REVIEW: American Holiday Table at Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 2017

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

Our next review of the marketplaces at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays is the American Holiday table, located just outside of The American Adventure pavilion in World Showcase.

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Here’s the menu:

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  • Slow-Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce – $5.25, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Seared Pork Tenderloin with Holiday Accompaniments: Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges and a Champagne Demi-Glace – $5.50, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Chocolate Pecan Tart with Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce – $4.50, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Orange Blossom Brewing Cranberry Kringle Pilsner, Orlando, FL – $4.25
  • Shipyard® Eggnog White Porter, Clearwater, FL – $4.25
  • JDub’s Season’s Greetings Peppermint Milk Stout, Sarasota, FL – $4.25
  • Holiday Beer Flight – $9.00
  • Kurt Russell’s GoGi Wines Chardonnay “Goldie,” California – $10.00
  • Kurt Russell’s GoGi Wines Pinot Noir, California – $15.00
  • Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings® Winter Spice Tea and Butterscotch Schnapps – $8.50
  • Cocoa Candy Cane: Nestlé® Chocolate Delights Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps – $8.00
  • Firenog: TG Lee® Eggnog with Fireball® Cinnamon Whisky – $9.50
  • Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings Winter Spice Tea (non-alcoholic) – $4.25, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Nestlé Chocolate Delights Hot Cocoa (non-alcoholic) – $3.00, DDP Snack Eligible
  • TG Lee® Eggnog (non-alcoholic) – $3.00, DDP Snack Eligible

OK let’s try some of these items…

Slow-Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans and Cranberry Sauce – $5.25

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This was really, really good. The turkey was cooked very nicely, the stuffing tasted good, and the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce blended perfectly with it. The unadvertised strignbeans were a nice touch too, marking the only time I think I have ever enjoyed this side.

Seared Pork Tenderloin with Holiday Accompaniments: Green Bean Casserole, Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges and a Champagne Demi-Glace – $5.50

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I really enjoyed the pork as it was quite well cooked and really tender. I’m not sure that the sides qualify as a casserole, but they are good nonetheless. Highly recommend this if you want something familiar and good.

Chocolate Pecan Tart with Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce – $4.50

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I also enjoyed the pecan tart quite a bit, but you’re really going to need to love nutty desserts to have this one. The crust was nice and crispy and everything was well accented by the heavy dose of caramel sauce and whipped cream. 

Holiday Beer Flight – $9.00, Orange Blossom Brewing Cranberry Kringle Pilsner – $4.25, Shipyard® Eggnog White Porter – $4.25, JDub’s Season’s Greetings Peppermint Milk Stout – $4.25

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I was in the minority on this one, but I enjoyed Eggnog White Porter and the Peppermint Milk Stout, but they are both likely “acquired tastes”. As usual with a beer flight, you are using this as an opportunity to try and these are not beers you can get all year long, so it’s at least worth a shot in my opinion.

Chocolate Apple Shake featuring Twinings® Winter Spice Tea and Butterscotch Schnapps – $8.50

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This was kind of a disappointment, a definite downgrade from the version that was sold last year. I would describe the flavor in depth, but it was honestly very forgettable and I can’t remember a single thing about it.

Cocoa Candy Cane: Nestlé® Chocolate Delights Hot Cocoa with Peppermint Schnapps – $8.00

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It is what is says it is, but I like it. Yes, it is more expensive than if you made it yourself at home, but you’re not at home are you? If you’re in the mood for such a thing, this will do the trick, but it is just hot cocoa and Peppermint Schnapps…

Firenog: TG Lee® Eggnog with Fireball® Cinnamon Whisky – $9.50

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A holdover from last year,  the firenog was good (the small drink on the left), 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.

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REVIEW: Feast of the Three Kings, Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 2017

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

We continue our series of reviews of the booths for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays 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.

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Here’s the menu:

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  • Shredded Beef Tamale with Avocado Crema and Cilantro Rice – $5.75, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Roasted Pork with Mashed Yucca and Pickled Green Bananas (Gluten-Free) – $5.25, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Three Kings Bread – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Coquito with a Bacardi Rum Floater – $9.00
  • Coquito – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Presidente Pilsner – $4.00

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Shredded Beef Tamale with Avocado Crema and Cilantro Rice – $5.75

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The shredded beef tamale is 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.

Roasted Pork with Mashed Yucca and Pickled Green Bananas (Gluten-Free) – $5.25

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This roasted pork dish is one not to be missed. The pork was cooked perfectly and the yucca as well 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.

Three Kings Bread – $4.00, DDP Snack Eligible

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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.

Coquito with a Bacardi Rum Floater – $9.00

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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.

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

WDWNT on December 1, 2017

We continue our series of reviews of the booths for the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays this year by visiting the Yukon Holiday Kitchen today. This marketplace can be found next door to the Refreshment Port, just steps away from the Canada pavilion.

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Here’s the menu:

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  • Seared Salmon with Crown Royal® Whisky Glaze, Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney and Hazelnut Croquant – $5.50, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere with Canadian Ketchup – $5.00, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple Mousse rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake with Cranberry Sauce and Pecan Crumble – $4.50, DDP Snack Eligible
  • Chateau de Charmes Riesling Icewine – $6.00
  • Neige Apple Ice Wine – $5.50
  • Red Stone Cabernet Franc Ice Wine – $8.75
  • Icewine Flight – $6.50
  • Fielding Estate Pinot Grigio – $4.75
  • Fielding Estate Red Conception – $7.00
  • Frozen Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky – $10.00
  • Unibroue Éphémère Elderberry – $4.25

Seared Salmon with Crown Royal® Whisky Glaze, Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney and Hazelnut Croquant – $5.50

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One of the items I would deem a “must buy” at this event,  the salmon was cooked to perfection and had this flavorful maple glaze that really pushed it over the edge. I could have done without the apple chutney, but the Hazelnut Croquant went very well with the fish.

Traditional French Canadian Tourtiere with Canadian Ketchup – $5.00

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Another one of my absolute favorites from the entire Festival, this is brilliant in its simplicity. It’s pretty sizable, the crust is flaky and delicious, and the pork is wonderfully prepared, but what makes the dish is the ketchup. This isn’t Heinz from a bottle, and it may very well be from a bottle, but it tastes more like it was made from scratch. I need to find this ketchup to use at home. I’m joking, I don’t cook at home, I have to eat at Epcot festivals most days of the year.

Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple Mousse rolled in Gingerbread Chiffon Cake with Cranberry Sauce and Pecan Crumble – $4.50

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This was rather enjoyable, but I find myself wanting a dessert like this to be chocolate. That being said, maple mousse and gingerbread cake is a nice diversion, paired well with the cranberry sauce and the pecans. If you want a more traditional yule log, I suggest a walk over to Les Halles (the France bakery).

Icewine Flight – $6.50; Chateau de Charmes Riesling Icewine – $6.00, Neige Apple Ice Wine – $5.50, Red Stone Cabernet Franc Ice Wine – $8.75

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I’m not a big ice wine fan as they are just too sweet for me, but I was assured by several others in our party that this was a good flight. The Red Stone Cabernet Franc Ice Wine was my favorite of the three as I’m partial to strawberry, but not something I would personally order again. If you like ice wine, this is a good opportunity to try three though, so don’t listen to me.

Frozen Coffee with Tap 357 Whisky – $10.00

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I really loved this, but I do have a soft spot for coffee and alcohol when they’re mixed together. There was plenty of alcohol in this and a nice maple flavor to it. I highly recommend it.

Unibroue Éphémère Elderberry – $4.25

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This beer is light, fruity, low in carbonation, easy to drink, and much less medicinal in flavor than one might expect. It’s worth a try if you are so inclined.

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Epcot Re-Imagined Part 4: The Land Pavilion

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Editor’s Note: This series is a look at how one staff member would re-imagine Epcot pavilions. Previous articles in the series can be found here.

Hypothetical Future World is slowly getting better pavilion by pavilion. After leaving the now eventful and exciting Innoventions pavilions, I’m gonna take a stroll over to Imagination’s neighbor, The Land.

An original Epcot Future World pavilion, The Land has kept the same overarching theme, a celebration of the earth and nature, since its inception in 1982. However, what’s contained inside has gone through some dramatic changes. The dining options have modernized and gotten the character treatment, but the attractions have gone through more.

What was once Kitchen Kabaret, a simple animatronic stage show, became Food Rocks, another stage show “in moderation”, but in 2005, everything changed with the addition of Soarin’ from DCA, and a completely new show building. Listen to the Land became Living with the Land, and the boat tour guides were replaced by automatic spiels. Symbiosis, a boring environmental film, was replaced by Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, a boring environmental film with the characters from The Lion King as the stars. They didn’t really help much.

The main changes took place around 1993, when Nestle took over Kraft as the main sponsor of the pavilion. Probably the most significant changes were the removal of the giant fountain in the middle of the ground floor of the pavilion and the music loop, creatively combining jazz standards and folk classics.

The Land as it sits today is in need of some upgrades, some much more dramatic than others, but it can certainly be re-imagined. Sunshine Seasons, The Garden Grill, Soarin’ and Living with the Land will see minor changes, but will not be replaced in our plan.

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Sunshine Seasons won’t be touched, but the fountain will come back in a smaller scope, still allowing for an ample seating area on the ground floor.

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Living with the Land will be updated with modern images of what’s going on in our society, and the live narrator will be revived.

The Garden Grill will get a revamped menu. Out with the family-style “buffet”, in with cuisine celebrating the earth and nature.

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Soarin’ Around the World now has a great new film, a refreshing change from the California-centric original. So the film will be kept, but I much prefer the the original Jerry Goldsmith score rather than the updated Bruce Broughton version, so the plan is to bring back the old score, combining the best of the original with the new.

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Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable, will be completely removed due to low popularity among guests. Its replacement is a tribute to the first two decades of the pavilion’s history: an animatronic stage show about food, The Food Follies, will be added in. The name is temporary for the moment.

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Unlike its predecessors, Kitchen Kabaret and Food Rocks, this new show will have the latest in audio-animatronic figures. Not only that, but the cast will feature well-known voices from the Disney animated universe, appealing to guests of all ages.

Another change, also evoking the tone of the original Land, will be the introduction of a new music loop, with new modern jazz from groups such as Snarky Puppy, another tribute to the past.

These changes should modernize The Land and will create more guest traffic.

Next time, I’m going to save the Universe of Energy before Imagineering changes it to Guardians of the Galaxy.

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PHOTOS: Long-Delayed Choza de Margarita Now Open in Mexico at Epcot

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Choza de Margarita has finally opened just outside of the Mexico pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.

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Below, we take a look at the menu:

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Here are a few of the items offered:

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Tacos al Pastor, $9.25

 

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Empanadas de Barbacoa, $9.75

 

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Guacamole, $7.95

 

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Wild Strawberry and Passion Mango Frozen Margarita, $10.50

 

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Choza de Margarita is now open daily at Epcot.

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Hidden Holiday Treasures at the Walt Disney World Resort

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

By Barbara Cash, Small World Big Fun Disney Authorized Travel Agent

So you are going to Disney World during the holiday season but, for whatever reason, you didn’t purchase tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom. No worries! There is so much to see and do at Disney World to get into the holiday spirit.

Below are some “insider” tips and advice for things to do that are not always included in the standard maps and guides.  If you have any questions you can contact me anytime!

  1. Check out the resorts. Every Disney resort will be decked out in their themed holiday splendor. The Grand Floridian has a huge gingerbread house and a five-story Christmas tree.  Many nights, the deluxe resorts also have characters in the lobby taking pictures with guests and signing autographs.  Last year, after finishing dinner at ‘Ohana at The Polynesian, my family was greeted by Mickey and Minnie in the lobby decked out in their Hawaiian holiday attire. Most of these activities aren’t listed in map guides or schedule sheets. These are just special moments guests happen upon while visiting Disney World.
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  2. Visit Disney Springs. Grab a hot chocolate from Ghirardelli’s and take a stroll through the Disney-themed Christmas trees along the Trail of Trees. If you need to wrap up your holiday shopping, the options are almost limitless!  There is no cost to visit Disney Springs.  Take a stroll, have a snack, and take in all the decorations.
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  3. Explore the holiday decorations in the parks. At Epcot, Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree is a fun scavenger hunt around World Showcase. Be sure to visit the Santas Around the World and learn a little about his history and traditions in other countries.  In Hollywood Studios, there are special fireworks and throwback decorations from earlier eras.
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  4. Last but not least… the food!  The special treats at Disney World are always great but they are completely over the top during the holiday season. Everything from Christmas-themed caramel apples to the Holiday Waffle featured at the Holiday Marketplace in Epcot – It’s a sweet potato waffle base stuffed with roast turkey and topped with green bean casserole!
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The holiday season is a special time at Disney World.  You can visit resorts, take in the decorations at the theme parks, happen upon special groups sharing their cheer, and have some fantastic treats that are beyond the usual at Disney World.  Don’t let the lack of a party ticket keep you from getting into holiday cheer.

Barbara Cash is an Agent with WDWNT’s Exclusive Disney Travel Partner – Small World Big Fun. You can learn more about Barbara here. 

Permits for Ratatouille Attraction & Expanded France Pavilion Reveal New Details of Epcot Project

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

A new round of permits have been filed for the upcoming Ratatouille attraction to be located at the France pavilion in Epcot.

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This permit shows the expansive show building to be constructed on the expansion pad between Morocco and France. If you look back to our detailed analysis in June, you’ll see that most of the buildings we predicted would be relocated are indeed now shown in their new locations.

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You’ll see in the lower right corner the new cast break building as well as relocated merchandise “sheds” located behind Morocco.

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North of the new show building you’ll find the one existing entertainment trailer as well as the newly-relocated entertainment trailer.

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What is most interesting in these new plans is the new area leading to the attraction, filled with new shopping and dining options.

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The new path will follow the canal side of the existing pavilion, then curve along the back of the existing pavilion until it meets with the show building for Ratatouille. While we don’t know everything about this new street area, we do know there is a restroom facility and that one of the new food options will be a establishment selling crepes.

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Stay tuned to WDW News Today as these plans slowly comes to fruition, and we’ll bring you updates as construction commences.

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TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (11/8/17) – The Math Game, Ranking Epcot Table and Quick Service Restaurants, & More!

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

Tonight! The Math Game is back, we’re ranking every restaurant at Epcot, and the Hall of Presidents still isn’t open.

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If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to 105.5 FM or AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside of the Orlando area, the show can be watched via video stream at listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. You can also use WDWNT: The App to watch and chat along. The show also utilizes a live chat and the ability to call-in to interact with the show. WDW News Tonight is hosted by Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, but also features appearances by a number of other WDWNT correspondents.

Coming up on this week’s show:

  • A recap of the week’s news (with a WDWNT comedic twist)
  • An in-depth discussion ranking every restaurant at Epcot
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “WDWNT: The Math Game” for prizes provided by WDWNT: The App
  • And more!

We hope that you will tune in tonight at 9PM ET for another episode of WDW News Tonight!

If you missed last week’s show, you can watch it below:

Disney Provides Update On 2018 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

Today, Disney provided an update on plans for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.

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Richly-hued floral beds and floating gardens adorn the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The festival, which runs a record 90 days March 2-May 30, 2016 at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., also features dozens of character topiaries, stunning floral displays, gardening seminars and the Garden Rocks concert series – all included in regular Epcot admission. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

Held each day from February 28 – May 28, 2018, the Festival’s 25th anniversary event will feature fan favorites like exhibits, events and tastings including:

  • Disney Character Topiaries
    15 Outdoor Kitchens serving creative, flavor-rich cuisine that highlights spring garden offerings
  • Garden Rocks music series – with its classic rock ‘n’ roll stars from the ‘60s, ‘70s ‘80s and ‘90s. Garden Rocks Dining packages will be available for certain Epcot restaurants – pairing a fabulous meal with reserved seating for your favorite concert
  • Garden Tours – Including Gardens of the World Tour (spring edition); the English Tea Garden Tour; and Royal Tea Garden Tour (extra fee required)
  • New interactive kids play areas
  • And – of course – the millions of extra plants, trees, shrubs, flowers and themed gardens that decorate Epcot in spring.
  • Also returning will be the Egg-Stravaganza scavenger hunt and hand-crafted and Festival merchandise to extend an already-packed day of adventure at Epcot.

For more information on the Festival, check out EpcotinSpring.com.