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It is Halloween time in Orlando, and Disney World has already kicked off its festivities with Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. This is a family-friendly event, which, as the name suggests, is really not that scary. But if you are looking for a more frightening time, then you may need to plan a trip to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort this year! Welcome to the SCARE ZONE! Halloween Horror Nights, or HHN, is on the other side of the spectrum of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, as it is definitely VERY scary. If you’ve never been to one of these events before, you may be in for a surprise if you don’t know what you’re getting into. But that’s why we’re here! If you’re heading to the event this year, here’s everything you need to know so you’re not caught off guard! While some restaurants will continue to have their regular menus during the event, you can find special eats at places like Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria. Mr. Cupcake Look out for snack spots throughout the park — Universal is serving up sweets, like the Camp Bloody S’mores… Camp Bloody S’mores …and savory snacks like Tater Tots. Merchandise Of course, it wouldn’t be a special event without some commemorative merchandise! While you can find select merchandise online, make sure you also check out the following shops for this special merchandise if you want to find the perfect item: Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store (THIS is the jackpot, friends, don’t miss exploring this store!) Five and Dime Kwik-E-Mart MIB Gear The Film Vault San Francisco Candy Factory Sahara Traders Simpsons Games Supply Vault Universal Studios Store Diagon Alley Shops Borgin & Burkes Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation. We’re always here to keep you updated on the latest Universal Orlando news, so stay tuned to DFB! 7 Rules Halloween Horror Nights Is Enforcing in 2025 Are you attending Halloween Horror Nights this year? 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 Universal Orlando to attend their media preview of Halloween Horror Nights. 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 EVERYTHING You Need to Know About Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando in 2025 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We Met Every Disney Character at DisneylandView the full article

On August 29th, Disney World reported a massive wave of ride closures across the property. The closures were reported in the evening, around 5 PM, and many attractions are still down at this time. Magic Kingdom A mixture of indoor and outdoor attractions are listed as “Temporarily Closed” on the My Disney Experience app. At this time, 32 attractions are unavailable in Disney World. Out of the 62 total attractions across Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney Springs, 32 are marked closed. Per the My Disney Experience app, any attraction marked with a star icon is temporarily closed. ©Disney According to information provided to us by @donnavivino, a widespread outage has occurred across all four theme parks. Below, you can see the lights turned on in the pre-show room at Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT, indicating there was a technical issue with the attraction. A Cast Member at the Transportation and Ticket Center confirmed that the widespread closures are due to a power outage. The Cast Member noted that there have not been any other updates on the situation at the Transportation and Ticket Center. Both Monorails are closed at this time as well. ©Disney This is a developing story, and we have reporters on the ground now to learn more. ©Disney Stay tuned for more information. Looking for more BIG Disney World news? We’ve got you covered! BREAKING: OPENING DATE Announced for NEW ‘Zootopia’ Attraction in Disney World We Just Went INSIDE The NEW Beak and Barrel Lounge in Magic Kingdom, and We Have So Much To Show You! Come With Us To Eat and See EVERYTHING at the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Disney Reveals CHANGES Coming to Big Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster in Magic Kingdom The post BREAKING: Disney World Reports Widespread Ride CLOSURES Impacting All 4 Theme Parks first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s no secret that we’ve been excited about Disney World’s new Pirates of the Caribbean lounge in Magic Kingdom since it was first announced. Well, we’ve had our first look at the bar — and it is EPIC. The Beak and Barrel But the most important thing — at least for us — is the menu, so we’re trying all the food and drinks, and we’re here to share our honest thoughts about everything we ate and drank. So let’s all channel our inner pirate (ARRRRRGHHH!) and get to it! Atmosphere So, yes, the Beak and Barrel is themed all around Pirates of the Caribbean. And it has a story, because, hey, this is Disney. Legendary pirate rumrunner, Captain Meridian “Merry” Goldwyn, has set up this “lively pirate pub” we know as The Beak and Barrel. Her first mate is Rummy, the tavern’s quartermaster, who keeps an eye on everything from his roost near the top of the bar. Rummy! There are several rooms in The Beak and Barrel. The main dining room, the Mess, was once a mess hall for Spanish soldiers, but now it’s just for pirates and would-be pirates to “gather ’round and tell their own tales.” There’s a ship’s bell in this room, rumored to be from Captain Redd’s first ship, given as a gift to Merry. The bell! The huge Cursed Bar is “cobbled together from salvaged portions of a cursed shipwreck.” You’ll see a lot of details, including an Enchanted Rum Bottle (don’t tell Captain Jack Sparrow!). This was also a gift…from a powerful enchantress, and as long as the bottle stays full, so, too, will the pirates’ cheer remain full. The Cursed Bar! The Spanish Comandante once lived in the Captain’s Quarters. It still has some of his fine art and drapery, although it’s been ravaged by pirates…because, well, PIRATES. Keep an eye on the mantel because you’ll see the miniature ships in the glass bottles battle it out every seven minutes or so. A closer look! There are several booths available, too, including the Captain’s Booths, in case you think you have what it takes to captain a pirate ship. You’ll see some incredible details at each spot. Portraits hanging near the Captain’s Booth The Mapmaker’s room is to the left of the main bar, and yes, there is a large hole there due to a cannonball. Turns out the pirates didn’t have the key to the room (it was locked), so they just blasted their way in. Classic pirate behavior. ©Disney The bar itself is full of so many details, and we could go on for HOURS pointing them all out, but y’all, we’re also here for the food and drinks! SO many details So, let’s check out the menu. Menu The menu includes some pub-like light bites, including some chips and dips, corn griddle cakes, and the Kraken’s Catch, a drink that includes grilled octopus tentacles. ©Disney Then you’ve got a selection of non-alcoholic beverages and specialty cocktails, all with a pirate theme. ©Disney A selection of Beer and Rum is also available. ©Disney And now, onto the main event — the food! Eats First up, we grabbed the Island Provisions for $16. For that price, you get a plate of Plantain Chips, Blue Corn Tortillas, and Toasted Flatbread served with Mango Chutney, Garlic Chimichurri, Spiced Guava, and Zesty Cilantro Cream Dips. This is a take on the classic chip and dip platter. We think this is the snack you should get if you’re looking for something to share. Island Provisions The Spiced Guava had the consistency of apple butter, and it had a tropical, fruity flavor. The Mango Chutney is your standard chutney, which we appreciated with these chips. The Zesty Cilantro Cream and Garlic Chimichurri were full of flavor and paired well with the Blue Corn Tortillas, specifically. We love the variety on this platter, and we can see this being a fan favorite. Island Provisions The next snack has two versions. The first is the Cook’s Corn Griddle Cakes with Chipotle-braised Chicken for $14, made with Warm Corn Cakes stuffed with Melted Cheese, Lime Sour Cream, Chili Peppers, and Cotija. If you are looking to grab something for a hearty lunch while at the bar, this is what we would recommend. Cooks Corn Griddle Cakes with Chipotle-braised Chicken This dish is heavy and will fill you up. The grilled cake is more flavor-forward on this, but it is balanced nicely with the sweet corn. The cheese added a great creamy texture, but did not overpower the flavor. There is a good amount of chicken, but not stuffed full. Let’s Dig In! Okay, it’s time to face the Kraken…or rather the Kraken’s Catch for $18. It’s made with Octopus Tentacles marinated in Lemon and Lime Juice with Olives, Bell Peppers, Avocado, and Piquillo Pepper-Almond Foam. This dish was a favorite of ours. Kraken’s Catch The octopus was delicious with large chunks that were not overly chewy. The olives and peppers balanced it out. It is served cold, so it reminds us of a ceviche or seafood salad, which is a nice snack on a hot day. But that’s enough about the food. This is a tavern for pirates! So, let’s check out the drinks! Drinks Okay, mateys, no on to the BOOOOOZZEEE. There are seven specialty cocktails available here, and yep, we tried them all, starting with the Siren’s Whisper for $20. It’s made with Pot & Column Still White Rum Blend, Bols Blue Curaçao Liqueur, Combier Crème de Pêche de Vigne Liqueur, Lime, and Cinnamon. Its flavors are those of a typical rum punch you would find in the Caribbean. The cinnamon was more hidden. It is sweet and could be easy to drink, but there is also nothing very unique about the flavor profile. Siren’s Whisper Next up, we hit the Barrels Ablaze for $19, made with Jack Daniel’s Bonded Bourbon, Honey, Lemon, and Chile. This drink is very spicy and has a bit of a bite. If you enjoy more complex cocktails with dark liquor, this is for you. Barrels Ablaze The aptly-named Lit Fuse is made with Los Siete Misterios Doba-Yej Mezcal, Tempus Fugit Crème de Banane Liqueur, Coconut Water, Lime Juice, and Hella Cocktail Co. Smoked Chili Bitters for $18.50. This was one of our favorites of the day. There is a smoky taste to this due to the mezcal and chili bitters. However, the banana was what really pulled us in this drink. It is very well balanced. Lit Fuse The Hibiscus Rum Punch Royale is made with Don Q Reserva 7 Puerto Rican Rum, Hibiscus, Demerara, and Lime, topped with Prosecco for $19. This drink is similar to a sweet rum punch as well. It is bubbly with the Prosecco, and we favored this over the Siren’s Whisper. This is more complex and not as sweet as the Siren’s Whisper. Hibiscus Rum Punch Royale Time for the splurge-worthy menu item. Brace yourselves. Behold, the Plunderer’s Punch for $46. This is made with The Kraken Black Spiced Rum, blackberry, lime, and vanilla. It is served in a souvenir pirate skull mug, a.k.a. the reason why it costs nearly $50. That’s a lot of gold! Plunderer’s Punch We thought the souvenir cup was gorgeous, and it actually holds a fair amount of drink. The cocktail itself doesn’t have a heavy rum flavor to it, and it is more of a hint of rum. We found this one to be very fruity, with a tropical flavor. Plunderer’s Punch We also got to try the Cursed Treasure, which costs $7.75. Phew — now that price brings us back down to earth. As you may have guessed by the under $10 price tag, this is a non-alcoholic drink option. In terms of the flavor, it is an indulgent blend of coconut milk and cookie crumbs topped with vanilla foam and pirate’s gold. Cursed Treasure This one tasted almost like a cream soda, but without the carbonated aspect. It is heavy on the creaminess, and you get a toasted flavor from the cookie crumbs. We enjoyed this drink, but it is definitely on the sweeter side. Cursed Treasure We also tried the Treasure Trove, which is another non-alcoholic option. It costs $13.75 and it is a “mysterious” ube, lemon, and coconut concoction served with a vanilla cake plank, chocolate cannonball, and golden caramel popcorn. Treasure Trove The drink was very ube-forward, and the main flavors we got from it were ube and lemon. Ube tastes like a mix of sweet potato, vanilla, and coconut, with a nutty flavor and a bit of earthiness. It had some sweetness to it and a bit of nuttiness from the ube. It was served with a vanilla cake pop that tasted like a standard cake pop that was covered in chocolate. There was also a chocolate cannonball that was very thick on the inside, like a cake. You also get a few pieces of sticky, fresh-tasting caramel popcorn. So, does The Beak and Barrel live up to its dodgy reputation? Nosh or Not This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if… You Want Something New. This is something completely unique to Magic Kingdom. The only things that compare at Disney World are Oga’s Canteen and Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. You Want a Cocktail in Magic Kingdom. This is the first bar where you don’t have to have a full sit-down meal at Magic Kingdom in order to enjoy an alcoholic beverage. You Are a Fan of Pirates of the Caribbean. If you are a fan of the ride or the films, this is a must. All the details packed into this bar alone are enough to make a fan’s heart happy. You should skip this Disney World spot if… You Want To Sit Down. There is standing room as well here, so there is no guarantee you get a seat, similar to Oga’s. If that is a make-or-break for you, you might want to skip this. You Want a Traditional Table Service Meal. You won’t find your typical entrees with sides served here. Think more like heavy bites. If you want that traditional meal experience, you won’t find it here. You Want a Slow-Paced Experience. You won’t find that here. They are strict on the 45-minute maximum, so be prepared ahead of time to make the most out of it. Overall We think this is a hit! Disney did an excellent job with this new tavern, and you can tell that there was a lot of thought put into this space — everything, down to the Cast Member characters, makes this tavern outstanding. It is very immersive with delicious food and great cocktails. The standout to us was the Island Provisions, as it is the ideal bar snack to pair with your drinks here. As for cocktails, the Barrels Ablaze and the Hibiscus Rum Punch Royale stole the show for us with their complex and balanced flavors. Full Spread Be sure to take time to walk around to appreciate the little details in each room; however, we recommend doing that at the END. When we say they are strict on the 45-minute time limit, we mean it. So, come prepared with an idea of what you want to try so you don’t waste time trying to figure it out. This tavern is fun, interactive, and we think it will quickly become a favorite hangout for many Disney guests. The bar With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 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 Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs 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 been to this lounge yet? Tell us in the comments! The post FULL REVIEW of The Beak and Barrel in Magic Kingdom first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Get ready for your coffee fix at this year’s EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! It’s time to check out four new drinks at EPCOT’s Joffrey’s locations. American Adventure Joffrey’s The 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has officially opened, 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. But don’t let it overwhelm you; we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to four Joffrey’s locations in EPCOT to check out this year’s specialty drinks! Menu Four Joffrey’s locations, four different Festival-specific drinks! Let’s go! At the American Adventure Joffrey’s, you’ll find the Butterscotch Cookie Cold Brew made with Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew, cookie butter syrup, and butterscotch syrup topped with whipped cream and sea salt caramel toffee sauce. Joffrey’s at American Adventure At the Joffrey’s near Disney Traders, you can order the Fudge Brownie Cold Brew made with Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican Cold Brew, Irish cream syrup, and dark chocolate sauce topped with whipped cream, dark chocolate sauce, and chocolate powder. Joffrey’s near World Traders Joffrey’s between the UK and Canada has a new Crème Brûlée Cold Brew made with. Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew and crème caramel syrup topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Joffrey’s Near Canada And finally, the Joffrey’s near Guardians of the Galaxy has a Churro Latte made with espresso, choice of milk, dulce de leche sauce, and cinnamon syrup topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. Joffrey’s near Guardians of the Galaxy Drinks First up, we grabbed the Butterscotch Cookie Cold Brew made with Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew, cookie butter syrup, and butterscotch syrup, topped with whipped cream and sea salt caramel toffee sauce. It’s available for $6.79. Butterscotch Cookie Cold Brew This is a very sweet coffee, but also very smooth! You can definitely taste the cookie butter and butterscotch syrups, and they give the drink a really great, sweet flavor. It is topped with whipped cream and some caramel toffee drizzle. Definitely a good drink option if you aren’t a huge fan of the coffee flavor but want some caffeine or a sweet drink. While you can still taste the coffee, it isn’t super overpowering or bitter, and the sweetness and butterscotch flavors are more prominent. Overall, it’s a great flavored coffee! This was tasty and sweet Next is the Fudge Brownie Cold Brew for $6.79, made with Joffrey’s Shakin’ Jamaican Cold Brew, Irish cream syrup, and dark chocolate sauce, topped with whipped cream, dark chocolate sauce, and chocolate powder. Fudge Brownie Cold Brew This one is a WINNER for Joffrey’s! It is our favorite of all the options for the Food and Wine Festival. It tastes exactly like what it is supposed to. Those fudge and brownie notes definitely come through. It was very clear from the first sip that this was chocolatey. If you really like strong coffee flavor, you’d probably want it to be a little stronger. However, in our opinion, we think it’s mixed beautifully with coffee flavor and sweet flavor. If you like chocolate and coffee, GET THIS! This one is a WINNER! But wait, there’s more! Our next coffee is the Crème Brûlée Cold Brew for $6.79, Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew, and crème caramel syrup topped with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Creme Brulee Cold Brew We don’t want to sound too harsh, but this was very watered down. Our first few sips had an off coffee taste, and more of a water taste with cinnamon in it. Even after we stirred it up, it didn’t help that much. Once the whipped cream melted into the drink, it got a little better, but didn’t make it great. This one isn’t as worth it to us as the others — it tasted watered down, and the flavor didn’t feel spot on. We weren’t huge fans of this one And finally, we check out the Churro Latte made with espresso, your choice of milk, dulce de leche sauce, and cinnamon syrup, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. You can get it for $6.79. Churro Latte We love a good Disney churro…almost a little too much. However, we didn’t get a lot of “churro” in this drink. It tasted more like cinnamon in coffee. Maybe it was ours, but we didn’t taste the dulce de leche sauce. Cinnamon was the main note; you could 100% taste that. We hate to say this, but this one is a flop to us. We’d even go as far as to say it might be a rip-off — you’re paying for a churro, but that’s not what you get. We hate to say…this one was a miss OVERALL Joffrey’s has some hits and misses for us! It may be an acquired taste thing, but it also just might be some hits and misses during the Food and Wine Festival. We would say it’s worth trying the Butterscotch Cookie Cold Brew, and 100% worth getting the Fudge Brownie Cold Brew. However, we’d say pass on the Crème Brûlée Cold Brew and the Churro one! Butterscotch Cookie Cold Brew Stay tuned for more Food & Wine Festival reviews! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 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 2025 Food & Wine Booth Menus Check out the FULL list of items on this year’s cheese crawl! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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 Joffrey’s is on your must-drink list? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: Out of These FOUR Food & Wine Treats, Only ONE Is Worth It first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Block and Hans is once again serving up a special drink for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! Block and Hans The 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has officially opened, 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. But don’t let it overwhelm you; we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to Block and Hans to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Block and Hans is once again serving the Frozen Pineapple Chipotle Lemonade made with Minute Maid Lemonade and chipotle pineapple syrup with a chili-lime salt rim. You can get it boozy with Tito’s Handmade Vodka or non-boozy. Food & Wine Menu This is a returning item from 2024. Drinks Last year, we found the non-boozy version of this drink to be a refreshing drink on a hot Florida day — but it did melt fast! Frozen Chipotle-Pineapple Lemonade For 2025, the non-boozy version is $6.75 while the version with Tito’s Vodka is priced at $17.50. This drink is a big step up from the Cherry-Lime Slush at Regal Eagle. The lemonade and pineapple balance beautifully. It’s tart, sweet, and refreshing without one flavor overpowering the other. The “chipotle” element comes entirely from the chili-lime salt rim, which brings serious heat. Honestly, it left our reporter’s mouth on fire afterward, and that’s not exactly what you might want from a frozen, refreshing drink. The rim makes it more savory-spicy, which some will love. Chili-Lime Salt Rim The slush itself, though, is excellent. Because the spice isn’t mixed in, you can simply order it without the rim and enjoy the lemonade-pineapple combo on its own. If you’re into spicy cocktails or drinks with a kick, this could be your festival favorite. But if you’d rather keep your frozen lemonade light and refreshing, skip the rim to get the best version. OVERALL Is this an absolute stop on your Food & Wine Festival day? Probably not if you have a lot of other must-dos. It is a good drink, but you can find something more unique at other booths along the way. Since this is the only festival item here, you might not want to go out of your way for it. Block & Hans Stay tuned for more Food & Wine Festival reviews! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 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 2025 Food & Wine Booth Menus Check out the FULL list of items on this year’s cheese crawl! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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! Will you be checking out this special drink from Block and Hans? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: This EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Treat Is a Hidden GEM first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

You know the drill when it comes to Regal Eagle Smokehouse, right? Regal Eagle Smokehouse We’re talking BBQ with classic sides, Fries with beer cheese sauce, Banana Pudding, and more… usually, that is. But we’re visiting Regal Eagle Smokehouse for a little something different today. Because, for the first time ever, The American Adventure’s Quick Service restaurant is serving up a specialty item for the 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival this year! Let’s check it out… Menu Regal Eagle Smokehouse has added a Cherry-Lime Slush to its lineup just for the Festival! Regal Eagle Smokehouse Menu And when you’re considering something to go along with your BBQ Burger and Brewmaster’s Fries… well, why not? Drink The Cherry-Lime Slush is a non-alcoholic beverage featuring Frozen Minute Maid Cherry Limeade with cherry syrup. It costs $6.49. Cherry-Lime Slush When we started drinking, we could really taste the lime over the cherry, but we appreciated how the flavor of the lime was less sharp than a traditional limeade. We were a little disappointed that the cherry didn’t come through, but it wasn’t too tart. The whole drink was super refreshing and a great way to beat the heat. We were debating grabbing a shot of tequila from the outdoor bar and mixing it with our drink for a boozy option, too! Refreshing OVERALL So, is this drink worth making a detour as you make your way around all of the Festival Marketplace Booths? If you’re already planning on eating at Regal Eagle, it can be a great refreshing drink to have along your journey, but we wouldn’t go out of the way to get it. It’s a simple drink compared to other drinks we tried during the festival, but a great, kid-friendly drink. You KNOW we’ll be back at Regal Eagle Smokehouse soon. But in the meantime, there MUCH more of the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival to explore! Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 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 2025 Food & Wine Booth Menus And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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! Do you love Regal Eagle Smokehouse? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: Why Disney Adults Are Suddenly Running to This Pavilion at EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Magic Kingdom‘s newest lounge, The Beak and Barrel, is now open! The Beak and Barrel The menu is full of a few snacks and multiple exclusive cocktails and mocktails, but what’s really impressed us is how many secrets and hidden details there are in here. There are so many you don’t want to miss, but these 8 secret details are our personal favorites! If you get seated at the Captains’ Booths, check out all the details built right into the benches themselves! The end caps on the booths have unique artwork, because each booth is representative of a different pirate ideal: adventure, freedom, fortune, and unity. ©Disney Imagineers who worked on the lounge each have different favorite spots of the hand carved panels: David, the Story Lead Imagineer for The Beak and Barrel, loves Jack Sparrow’s battle with the Kraken Kelsey, Senior Interior Designer, loves the panel that’s full of riches Mackenzie, the Graphic Designer, loves the detailing of the Pirate Lords Jessica, the Interior Designer, loves the panel that depicts freedom aboard a ship Also, don’t miss out on some of the treasures the pirates have looted and brought into the lounge. Treasures Every 7-8 minutes there’s a new part of the lounge that comes to life too, so you never know what’s about to happen. Watch for Rummy, the iconic parrot, to make an appearance… Rummy! You’ll also want to watch the ships in bottles carefully to see them begin to fight each other. Yes, you’ll get to see a whole ship battle happen! Miniature Ship Bottles Take a close look at The Cursed Bar — there’s a special bottle of rum that a powerful Enchantress gifted Captain Merry, the creator of the pub. As long as the bottle stays full, the pub will never run out of drink! The Cursed Bar inside The Beak and Barrel In the main dining room, aka The Mess, be sure to look at the ship’s bell. Disney told us that that this bell was from Captain Redd’s first ship, gifted to Merry at the tavern’s founding. Some say they’re close friends, or perhaps fierce rivals.” The bell! While you’re waiting for your food and drinks to arrive, don’t forget to laugh at the posters on the wall — talk about details!. So much to look at! Over in the Map room, there’s a secret to be discovered by looking at the maps on the walls and map tools on the table. Can you figure it out! We’re certainly trying to! Mapmaker’s Room ©Disney Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney World news! REVIEW: We Tried 4 NEW Items at The Beak and Barrel in Magic Kingdom Travel Updates, Tips, and Tricks Complete Guide to Booking the CHEAPEST Flight to Disney World What to Do if Your Flight to Disney World Is Canceled Our Best Tips For Flying Through the Orlando International Airport Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get to Disney World From the Orlando Airport You’re SLEEPING on These Packing Hacks Air Travel Tips That’ll Change Your Life 8 Catastrophic Travel Mistakes and How to Solve Them The Airline with the MOST Flight Delays and Cancellations This Small Change Will Save You From Lost Luggage The Best Disney Luggage for 2023 21 Things a Former Flight Attendant Needs You To Know 7 Highest-Rated Travel Items on Amazon Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe What detail are you most looking forward to seeing in person? Tell us below! The post ALL the Hidden Details at Disney World's New Beak and Barrel Lounge first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Aarg! Climb aboard, mateys, The Beak and Barrel is officially open in Adventureland in Magic Kingdom. We’ve waited months to wear our pirate hats and bandanas to the tavern, and now it’s open to the public. The Beak and Barrel We recently previewed a few of the drinks and foods on the menu, but we’re readying our forks and knives to dive into round two. Come with us to check out this new space! Ready to come in and see it for yourself? You’ll want to grab an Advanced Dining Reservation before you head over. Right now, reservations have been hard to get, but there are openings popping up. We spoke with a Cast Member today who said there is no current wait list and will not be one for the foreseeable future. So you will want to grab that dining reservation if this is a must-do for you! The Beak and Barrel! It’s located next to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Adventureland, and you’ll see a host stand where you check in. This lounge is family-friendly, and you’ll have 45 minutes inside. There’s a two-drink maximum for guests over 21. So many details There are lots of details to explore once you’re inside. Make sure you check the wood carvings to see different characters and designs. There’s also sword knicks and cannonball holes, along with pirate flags. More details In each booth, you’ll find decorative wood carvings that are one of the pirate ideals: Adventure, Freedom, Fortune, and Unity. You can see some of the carvings in the photo below. Food from the Beak and Barrel! Make sure you say hi to Rummy, the right-hand man of Captain Merry, who owns the bar. Rummy will come out and interact with folks throughout their visit. Rummy! Check out the ships in bottles, too! They might just break out into battle. Miniature Ship Bottles We’re obsessed with the references to Pirates of the Caribbean, but the dangling foot is an iconic one in our books. Sleeping it off There are six different seating areas to try out, too: The Mess Hall The Cursed Bar The Captains’ Quarters Four Captains’ Booths A Private Sitting Room further into the Captain’s Quarters The Mapmaker’s Room You could be seated or standing Of course, if you’re coming in, you probably want to try some of the food and drinks! There are alcoholic and non-alcoholic options, as well as some small plates. We previewed the Plunder’s Punch, which is made of Kraken Black Spiced Rum, blackberry, lime, and vanilla, and served in a souvenir mug for $46. It was fruity with a tropical flavor! Plunderer’s Punch The Island Provisions for $16 is composed of plantain chips, blue corn tortillas, and toasted flatbread served with mango chutney, garlic chimichurri, sliced guava, and a zesty cilantro cream dip. There were so many delicious elements, and we were really getting into the pirate mood. Island Provisions There are tons of drinks and snacks to try, all themed to pirates. We’re so happy The Beak and Barrel is open and ready to serve all of those hungry crewmates. Make sure you keep following DFB for more. REVIEW: WE TRIED 4 NEW ITEMS AT THE BEAK AND BARREL IN MAGIC KINGDOM 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 Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs 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! Are you going to The Beak and Barrel soon? Tell us what you’re looking forward to in the comments. The post Magic Kingdom's NEW Pirate Bar, The Beak & Barrel, Is NOW OPEN first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When it comes to dining at Disney World, you’ve got a TON of options. And you don’t even have to stay within the Disney World theme parks, as there are so many great dining options at the surrounding hotels. The Swan Reserve We recently stopped by Amare at the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve for dinner, and now we’re bringing you our FULL review. Is it worth a stop on your next trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth? Find out here! Atmosphere Amare is the signature restaurant located inside the Walt Disney World Swan Reserve. The restaurant is inspired by the tastes and cultures of the Mediterranean region, with a focus on highlighting fresh ingredients. Some of these ingredients include seafood, citrus, olive oils, pastas, and pitas. As well, you will find an extensive Mediterranean-based wine list as well. Amare The restaurant itself is a casual but upscale restaurant. From the moment you walk in, you will notice the dining area is light and airy, with lots of wood accents and blue tones. The kitchen is open to the dining room, so you can even peek in on your meal while it is being made. Lots of blue tones! You can enjoy breakfast at Amare from 7 AM until 11 AM. Lunch is served from 11:30 AM until 2 PM, and dinner is available from 5 PM until 11 PM. Reservations are recommended for dinner. We recently stopped by to enjoy some dinner, so let’s take a look at the menu! Our table! Menu There are a lot of options! Starting with mezze and appetizers. ©Disney There are also salads and entrees. ©Disney Plus, there is a whole section of the menu dedicated to hummus. ©Disney There are also special options for kids! ©Disney There are also LOTS of options for alcoholic drinks at Amare, including wine flights and sparkling wine by the glass. ©Disney There are even Old World whites and New World whites by the glass. ©Disney Or, you can get a rose, Old World red, or New World red by the glass. ©Disney There are also specialty cocktails available. ©Disney As well as a few options for beer. ©Disney Let’s take a look at what we got to eat and drink! Eats First up, we grabbed Amare’s Signature Ishkabubble Bread for $19. It comes with house-made pita served with red pepper muhammara dip, garlic yogurt dip, and jalapeno shatta. The chef actually came out and talked to us about this dish, which we loved! The name “Ishkabubble” is actually made up, and they created this dish in-house. While it is reminiscent of Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, it is not something you will necessarily find there. They crafted the dough so it could get blown up to the size of a basketball, and it comes served with three dips. Amare’s Signature Ishkabubble Bread The bread was HUGE! It’s hollow in the middle, but it is still a lot of bread, and it definitely makes a statement when it comes out. It is seasoned with a variety of spices on top, and is soft and fluffy. It was a bit messy to eat with the spices on top, but don’t let that deter you — it was delicious and addictive! The spices on top were great, so much so that we’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come. Delicious! The Red Pepper Muhammara Dip was our favorite for sure. It had great flavor with some sweetness to it that was balanced out really well with the acidity. It was creamy and full of spice (but it wasn’t spicy at all), and that red pepper flavor came through beautifully. Red Pepper Muhammara Dip The Garlic Yogurt Dip was a bit more plain than the other two, but it was a great addition to the other two sauces. It was like a slightly thinned-out Greek yogurt with some garlic flavor to it, which wasn’t overpowering. We highly recommend mixing and matching the sauces — they taste good alone but even better together! Garlic Yogurt Dip Finally, the Jalapeno Shatta had a lot of herby flavor to it, with the most prominent flavor being parsley. The chef said the seeds were taken out of the jalapenos, so it wasn’t super spicy, but it still had a slight kick to it. It had a bit more of a gritty/chunky texture to it, along with a nuttier taste, similar to walnuts. We were big fans! Jalapeno Shatta For our main meal, we got the Grilled Souvlaki with Angus Beef Skewers for $37. This dish comes with your choice of two grilled tender chicken thighs or Angus beef skewers, with crispy potatoes, tabbouleh, mint pesto, cucumber salad, garlic yogurt sauce, harissa-spiced hummus, and warm pita bread. Grilled Souvlaki with Angus Beef Skewers The skewers were cooked to medium rare (the waiter asks you how you would like them cooked, but medium rare is the default), and then they are served with a mint pesto and crispy potatoes on top. The meat was a bit on the chewy side, but it had great flavor, and we loved the smokiness in it. The mint pesto added a great pop of acidity and freshness to the meat, and the crispy potatoes were great with their crunchy texture! Delicious! The Grilled Pita was incredible with its slight char, but the pita was still soft and fluffy. You can dip it in the hummus that comes on the plate, or our waitress also left our dips from our bread, so we used those too! Amazing pita! The Tabbouleh was full of herby flavor, and the grain was soft while still having a bit of texture to it. Some diced up tomatoes and cucumbers in it added some freshness, which we loved! Loved it! We were so glad we loved this dish, and can’t recommend it enough! Drinks To drink, we picked up the Journey through Greece Wine Flight for $23. This flight features some of Greece’s signature varietals. It features a 3oz tasting of each: Zoe, Roditis, Peloponnese, 2020, Croix de Peyrassol, Mediterranee, 2020, Boutari Kretikos, Crete, 2019. Journey through Greece Wine Flight The White Blend Peloponnese is served chilled and is on the sweeter side, but not like Moscato sweet. It was very fruity tasting and didn’t taste super acidic. It almost had a flatness to it, which helped make it lighter and very easy to drink. White Blend Peloponnese Then there was the Rose Peloponnese, which is also served chilled. This was probably the sweetest of all three and tastes a lot like cherry or strawberry. It was light and refreshing and very easy to sip on, which we loved! Rose Peloponnese Finally, the Red Blend Peloponnese was our favorite! We feel like this one had the most complex flavor. It started very fruity with lots of cherry flavor, and finished with a kind of leathery flavor Then it left a good aftertaste of a kind of cocoa flavor, so it really took us on a journey! Red Blend Peloponnese We love that this gives you a great chance to expand your wine palette without spending money on a full glass of wine you may not like! Nosh or Not This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if… You’re looking for a fantastic sit-down dining meal You want to expand your wine palette You love trying new dishes and aren’t picky You should skip this Disney World spot if… You’re a pickier eater You’re not near the Swan and Dolphin hotels You want a quick meal that gets you in and out Overall While we loved all our dining choices here, we also adored the service! Our server, Kim, was so kind and attentive, and was so great about checking on us and other tables throughout the meal. The restaurant also didn’t hesitate to pack up our leftovers for us, which we so appreciated! While this restaurant is certainly more on the fancy side, it also still has a relaxed atmosphere to it. We couldn’t recommend it more if you’re looking for a delicious, relaxing meal on your next vacation. What a wonderful meal! In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 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 Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs 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 eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: Okay, We Need Everyone to STOP Ignoring This Incredible Restaurant in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

You can plan your dining reservations, your Lightning Lanes, and more for your Disney World trip, but there is one thing you can’t plan for! Magic Kingdom Crowds Celebrities are just like us; they enjoy going to Disney World, too, so don’t be surprised if you spot one strolling around the parks on your next trip. Today, our reporter caught a notable influencer at Magic Kingdom. Darren Jason Watkins Jr., better known online as IShowSpeed, is currently at Magic Kingdom, bringing his high-energy presence to the park. As one of the most influential creators of 2025, according to Rolling Stone, IShowSpeed has amassed over 43 million subscribers on YouTube and 36.5 million followers on Instagram. Known for his dramatic and energetic behavior showcased in his variety live streams, he has become a global internet sensation. IShowSpeed Don’t be surprised if you spot a celebrity at Disney World today. IShowSpeed’s visit adds to his ongoing “Speed Does America” tour, a 35-day livestreaming trip across the United States. Whether he’s interacting with fans or enjoying the attractions, his presence is sure to add an extra layer of excitement to your visit. VIP guides with him Keep an eye out — you never know when you might cross paths with one of the internet’s biggest stars. Be sure to follow DFB for more Disney news. Why Disney Adults Keep Booking “Junk” Lightning Lanes Have you ever seen a celebrity at Disney World? Tell us in the comments below. The post CELEB SPOTTED: See Who We Just Found at Magic Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Orlando is marking the 100th day of the Epic Universe era. Universal Orlando’s new theme park, which debuted May 22, burst onto the scene during a very hot summer with positive reviews for its detailed design and elaborate attractions. But international sociopolitical issues clouded the blue skies, and operational delays tempered the happy talk for some visitors, experts say. “There’s stuff that you can control, and there’s stuff that you can’t control,” said Len Testa, owner of Touring Plans, a vacation-planning site. “I think in the overall context of what we’re seeing in leisure travel around the United States, Epic did as good as it could possibly do,” he said. “Las Vegas would take Epic’s numbers right now.” Those who go to Epic have upbeat responses, Testa said. Its restaurants are well-regarded and, according to surveys, the rides are rated higher than the ones at sister park Universal Studios Florida, he said. “We can tell from our app that people seem to be spending more time in Epic than the other Universal parks,” Testa said. “So, those are all good signs. It means that the stuff that they built is resonating with fans.” Epic Universe, as seen from the Helios Grand Hotel, features well-received rides and restaurants and good marks for its many details across five themed lands, surveys say. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) The park’s escapist nature appeals to Jake Cruz, a Universal annual passholder who lives in Orlando. “Just walking around the park, you feel immersed. It feels like you’re in an entirely different world,” said Cruz, who has been to Epic four times and plans a fifth outing in the coming weeks. “I kind of regret not going to opening day because I heard how amazing it was,” he said. “It feels like this historical moment.” The waiting game Criticisms from early Epic adapters focus on weak ride reliability — downtime that spurred extended wait times — and the sun of the Sunshine State, which prompts calls for more shade and additional indoor attractions. “The wait times have not been phenomenal, and the weather has not been phenomenal,” said Carissa Baker, an assistant professor of theme-park and attraction management at the University of Central Florida. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry, a complicated simulator ride in Epic’s installment of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, has been on the down-and-delayed list multiple days. Visitors can wait hours to get on board. Cruz said he arrived at 5 a.m. one day and went to the Potter ride as the park opened, only to have it be down for the day. (He had better luck with Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment ride, which went down after he rode.) The vast quest for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry ride impresses Epic Universe visitors, although some have had extended waits in the area. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) For a while, Universal used a virtual queue system for Battle at the Ministry, allowing guests to do Epic things besides wait. But it also created frustration for shut-out visitors. The virtual queue is gone now, and the attraction has been added to the Express Pass lineup along with Mine-Cart Madness, a roller coaster in Epic’s Super Nintendo World. “I’m really confident that their industrial engineers know what’s going on and know how to solve a lot of these problems. It’s just a matter now of doing the analysis like, you know, bringing Express Pass to Ministry, into Mine-Cart Madness,” Testa said. “It’s not just flipping a switch. You have to do studies that say, yeah, if we turn this on, the standby wait time is going to go from here to here. And we’re going to get this much revenue for it, but the dissatisfaction is going to drop by this much,” he said. “There’s complex analysis that happens for a lot of these decisions.” Crowd control Company officials have said they are proud of the performance of the new park. “Epic is already driving higher per-cap spending and attendance across the entirety of Universal Orlando Resort, with strong food and merchandise sales and minimal impact on attendance at Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure,” Michael Cavanagh, president of parent company Comcast Corp., told market analysts after quarterly earnings were released in July. The period covered about six weeks of Epic’s operation. “Our near-term focus is on expanding rides throughout to reduce early attendance constraints,” Cavanagh said. Orlando’s theme parks do not release attendance figures or capacity levels. “I think they’ve definitely been controlling capacity, but they have now released a lot more tickets,” said Baker, who has been in the theme park eight times. One method for crowd maintenance: Epic Universe admission has not been included in Universal Orlando annual passholder plans, which cover Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios and, for some levels, Volcano Bay water park. Prices for a one-day ticket to Epic vary by date, ranging between $154 and $194. Annual passholder rates for a day at Epic are from $127 to $169. “I do hope that they add it to the annual pass, and presumably it’ll come out with a pretty hefty raise in [pass] prices,” Baker said. First-day guests at Universal Epic Universe pose in front of the portal at the theme park's entrance. (Rich Pope/Orlando Sentinel) Epic Universe was announced in 2019 and constructed about 2.5 miles southeast of Universal Orlando’s first two parks, on the opposite side of Interstate 4, crossing International Drive. Universal runs shuttle buses between the parks and its 11 hotels, including three new resorts adjacent to Epic. An extension of Kirkman Road from Carrier Drive to the Epic site, plus an elevated traffic circle with dedicated bus lanes, are meant to ease traffic woes. “Our traffic has increased, but it hasn’t been insane or anything,” said Baker, whose office is near Epic. Looking for the lift Foot traffic has not yet surged in the I-Drive area, said Thom Kerr, owner of Icebar Orlando, which has operated as a hotspot with ice carvings on International Drive since 2008. “In general, we have not seen the lift on International Drive that I think most of us expected to see. And, you know, we’re all trying to figure out what’s happening there,” Kerr said. His business took advantage of its proximity to Epic, offering free or reduced entry to customers with an Epic ticket. It also rolled out a themed drink menu. “We thought it would be a great match,” Kerr said. “If you’ve been out in a hot theme park all day, you know, ice bar — cool concept.” He said advance reservations are holding steady with 2024 levels, but foot traffic lags. The numbers haven’t been bad, just flat, he said. I-Drive, Orlando and many U.S. destinations are coping with attendance hurdles, including jitters about the economy and international travelers reacting to possible political developments with tariffs and immigration. The number of visitors traveling from Canada to the U.S. by airline dropped 22% in June, according to Travel and Tour World, a tourism website. That was the sixth consecutive month of decline. Hotel occupancy in the Orlando market was up 0.9% for June and 0.4% for July, according to STR. Revenue increased 6.6% and 6.1%, respectively. “The Canadian market is still there. It’s not as strong as it used to be,” said Brian Wayne, general manager of WonderWorks Orlando, a longstanding I-Drive attraction. “I-Drive feels a little slower.” He said he has noticed discounted rooms at hotels and ticket deals at theme parks. The ‘new norm’? Central Florida’s tourism industry continued fresh offerings this summer, including two new stage shows at Walt Disney World plus a nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom. SeaWorld Orlando introduced Expedition Odyssey, an Arctic-themed flying-theater attraction, and Sea Life Aquarium Florida opened at Legoland Florida Resort in Winter Haven. A not-so-slammed summer may be the “new norm,” Wayne said, as visitors explore Orlando throughout the year. The weather may be a factor, he said, as well as attractive draws in autumn, including the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and major Halloween-themed events at Disney, Universal, SeaWorld and beyond. And the market is experiencing a let-down after the post-pandemic surge, when visitors flocked to Florida, Wayne said. “With international travel opening up so much now, I think that there’s so many more options,” he said. Kerr maintains belief in the Epic effect, and thinks the new park is a strong draw. “Anytime there’s a new attraction or draw, it’s competition, and new things are good for everybody,” he said. “We’re one of the top destinations in the world. … It’s just we’re having a little hiccup of a year.” A ripple effect is still expected by Baker, who notes the tourism industry often wades through economic slumps and crises such as 9-11 and the COVID-19 pandemic. “I still think we’re going to come out strong, and we always do,” she said. In the meantime, Testa theorizes that Universal will work on Epic’s operations … and expansion. “They need more rides, especially when it rains or the weather’s bad, and they need more ride reliability,” he said. “Those are growing pains that are kind of expected to happen.” It’s a pattern that experts saw with the arrivals of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Universal’s Islands of Adventure decades ago. Even Magic Kingdom debuted without a completed Tomorrowland. “There’s always something that comes, like, a year or two later that sort of fills out or rounds out the park,” Testa said. Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. BlueSky: @themeparksdb. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters. View the full article

OK, the signs for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival are all over the place. The Festival Marketplaces (a.k.a. food booths) are scattered all over the parks. It’s hard to miss the Food and Wine Festival happening in Disney World right now. But did you know that there’s more than just food (and wine) at this seasonal EPCOT event? There’s also exclusive entertainment, including live music, scavenger hunts, and even character meet-and-greets! The 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Once you get yourself a nice bowl of cheddar cheese soup (shoutout to the Canada Pavilion!), go relax and catch some live entertainment. 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} #af-form-1858226619 input.submit, #af-form-1858226619 #webFormSubmitButton { border: none; border-radius: 3px !important; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 0.5rem !important; margin-bottom: 1rem !Important; padding: 0.6rem 1.5rem !important; -webkit-transition-duration: 0.3s; transition-duration: 0.3s; } #af-form-1858226619 input.submit:hover, #af-form-1858226619 #webFormSubmitButton:hover { cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8; } #af-form-1858226619 input.text:hover { cursor: pointer; opacity: 0.8; } .poweredBy a, .privacyPolicy p { color: #000000 !important; font-size: 0.65rem !important; } Eat to the Beat Concerts Let’s start with one of the most POPULAR live entertainment offerings at the Food and Wine Festival: the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Throughout the Festival, popular bands (including some BIG names) take the stage at the American Gardens Theatre in The American Adventure Pavilion for the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Eat to the Beat These concerts are free (!!) with EPCOT admission, and typically take place three times per evening — at 5:30PM, 6:45PM, and 8PM. You can catch iconic bands and artists on Fridays through Mondays, and local bands perform Tuesday through Thursday evenings. 2025 Eat to the Beat sign in EPCOT If you want to guarantee your spot at the show, you can purchase an Eat to the Beat Dining Package as an optional add-on. The dining package entitles you to breakfast, lunch, or dinner at select EPCOT restaurants and includes same-day reserved seating at the Eat to the Beat Concert that evening. EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Series and Dining Packages Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak Scavenger Hunt Looking for something to do as you eat your way around the World Showcase? Check out Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak Scavenger Hunt! Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak map This is a simple little scavenger hunt where you’ll search for Remy statuettes hidden all around the park. Hi, Remy! If you want to play along, you’ll purchase a map for $11.99 to keep track of Remy. Once you spot him, add a sticker to the coordinating location on the map! Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak map Maps can be purchased at Creations Shop, Disney Traders, or Festival Merchandise kiosks. Wait…there’s Remy too! Finally, once you’ve completed your map, you can collect a BONUS prize at select EPCOT gift shops, like Disney Traders, Gateway Gifts, Creations Shop, or World Traveler! Each year, the prize is something new — and we’re loving this year’s! Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak prizes! The prizes are Disney-themed bento boxes, each featuring a different character! The yellow box features Mickey, the red features Minnie, the blue features Donald, and the purple features Remy. They are so adorable! Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak prizes You can only choose ONE of the four boxes as your prize. They’re all so cute, so it’s going to be a tough choice! Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit Speaking of scavenger hunts, there’s ANOTHER one happening in EPCOT called Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit. This one will start on September 2nd and will be available for a limited time. Make sure to mark your calendars, as this one has been a fun play in the past! Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit In this version, you’re searching for hidden pumpkins inspired by Disney characters! See some familiar pals? The price to participate is the same as the Ratatouille-themed scavenger hunt — $11.99. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza Every once in a while, CommuniCore Hall gets a little makeover for the seasonal EPCOT festivals and events. As of right now, CommuniCore Hall has been acting as GoofyCore Hall for Cool Kid Summer. But on September 1st, Cool Kid Summer will end, and the fate of CommuniCore Hall remains a mystery! WELCOME to CommuniCore Hall! Though we await more information on exactly how CommuniCore Hall and Plaza will be utilized during this year’s Festival, we do know that inside the Hall, there is space for a demonstration kitchen, a mixology bar, and exhibition and gallery space. We’ll keep you posted right here on all the CommuniCore happenings at the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Chef Daisy That’s right. There’s MORE. Over in the World Showcase, look out for Chef Daisy Duck, who often makes appearances near the International Gateway (between the United Kingdom and France pavilions) in her special Food & Wine Festival outfit! Chef Daisy Duck Check the My Disney Experience app to see if Daisy is greeting guests in EPCOT while you’re there. Living with the Land’s Food and Wine Festival Ride Overlay Make sure to visit the Living with the Land ride during the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Why? This attraction gets a NEW LOOK for the season! Living with the Land — EPCOT Food & Wine Festival version Living with the Land produces REAL fruits and vegetables, and you can see some of the REAL ingredients that have been used for dishes at the various food booths this year and throughout Disney World. Food and Wine Festival-themed Nighttime Lighting at Spaceship Earth Finally, make sure to stick around until the sun goes down in EPCOT! Spaceship Earth in World Celebration gets a special look for the Festival! Spaceship Earth We love to listen to this musical light show! In the past, the show has featured two Disney songs. One was music from Beauty and the Beast — specifically, inspired by the song, “Be Our Guest”, the other was “You’re a Star” from Disney’s Wish. What a fun way to end the night! This year, Disney is running it back with the same two songs, and you won’t want to miss them! The show begins when it gets dark outside and plays several times each night. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. Eat to the Beat Concerts and Dining Package Information 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What’s your favorite thing to do at the Festival? Let us know in the comments! The post FULL ENTERTAINMENT LINEUP for the 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s time for another EPCOT festival at last! 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival The 2025 Food and Wine Festival is finally here, and we couldn’t be more excited to eat hot cheese in the Orlando heat. (No, we aren’t kidding.) One of our favorite savory aspects of this festival is Emile’s Fromage Montage, and it’s back and perfectly cheesy. Let’s check out what items are involved in the crawl right here. If you’ve never heard of it, Emile’s Fromage Montage is a special cheese crawl held for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival. It is every cheese lover’s dream, because you can try different cheese-inspired dishes featured at some of the festival’s food booths and, if you get enough stamps in your passport, you win a prize! 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Passport — Emile’s Fromage Montage Stamp Collecting Page! That prize is a special treat that you can’t purchase! You need 5 stamps total for this secret prize, but honestly, we’re going to be eating these cheese items anyway, so the prize is really just the cherry on top. Before you hit up the festival, we’re breaking down every item that is participating in the 2025 crawl. Emile’s Fromage Montage Milled & Mulled Fall Fruit Cheesecake featuring Boursin Fig & Balsamic Cheese with Pomegranates and Candied Pecans ($5.50) Fall Fruit Cheesecake The Alps Both of these count towards Emile’s Fromage Montage, one being vegetarian and the other having ham: Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese and Alpine Ham with Baby Potatoes, Cornichons, and Baguette ($6) Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese with Baby Potatoes, Cornichons, and Baguette ($5.50) Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese and Alpine Ham Brazil Pão de Queijo: Brazilian Cheese Bread ($5) Pao de Queijo Greece Griddled Cheese with Pistachios and Honey ($5.25) Griddled Cheese with pistachios and honey Germany Schinkennudeln: Pasta Gratin with Ham, Onions, and Cheese ($5.25) Schinkennudeln Spain Basque Cheesecake with Orange Sauce ($5.25) Basque Cheesecake Hawai’i Pineapple Cheesecake with Passion Fruit Curd and Macadamia Nuts ($5.25) Pineapple Cheesecake Forest & Field Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli with Brown Butter Vinaigrette, Pecorino Cheese, Pomegranate Seeds, and Hazelnut Praline ($5.50) Pumpkin-Mascarpone Ravioli After you get your 5 stamps, go to Shimmering Sips Marketplace for your free specialty snack. In the past, it’s been a strawberry cheesecake in a souvenir cup, but this year it’s Key Lime and Vanilla DOLE Whip with pie crumbles on top! Just a reminder that, yes, you need to get five stamps, but it can be any five stamps! If you want to eat five of the same snack, you can! You also don’t have to buy them all on the same day. If you’re coming back for multiple days, you can bring your passport and continue to get more stamps. Just make sure you get your prize by the end of the festival. Completer Prize This annual celebration runs from August 28th through November 22nd. We’re checking out everything about the festival right now, so be sure to keep following DFB for more EPCOT festival reviews, tips, and more! 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Booths, Menus, and FOOD PHOTOS 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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 going to Food and Wine this year? Tell us in the comments! The post Eating a Bunch of CHEESE Can Get You a PRIZE at EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s time to dig into some EARTH EATS at the 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake The 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has officially opened, 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. But don’t let it overwhelm you; we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to one spot in particular — the Earth Eats — to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu If you’re familiar with Earth Eats from previous EPCOT Food and Wine Festivals, you may recall that it delivered an entire menu of plant-based offerings. But this year’s menu is pretty much the same as last year’s. Over at the Earth Eats booth, you’ll find a variety of available items. This menu is full of returning dishes: the Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib and the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. 2025 Earth Eats Menu There are some beverage options here, too. The Minute Maid Strawberry-Hibiscus Aguas Frescas (which is new this year), and the Harken Barrel Fermented Chardonnay. Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats First up, we grabbed the Wine-braised Beef Short Rib for $8.50. It is plated with goat cheese polenta, puttanesca sauce, shaved pecorino, and petit herbs. This was a hit for us last year, and we’re happy to report that it didn’t disappoint this year either. We love how big the portion size is. The meat is tender and flavorful. We will warn you that it comes with olives and capers, and some people might not like that, but we thought they added a nice acidity, along with the tomato sauce beneath it. We didn’t get a lot of polenta, but it was smooth and creamy. Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib And on to the citrusy dessert. The Lemon Poppy Seed Cake is covered with lemon icing and made our Best of the Fest last year. Does it measure up this year? The answer is a solid “yes!” This cake has a wonderful lemon flavor that is more on the sweet side than the tart side. We also loved the lemon icing that added a bit of extra sweetness. Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake You can grab this treat for $4.50. Drinks In terms of drinks on this menu, we got Minute Maid Strawberry-Hibiscus Aguas Frescas for $4.75. This is new this year, but the general concept isn’t. Last year’s version was the Blood Orange Agua Fresca, which we found to be the perfect balance of tart and refreshing. So, let’s see how this flavor profile tastes. It was so nice to find a non-alcoholic option that isn’t just something made with kids in mind. The drink is light and refreshing and perfect for a hot Florida day. Most of the flavor is strawberry, but you’ll also get a touch of hibiscus in there, too. Minute Maid Strawberry -Hibiscus Aguas Frescas If you prefer, you can also try a new wine offering at the Festival this year: Harken Wines Barrel Fermented Chardonnay for $6. OVERALL Overall, this booth is a must-visit if you want a satisfying and hearty dish, along with a light dessert and drink. The three really work well together, and you could easily make a meal from the dishes available at this booth. Full spread at Earth Eats 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 2025 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 2025 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 2025 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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: Do Yourself a Favor and DON'T Skip This EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Booth first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one breaking this rule. ©Disney Sailing with the Disney Cruise Line and other cruise lines can be tons of fun, but these kinds of vacations don’t come without a specific set of rules. We get it, going on an ocean voyage doesn’t come without an inherent set of risks, creating the need for some very strict rules and regulations. You’re quite literally in a floating vessel in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by an environment we’re still very much learning about. However, there’s one cruise rule that we still struggle to wrap our brains around. Before you board your ship, you’ll need to view a safety briefing that will go over safety protocols in the unlikely case of an emergency. Most of the instructions are rooted in logic and common sense, but there’s one in particular that has us scratching our heads. Disney Wish at Castaway Cay You are told in every cruise safety briefing to go back to your stateroom and “dress in warm clothing” before going to your muster station — an assembly area where you’ll gather during an emergency. There’s a major problem with this rule, though. No one is packing warm clothing for a Caribbean cruise. Disney Magic Cruise Ship Sure, you might have some heavier articles of clothing for anticipated chilly nights or fine dining experiences, but, for the most part, you should be packing light in anticipation of sweaty, sticky, and damp weather. Throw in the fact that you might be planning on spending a good amount of time swimming in pools or the ocean, and it’s hardly likely you’ll be packing a winter coat. Disney Dream We understand the rule in its purest form. If you ever wondered why pirates are depicted in media often wearing large coats even though they sailed in the Caribbean, there are actual scientific reasons for this. In the case of an emergency, it’s much better to be wearing heavy, warmer clothing. You can protect yourself against sunburns, and even in warm water, hypothermia is a very real threat. Warm clothes help conserve body heat, and your chances of survival dramatically increase. Yes, even in the warm waters of the Caribbean, hypothermia is a very real threat, especially when the sun goes down. Being immersed in water (regardless of temperature) for an extended period of time can slowly drain body heat, which is why cruise lines want you to layer up. ©Holland America Cruise ships are very safe, and the chance of emergencies happening to the extent where you need to worry about hypothermia is slim to none. Still, with all things in life, if you decide to pack a parka or other kinds of warm clothing during your Caribbean adventure, you’ll be giving yourself a little extra protection. We recognize that most folks will try to travel as light as possible during these Caribbean voyages, though, and that’s understandable. We understand the rule and the problems that come with it. Fortunately, most lifeboats come with thermal aids, and every cruise line has taken into account ways to combat hypothermia in the case of emergencies. Do you want to set sail on the ocean? This rule is a fascinating one and also a hard one to enforce. Did you know it existed? Let us know and continue to follow us here at DFB for more cruise tips and tricks! Why Are Disney Cruises So Expensive? Is It Worth It? What You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line Learn All About Disney Cruise Line and Its Various Ships Explore Disney’s Mega Cruise Ship – The Wish A Full List of What You CAN’T Bring on a Disney Cruise These Are the BEST Times to Book Your Disney Cruise The Best Ways to SAVE SPACE in Your Tiny Cruise Cabin 10 Things You NEED on Your Next Cruise (That You Won’t Think to Pack!) What It’s Like to Live on a Cruise Ship for 6 Months Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe How do YOU pack for a Caribbean cruise? Share your tips in the comments below! The post I Would Bet Million You're Breaking This Cruise Rule Every Time You Sail in the Caribbean first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Labor Day Weekend is here, and that means great deals on Amazon! ©Disney Now’s the time to online shop, because Amazon is having a big sale on a ton of Disney World essentials. Take a look at everything we found! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get this Sukeen Cooling Towel Sukeen Cooling Towels The Food and Wine Festival has begun, which means hot food in the hot sun! Our favorite way to keep cool has to be the Sukeen Cooling Towels! You can purchase a four-pack, coming with four cooling towels in different colors. These things are great breathable microfiber towels to let rest on your forehead, neck, or wherever you just need a cooldown. We love these, and we love the price — as they’re sitting at 54% off! View on Amazon Check out this Handheld Mini Fan JISULIFE Handheld Mini Fan Check out this JISULIFE Handheld Mini Fan. You’ve probably seen us bring this up a few times, but we LOVE it! It’s a 3-in-1 USB rechargeable portable fan. It offers great cooling while you’re at the park, a power bank that can last 12-19 hours, and a flashlight. It’s small and easy to carry around, and it’s 19% off! View on Amazon We love this Magic Kingdom T-shirt ©Amazon This Magic Kingdom: Long Live All The Magic is a great pick for a Disney day outfit! The style of the shirt comes in many different designs and colors, but this one really stood out to us. Prices vary across the different design options. For 25% off, we can’t say no to a new t-shirt for the park! View on Amazon Or, you can grab this Flat Plug Power Strip Flat Plug Power Strip This Flat Plug Power Strip is portable and effective, allowing you to charge multiple devices, while not taking up too much space. It has three outlets and 4 USB ports (two USB C). We find it’s great for hotels, resorts, or wherever you’re staying. We can charge our phone, laptop, and whatever else we brought, while only taking up one outlet in the wall. We love the price you can get this at, and it’s 29% off right now! View on Amazon Don’t forget this Disney Villains Loungefly ©Amazon It’s not every day you see a Disney Loungefly go on sale, but this Disney Villains Loungefly Backpack is! This is the accessory you need for when the new Villains Land opens up at Magic Kingdom. The bag features some of your favorite villains, including Hades, Ursula, Cruella, Captain Hook, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Maleficent. You can get the bag for 21% off! View on Amazon And finally, we love this Travel Umbrella BAODINI Travel Mini Umbrella If you want to avoid sunburn and help keep yourself out of the sun, no matter where you are, you’ll want to grab the BAODINI Travel Mini Umbrella. Keep yourself safe from sunburn and sun poisoning. This travel umbrella comes with a case and is super easy to travel with. We find that by using one of these, it lowers the temperature underneath by 5-10 degrees easily. You can get it for 7% off! View on Amazon We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, so don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! The post Disney World Essentials Are Up to 54% Off on Amazon Today first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s HERE! The biggest weekend for Disney fans everywhere has finally arrived. We’re live at Destination D23! Destination d23 is the ultimate Disney fan weekend, and it’s gonna be HUGE. This exciting weekend event is where the biggest Disney fans tune in each year in person and online to hear exciting announcements about upcoming projects, get behind-the-scenes info about upcoming Disney projects, hear from special guest speakers, and more. Last year’s Destination D23 was an outpouring of news and updates, and this year’s lineup is looking just as jam-packed. We hope you’re ready, cause here we go! We’ll be updating this post ALL WEEKEND LONG as we explore the Destination D23 event! Keep checking back here to catch each update as it’s announced. Event Dates This morning, August 29th, we’re starting off the first day of Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney! The entire event will run the whole weekend through August 31st at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This event is very popular and tickets SOLD OUT quickly when they went on sale earlier this year starting in April to select D23 members. ©D23 The entire weekend’s lineup has already been released, and you can always follow along with all of the updates here! For those who didn’t get tickets or just want to watch along, select panels from Destination D23 will also be live-streamed online and on D23 social media channels! News & Announcements We’ll be on the lookout through the entire weekend for any big news and announcements Disney makes, so be sure to keep checking back for updates. Exhibits Walt Disney Studios Showcase This is where we get an exclusive look at the movies fans love, and a glimpse into what to look forward to from Disney’s film studios. We’ll be checking out this exhibit later, so check back soon! Shopping Mickey’s of Glendale Destination D23 is also our first look at some of the upcoming park styles and trends for merchandise. One of our favorites in the Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop — let’s take a look at what you’ll find here. Mickey’s of Glendale Here, you’ll find some Walt Disney Imagineering apparel, accessories, souvenirs, and more. WDI merchandise There’s a section that’s nothing but books, including special Disney Little Golden Books. Books You can even get Disney Cruise Line Haunted Mansion Parlor merch! Haunted Mansion Parlor souvenirs There are some new Muppets Studio collections available. Muppets Studio! Disney Studio Store Hollywood For the first time, Disney Studio Store Hollywood is in Florida with new apparel, accessories, drinkware, and pins. Apparel, pins, you name it! This is definitely a spot pin collectors want to visit. Time to add to the pin collection Ink & Paint Marketplace The Ink & Paint Marketplace features a variety of souvenirs from brands like Lug, Ravensburger, Pandora, and more. The collection of Lug bags alone is very impressive! Lug Bags for DAYS It’s also a great spot to grab some Disney art. Art! We also checked out some board games here. Time for some new board games The Walt Disney Company Store If you’re looking for official Destination D23 merchandise, this is were you’ll find it, as well as collections including The Walt Disney Company, the Walt Disney Studios, and new D23 Member-exclusives. Destination D23 souvenirs There are a ton of EXCLUSIVES you can get here, too. Exclusive merchandise You’ll also find D23 merchandise here. D23 souvenirs Don’t forget to check back in with us at this post for ALL the updates from Destination d23 this weekend! We’ll be bringing you all of the cool exhibits and maybe even some BIG news, so stay tuned! Disney Just Dropped 3 HUGE Announcements…and They Will Make You GASP  What news and updates are you hoping to get during this year’s Destination D23 weekend? 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 Destination D23. 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 LIVE UPDATES: We're at Disney's HUGE Fan Event -- Destination D23 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

EPCOT’s World Showcase offers some of the best dining and shopping options on Disney property, with food, drinks, treats, and souvenirs from around the world. Spaceship Earth However, occasionally the abundance can lead to some impulse purchases that can kindly be described as “good item, wrong time.” As someone who’s been visiting EPCOT for over 3 decades, I myself have even fallen victim to these impulses from time to time. Collectibles from Mitsukoshi that Can be Found Online. EPCOT’s outpost of Mitsukoshi — the Japanese department store which can trace its lineage all the way back to 1673 — is chock-full of souvenirs that celebrate Japanese culture. These include clothing, jewelry, books, pillows, household items, manga, toys, and statuettes from popular anime, authentic Japanese snacks, and even merchandise for superstar Major League Baseball Player Shohei Ohtani. Mitsukoshi While these items are undoubtedly cool, in today’s day and age, the vast majority of these items can be found online, usually for cheaper prices. In other words, there’s no need to impulse buy them — especially larger items — to lug around EPCOT for the rest of your day. Matcha Kit Kat A Turkey Leg at the American Adventure Whether you begin your World Showcase journey in Canada or Mexico, you’ll reach The American Adventure at the midpoint. Which in turn means you may be hungry and tempted to pick up a giant Turkey Leg at the Fife & Drum Tavern. Turkey legs can be found in the American Adventure However, that also means that you’ll be making the second half of your journey with said giant turkey leg sitting in your stomach… in the Florida heat. For sure, some people like Disney’s take on turkey, so we wouldn’t say never get one, but just think about it first. You’re also in a park with so many unique foods to try, so maybe get a Turkey Leg in Magic Kingdom instead! A Final Margarita If you’re heading counter-clockwise at World Showcase and ending at Mexico, it can be tempting to head to get one last drink at the end of the night. La Cava del Tequila While this isn’t the worst idea (we love a good marg), just be mindful of having a drink after a long park day. Plus, keep in mind that as the park is closing, you won’t be able to take your drink outside EPCOT’s gates if you get it to go. Cheers Next time you’re taking a trip around EPCOT’s World Showcase, try and keep your impulsive shopping in check to avoid buying — or eating — anything at the “wrong” time. Stay tuned to DFB for more EPCOT tips. WARNING: Disney Adults Are Suddenly Spending More Money in EPCOT Have you ever regretted an EPCOT impulse buy? Let us know in the comments below. The post 3 Things I Regret Impulse Buying in the EPCOT World Showcase first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Who’s ready for a big vacation? Let’s fly! A major change is coming to Southwest Airlines! Southwest is getting its first new international destination since 2021, and it’s flying out of Orlando, Florida. Let’s take a look at all the details! As if the Orlando airport wasn’t busy enough, it’s about to get a whole lot busier. Southwest is adding a new destination, the island of St. Maarten, with daily flights to and from Orlando starting in April 2026, according to Florida Today. Orlando International Airport St. Maarten is a gorgeous destination, and now we have all the more reason to book a vacation and visit the island. This Caribbean Island is sure to be a very popular spot once Southwest adds it to its flight offers come 2026. Southwest Planes This announcement is coming a few days after Southwest Airlines announced the upcoming change of yet another long-standing policy. Southwest seems to keep changing its long-standing policies. Starting on January 27th, 2026, “the airline will require passengers who ‘encroach upon the neighboring seat’ to proactively purchase an additional ticket, which might not be refunded.” ©Southwest Airlines Southwest’s policy used to have passengers pay the cost of an extra seat ahead of time, but later receive a refund, or they could show up at the airport and request an extra seat at no charge. These inclusive policies made the airline the preferred airline for many plus-size passengers. However, the new change will now restrict passengers from getting that second seat refunded “unless the flight departs with at least one open seat and both seats are purchased within the same fare class.” Southwest On top of that, Passengers will be required to purchase this other seat in advance of their trip. This means you will no longer be able to show up at the airport requesting an additional seat. Southwest Airlines Lots is going on with the Airline come 2026! We’re excited for the new destination addition, and we’ll definitely have to take advantage of that come April of next year. For more travel news and updates, be sure to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog. What do you think about the new destination added? Let us know in the comments! The post Southwest Airlines Adds NEW International Destination from Orlando Airport first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Reach out and find your happily ever afterrrrrrr! Happily Ever After Okay, now that one of the best Disney World soundtracks is stuck in your head (sorry, not sorry), you should know that the Happily Ever After fireworks spectacular is changing show times. You won’t want to miss the show because you thought they were at a different time, so listen up! Starting on Sunday, August 31st, Happily Ever After will begin at 9:30 PM, instead of the 10 PM showing. Following that, showtimes from September 15th on will be at 9 PM. Happily Ever After As we get deeper into fall and winter, even if Florida hasn’t gotten the colder weather alert, the sun will be setting earlier, and we can have our nighttime shows earlier in the day. Park hours typically begin to change around this time as well. Happily Ever After As of September 15th, Magic Kingdom‘s park hours will be 9 AM to 10 PM. However, until then, the park is closed at 11 PM on normal days. Currently, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is also taking place, which means the park closes at 6 PM on select party nights. Magic Kingdom During those party nights, don’t forget that Happily Ever After doesn’t play. Instead, you’ll have an incredible Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, and you’ll get to see my favorite part where Jack Skellington from the Nightmare Before Christmas calls out to his dog Zero, who flies over the castle as fireworks. Happily Ever After is also not available on Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party nights. Halloween fireworks Now, what about that other nighttime show in Magic Kingdom? Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, the new nighttime parade that illuminates the streets with fun characters like the Blue Fairy, Elsa, Mirabel, and more, will also undergo a schedule change. Disney Starlight Starting on August 31st, Starlight will start at 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM, and from September 15th onwards, it will run at 8 PM and 10 PM. Either way, you can catch them before or after the fireworks for a double spectacular night (or triple if you consider watching both showings). Blue Fairy Like Happily Ever After, Starlight does not play on party nights, including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Elsa Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts, and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation. After all this fireworks talk, I want to book a reservation for Magic Kingdom, grab a big bowl of popcorn, and cry (no, I mean enjoy!) to Happily Ever After. In the meantime, be sure to continue following the Disney Food Blog for more updates. THIS IS THE MOST CHAOTIC THING YOU CAN DO IN MAGIC KINGDOM RIGHT NOW, BUT IT’S 110% WORTH IT DON'T DO IT ALONE! Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you GET MORE INFO Do you prefer winter or summer hours for Disney World? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. The post ALERT! Magic Kingdom Fireworks are Changing This Weekend first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When most Disney World guests try and book Lightning Lanes, they often try for the resort’s most popular attractions first. Lightning Lane However, some guests will instead grab “junk” Lightning Lanes — IE, less popular rides whose waits may not “require” using a Lightning Lane– for as early in the day as possible. Why? Well, it’s a way to take as much advantage of the system as possible. First off, a quick rundown of how the Lightning Lane Multi-Pass system operates at Walt Disney World. You’re able to make three Lightning Lane selections in a specific theme park, in advance of your visit (7 days in advance for Disney hotel guests, 3 days in advance for all other guests). These selections can be one Tier 1 attraction and two Tier 2 attractions, or three Tier 2 attractions. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Lightning Lane After checking in to your first selection, you can use the My Disney Experience app to make additional selections, which brings us to “junk” Lightning Lanes. These refer to booking easy-to-acquire Lightning Lanes early in the day, which then gives flexibility to “stack” Lightning Lanes throughout the rest of the day by booking a new one each time you check into a previous Lightning Lane. Expedition Everest Lightning Lane in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Furthermore, they will try and modify these Lightning Lane reservations, hoping for more in-demand rides or times that have opened up on the day of. Spaceship Earth Lightning Lane Next time you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation, be sure to keep in mind the best ways to maximize the Lightning Lane system. Stay tuned to DFB for further planning tips. 3 Disney World Lightning Lane Rules You Should Break What are your Lightning Lane tricks? Let us know in the comments below. The post Why Disney Adults Keep Booking "Junk" Lightning Lanes first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We hope you brought your reusable dining utensils because EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival is finally HERE! Fry Flight We’re finally at the culmination of weeks of excitement building from spotting festival booths popping up around the World Showcase and World Discovery to finally getting a peek at the menus for each booth’s offerings (and don’t forget getting to taste a menu item a tad early!) However, since we’re talking about menus there’s one big thing we need to talk about — those PRICES! Yep, not everything you’ve got you heart set on trying this year will be an easy price to swallow on it’s own, but if you’re looking to use your snack credits to offset some of that cost, this is the post you NEED to study! Luckily, you’ve come to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experts, and we know all there is to know about the festival each year. If you’re planning on visiting EPCOT Food & Wine Festival this year, you’ll find it happening daily around EPCOT’s World Showcase across all of the countries that surround the lagoon, the Odyssey building, and a few outer-lying booths along the side of World Discovery between the side of Creations Shop and Test Track and in World Celebration tucked within the CommuniCore Hall. This year’s festival will take place starting on August 28th and will run through November 22nd. 2025 Food and Wine Signs! During the festival, you can expect to be treated to all of the sips, smells, and flavors showcasing the world over 40 food and drink booths including a few Joffrey’s Tea & Coffee concoctions specifically released for the festival. It truly is a party for the senses in every essence of the word, and we can’t wait to celebrate along with you and be your guides to it all! “This Way for Scientific Snacks!” Snacking and sipping your way through all of the festival offerings can rack up a hefty tab quickly, and if you thought ahead and bought a Disney Dining Plan along with your Disney World hotel stay, you came prepared! This year there are tons of options that are compatible as snack credits from your Disney Dining Plan, and we’re about to show you all of the most expensive ones that will be the best bang for your buck! So grab your reusable fork and knife and let’s get to it. Mexico This booth is typically a winner year after year for us ,and it’s one we think you should not miss during your visit! Some of the best offerings from the entire festival will be found here, and if you’re using your snack credits wisely, you could rack up the savings quickly! Flauta de Barbacoa — $8.75 Flauta de Barbacoa China Beijing Zhajiang Noodles — $8.50 Beijing Zhajiang Noodles Spain Paella Caldoso — $9 Paella Caldoso Italy Bacetti ‘Kisses’ di Pizza, Traditional Napoli Street Food — $8.75 Bacetti Kisses di Pizza Flavors of America Ah, Flavors of America is the booth that returns year after year and keeps us on our toes. Last year’s menu really threw us for a loop, but when we spotted this seafood roll being offered our mouths started watering immediately. If you’re looking to get something tasty and unique for your dining plan snack credit, this is a great contender! Gulf Coast-style Seafood Roll — $8.75 Gulf Coast Style Seafood Roll Japan Beef Wagyu Don — $9.50 Beef Wagyu Don France Trio d’Escargots, Garniture a l’ail et au Persil — $8.95 Trio d’Escargots Boeuf Bourguignon, Purée de Pommes de Terre — $8.95 Boeuf Bourguignon Canada Ohhh, Canada — you never cease to disappoint, and we’re shouting from the rooftops that you can get FILET MIGNON as a snack credit! This is probably the singular best Disney Dining Plan snack credit use of the entire festival, and we don’t think you’ll be disappointed with your choice! Filet Mignon — $10 Filet Mignon Earth Eats Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib — $8.50 Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib The Fry Basket Fry Flight — $8.00 Fry Flight Sommerfest Zwiebelkuchen — $9.79 Zwiebelkuchen Don’t go anywhere! We’re trying EVERYTHING from EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival, and you don’t want to miss a thing. Stay tuned with us at DFB to see it all! 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Gluten Free Items  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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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 festival items are you looking forward to trying first? Tell us in the comments below! The post The Most Expensive Items You Can Buy With a Snack Credit at EPCOT's Food & Wine Festival first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Today, in celebration of World Princess Week and the historic 70th anniversary of Disneyland, Disney is releasing a special concert on YouTube and Disney+ featuring admired Disney Princess voice talent enchanting fans. Disney Princess Concert: Celebrating 70 Years of Disneyland was filmed in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at the Disneyland Resort on August 26, 2025, and features a performance of cherished songs from beloved Disney Princess films. With the incredible actresses reprising their roles once again, this one-of-a-kind concert showcases the incredible legacy of beloved Disney princesses and their special connection with generations of fans around the world. Hosts Ginnifer Goodwin, the voice of Judy Hopps in Zootopia (2016) and Zootopia 2 (November 2025) and Snow White in ABC’s Once Upon a Time, and Susan Egan, the voice of Megara in Hercules (1997) and the original Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, greeted guests with a warm welcome, reminiscing on the indelible legacy of Disney princesses and reminding viewers that everyone has the power to create their own world. Susan Egan, the voice of Megara in Hercules, and Ginnifer Goodwin, the voice of Judy Hopps in the Zootopia films, co-host Disney Princess Concert: Celebrating 70 Years of Disneyland. After a beautiful rendition of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” beloved Disney Princess voice talent delighted fans with the iconic melodies that have become anthems to so many around the world: Disney Legends Jodi Benson and Paige O’Hara perform at Disneyland Resort in celebration of World Princess Week. “Part of Your World” performed by Disney Legend Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid (1989) A mashup of songs from Beauty and the Beast (1991) performed by Disney Legend Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle “How Far I’ll Go” performed by Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of the title character in Moana (2016) and Moana 2 (2024) “Almost There” performed by Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose, the voice of Tiana in The Princess and the Frog (2009) Auli’i Cravalho performs “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana at Disneyland Resort in celebration of World Princess Week. For the final performance, all of the talent came together on stage for a reprise of “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and were joined by the princesses themselves performing beautiful choreography. Throughout the show, special projections enhanced Sleeping Beauty Castle adding a stunning backdrop to this live event. Disney Legend Anika Noni Rose performs “Almost There” from The Princess and the Frog at Disneyland Resort in celebration of World Princess Week. This performance is one of the ways that Disney is celebrating World Princess Week as part of the multi-year “Create Your World” campaign, Disney’s commitment to give all of its fans the opportunity and tools to discover their own brand of princess magic and embrace their power within. The concert is available now on Disney+ in the U.S. and Canada and on YouTube. It will be available on Disney+ internationally on August 30, 2025, at 12 a.m. PT. The post Legendary Disney Princess Voices Come Together for a Spectacular Performance at Disneyland Resort During World Princess Week appeared first on Disney Experiences. View the full article

Come along with us as we visit the Japan booth at the 2025 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival to check out some new and returning menu items! Japan Full Spread The 2025 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival has officially opened, 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. But don’t let it overwhelm you, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know. And now we’re heading to Japan to give you the FULL scoop! Is it worth a try? Let’s find out! Menu Over at the Japan booth this year, you’ll find two new food items along with a returning favorite. And, a whole new menu of drinks! New for 2025, Japan is serving up Beef Wagyu Don a traditional Japanese rice bowl with American wagyu beef blend over steamed white rice served with homemade pickles, shredded togarashi pepper, and pickled ginger; Osakana Karaage, which is crispy-fried pollock with spicy mayonnaise and a sweet-and-creamy yuzu sauce; and the returning Teriyaki Chicken Bun, a steamed bun filled with minced chicken, vegetables, and teriyaki sauce. 2025 Japan Booth The drink menu for 2025 is all new and includes: Peachy Mango Boba: Crafted Calpico Peach Juice with mango popping boba (Non-alcoholic) Brewlando Brewing Fuji Apple IPA (New) Sake-Politan Cocktail: Sake with Simply Cranberry Juice and a hint of yuzu (New) Sparkling Sake Otokoyama (New) Now that we’ve taken a look at the menu, let’s dive into the food itself! Eats First up, I ordered the Beef Wagyu Don, a traditional Japanese rice bowl featuring an American wagyu beef blend over steamed white rice, served with homemade pickles, shredded togarashi pepper, and pickled ginger, for $9.50. Beef Wagyu Don This was one of our favorites that we had at the booth! The homemade pickles had a subtle kick from the wasabi, which wasn’t too overwhelming or hot. The beef itself was so tender and flavorful, and combined with the subtle wasabi and the pickled ginger, we got a bit of freshness that all played well together. We do wish there was more beef compared to the amount of rice, but it was a filling bowl and a win for us. Tons of toppings Next up is the other new menu item for this year, Osakana Karaage, crispy-fried pollock with spicy mayonnaise and a sweet-and-creamy yuzu sauce for $8.50. Osakana Karaage While we were hoping to fall in love with this, it wasn’t quite there. We enjoyed the fishy flavor, which brought in the salt and savory, but our biggest problem was with the outside. Tupcailly, they’re crispy and crunchy, and the one we were served was chewy instead. The spicy mayo would pack a punch in some bites, but there were others where you couldn’t taste the spice at all. The yuzu sauce added a nice, sweeter flavor to the saltier fish, and while this wasn’t the best dish we’ve ever had, we’re not willing to write it off just yet and would like to go back and try it again another day. And returning for this year is the Teriyaki Chicken Bun, a steamed bun filled with minced chicken, vegetables, and teriyaki sauce for $7.95. This has been good in the past – but sometimes it can be more bun than filling. Teriyaki Chicken Bun This was another hit for us! We thought it was the most palette-friendly and great for those who are looking for familiar flavors. The inside was flavorful and savory, and the bun was as soft as a cloud. We couldn’t tell there were vegetables inside, in a positive way, and the sauce makes the dish sweet, complementing the savory flavor of the meat. Inside Drinks The drinks at Japan are all NEW for 2025! The Peachy Mango Boba is a non-boozy drink made with crafted Calpico Peach Juice with mango popping boba for $7. Peachy Mango Boba This drink was light and sweet with some great fruity notes. The main flavor we felt in the front of each sip was mango, but then that peach would come in at the end. This isn’t the most interesting drink we’ve had, but if you know you love boba, this can be a great one to enjoy while walking around in the Florida heat. Next up is the Sake-Politan Cocktail made with Sake, Simply Cranberry Juice, and a hint of yuzu for $8.75. Sake-Politan Cocktail Bam! This drink packs a punch full of tartness from the cranberry juice. The yuzu brings a little bit of sweetness but is a more subtle flavor. We couldn’t taste any of the alcohol, so it’s great for people just getting into drinks. OVERALL We really enjoyed the Japan booth this year! There were dishes full of familiar flavors that are great for pickier eaters or those who enjoy classic dishes they know and love. While the drinks weren’t particularly unique, we still enjoyed them, especially their refreshing quality on a hot day. The Beef Wagyu Don was one of our favorites all day, filled with plenty of beef and rice. The Teriyaki Chicken Bun always puts a smile on our faces with its fluffy bun. Click here to see FULL reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. at the Food & Wine Festival! Trying to plan the PERFECT trip to the 2025 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 2025 Food & Wine Booth Menus Check out the FULL list of items on this year’s cheese crawl! And don’t forget to pick up our 2025 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! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details 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: If You See Me Eating Steamed Buns Everyday at the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, No You Didn't first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article