Tag Archives: WDW

Ten Reasons to Try Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival

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I’m no expert, having been only once, but I can tell you –  Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival is a great big bunch of fun!  Raymond and I went last year and are planning another trip to the festival with our (adult) children in 2016…We can’t wait to show them the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that make up one of the very best special events Walt Disney World has to offer.  53 Days of awesomeness!  We’ve tried Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival, we’ve completely enjoyed Star Wars Weekends, but now that the kids will both be over 21 – it’ll be time to eat and drink (responsibly) and enjoy this experience together.  We can’t WAIT!

Ten Reasons to Try Epcot’s Food & Wine FestivalRM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Passport

1.  The Food & Wine Festival invites a more relaxed, laid back touring style.  Nobody’s in a hurry.  Folks are friendly, they share tables, strike up conversations.  Mosey, meander, sample scrumptious, international flavors, and do NOT rush from attraction to attraction in full commando-mode.  It’ll be fine to resume the hard-core touring tomorrow.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Griddled-Cheese

2.  Plan or Don’t Plan – Free-styling is okay!  Roam around World Showcase for hours on end – it’s a great reason to give yourself permission to go un-planned, un-FastPass+-ed, footloose and fancy free.  There are some amazing resources online that will allow you to preview all the food booth offerings before you go and select your Top Ten must-tries (or more).  A strategy is good!  So is a festival-on-the-fly attitude.  Plan some, un-plan some – no matter what, you’ll find something to love.Epcot-International-Food-and-Wine-Festival

3.  Weekdays are the BEST!  Most valuable advice we got pre-festival was to avoid weekends and it proved to be most excellent info!  The crowds were low when we hit the festival about 11:00 am with our special passport booklets and a loose plan for booths we didn’t want to miss.

4. Chillax with Music!  The “Eat to the Beat” concert series means you can pause to digest and ruminate to the tunes of well-know musical artists.  If I were going this year, I would totally want to see and hear Rick Springfield!  When I was 17, he was the man of my dreams!  (Hush, I know I’m old.)  *Sigh*  But Jessie’s Girl!  Live!  Squee!!!RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Table

5.  Splurge!!!  There are all kinds of special events within this special event.  Food & wine pairings, food & beer pairings, mixology seminars, culinary demonstrations, cheese seminars – whatever your taste, there’s something for you.  And merch!  Food & Wine has some really fantastic festival merchandise.  Posters and tee-shirts are just the beginning.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Landscape2

6. The Weather is Fine!  From late September to mid-November, the weather is some of the best you’ll ever find.  October average rainfall is about 3.3 inches compared to June’s of 7.6 inches.  With average temperature lows in the 60’s and highs in the 80’s, it’s an absolutely delightful time to be outdoors strolling among the Food & Wine booths.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Menu-Scotland

7. A Party in Your Mouth!  So many choices!  Exotic and familiar, meat, cheese, seafood, veggies – whatever you crave, sweet or savory, you’ll find something to your liking along the way.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Pepper-Bacon-Hash

8. Sample Awesome Adult Beverages – Yes, the servings are small and pricey, but fun.  Every booth has pairings of wine or beer to enjoy with different food items offered.  Be brave and reap the rewards!RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Menu-Boeuf-Bourguignon

9. Add a Touch of Romance – The World Showcase is a great place to experience as a couple.  Even more so during the Food & Wine Festival.  Pre-purchase a Memory Maker photo package for your trip and take advantage of the abundant Disney photographers stationed throughout the World Showcase to capture a romantic moment.EPCOT_BACKSIDE 4_7072200359

10.  Share! (and know when not to) – There’s so much to sample, getting a small bite here and there will allow you do try more flavors, but a few of the festival’s booths offer seriously amazing culinary delights (like Crispy Pork Belly) – you might need to savor an entire serving all on your own.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-Crispy-Pork-Belly

Disneyana: Limited Edition Viking Vinylmation

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Troll-in-NorwayHappy Saturday Disney Fans!  Having just returned from Norway, a little something (or I should say someone) caught my eye over at Disney Musings when I was looking for a Saturdays With Nick article to share with you.  Trolls!  I always suspected the many trolls in the Norway pavilion were a way to tie Norwegian folklore into the country’s little corner of Epcot and that trolls wouln’t be as plentiful in the actual country of Norway.  I was wrong!  Trolls abound in Norway!  Fat trolls, skinny trolls, trolls that climb on rocks, tough trolls, sissy trolls, even trolls with chicken pox…oh, wait…sorry, got carried away. (Bonus points if you known what just happened there!)  Sure, they’re in souvenir shops, but in a lot of other places as well.  Nick made a great find and, as he tends to do, a great bargain for this particular addition to his Disneyana collection…

Disneyana:  Limited Edition Viking Vinylmation

 By Nick

Why am I posing with a family of strangers holding this Vinylmation?

This is a funny but true story, and I have pictures to prove it!

While in Walt Disney World in 2012, we stopped in to The Puffin’s Roost, the shop at Epcot’s Norway Pavilion.

They had a really great Viking Hat, with Mickey ears.

Making this an even cooler collectible, was the exclusive viking Vinylmation figure that came with it.

His shield on his back. There is a tiny little scuff mark on his helmet, no doubt from when he was in some battle!

AND it’s limited to 1000 pieces. 2 artists names on this figure, Doug Strayer and Maria Clapsis.

AND, it was marked down, from, if memory serves from $60 to $20!
While considering this purchase, another family was also looking at the hat, but they just wanted the hat, they had no interest in the Vinylmation Viking. In fact, they had no clue as to what Vinylmation was.

Shocking, I know.

While the hat was funny, the truth was, neither my wife or I would wear it often enough to justify just the effort of getting it home.

But I wanted the Viking.

As we were contemplating our next move, the family decided they would buy the hat. SO I offered to split the cost, if they were willing to part with the Vinyl Viking. They were!

Making the deal even better was the fact that as a Premium Annual Passholder, I got a 20% discount. So we each got what we wanted for a fraction of the original price!

A happy ending for all at the Happiest Place on Earth!

So many Disney treasures in Nick and Barbie’s collection!  To see more, follow them on all their social medias!!!  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.

 

Disney Attractions I Love (More Than I Should)

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RM-Country-Bears-HenryYou know I love a Friday Five and today’s no different.  I have, at any given time, about 27 blog post ideas running around in my head vying for attention, but this one was completely off the radar and sprung up out of nowhere!  In my Disney geek-ery, I usually shout from the mountain tops (like Expedition Everest, Space, Splash and Big Thunder Mountains) about those E-Ticket attractions that (most of) you and I find irresistible.  But what about the less popular stuff?  What makes my little heart pitter-patter among the non-headliners?  You KNOW you’ve got at least a couple of favorite rides that you have to fight for – nobody understands the passion, it’s yours and yours alone.

Disney Attractions I Love (More Than I Should)

The Seas With Nemo and Friends (Epcot) – I have no explanation other than I’m crazy about pretty much any and all omnimovers.  Combine that with how much I have always loved Finding Nemo and I’m dragging my family aboard a clam-mobile on every single visit!  There I ride, sitting on the edge of my…what…mollusk-innards?  Soaking up the tiny details and listening to the comments by my favorite Nemo characters as we glide along.  I love this thing!  Don’t try to talk me out of it.  Just get in the clam or get out of my way.RM-The-Seas-Mr-Ray

Primeval Whirl (Animal Kingdom, Dinoland U.S.A.) – About the most ridiculous attraction in all the World, right?  Wrong!  For me, it’s not too fast, not too spin-ny, not too jerky – just a big bunch of weird fun.  The vehicle is like something the Jetsons would own, the queue is akin to waiting in a cartoon.  If I could explain this ride’s magnetic draw, I’d break the spell and avoid the ridicule.  I. Cannot. Resist.RM-Primeval-Whirl-Sign

Country Bear Jamboree (Magic Kingdom, Frontierland)- I blame Curtis Stone (Geekin’ on WDW Podcast) for my semi-newfound addiction to the Bears.  I wouldn’t have made a visit to this ride ever-for-the-rest-of-my-life but for Curt waxing poetic about its allure.  If you avoid over-analysis of certain song lyrics and just enjoy the Wild-West-Saloon style of entertainment, you’re bound to notice the genius of this particular brand of Disney magic.  Seriously, I love the bears…baby Oscar in particular.RM-Country-Bears-Baby-Oscar

Jungle Cruise (Magic Kingdom, Adventureland) – Cheesy, eye-rolling, sheer perfection in pun-delivery.  What’s not to love?  From the queue’s announcements to the names of the boats to the unbelievably adorable animatronics, this attraction’s got a lot going for it.  Add comic artistry in the form of boat captain commentary and this ride is hard to beat!  No, really!  Where else on earth can you experience the backside of water?  Classic Disney fun!RM-Jungle-Cruise-Backside-of-Water

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros – I’m stealthy about this one.  I act all nonchalant about going into the Mexico pavilion in Epcot.  It’s not a family favorite, but I’m getting on this ride if I can manipulate the situation properly.  I love Donald Duck!  He’s my favorite character (in case you hadn’t heard) and I’m going to check times for possible Fiesta Donald meet-and-greets when we’re in Epcot.  Once we’ve paused at the Mexico pavilion for my moment with Donald, I’ll just casually suggest we take a small detour and hit the Gran Fiesta Tour.  Works every time.  The chances of my family reading this today are slim, so shhhhhh.  Don’t ruin this by telling them.RM-Gran-Fiesta-Tour

Now you go.  Which not-so-popular attractions are your own personal favorites?

Surviving the Heat at Walt Disney World

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RM-Meg-Eating-Ice-CreamIf you’re planning a summer vacation at Disney World…or one in the spring…or fall, it’s gonna be HOT!  Sure, you should have strategies for beating the heat and avoid roasting and burning in the sun, but you can also make sure you carry just a few supplies in your park bag that can make coping with the whole sweaty, sticky, hot mess you (and your loved ones) will become much easier.

Surviving the Heat at Walt Disney World

Besides staying hydrated – which is the #1 thing you must focus on either by carrying your own beverages or taking advantage of Disney’s free ice water (available at restaurant counters upon request), here’s a list of what I make sure I keep with me on super hot days:RM-Baby-Wipes

1.  Baby wipes – I cannot tell you how much these mean to me!  I’ll wipe off sweaty arms and legs – oh, how heavenly a fresh neck feels!  Little ones perk up with a cool wipe-down and the overall advantage of toting around some wipes is that we feel instantly more…well, presentable.  If there’s no time to freshen up at our resort, these babies will do in a pinch and make us feel more suitable for a table service dinner.

2. Zip Lock Bags – For so many reasons!  You can carry a few of those baby wipes if you’ve invested in a large package of those.  You can pack your basic first aid supplies (see #3) in a zip lock.  You can even keep Disney pins for trading or Sharpies for autographs easy to find by toting them in a zip lock bag.  When traveling with little ones, sometimes a baby wipe just won’t do the trick.  Carry a clean washcloth in a zip lock bag – moisten when necessary and do a great big wash-down.  Then pop the dirty washcloth back in the zip lock so it doesn’t ruin anything else in your park bag.WDW Park Touring Necessities

3. Mini First Aid Kit – This has come in handy more times than I can say!  When the sun, heat, humidity and walking begin to take a toll, you’ll be ready.   Ibuprophen or Tylenol, band-aids, anti-chafing balm (oh, stop it with the “T.M.I” thing – you may appreciate this someday), sun screen, lip balm, blister relief, antacid, and even blotting papers (Thanks, Heather!).  You can find everything in travel or sample-size, bundle it up and be prepared to save the day!

4. Hair-aphernalia – I’m not talking about a huge inventory of hair products.  All you may need is a comb.  I like a brush and a travel-sized hairspray or, at the least, a ponytail holder or hair clip.  Call me old fashioned, but my mother raised me to be presentable at the dinner table.  Everyone can take a sec to tidy up – especially if we’ve been soaked on Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids or we’ve been tossed about on Rock’n’ Roller Coaster or Test Track.Building at Disney's Old Key West Resort

5. “Plan B” – This may come in many forms.  The first Plan B is that we might want to abandon the park during the hottest time of the day to enjoy a leisurely meal, go swimming, or just explore other resorts via monorail or boat.  Many rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train are just as, if not more, exciting at night when it’s at least a little cooler.  Other Plan B’s may be carrying a change of shoes and socks, a rain poncho, fresh shirt, or perhaps opting to watch things from afar rather than up close.

Once again, I’d be right there with you if you’re an obsessive planner!  In the warmest months, I’d advise you to plan to be ever ready to escape from, recover from, hide from, guard against, or otherwise cope with the heat.

Experienced Disney vacation fans!  What are your best tips for coping with the heat at Walt Disney World?