Among the many things to look forward to each year at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is the gorgeous exhibit of orchids at the Mexico pavilion.
Since I’m at EPCOT right now, I thought I’d share a little of their beauty with you
More below the jump
Read More »EPCOT Orchid Explosion
In the old Odyssey restaurant at EPCOT there is currently a temporary annual passholder lounge where they’re converting paper tickets to the new RFID enabled plastic tickets. In the lobby is a fun collection of objects from the history of the resort. One of them… Read More »[Video] Animatronic Hand
There is no more colorful theme park than EPCOT when the Flower & Garden festival is in full bloom. For 20 years it has been a must stop destination for Disney fans who also appreciated the colors of spring, talents of the gardener, and who hoped to maybe pick up a tip or two for their own home garden. If you wanted food and drink you had to go to that other festival in the fall.
This year, Disney decided to import a little of the fall flavor into the spring lineup and the result is a new mix of floral and food. While I don’t have Disney’s internal numbers, my personal observations and the reports of others indicate that the food and drink offerings haven’t been all that popular. That’s a shame because there really is some great food out there.
I hope Disney doesn’t throw out this idea after just one attempt. Next year guests will know what to expect and Disney will have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.
If you follow me below the jump, I have a short review of a number of the food and drink selections that I’ve had the opportunity to try. Read More »Sampling the Food at EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival
I found Dan Gooding’s YouTube channel about a year ago, but he keeps churning out these incredible Disney Theme Park medleys. Recently, he put together a two-part Epcot medley to celebrate the 30th anniversary (One part for Future World and one part for World Showcase).… Read More »Videopolis – Incredible Disney Parks’ Medleys!
There was deinintely a thrill in the crowd when the Iron Man 3 wrapped monorail coasted into view at the Magic Kingdom yesterday. I was able to get a couple of shots from Train Station platform. This is the third monorail to be wrapped by… Read More »The Iron Man 3 Monorail Debuts at Walt Disney World
Disney has pulled off a great bit of video fun with their latest viral marketing effort for the Flower & Garden Festival at EPCOT. They created a ‘topiary’ of Captain Hook to advertise the festival then set it up in various spots around town. Next… Read More »Disney Topiary Featured In Surprise Viral Video
EPCOT Food and Wine festival fans, you might want to pack your bags early this year and come down during the Flower and Garden festival. Some of the fall magic is being added to the spring festival and beautiful things are happening.
This year, new Garden Marketplaces are making their food and beverage debut at the 20th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival which runs from March 6-May 19, 2013. The annual festival will highlight the natural progression from garden to table at the 12 Garden Marketplaces around World Showcase.
Frankly, this move is long overdue. It makes no sense for Disney to restrict the goodness we all love about the Food and Wine festival to just those six weeks of the year. Yes, the festivals are meant to draw guests to the parks in what is usually a down time in terms of tourism visits. But to be honest, there really isn’t an off-season at Walt Disney World anymore. EPCOT could take advantage of this shift by becoming known world wide as a mecca for amazing food and drink and the chefs and artists who bring them to the public. There are a few obstacles in the way (Disney Dining Plan for one), but many of the facilities required to make this happen already exist.
“That progression is showcased with raised garden beds around the marketplaces that will be growing some of the produce and herbs in the dishes,” says Epcot Executive Chef Jens Dahlmann. “We want to show our guests how food grows to help make that connection from the kitchen to the garden.”
“Each marketplace has three to four dishes, and they are unique to the festival,” says Dahlmann. Culinary creations from Epcot chefs range from smokehouse barbecue to sweet “frushi” made with fresh fruits and coconut rice, and are paired perfectly with refreshing brews and beverages at each location.
Of course, some have started calling this Booze and Blooms. But it’s in good spirit, I think. I mean how can it not be after looking at this amazing menu of food and drinks Disney is preparing:
Read More »EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival Unveils Expanded Food and Drink Options
Looking for something different that’s fun for kids and extra-special for grownups? Guests visiting Disney World from March 6th through May 19th can check out Epcot’s Flower and Garden Festival. First-time visitors with young children often overlook Epcot, assuming that it’s mainly for older kids, but there’s so much hands-on learning and fun at the Festival that a visit is well worth your time. In addition to flower towers, playgrounds, over 100 topiary, 240 floating mini-gardens, and countless beds with hundreds of blooms, this years festival offers a few surprises:
