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The Fourth of July may have already come and gone this year, but we’re still celebrating America through some delicious food. Flavors of America Booth 2023 That’s right, The 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has officially begun and it has a LOT to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. It might sound overwhelming, and you might be wondering how you could possibly have time to take it all in during your next EPCOT visit. Well, that’s where we come in! We’re reviewing all the eats and sips of the festival so that you know ahead of time what’s worth the try and what’s worth the skip. Speaking of which, we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Flavors of America Booth. Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Over at Flavors of America, you’ll find a variety of available items — both returning menu items from other various booths and ones that are totally new! Of course, all of the available dishes are inspired by traditional American cuisine from both New England and the Southwest. Check out a list of the available items here: Food: Italian Hot Beef Sandwich with Shaved Beef, Spicy Giardiniera, and Au Jus on a French Roll (NEW) Cioppino: Seafood Stew with Saffron-infused Tomato-Fennel Broth and Sourdough Crostini (NEW) Chilaquiles: Corn Tortilla Chips tossed in Salsa Verde with Ranchero Chicken, Queso Fresco, Cilantro-Lime Crema, and a Soft-Poached Egg* (NEW) Freshly Baked Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing Menu Beverages: Rogue Dreamland American Lager, Ashland, OR (NEW) Goose Island Beer Co. Neon Beer Hug, Chicago, IL (NEW) Left Hand Brewing Sawtooth Amber Ale, Longmont, CO (NEW) Beer Flight (Featuring all three new beers) Since this booth has an almost entirely NEW menu, we’ll be trying everything, so get ready for the whole shabang, y’all. Yep, we’re even grabbing the yummy Freshly Baked Carrot Cake (which is NOT new, but we just couldn’t resist). When we’ve gotten it in the past, it’s been the perfect balance of sweet and spicy cake — topped with creamy and delicious cream cheese frosting. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Well, as far as the Rogue Dreamland American Lager goes, we thought it was VERY dry and mostly bitter. You know that bitter beer face you make sometimes? This one will give you that face. Rogue Dreamland American Lager The Left Hand Brewing Sawtooth Amber Ale is a bit lighter on the first sip but then comes in heavier after it sits for a while. It’s also more sour. Left Hand Brewing Sawtooth Amber Ale As for the Goose Island Beer Co. Neon Beer Hug, well, this one was our favorite of the three. It’s sweet and really is like a beer hug, so well, played whoever named this beer. Goose Island Beer Co. Neon Beer Hug OVERALL We absolutely loved the Italian Hot Beef sandwich and would order it again, and we can’t wait to try it when the weather isn’t so miserably hot. The Seafood Cioppino was also mostly a hit for us, as was the Carrot Cake. This is a booth you’ll want to hit up on those cooler days, maybe when fall begins to roll around. However, the Chilaquiles were a huge disappointment, especially as we expected something with more authentic Mexican flavors. Full Spread 2023 That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: We Ate the Whole NEW Menu at this EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Booth! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

BE WARNED. If you are reading this post while hungry, your stomach may start to grumble louder than you’ve ever heard it grumble before. 2023 Greece Booth Why? Well, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival has officially begun and there’s a LOT of food (and drinks) to enjoy. But don’t let the Festival overwhelm you, we’re here to guide you through it all. For now, we’re heading to the Greece Booth to tell you everything you need to know! Menu Over at the Greece Booth, you’ll find a variety of available items. There are four different food options available, three of which are returning and one of which is a NEW plant-based option. There are also some returning drinks to pick up, including a wine flight. Greece menu Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! And that’s only ONE booth — we’ve got tons more to cover! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! If you’re trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, we’re keeping you updated on all of the latest news. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What item from this booth are you most excited to try? Tell us below! The post Shh! We Have a Hack to Make a Delicious Snack Even BETTER at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Can you believe the week is almost over? Where did the week go?! Time to buy MORE Disney stuff It’s crazy how quickly time flies, but worry not! We’re about to have some fun! We’re sure you’ve seen all the latest deals on merch and the other essentials you’ve been looking for. Now, we’ve got even more for you, so let’s jump right in! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. There are a ton of sales happening at shopDisney right now like the “$12 Lunch Box With Select Backpack Purchase” sale so don’t miss out on those! ©Disney Grab this Mickey Mouse Lunch Box for $12 (normally $19.99) ©Disney When you buy a select backpack, you can grab this lunchbox for a $7.99 discount, and make sure you type in the code APPLE at checkout in the promo code section. View on shopDisney Grab this Mickey Mouse Backpack ©Disney What select backpack qualifies? Well, this Mickey Mouse Backpack is one of them! View on shopDisney There’s also an up to 60% off sale on Swim and Swim Accessories. ©Disney Don’t miss out on them. They’ll go quick! View on shopDisney Shop this Encanto Ear Hat Light-Up Living Magic Sketchbook Ornament – Night for 30% Off ©Disney And here’s the back: ©Disney And here’s how it looks all lit up: ©Disney This ornament is great for your holiday decor and for showing off your Encanto love! View on shopDisney It’s part of the Family Madrigal Must-Haves 30% off sale. ©Disney Take advantage of it before the deals are gone! View on shopDisney Shop The Mickey Mouse Club Backpack for $18 with any purchase ©Disney Join the jamboree and dive into the nostalgia with this backpack which features patterns of vintage The Mickey Mouse Club logos and icons. View on shopDisney Shop this Stitch Plush for $25 with any purchase ©Disney This adorable plush captures Stitch’s charm with rainbow detailing, purple ears, and an embroidered heart. Inspired by Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, this vibrant plush symbolizes inclusivity and is part of the Disney Pride Collection. View on shopDisney Shop this Disney Sketch Crossbody Bag by Dooney & Bourke ©Disney This crossbody bag is covered in a fun Disney Parks icon pattern featuring beloved characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Tinker Bell, and more. View on shopDisney With select Dooney & Bourke purchases, you can grab a cosmetic case for a $19 discount. ©Disney Take advantage of this discount before the deal is gone! View on shopDisney For additional savings, there’s a code for free shipping on orders of $75 or more — just type in SHIPMAGIC at checkout in the promos section. ©Disney Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney merchandise news! This Disney Halloween Loungefly Merch Is TOO Awesome to Skip! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What will you be picking up? Let us know down below! The post HURRY! These Disney Deals Won't Last Forever! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Y’all. We are eating SO much today, but we do it for YOU — and for science, of course! Flavors From Fire The 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has started, and we’re eating our way around the food booths so you’ll know what to eat at the festival, as well as what to skip. We’ve already showed you some of the merchandise available at the festival, and we’ll be checking out the Eat to the Beat concert series, too. But right now, we are ALL about the food, so let’s check out the Flavors From Fire booth! Menu Over at Flavors From Fire, you’ll find one of our returning favorites, the Smoked Corned Beef with House-made Potato Chips, Cheese Curds, Pickled Onions and Beer-Cheese Fondue. You’ll also find the Impossible Burger Slider here, which has previously been at the Earth Eats food booth (that booth won’t appear at this year’s festival). But there are also some NEW items to check out at Flavors From Fire this year, too! 2023 Menu Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats Let’s start with one of this year’s NEW items, the Chimichurri Marinated Skirt Steak Taco with crushed avocado, grilled corn salsa, pickled red onions, queso fresco, and cilantro-lime cream for $6.50. Chimichurri-Marinated Skirt Steak Taco This was surprisingly acidic due to the pickled onions, but the crema and avocado were nice and creamy. Sadly, the steak was slightly overcooked on our particular portion, a little bit chewier than we would’ve liked. Looks yummy! We also wish that the corn tortilla had been served warm, that would’ve made a big different in the overall effect here. All in all, this was fine, and the rating we give this might vary depending on how that steak was cooked on each particular visit. The other new snack here is Spiced Chocolate Tart with BBQ potato chip crust, salted whisky-caramel, and smoked sea salt for $4.75. Oh, you had us at Spiced Chocolate and Whisky. Spiced Chocolate Tart This tart was so deliciously chocolatey and fudgy, but there was a nice bit of spice at the bottom to round out the flavor profile. It was a little bit of a surprise — like the prize at the bottom of a cereal box! DESSERTTTT Now to the returning snacks. As we mentioned, the Smoked Corned Beef with house-made potato chips, cheese curds, pickled onions, and beer-cheese fondue for $6.50 is an old favorite that rarely disappoints. We always loved how that salty beef pairs with the creamy cheese, plus the pickled onion just adds an extra dimension of flavor. Note that this dish is also part of Emile’s Montage Fromage (aka the Cheese Crawl). Smoked Corned Beef This year, we loved this dish just as much as we have in the past! There were a lot of textures throughout, which added some dimension, and the cheese was AMAZING. It’s just generally a warm, comforting win as far as festival food goes and we think it’s one of the best options at the festival! (Really, it’s the cheese that wins us over. But are you actually surprised about that?!) If there was ONE reason we’d come back to Flavors From Fire, it would be the Corned Beef. YUM. Smoked Corned Beef with house-made potato chips, cheese curds, pickled onions, and beer-cheese fondue Also returning is the The Impossible Burger Slider with wasabi cream and spicy Asian slaw on a sesame seed bun for $6, although this was found at the Earth Eats food booth at last year’s festival. We’ve always felt that the portion size for this snack is a great value for the money, but we found the texture of the “meat” to be a bit off. Impossible Burger Slider If you’re not prepared for it, you would probably find the spice level on this burger to be a little shocking. (That wasabi ain’t playing!) The Impossible meat was a much better texture this year and we’d actually recommend it to plant-based eaters or meat-eaters. The extra flavors with the various elements really make this better than just a “fake” burger. Cross-section of burger Drinks All the drinks here are returning from previous years and include the Saugatuck Brewing Company Bonfire Beer which is $5.50 for a 6oz ($9.50 for a 12oz) and the Four Virtues Bourbon Barrel Zinfandel which is $6.50. The Swine Brine featuring Jim Beam Bourbon for $11 is also returning, but we had to try it again because it’s such a unique drink. Swine Brine It starts off with a sweet cocktail-ness and then immediately hits you with a strong flavor of chicken broth and BOY that was a smidge alarming. Also, the chicken inside the drink looked gray in color, which was pretty off-putting. Sadly, we didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as we had in the past, and we’d probably recommend a hard PASS based on this experience. OVERALL There were some definite winners at this booth, as well as some that didn’t measure up. The Impossible Slider and the Corned Beef are still some festival favorites that we’ll come back for again and again, and we really enjoyed that Chocolate Tart — try it if you’re a fan of spice. However, our taco was a bit of a letdown because of the meat and you’d have to have some VERY specific tastes to enjoy the Swine Brine. Full Spread That’s it for this food booth, but we have many more to go — and our stomachs are ready! So stay tuned to DFB for more reviews! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What items from this booth would you most want to try? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: There’s ONE Reason We Keep Coming Back to Flavors From Fire at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Happy EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, y’all! Food and Wine Passport One of the biggest events of the year has FINALLY kicked off in Disney World, and we’re excited to be here trying out all of the food booths, enjoying the entertainment, shopping the merchandise, and experiencing the activities. And now, we’re heading to check out one of the festival’s most popular offerings! Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt is back for another year at the Food & Wine Festival, and we’re ready to look for some rats! This is an activity made for the whole family. To get started, you can pick up a scavenger hunt map from one of the following locations: Disney Traders Port of Entry Creations Shop World Traveler at International Gateway Festival Merchandise Kiosks Hide and Squeak! The map comes with a set of stickers so that you can mark all the locations you complete in the scavenger hunt. There are 15 locations where little Remy figurines are hidden all around the park. This year the map is designed to fold up so it can fit in your bag more easily! 2023 Remy’s Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt Map You can purchase the map and sticker set for $9.99 while supplies last. Remy Scavenger Hunt Stickers Now that we’ve got ours in hand, let’s go on a scavenger hunt! You’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for little statues of Remy in the World Showcase — yes, the very same Remy from the Pixar film Ratatouille. Look out for Remy! Once you’ve completed the scavenger hunt, you can bring your map to the Creations Shop, Disney Traders, or World Traveler at International Gateway to pick up your prize. Redemption Location This year, the prize is an insulated lunch box. So cute! You can choose one of the four options. This is perfect for taking those festival leftovers home with you for later. 2023 Remy Scavenger Hunt Prizes We just love this unique prize and how useful it is! You can choose between Encanto, Figment, Remy, or Mickey designs. A look inside And it’s that simple! It’s a fun activity to check out with your family when you visit the festival, and it can be done leisurely as you stroll around the park. Stay tuned to DFB for more news and updates from the International Food & Wine Festival, including all the food reviews! We’ll keep you updated with everything you need to know to plan your vacation. Click Here for ALL the Details on the Festival IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever done this scavenger hunt before? Tell us in the comments! The post You've Gotta See the PRIZE for the Scavenger Hunt at the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you can help it, DO NOT pay full price for your Disney World vacation. Whether you take advantage of a Disney hotel discount, a dining promotion, or a merchandise deal, there is pretty much always a way to save a little money. Why pay extra when there is money to be SAVED? Disney Springs Over in Disney Springs, there are two special deals happening now you may not know about. Don’t worry, though, that’s why we’re here to help. To the Springs! Happening now, there are two specials at Paddlefish in Disney Springs. If you’re unfamiliar, Paddlefish is the seafood restaurant inside the giant boat. It’s pretty hard to miss, actually. Paddlefish Right now, Paddlefish is offering a 25% discount to Florida residents through August! Florida residents can get 25% off food and non-alcoholic beverages at Paddlefish every Monday through Friday. This deal applies to both lunch and dinner. Don’t forget to mention the Florida resident promotion to your server to take advantage of this deal! The Burger and Paddlefish Lager Pairing You may be thinking, “Hey! What about us non-Florida residents?” Well, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered, too! Paddlefish is also offering a $35 lunch special that includes a choice of salad, entrée, and cocktail, beer, or soft drink. Paddlefish at Disney Springs The Paddlefish Lunch Special is available Monday through Fridays from 11:30AM to 5:30PM. Here’s a peek at what’s available: Starter (Choose one) Side House Salad Side Caesar Salad Side Watercress Salad Cup of Clam Chowder Entrée (Choose one) Shrimp Pasta Catfish Chicken Breast Beverage (Choose one) Paddlefish Blonde Zenato Pinot Grigio Soft Drinks or Iced Tea Paddlefish clam chowder Over at Terralina Crafted Italian, you can score a sweet deal, too! Terralina Crafted Italian is also participating in the 25% off Florida resident promotion, which runs Monday through Friday. Be sure to inform your server that you’re a local to get the Florida resident discount. Terralina Crafted Italian There you have it! If you’re looking to save some money on your next Disney Springs visit, pop on over to Paddlefish or Terralina Crafted Italian and enjoy some good eats! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. 11 Target Essentials You NEED In Your Disney World Park Bag! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you ever dined at Paddlefish? Let us know in the comments! The post 2 Disney Springs Restaurants Are Offering an EXCLUSIVE 25% OFF Discount! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World is one of the top honeymoon destinations! ©Disney Fairy Tale Weddings We’ve got some BIZARRE Disney World honeymoon stories today — and what you can learn from them if you’re planning your own Disney World honeymoon! Leave Time for Spontaneity Our reader Jamie said she was married and honeymooned in Disney World in June 2014. On a Magic Kingdom day, they were wearing their bride and groom Mickey ears and Happily Ever After pins. They got in the front seat of Aladdin’s Magic Carpets — and the real Aladdin and Jasmine hopped in behind them! Jasmine and Aladdin They chatted about married life during the ride, and when it ended, they got to hop to the front of the line at their photo spot for pictures with the “other” happy couple! “It was a memory we will never forget.” We know there’s so much planning that goes into a Disney World vacation, but seriously — leave some time for the unexpected to happen! While most of the time you’re going to interact with characters at their meet and greets, there are a few opportunities — mostly unexpected — to meet them around the parks. There are characters — like the Country Bears or Peter Pan — that tend to walk around the parks. A furry friend! So instead of rushing to the next ride, take some time to talk to characters you encounter along the way. These are awesome experiences that may just turn into your favorite Disney World memory. Disney Knows How to Handle Emergencies Mindy told us her husband had to get a root canal during their Disney World honeymoon! “The Cast Members at Animal Kingdom Lodge were amazing — they went above and beyond to help us get it taken care of.” Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kate said on her honeymoon at Wilderness Lodge, she accidentally hit the emergency button on the room phone. The manager and security staff came to the room to be sure everything was OK. “They actually stepped into the room to get eyes on me to make sure everything was OK. … Embarassing, but also good to know they value the safety of their guests.” Wilderness Lodge Nobody wants to deal with an emergency — or a root canal — on their Disney World trip, let alone on their honeymoon. At least Disney is prepared to handle every emergency — even if it is a false alarm. If you do get sick on your vacation or need to find an emergency dentist, stop by first aid in the parks, or speak with a cast member at your hotel’s front desk. Disney has plans for just about everything — and they’ll be able to get you the help you need. Make Room Requests Kevin told us the morning after their wedding night at Wilderness Lodge, they were “awakened by shouting about ketchup across the lobby, rising to our 7th floor room from the Whispering Canyon Cafe.” Whispering Canyon is getting the last laugh here. We usually recommend that you might want to think about making room requests to be closer to the lobby or the hotel pool, but a honeymoon trip is one when you might want to think about requesting a room with a ittle more peace and quiet. You can make room requests through My Disney Experience, but if you have some more specific requests, we recommend calling the hotel directly one week in advance. Better yet — if you’re using a travel agent to plan your vacation (it’s free and can save you a lot of hassle!), your agent can make that room request for you, so you don’t have to stress about your honeymoon in the days leading up to your wedding! We definitely recommend getting in touch with Small World Vacations! Get started planning with Small World Vacations — click here! Add On Extra Celebrations Michael said he tried to order flowers to the room, but the florist couldn’t customize the arrangement for a Goofy theme. “They couldn’t get a stuffed Goofy toy at Disney World … I was shocked at being told No at Disney World,” he Tweeted. Goofy Disney Floral and Gifts can be a great way to add to the celebration in your hotel room. Everything is handled by Disney’s florists, and while they have a ton of pre-designed packages and floral displays, they may not be able to make everything happen — that’s a good thing to note. If you have special requests, we highly recommend calling the service directly and ordering early. That way you can see if they’re able to make something specific for you — and the advance notice will probably help in making it a reality. A basket from Disney Floral and Gifts If they can’t do something like that, you might want to call the hotel directly and see if they can do something for you. For example, if you want a Goofy themed in-room celebration, maybe you can purchase the Goofy stuff, send it to the hotel, and maybe they can find someone to set that up for you. Now, we don’t know if that can happen or not, but you always want to think outside the box when you’re trying to make that sort of thing happen. Know Where You’re Going Joy said she and her husband were staying at Shades of Green for their honeymoon, when they took the monorail from Magic Kingdom to the Polynesian Village late one night. They got lost crossing the street, wound up at the Ticket and Transportation Center and then walking along the road until a Cast Member had to give them directions back to their resort. Shades of Green Hotel This could happen to anyone, right? … not just if you’re on your honeymoon! Disney World is HUGE, and it’s easy to get lost. We definitely recommend taking Disney transportation in many circumstances, and you can always ask a Cast Member how to get from Point A to Point B. Disney bus If you’re walking back to your resort, make sure it’s one you CAN walk to! There are only a handful of hotels that are connected to parks via walking paths, and only a few hotels that are connected to one another. So for the most part, you’ll need to take some kind of transportation to get between parks and hotels — not all of Disney’s roadways have sidewalks. Plan a Special Meal Michelle told us she went to Victoria & Albert’s on her honeymoon, and the table next to them was celebrating a 25th anniversary, and the table next to that was celebrating a 50th anniversary. “It was a full marriage circle!” Queen Victoria’s Room at Victoria & Albert’s Victoria & Albert’s is the top choice for many people for a romantic celebration at Disney World. It’s hard to get a reservation, so you’ll want to be ready to book as soon as advance dining reservations open up 60 days out. The menu is about 10-12 courses, and the team will contact you about a week out from your reservation to find out about any special diets or preferences. This one is DEFINITELY a splurge with the Queen Victoria’s tasting menu priced at $375, with optional wine pairings bumping the price to $575. Victoria and Albert’s If you’re looking for a fine dining experience that’s a little more exotic, try Takumi-Tei in EPCOT’s Japan Pavilion. This is another meal that’s a bit more of an experience, and each dish is expertly prepared and plated. Prices here range from $150 to $250. Yuba Roll at Takumi Tei Both Victoria & Albert’s and Takumi-Tei are going to be lengthy meals, so plan for a relaxing evening of fine dining. You really can’t go wrong with any of Disney World’s signature restaurants for a romantic meal, either, but California Grill, Jiko, and Le Cellier always stay near the top of our list of Disney World favorites. Some Cast Member Magic On Facebook, Ashley told us she and her husband were walking around Hollywood Studios on their honeymoon, and on Sunset Boulevard, Ashley said, “Wow, I love the red Christmas ears. Later in the night we went into Mickey’s of Hollywood to browse the store. Then, a cast member approached me holding the red Christmas ears and said, ‘Mickey asked me to give these to you.'” Mickey’s of Hollywood Now, we’re not going to say that wearing a Happily Ever After button or the bridal veil Minnie ears are gonna get you extra pixie dust or free souvenirs, but it can’t hurt — and it’s definitely gonna get you some congratulations and well wishes! Cast members are really out there to make your vacations as perfect and memorable as possible. If you have an amazing cast member interaction, remember that you can thank them by leaving a compliment in the My Disney Experience app. Some Magic from Fellow Guests Vicki said while on her honeymoon in EPCOT, some fellow guests stopped them to congratulate them. After a short conversation, they asked if the happy couple were staying for the EPCOT fireworks. They gave them a pin with a name written on it and said to present it at a specific roped off area. Vicki said they went about their day and were confused by the interaction. They decided to go to the spot to see what would happen. When they arrived, the cast member said, “Oh yes, you’re right here on the list.” EPCOT They were ushered behind the rope. The couple they had met earlier were there. Vicki said they still don’t know why they were able to get in or how the couple might have been affiliated with Disney, but “it made for an extra magical memory on that wonderful vacation.” It’s almost more special when the magic is coming from other park guests! Remember when you used to be able to hand off your paper Fastpass to another family? These are without a doubt some of our followers’ favorite memories from their Disney World trips — and they’re created by you! So when you’re annoyed at the family that just stepped in front of you for fireworks or the guy that took the last seat on the bus, remember that everyone else is there enjoying their vacation, too. And a little extra pixie dust can change someone’s whole experience! Disney World We got so many special honeymoon stories from you, so thank you for sharing! And we hope you learned a little something to help with your next Disney World trip. Keep following us at DFB for more! The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Disney World Honeymoon Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW The post BIZARRE Disney World Honeymoon Stories -- And What You Can Learn From Them! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

More than 100 Disney VoluntEARS from Disneyland Resort, along with their friends and family, came together with community members and representatives from Love Anaheim non-profit to celebrate 40 years of volunteerism.View the full article

It’s finally Food and Wine Festival time! Food and Wine is here! We’re heading around the park eating all the festival eats, and enjoying the scavenger hunt, and we can’t wait to see some live entertainment later today. But how do you know how to make your way around the festival? You’ll need to pick up a Festival Passport! Your Festival Passport will detail all the different food booths and the menu items at each one, as well as share details about when to catch live performances and how to find additional festival activities. Let’s take a look! This is different from previous years and this could also change. If you have trouble finding them, ask a nearby Cast Member. Find them at the booths! When you open the passport, the first thing you’ll see is a Corkcicle ad as they are the sponsor of this year’s Food and Wine Festival. You will also find a welcome page giving some information on important pieces of the festival. It will break down what Global Marketplaces are, what the Eat to the Beat Concert Series is, and more. Welcome Page Next, you’ll find some fun activities listed for kids of all ages. This includes Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak, Green Landing Play Zone and Choose Your Course. You’ll also see the festival Disney Gift Card design. These gift cards are available in amounts of $15 and up and are reloadable. A gift card could be the perfect way to budget for all of those drinks and dishes you’ll get. Fun for all! You’ll find merchandise items for the festival listed. This year there are 3 major collections: EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse Picnic Collection, and Disney’s Encanto Collection. There’s also an Annual Passholder-exclusive collection. You’ll see some photos of the items as well. Merchandise! You’ll find the complete list of the performances for the Eat to the Beat Concert series listed as well as the times for those performances. Eat to the Beat You will then find each festival booth listed with every food and drink option available for the festival. Here’s an example of Flavors from Fire and The Fry Basket. Festival Booth Menus In the middle of the passport, you’ll see a Choose Your Course chart. This can help you when you aren’t sure what festival item to try next. Start Your Flavor Adventure! Finally, the back pages detail how to play Emile’s Fromage Montage, which is exclusive to the Food and Wine Festival. There is also a page for you to collect the stamps for each item. If you collect all five stamps, you can head to the Shimmering Sips food booth to collect your free prize! Emile’s Fromage Montage Page You will definitely want to pick one of these up before you start your Food and Wine journey around the world. Food and Wine Passport There’s so much to explore at this Food and Wine Festival, but don’t worry, we’ll keep you all up-to-date with all the latest news right here at DFB, so stay tuned! Learn all about the Food and Wine Festival right here! IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What’s your favorite thing to do at Food and Wine? Tell us in the comments! The post FIRST LOOK at the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Passport first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Exclusive, On-Stage Look! “Rogers: The Musical” – “What You Missed” Musical NumberView the full article

Sometimes, our day at Disney World can feel like one wild ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. One moment, we’re climbing up the hill on our way to our favorite attraction, the next, the train is flying off the rails, and our plans are totally derailed. You never know what may happen! Big Thunder Mountain Ready for a little storytime? Well, on the opening day of the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, we arrived at EPCOT bright and early, ready to take on the day. One of our first stops? The Creations Shop, obviously. Gotta grab that merch before it sells out, right? Well, immediately, our day was off to an…interesting start. We got a message on the My Disney Experience app that read, “Some of our digital experiences are undergoing maintenance and may currently be unavailable.” Yep. Nothing like a little technical difficulty to start our day! ©Disney Well, we soon found out just what was wrong with the app. We were notified, “Discounts are not available for merchandise mobile checkout and mobile order at this time. For assistance, please see a Cast Member at checkout.” If you were hoping to take advantage of a discount and wanted to skip the checkout lines for food and merchandise, you may run into some difficulties. ©Disney Luckily, a Cast Member can still manually apply those discounts for us while Disney sorts out the technical issues. We will keep our eyes out for updates, so stay tuned for more information. For now, though, it seems like this issue is impacting all of Disney World, so be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for the most up-to-date information. Creations Shop In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stick around for more. Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! We’re covering all the new and returning snacks at the Food and Wine Festival, so you know exactly what to try. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you heading to the Food & Wine Festival this year? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: The Disney World App Is Having a MAJOR Problem Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you haven’t seen all the hype about Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie, you’ve probably been too busy trying to hide from 999 happy haunts. ©Disney We’ve seen a ton of new merchandise popping up throughout the parks, plus Haunted Mansion snacks have arrived on both coasts too. It looks like Disney isn’t going to let the hype die down just yet, because a new Haunted Mansion souvenir is coming and we’re just about losing our heads over it! A new Hatbox Ghost sipper will be materializing at Disneyland Park beginning on July 28th! Disney shared the news on Instagram and said that this new sipper will be available at select locations throughout Disneyland Park, but didn’t give any specifics. We usually see these available at various popcorn carts throughout the park! Disney’s Haunted Mansion comes out in theaters on July 28th, and you can get your tickets now! Hatbox Ghost We also recently found a bunch of really cool Haunted Mansion-themed items online, and we just had to share them all with you. If this attraction is one of your favorites and you just can’t wait to decorate for Halloween (or you choose to keep spooky decor up year-round — we won’t judge!), you’ve GOT to check them out. Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney movie news and more! Click Here To Turn Your House Into the Haunted Mansion Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Closures and Construction at Disneyland Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe Will you be checking the new movie out? Tell us in the comments. The post We're Losing Our Heads Over This New Disney Souvenir first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World is known for being the Most Magical Place on Earth, but occasionally, something really magical happens. Magic Kingdom Actually, it happens pretty frequently — we’re talking about baby animals born in Disney World! You won’t find these babies hiding out at just Animal Kingdom, either. In fact, you won’t believe where some of these events have taken place — and that’s why we’re sharing every adorable baby born in Disney World this year. Believe it or not, there have been quite a few animals born in Disney World this year — and even one human baby (but don’t worry, we’ll get to that later). Between Animal Kingdom, Tri-Circle-D Lodge at Fort Wilderness, and more, check out all these adorable babies born at Disney World so far in 2023! Penny the Duiker Back in May, Disney announced that a new baby was born at Animal Kingdom! Penny, a baby yellow-backed duiker calf was born to her mom Pearl. The birth of Penny is a huge milestone for Disney, as the last yellow-backed duiker who was born in their care was over 20 years ago. ©Disney Disney worked together with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan to introduce this species to Disney World visitors. You can catch Penny and her mom on the Gorilla Falls Exploration trail this summer. Learn More About Penny Here Cotton-top Tamarin Twins Two teeny tiny friends have joined the Animal Kingdom crew: a set of cotton-top tamarins! These monkeys are about 4 inches long and weigh about the same as a common chicken egg. They’re only about a week old, and they’re the first cotton-top tamarins born at Animal Kingdom since 2001! ©Disney Disney announced the arrival of these twins in June, and you might have a chance at spotting these babies in their habitat on Discovery Island. You’ll most likely find them clinging to their parents as they leap from branch to branch. Click Here to Check Out More on the Tamarins Baby Zebra A baby zebra has also joined the Animal Kingdom family! We caught a glimpse of the newest savanna family member during a ride on Kilimanjaro Safaris, but as far as we know, Disney hasn’t made any official announcement about this new animal on the savanna. Disney World animals have to eat, too! This duo is not too shy — we got a great view of them on our safari ride. We would ride this over and over just to see this sweet baby! See More Baby Zebra Photos Here Pixie the Cinderella Pony A brand new Shetland pony has been born at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort! She’s the youngest resident at Fort Wilderness, having just been born in early July. Her name is Pixie, and you’ll find her hanging out in the pasture with her mom. ©Disney Not only does this pony get to live in Disney World, she will eventually grow up to be one of the horses responsible for pulling Cinderella’s Coach. Click Here To Learn More About Pixie Fort Wilderness Baby Okay, this is probably the coolest birth story in Disney World this year — maybe even of all time. Two days after a guest, Miriam, and her husband pulled their RV into a campsite at Ford Wilderness, Miriam gave birth to a baby boy in the RV. Yes, this baby will be able to brag the rest of his life that he was BORN IN DISNEY WORLD. Fort Wilderness She said the entire trip was such a cool experience for her. “Of all births I have attended as a birth worker, without biases, I can say this one was the coolest.” Click Here To Read More About This Story Keep all these adorable little babes in mind when you’re at Disney World next if you can’t get enough of the cuteness! We’ll be on the lookout for more baby animals (including the human ones) to be born around the parks and hotels, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more! We’ve Got Your ULTIMATE Guide to Animal Kingdom Right Here Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you seen any of these babies in Disney World? Tell us in the comments! The post Every Adorable Baby Born in Disney World This Year first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

In Disney World, food isn’t just fuel… it’s part of the overall EXPERIENCE. Cinnamon Roll at Gaston’s Tavern But could your experience be RUINED by the wrong eats and drinks? Let’s talk about the things you should eat in Disney World… and the things you shouldn’t — here on DFB Guide. Check out our video below: DON’T Eat This in Disney World  Are you a DFB Video subscriber? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to our channel and catch up on ALL of our latest episodes! Stay tuned for more Disney news! Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Animal Kingdom The Best Disney Springs Restaurants The Best (and Worst) Disney World Hotel Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you tried any of these snacks in Disney World? Tell us in the comments below. The post DFB Video: DON’T Eat This in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Everyone remain calm and grab your stretchy pants — because the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is finally here! 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival We wait all year long for this festival and it has a LOT to offer. There are plenty of food booths with tasty items, merchandise items to grab (of course), and even concerts to watch. And if you’re curious about it all, you’ve come to the right place because we’re bringing you with us as we eat, see, and do everything at the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! Festival Dates The EPCOT 2023 Food & Wine Festival officially kicked off on July 27th and will run all the way through November 18th — which means you’ve got plenty of time to eat and drink your way around the world! There’s also a festival drink at Connections! It’s the Yucatan Sunset Margarita for $15.50. This drink is Teremana Blanco Tequila, Passion Fruit Syrup, Bol’s Triple Sec 30 proof Liqueur, with Lime and Orange Juices. Yucatan Sunset Margarita: Teremana Blanco Tequila, Passion Fruit Syrup, Bol’s Triple Sec 30 proof Liqueur, with Lime and Orange Juices We didn’t get too strong of a tequila flavor here, instead, the passion fruit syrup was the most prominent. The lime and orange juices help give this a bit of a tart bite which helps cut down on the sweetness of the passion fruit and triple sec. Click Here for Our Full Review of Connections Cafe & Eatery Festival Eats Right now you can click here to see a full list of the booths and menus for the Food & Wine Festival, and click here to see our page where we’ll be posting our full booth reviews! Entertainment This year the Eat to the Beat concert series is back! You’ll find concerts from big-name bands and singers from Friday to Monday, with local musicians performing from Tuesday to Thursday. Click here for the FULL list of Eat to the Beat performers! Eat to the Beat 2023 If you don’t want to miss a certain performance, you may want to look into booking an Eat to the Beat dining package. You can get these with advance reservations at select EPCOT restaurants, and you can also find some limited day-of dining packages at certain places when available. Activities There’s plenty to see and do other than just eat — like Emile’s Fromage Montage which is back for this year’s festival. With this activity, you pick up a Festival Passport, which will list some of the cheesy dishes you need to buy to get a stamp. Get all the stamps, and you can win a prize! Emile’s Fromage Montage Also returning this year is Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak. Folks of all ages can search for Remy figures that have been hidden throughout EPCOT to win a prize. 2023 Remy’s Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt Map You can pick up a map with directions on how to complete the activity. The cost to participate is $9.99 for your map and stickers to keep track of our little Chef pal. 2023 Remy Scavenger Hunt Prizes And once you’ve completed your map marking everywhere you found Remy, you can collect your prize at one of the following shops: Creations Shop, World Traveler at International Gateway, or Disney Traders! Merchandise Each EPCOT festival comes with its own exclusive merch, and this year is no different! We’ve already had a few sneak peeks, but we’re excited to check everything out in person. This Loungefly Backpack is probably going to go quickly… NEW Loungefly alert! …and we can’t get enough of these Mickey salt and pepper shakers! Salt and pepper shaker Of course, you’ll find plenty of pins to choose from… Festival pin …and drinkware like this Corkcicle wine tumbler… Mickey and Minnie Festival Collection …and a wine glass! Festival wine glass We’ll continue updating this article with everything you need to eat, drink, see, and do throughout the day, so stay tuned for more! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you heading to the Food & Wine Festival this year? Tell us in the comments. The post Come With Us To Eat and See EVERYTHING at the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Apply to be a 2024 planDisney panelist and join our adventure. This year’s Search will open at noon ET on Tuesday, August 1, 2023, and close promptly at noon ET on August 7, 2023.View the full article

Did you know that there are some Food & Wine Festival snacks and treats that AREN’T at the marketplace food booths? Connections Eatery Some permanent dining locations in EPCOT get special menu items just for the festival. Come with us to the Connections Café and Eatery to check out a NEW dessert and cocktail. Menu Over at Connections Café and Eatery, you’ll find just one festival item — a Remy Liege Waffle. 2023 Menu Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! You can get one at the Café or Eatery for $4.19. Drinks There’s also a festival drink at Connections! It’s the Yucatan Sunset Margarita for $15.50. This drink is Teremana Blanco Tequila, Passion Fruit Syrup, Bol’s Triple Sec 30 proof Liqueur, with Lime and Orange Juices. While we do love the idea of margaritas for breakfast, this drink isn’t available until a bit later in the day — so stay tuned for our full review of that! Alright, now for the real question — should you make a stop at Connections? OVERALL So is it worth visiting Connections Café and Eatery for these festival snacks, or should you stick to the Festival Marketplaces? If you ask us, a Liege Waffle is always worth it — and this one is pretty darn cute with Remy on it. But, you can get a Liege Waffle here year-round, so if it’s the margarita you’re after this spot might be worth the trip! Hello there! That’s it for this booth, but there’s a LOT more where that came from! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which of these items would you try? Tell us in the comments! The post Disney World Made RAT WAFFLES a Thing, and We Tried Them -- You Know, for Science first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If we only buy one thing from the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, it’s probably going to be THIS. Let’s go shopping! There are lots of food booths with tasty menu items all around EPCOT right now, but the festival doesn’t just bring food to the park. There’s also TONS of new merch! There are pins, ornaments, Spirit Jerseys, and even a cute pair of Minnie ears. But there’s one item that we’re pretty sure is going to be SUPER popular this year. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. We’re exploring all of the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival today, with lots of tasty snacks, fun concerts, and exciting additions to the park. We’ve already taken a look at lots of the festival-exclusive merch in this park, but we have to highlight one item in particular. It’s the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Loungelfy Mini-Backpack! We spotted this bag in the Creations Shop, but you can also find it online at shopDisney! Buy the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival 2023 Loungefly Mini Backpack NEW Loungefly alert! This mini-backpack is covered in little cartoon pictures of food, and it has a big Spaceship Earth pocket on the front (which has a zipper close). Here’s a peek at the back! The straps are adjustable, and there are pockets on either side of the bag. You can also see the Food and Wine Festival logo on the back of the backpack; what better way to celebrate the event than with a new accessory? This is a NEED! Loungefly bags have been incredibly popular at Disney World, and we expect this one to sell out pretty quickly, at least during the first few days of the festival. Happy Food and Wine Festival Day! Typically, Disney restocks merchandise throughout the festivals, so even if they’re sold out on one day, we should see more brought in later on. View on shopDisney Looking for more news about this year’s festival? Check out all of our food booth reviews! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! If you’re trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, we’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! And don’t forget to pick up our 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival e-book! See more details about the book below. IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you a fan of Disney Loungefly bags? Tell us in the comments! The post HURRY! Disney’s NEW Loungefly Bag Is Gonna Be POPULAR (and It’s Online!) first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We love Disney World and Disneyland, and a lot of the magic in those parks comes from Disney’s Imagineers. Now, some former Imagineers are working on a NEW project! We love Disney World, but we’re interested in this NEW theme park! There’s just something special about Disney Parks. Even the international parks are magical. However, we have to admit that we are completely INTRIGUED about a new theme park being built in the Midwest, mostly because it’s being constructed by former Disney Imagineers. We also have some details about that park, so let’s discuss! The What and Where So let’s look at everything we know about this theme park so far. First, the theme park will be called American Heartland Theme Park and Resort and the concept is all about just that — it will spotlight various parts of the REAL American Heartland. ©American Heartland It will be located in northeast Oklahoma, west of Grand Lake on Route 66 — it doesn’t get more Heartland than that. The Basics The $2 billion theme park will actually be a resort area covering over 1,000 acres of property. In addition to the theme park and resort, 320 acres will be the Three Ponies RV Park and Campground — it will be the largest campground in the central U.S. Guests will also be able to book cabins at the RV park and campground. ©American Heartland There will also be a 300-room hotel on the site for guests who wish to stay there. Who’s Building It? American Heartland is being constructed with a team of former Disney builders and Imagineers. On its website, the park states that all together, its team has over 500 years of Disney and Entertainment experience. ©American Heartland So this isn’t just ANY theme park. This is a new theme park being built by some of the best of the best. Theming and Attractions Perhaps one of the most important questions we want to ask is about the park’s theming. Well, the theme is dedicated to classic Americana, with six lands devoted to concepts within that theme. There’s Liberty Village, which is a “charming American town,” complete with a replica of the Liberty Bell. ©American Heartland The Great Plains area of the park is inspired by “where big land and big skies invite the spirit to soar.” Guests can learn about Native American traditions and stories, as well as go on a barnyard adventure inspired by Charlotte’s Web. The park also promises ” high-flying thrills with one of the great American barnstormers.” ©American Heartland Bayou Bay is a “swampy hideaway” where guests can eat gumbo, enjoy Zydeco music, and visit the gator-filled waters of the bayou. ©American Heartland Big Timber Falls is themed to “the mist-shrouded forests of the Northwest” with a “promise [of] a rugged American adventure full of rushing rivers, soaring peaks and ancient legends.” You’ll find white-water flumes here, including Big Foot Falls. ©American Heartland Stony Point Harbour is a coastal town where “feisty ‘old salts’ tell tales of wild adventures at sea.” Attractions include a “plunge into the abyss in search of a legendary sea monster,” as well as a setting sail on a “scenic excursion.” There’s also a haunted lighthouse. ©American Heartland Finally, Electropolis is “a bright, bold vision of the American age of innovation.” Here you’ll find “high voltage stories and high-powered thrills.” ©American Heartland It certainly seems like there will be PLENTY to do at American Heartland! When Will It Open? Well, we hope you’re patient because American Heartland’s official opening timeline is still a few years away. However, The RV Park and Campground is scheduled to open in 2025, while the rest of the resort is scheduled to open in 2026. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more news about American Heartland, so stay tuned to DFB for more! Study Reveals How Disney World’s Popularity Compares to Other Theme Parks Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think? Would you be interested in visiting American Heartland? Let us know in the comments! The post Everything We Know About the NEW Theme Park Being Built by Former Disney Imagineers first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re materializing new wallpapers featuring the iconic hitchhiking ghosts and Madame LeotaView the full article

Can you believe that the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival kicks off SO soon? EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival We’re ready to be in the parks bringing you all the reviews on every single food booth (yes, it’s a big task, but we’re ready!), but we got a special sneak peek at one of the booths that we’re really looking forward to — the Brew-Wing Booth at the Odyssey Pavilion! The Brew-Wing Booth is also hosting the highly anticipated Muppet Labs this year, in addition to having some of our favorite beers and wings at the festival in years past. Thanks to the Muppets, there are lots of fun additions to this menu that we can’t wait to try out. Don’t worry though, we’ll be bringing you full reviews on festival day! Brew-Wing However, we do know some of the wings you’ll be able to grab at this location, like the Traditional Buffalo Wings with celery and ranch… Traditional Buffalo Wings with celery and ranch …the Orange-Cardamom Wings (which are new)… Orange-Cardamom Wings …the Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings with cool cucumber yogurt… Unnecessarily Spicy, Yet Extremely Tasty Scotch Bonnet Pepper-Curry Wings with cool cucumber yogurt …Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings… Peanut Butter and Jelly Sticky Wings …IMPOSSIBLE Buffalo Chicken Tenders with plant-based blue cheese, plant-based ranch, and celery (also new)… IMPOSSIBLE Buffalo Chicken Tenders with plant-based blue cheese, plant-based ranch, and celery …Garlic Parmesan Wings… Garlic Parmesan Wings …and Buffalo Brussels Sprouts with plant-based blue cheese and plant-based ranch. Buffalo Brussels Sprouts with plant-based blue cheese and plant-based ranch But that’s not all! You’ll also be able to grab some fun milkshakes here, like the…Pickle Milkshake? Oh boy, this one will be interesting. Pickle Milkshake You’ll also be able to grab the Frozen Fusion made with Twinings Pomegranate and Raspberry Herbal Tea fused with orange ice cream molecules… Frozen Fusion …as well as beers, like the Beer Flight we tried. This has Sun King Brewing Caipirinha Lager (New), Brew Hub French Connection IPA (New), and the 3 Daughters Brewing Old Fashion Porter. Beer Flight If cider is more your thing, the Cider Flight is made of Blake’s Hard Cider Co. Tropicolada Hard Cider (New), Bold Rock Peach Berry Hard Cider (New), and 3 Daughters Brewing Raspberry Lemonade Hard Cider (New). Cider Flight Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the full coverage of this booth and of the others when the festival kicks off! Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What are you most looking forward to trying at this booth? Tell us in the comments! Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ The post Check Out an EXCLUSIVE First Look at a 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booth! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We have a SNEAK PEEK at some NEW merchandise that’s coming to Disney World soon! Merchandise The 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival is starting soon, and it’ll bring lots of new, themed merchandise to the park. We got to check out some of the newest items early, including a Loungefly backpack and Minnie ears! Today, we got a first look at the Encanto-themed merchandise collection and the classic Food & Wine Festival merch collection that’ll be available at this year’s festival. In the Encanto collection, there’s an apron that looks like Mirabel’s dress… Mirabel Apron …glasses… Cups …a tea towel and pot holder… Tea Towel and Pot Holder …a pitcher featuring characters from the film… Pitcher …pins, a plate set, spatulas, and a recipe book holder… Recipe Book Stand …Mirabel plates… Mirabel Plate …a Tervis tumbler… Tervis Tumbler …and a La Casita serving tray. La Casita Serving Tray In the classic Food & Wine Festival merchandise collection, we spotted the new Loungefly backpack! Loungefly Backpack There was also a pair of Minnie ears… Minnie Ears …some glasses with the Food & Wine Festival logo on them… Glasses …tumblers… Tumblers …a t-shirt… T-shirt …a couple of pins and ornaments… Pins …mugs… Mugs …a Spirit Jersey… Spirit Jersey …and a wood serving tray with a special slot for your wine glass. A Serving Tray There will be more merchandise available once the festival starts, and we’ll be sure to show you all of it! Merchandise Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? We’ll be keeping you updated on all of the latest. Click our links below for the information you need to know: Learn about the Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Check out ALL of the 2023 Food & Wine Booth Menus See what eats you’ll need to try to get a PRIZE at the Festival! Stay tuned to DFB for all the Food & Wine Festival news. Click here to learn all about the 2023 Food & Wine Festival! IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! Save 20% on the 2023 DFB Guide to EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival with code CHEFS. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which item is your favorite? Let us know in the comments. Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival merchandise. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ The post FIRST LOOK 🚨 at 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Merchandise first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Important changes are being made at the former Reedy Creek Improvement District (now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District). Reedy Creek Improvement District The Board of Supervisors for the District is now made of Governor DeSantis’ appointees, and within just a few months, they have declared some of Disney’s agreements with the old board to be invalid, initiated a lawsuit against Disney in state court, heard some complaints and fears from Disney Springs restaurant operators, and more. And now more changes have been revealed. On July 26th, 2023, the Board of Supervisors for the District held its latest meeting and some big updates were revealed. Taxes For starters, there’s been a significant update when it comes to taxes in the district. Previously, one member of the Board had indicated that they thought taxes on businesses within the District would have to be increased due to all of the expenses the District was incurring related to the lawsuits filed by and against Disney, research done into Disney’s agreements with the old Board, and more. But now it seems things have changed. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District During the meeting, a proposed budget was discussed. But, instead of increasing taxes, it’ll actually result in a DECREASE of the property tax rate by nearly 7% for district constituents (per Ashley Carter). The tax rate would go from $13.90 per $1,000 of taxable value to $12.95 per $1,000 of taxable value. So what happened here? Martin Garcia, the chair of the Board, noted that he thought they would have to increase taxes to pay for the lawyers and financial advisors they’ve hired to address some of their battles with Disney. But, to his surprise, the new District administrator — Glen Gilzean — was also to find some ways to save money. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Specifically, Garcia said that Gilzean found that there was “wasteful” spending by the previous Board on a number of fronts. Garcia specifically talked about how Gilzean discovered that the District was spending over $8 million per year in overtime for law enforcement services provided exclusively on Disney properties. According to the Orlando Sentinel, “In 2022, the Disney-controlled cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, which include Disney World, paid about $8.2 million for off-duty deputy services, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Disney’s security services paid $630,000 that year, sheriff’s records show.” Reedy Creek Building The Orlando Business Journal spoke with Michelle Guido, a spokesperson with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Guido said that the officers were not working “overtime,” but some were working “off duty.” According to the Orlando Business Journal, Guido indicated that off-duty services “would be part of a different paying mechanism through the Sheriff’s Office and be in addition to regular patrolling law enforcement contracted with the cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista. For example, if Disney hosts an event on property and needs extra law enforcement to handle increased traffic, that may include hiring off-duty officers, and will not result in a drop in the contracted law enforcement protection in the area.” Walt Disney World Garcia argued that Disney is not the only taxpayer in this district, yet the services were for Disney’s properties exclusively. It appears that spending will no longer be allowed and that will be part of the “savings” found by Gilzean. Garcia noted that they are doing more work and claimed that there are a number of other “naughty” things the old Board did with District funds. The Orlando Business Journal quotes Garcia as having said, “As we are doing more work, it appears that there are a number of other naughty things that this old board did with district funds, so we are going to look for further savings.” Glen Gilzean ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream The budget process isn’t over yet. There will be two public hearings on the matter and a final vote, but that won’t happen until September 27th, so there’s still quite a bit of time pending here. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Firefighters Another big change that has been announced for the District has to do with its firefighters. The District’s contract with the firefighter’s union has been a big topic of discussion. While an initial contract had been approved at first, negotiations were then reopened, much to the dismay of Jon Shirey — the leader of the firefighters’ union. Shirey slammed his fellow union members for sharing the proposed contract, arguing that it pressured the new District administrator not to sign since other public officials were complaining about the deal. Shirey wrote, “We just shot ourselves in the foot to the tune of millions of dollars that this agreement would have put into the pockets of our members.” Reedy Creek Fire Department But now things have changed. As the Orlando Sentinel reports, the Board of the District APPROVED a union contract with firefighters, ending the 5 years of negotiations on the manner. The agreement is for 3 years and will increase the starting pay of firefighters and paramedics. It will take effect by the first week of August. Reedy Creek Sign in Disney World But there’s still more work to do. The District still needs to come to an agreement with the firefighters on a separate contract that’ll address captains and battalion chiefs. We’ll keep an eye out for updates there. More In terms of other updates, the Board also addressed a fund-balance policy that’ll handle long-term goals for funding, along with a conflicts of interest policy. They then recessed and had a private meeting with their litigation counsel to address the ongoing lawsuits involving the District and Disney. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Disney actually filed a response in one of the Reedy Creek lawsuits also on the 26th, so we’ll continue to keep an eye out for updates and how both the federal and state lawsuits progress. The Board’s next meeting is scheduled for August 23rd, so we could get more updates on future changes at that point. Stay tuned for all the latest. Click here to learn about Disney’s response to one Reedy Creek lawsuit and how they have demanded a trial date BEFORE the election Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Important Changes for Disney’s Reedy Creek District Announced by DeSantis-Appointed Board first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We love that so many of the Disney parks are bringing back their After Hours events. They’re tons of fun! Figment after hours! These are such a fun way to experience the parks at a lower capacity and feel special running (not literally) around the parks at night. But that means these events are super popular, and if you’re looking to experience EPCOT’s After Hours event, time is running out to book your spot! EPCOT’s After Hours events are booking up FAST, so if you want your spot, you’ll want to grab it now for one of the remaining few dates: August 3rd August 10th August 17th August 24th ©Disney These are the last available EPCOT after-hours events for the rest of the year (that have been announced so far), so you’ll really wanna book these tickets ASAP. What can you experience during this after-hours event, you ask? Well, you can ride some of the busiest rides as many times as you want with shorter waits, indulge in select free snacks like popcorn and Mickey Premium bars, meet some of your favorite characters, and experience special entertainment. Mickey Bar by World Showcase Considering Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is included in this event, that alone is worth it to many people, but if you’re looking for a great way to experience EPCOT’s rides and ambiance and don’t mind staying up late, this can sometimes be a great alternative to a regular park day ticket, since you can start entering the park at 7PM. Meeting Mickey! As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news, but go book that EPCOT after-hours ticket right now! Read about our EPCOT after-hours experience here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What’s your favorite part of after-hours events? Tell us in the comments! The post Heads Up! EPCOT’s After Hours Events Are Beginning To Sell Out! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Do you hear that? Is that the faint sound of ba-la-la-la-la we hear in the distance? That can only mean one thing; Disney’s NEW Big Hero 6 land, officially known as San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure, is one step closer to opening! So far, we’ve seen some areas start to open ahead of the official grand opening, like The Lucky Fortune Cookery. We even got the chance to try some of the NEW menu items! Disney California Adventure Now we’re back at Disney California Adventure to check in on the progress! San Fransokyo Square is set to officially open on August 31, 2023, in Disneyland Resort, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start celebrating a little early! For a little background, San Fransokyo Square is taking over the area formerly known as Pacific Wharf in Disney California Adventure. Disney described the new land as a place “where East meets West, and technology meets tradition.” As you may have guessed from the name, San Fransokyo is “a fictional mash-up of two iconic cities – San Francisco and Tokyo.”The area features reimagined dining experiences, new shopping, and even a Baymax meet-and-greet! Lucky Fortune Cookery Earlier in July, we got a new look at Lucky Fortune Cookery, a refreshed dining location serving snacks like a Baymax Macaron and the Karaage-inspired Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Look at all this FOOD! Fair warning: some of the food here is SPICY! If you’re looking for a savory little meal, this might be a fun new option. Check out our full review for all the details of our meal. Click HERE to check out our review of the NEW EATS at Lucky Fortune Cookery! NEW Eats The Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería is another newly re-themed dining location (it’s the outdoor beer garden area next to Cucina Cucamonga) that Disney describes as tri-cultural, featuring English, Japanese, and Spanish influences. After months of construction walls, we were happy to see this spot is OPEN! Look what’s open! We tried the Cervecaria Garlic and Pinwheels Chip Mix, which came in a handy little brown paper bag! Garlic and Pinwheels Chip Mix Nearby, the seating area is largely unchanged. Luckily, there are plenty of tables (and SHADE!). This area didn’t change much! The Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill serves Mexican-inspired eats, like the San Fransokyo Street Corn and more! Guess what? It’s open now, too! Of course, we had to try that street corn. San Fransokyo Street Corn We also tried the Melon Cocktail at Cocina Cucamonga! Melon Cocktail Finally, we visited Rita’s Baja Blenders, which was transformed into Rita’s Turbine Blenders. This little spot is “a giant drink dispenser offering delicious margaritas and icy beverages.” The story goes that this spot is owned by and named after a repair technician named Rita, who maintains the floating wind turbine on top of the structure. Rita’s is OPEN! We tried Rita’s Lemon-lime Margarita… Rita’s Lemon-lime Margarita …and Rita’s Turbine Twirler — Blue Raspberry. Rita’s Turbine Blenders Turbine Twirler — Blue Raspberry In the past, Pacific Wharf was home to a real working replica of San Francisco’s Boudin Bakery, and this experience will remain as part of the new San Franksokyo Square. This area is still under construction, but look out for updates! Still a work in progress! Stay tuned for our full review of all the new eats at San Fransokyo Square. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stick around for more. Learn more about Big Hero 6 Land HERE! Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Closures and Construction at Disneyland Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe Are you planning a trip to Disneyland? Let us know in the comments! The post NEW Food and Drinks Arrived at Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6’ Land first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article