World event.
Removed after the alligator incident at Walt Disney World this summer, the faux crocodiles in the Living with the Land attraction at Epcot recently returned after being missing for several months.
Despite this, the American Alligator display on the attraction remains empty still.
While it was open during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, The Odyssey at Epcot will now be open during the holiday season selling a variety of craft beers from around the world.
The location will be open select days between now and December 30, 2016. The Odyssey will not be open on November 24, December 1st, 2nd, 8th, and 29th.
Welcome to another edition of Tom’s Top 7, a continuing countdown of my favorite (and occasionally, least favorite) things at the Disney Parks around the globe. Why seven? Because seven ate nine. Wait…
With the Christmas season looming, along with the debut of some new holiday offerings at Walt Disney World this year, I though it might be fun to look back at some of the holiday stuff that you can’t see anymore. From extensive light displays to parades and shows from Holidays past, let’s take a spirited trip down memory lane. The best part? We actually have video of each of the offerings so you can relive them all one more time.
While it may seem a bit early to start celebrating, here are my Top 7 Christmas Shows that you can’t see at Walt Disney World anymore.
While it was never quite the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, people did really love the Lights of Winter as part of the Holidays Around the World at Epcot. I more so miss watching the tree lighting ceremony with characters that they used to do here, illuminating the tree and the Lights of Winter every evening around dusk. There was never any real reason given for the removal of the Lights of Winter, other than Disney claiming it was old technology. Still, it was a nice atmosphere piece.
What began as a show at the Top of the World at Disney’s Contemporary Resort in the early 1990’s became the longest running Cinderella Castle stage show in the history of Walt Disney World. Celebrate the Season packed more performers in than any other show to ever perform at the venue and was for the most part enjoyed by everyone who saw it. That being said, it probably was time for it to go. Celebrate the Season will be replaced by Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration on November 9th at the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Since replaced by a Frozen Holiday Wish, the original Cinderella Castle lighting show was Cinderella’s Holiday Wish. When the Cinderella Castle Holiday Dreamlights debuted in 2007, they were an immediate hit with guests. It’s hard to deny the magic of the holiday lights on the castle, but was the Cinderella lighting show better than Frozen? I’m not so sure. I’m not one to jump on the Frozen hype train, but Elsa creating a layer of shimmering ice on the castle makes a lot of sense. Regardless, the old show was still good, maybe just because it was the first time ever that we got to see the Castle decorated for the holidays in some significant fashion.
What seemed to some like a haphazard overlay of a parade to give Animal Kingdom some sort of holiday season offering was actually a pretty clever concept. Costuming and music changes, as well as the addition of a hot chocolate smell coming from Donald’s truck, made Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade a tremendous amount of fun. I still believe that every version of this parade was vastly underrated and I wish they would ring it back. Last I heard, all of thew floats were still in one piece. Glad to hear that they didn’t “SpectroMagic” this one…
A true classic that it is hard to believe has been gone for 10 years now. There were three versions of the Country Bear Jamboree show at the Magic Kingdom, the original (1971-1986, 1991-present), Country Bear Vacation Hoe-Down (1986-1991), and every holiday season starting in 1984, the Country Bear Jamboree Christmas Special. Supposedly, the budget from this went into the Cinderella Castle Dreamlights, which without a doubt more guests see every year than ever saw this show. Regardless, I would still love to see this return someday (a version of it can still be seen at Tokyo Disneyland though).
Perhaps the greatest character stage show ever presented at the Magic Kingdom Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas combined live musicians, dancers, and Disney characters for a fun retelling of a holiday classic. The show ran for many years at the Galaxy Palace Theater before the theater was torn down. In its place, the often despised “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” was created.
I know this one still looms heavy in the hearts of many, myself included. The Osborne Lights were a staple of the Studios before they ever danced, but once the display moved to Streets of America and was sychirmnoized to music, it became an indelible piece of Walt Disney World history. It was everything the holidays at the parks should be: larger than life, covered in lights, a display of cutting edge technology, all while still being incredibly heartwarming. Will they ever return to Walt Disney World? With the amount of money being left on the table by not offering this, I can’t imagine a Walt Disney World theme park won’t someday host the lights one more time.
Sadly, the display was a victim of where it was. The only thing that made the display possible was a large, mostly underutilized empty street towards the back of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Not to defend Disney, but there is nowhere that logistically could make this work today. Disney Springs would be overcrowded as the offering would be made free, no resort hotel has the parking area large enough, and no park currently has a space that could handle it. The only hope I see is a custom built area that is an expansion of a park, otherwise the Osborne lights will likely never return to Disney World.
While these offering can not be seen anymore at Walt Disney World, it still promises to be an exciting holiday season with a new castle stage show and new fireworks spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Before we get into the new, I was feeling particularly nostalgic, so I wanted to give everyone a refresher course on the older offerings so as we can compare them to the new once they debut. Here’s hoping for a merry and bright holiday season at Walt Disney World, even without the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
What do you think? Which of these was your favorite? Are there any you missed that you wished you had seen in person? Let me know in the comments below.
From a gala dine-around at California Grill high atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort to celebrations around World Showcase at Epcot and waterfront at Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, there are lots of ways for you to ring in the New Year at Walt Disney World Resort.
New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World
California Grill New Year’s Eve Dinner – With spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom Park, this dine-around style gala features cooking stations throughout the restaurant. Plus, a host of favorite Disney Characters will make appearances.
The event takes place from 7:30 p.m.-midnight. The price is $650 per person.
Victoria & Albert’s New Year’s Eve Dinner – A luxurious evening in this AAA Five Diamond restaurant features gracious “butler-style” service, live harp music and personalized menus to remember the special evening. Seatings are available between 6-7:45 p.m. The price is $600 per person.
New Year’s Eve at Epcot World ShowPlace –This all-you-care-to-eat extravaganza is a real family affair featuring photo ops with fun vignettes for posing (but no Disney Characters) and Disney tunes. Seatings are available from 3-9 p.m. The cost is $72.90 for adults and $44.38 for children (ages 3-11). And, later in the evening, you can head out to the promenade for fireworks over World Showcase Lagoon to welcome 2017.
Monsieur Paul New Year’s Eve Dinner – In the elegant upstairs dining room at the France pavilion at Epcot, you can feast on a four-course, prix fixe menu of classical French cuisine. Six seatings are available on New Year’s Eve: 11:45 a.m., Noon, 2:15 p.m., 2:45 p.m., 5:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. The price is $110.81. Plus, a special late-night dinner with two seatings are available at 8:45p.m. and 9:45p.m. The price is $305.03.
Narcoossee’s New Year’s Eve Dinner – Located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, this generous four-course menu is offered with seatings between 5 and 5:45 p.m. A five-course menu is offered with seating from 8:30-9:25 p.m. for a late-night celebration with live music. The first seating $150 for adults and $70 for children ages 3-9. The second seating is $255 for adults and $95 for children ages 3-9.
Book your Clients today via Disneyworld.com/Dine or by calling 407-WDW-DINE.
A Louisiana Man attempted to bring a loaded firearm into the Epcot theme park on Monday, according to reports.
The weapon was found at the security check point at the entrance to the park, prior to the metal detector area. The man disclosed he had a gun on him prior to being screened. The loaded Smith and Wesson Bodyguard .380 Automatic was found in a case underneath a jacket tied around Michael Langston of Abita Springs, LA.
The deputy wrote in the arrest report that Langston had no plans to declare his weapon to authorities prior to being chosen for screening and planned to bring the loaded weapon into the park if he wasn’t stopped. The man was arrested as he was in possession of a concealed firearm with no permit.
