Day 1474: Festival of the Arts

Having attended both the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in the last year, it can almost go without saying that I was intrigued when the Epcot International Festival of the Arts was first announced. At a time where funding and support for the disciplines highlighted by the festival are severely lacking, it's exciting to see Disney putting the spotlight on something so close to the heart of the company. 

After exploring everything the festival had to offer during the inaugural weekend of the festival, it's easy to see how the Epcot International Festival of the Arts fits right in with its counterparts. By utilizing many of the stalls created for Food & Wine and Flower & Garden, Disney is obviously getting the maximum use out of the currently temporary buildings (although something tells me that if things continue as they have been, some may become permanent in the coming years). Of course, each of the stalls was given a makeover to reflect the theme of the festival, differing it from the other events as well. 

To give you a basic rundown of what the festival offers, the Festival of the Arts includes workshops and seminars similar to those you find at the other festivals, as well as food kiosks throughout [mainly] World Showcase. Additionally, there are festival-specific activities and experiences such as Broadway performances by Disney on Broadway performers (I was lucky enough to see Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland!), living statues, live music performances, a giant paint-by-number experience, art displays, and photo ops. I'll go into the specifics of these opportunities in later posts. 

At first I felt as though things were off to a slow start, likely due to the fact that I was there on the first day when things were still getting settled and January is a slow season to begin with, although this is obviously part of Disney's plan to even out attendance throughout the year, encouraging visitors to come during the non-peak season. Of course, because it's the inaugural year as well, visitors didn't seem to know the festival was even happening until the end of the weekend, which meant shorter lines for me (and also more than a few confused guests). It did get better though, and by the end of the weekend, the festival was humming with life, a good sign that this event will continue for years to come. 

I will also say, however, that like the Food and Wine and Flower and Garden festivals, it's nearly impossible to see everything the Festival of the Arts has to offer. I picked up a guide book on my first day and highlighted some of the foods I definitely wanted to try, and between my mom and I, pre-registered for all four of the workshops and the Broadway performance that weekend, but I still missed out on all of the seminars, most of the photo-ops, only saw a glimpse of the living statues, and barely looked at the art exhibits at all. That being said, there's just as much going on at this festival as there are at the others, and if that doesn't say something about the versatility of the arts and the creativity put into this festival, I don't know what does. 

Keep an eye out for in-depth posts on the Workshops, Food, Broadway Performance, and Art and Other Opportunities at the Epcot International Festival of the Arts, because there's a lot to cover! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1379: Food & Wine - Part 4

The 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival technically isn't my first. My family attended one many years ago, but I don't remember much of it, and there's no arguing that this festival can get a lot more fun once you're 21 years old. That's actually part of the reason my family went this year, because for me, Food and Wine really does mean Food and wine. 

Having turned 21 in July, I had my sights set on a few alcoholic beverages across the festival, although we only got to try a couple of them due to time (and the intense heat that made you want to drink nothing but water), but they were worth it and definitely got me even more excited about future festivals where I'll be able to try more! 

First, in Ireland we tried the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, which I liked. I use a notorious amount of honey back home, whether it be in tea or in dishes I make, so having it in a wine was really a different experience!

We also tried the Neige Premiere "Apple Ice Wine" from Quebec at the Canada stand, which sort of just tasted like fancy apple juice to me, but my mom liked. It's not that I disliked it, but more than it was a bit too sweet for my taste. Still, I'd say it's a great wine for someone who hasn't tried much wine before! 

Finally, we made a stop at the Craft Beers stand in the Odyssey Center for the one beer I really wanted to try at the festival - the Two Henrys Blueberry Vanilla American Wheat Ale, which is made in Plant City, FL. None of us are huge beer fans, but I actually really liked this ale, which definitely had a hint of blueberry! 

Otherwise, that was about it. I was finally going to try the dole whip with rum, but the machine was down when I went to go grab one, so that'll just have to wait for another day. Just a bit of a reminder though - as possible as it is to try all the different dishes at the food and wine festival, always remember to drink responsibly. It's impossible to try everything in one day, so split it up, even if the serving sizes are small. It'll make your trip around the showcase easier and you'll feel better because of it! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1378: Food & Wine - Part 3

If I didn't express it enough in my previous posts about the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, this is probably my favorite event at Epcot. No, it is my favorite event at Epcot. There's just something extra spectacular about being able to try foods from all over the world - and have them all be delicious. Of course, since it was one of our top reasons for heading to Florida in October, we made sure to add in an extra afternoon for trying the various cuisines, even with the hurricane! 

Our first stop on Day 2 of our Food and Wine Festival Tour was Greece, where we shared the Loaded Greek "Nachos," Chicken Gyro with Tzatziki Sauce (and Oikos Greek Yogurt) and the Oikos Greek Yogurt Vanilla Cake Soaked in Ouzo with Yogurt Whipped Cream and Pistachios. While all three dishes were absolutely delicious, I do believe it was my least favorite of the booths we were able to stop with, proving that even at Disney there has to be a least favorite. Greek just isn't my thing really, but that didn't stop me from loving the Nachos especially! 

Then it was onto the ever popular Canada, the home of the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup that I kept hearing about for years prior to actually attending the festival. I'm happy to say that the soup was indeed one of my favorite dishes I had, and I also really enjoyed the "Le Cellier" Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle-Butter Sauce. It wasn't quite as good as the Lamp Chop from Australia, but I still really liked it! I also must say that it was a bit odd to be eating filet mignon from a cardboard plate while sitting with a duck in World Showcase...but when at Disney, right? 

Since we had gone the other direction around World Showcase the day before, we headed off towards England, which brought us to Scotland and some more wonderful food. I wasn't able to fully test out the Fresh Potato Pancake with Scottish Smoked Salmon and Herbed Sour Cream because I'm allergic to salmon, but my parents liked it, and the part of the pancake I had was great! The Traditional Scottish Lamb Stew with Neeps & Tatties was great as well - and I learned what Neeps & Tatties were. Finally, we had the Tipsy Laird: Whiskey-soaked Cake with Lemon Cream and Toasted Oats, which was, surprise surprise, also delicious! 

Then (finally) it was onto Ireland, which I love and adore despite the fact that I've never been there. Lucky for me though, the Food & Wine Festival brings Ireland to me, so we tried everything we could! The Seafood Fisherman's Pie was great, although a bit weird. I've never had fish in a pie before...or a pie made half out of potatoes. Either way, I liked it! The Irish Cheese Selection Plate was a hit with us too, and the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Irish Cream Liqueur Custard was probably my favorite dessert we had! We also got a chance to try the Bunratty Meade Honey Wine, but I'll talk more about that later.

And that concludes the food we were able to try at the 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. I'm all about going back for a second year in 2017 (and hopefully I'll be there on the college program anyway), where I hope to slowly make my way around World Showcase and try all the different dishes (and eat more than my share of lamb chops, sliders, and poke). As you can see, by our second day we got pretty good at how to make the festival work, including my Dad's silverware transportation system and my careful cutting of filet mignon. 

There's more than just delicious dishes at the festival though, and let me tell you, there's more to share about this amazing festival in blog posts ahead! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1374: Food & Wine - Part 2

The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is filled with glorious food all around World Showcase and throughout part of Future World, but the fun doesn't stop there. In the festival headquarters, located within the old Wonders of Life Pavilion, you can find all sorts of seminars, merchandise, and information...not to mention the wide alcohol selection that you can bring back home. 

On our first day at the festival, we made time to attend not one, but two workshops in the Festival Center. The first was a wine tasting, which was a spectacular way to help me understand the wide arrays of wine that are now available to me. Having just turned 21 in July, wine is a pretty wide spectrum, and as I learn what I prefer in the bottle through a process of trial and error, the tasting was really educational. 

In the matter of an hour or so, we tasted three wines from a Vineyard in California and learned about not only how the wine is made, but about the uniqueness of each variety. In fact, beyond the basic idea that "old wine is better wine," I had no idea why, or that there's actually a sort of "best by" date on each kind of wine. I can't remember all the details off the top of my head, but basically one wine might be best within two or three years of the bottling date, while another might be best after eight. 

Our second workshop was all about crafting mason jar meals, a prominent concern in my everyday college life. We started out the seminar by learning how to create a delicious salmon salad with goat cheese and onions, which I didn't get to eat a lot of because of my allergy to to salmon. Don't fret though, because after that we made Mason Jar salads of our own with fresh strawberries, some more goat cheese, almonds, and plenty of greens, and I must say, it was one of the most delicious Mason Jar salads I've ever had, and it was pretty neat to make it myself at Epcot! 

These workshops and seminars are available throughout the festival for varying costs, but I highly recommend them! They also vary on topic, but there's usually something that might interest you, and some come with food (or wine!), and who doesn't love that? 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1373: Food & Wine - Part 1

If there's one thing I've wanted to do for years, it's attend the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Seriously, I've been pleading to go for years, which meant that when we made the decision to add a trip in October, Food and Wine was at the top of our list for things to do (along with the Halloween Party and everything else fall at Walt Disney World has to offer). 

And if you think I can sum it all up in one post, you'd be wrong! 

In this first edition of Food and Wine, let's take a closer look at some of the food we tried on our first day at the festival, all of which was amazing. Prior to our trip, we went through the full list of food at Food and Wine to get an idea of what we each might want to try. Ultimately, we knew we wouldn't be able to try everything on our lists, but it gave us a place to start and was actually really helpful as we made our way part way around World Showcase. 

First up on our list: Australia! In the picture above, you'll see the three selections from the country, all of which we wanted to try. First, there's the Grilled Sweet and Spicy Bush Berry Shrimp with Pineapple, Pepper, Onion and Snap Peas, which I thought was pretty great aside from the peas (my least favorite food). The Lamington Yellow Cake Dipped in Chocolate and Shredded Coconut was good, although I also felt like it was something I'd had before, so I didn't find it particularly special. The Grilled Lamp Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies, on the other hand, was a favorite of ours from the entire festival! We actually got another one because we liked it so much! 

From New Zealand we got the Lamb Meatball with Spicy Tomato Chutney, which I definitely enjoyed. I was the one who wanted it, and let me tell you, the tomato chutney was delicious. We also went for the Seared Venison Loin with Wild Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Kumara Dumpling, which was also great! 

From the Islands of the Caribbean kiosk, we settled on everything except for dessert, starting with the Jamaican Beef Patty. That's those little yellow things, which took us forever to figure out. They tasted great, but were definitely one of the more interesting things we ate at Food and Wine. My dad really loved the Pescado con Coco, a Seared Grouper with Pigeon Peas and Rice with Coconut Sauce, which was good, although I preferred the Mojo Pork with Black Beans, Cilantro Rice, and Pickled Red Onions. There was just something about the combo of the pork, beans, and rice that I loved! 

From the Wine & Dine Studio (which got Hamilton stuck in my head more than a few times), we tried the Seared Scallop with Truffled Celery Root Puree, Brussels Sprouts, and Wild Mushrooms as well as the Trio of Artisan Cheese. The cheeses featured a goat cheese with dried cranberry bread, a Karst Cave-aged Cheddar Cheese with Fig Compote and a Blue Cheese served with Spiced Candied Walnuts. Both places were excellent! 

I may have forgotten to take a picture of our plates from the Chocolate Studio until after I started eating them, but pictured above are the Liquid Nitro Chocolate-Almond Truffle with Warm Whiskey-Caramel and the Ghiradelli Chocolate Raspberry Torte. As you can imagine, both were pretty sweet (literally and figuratively)! 

A Favorite of my mom and I from the Flower and Garden Festival in the Spring, we had to have the Taco de Camaron from Mexico again. It's Battered Shrimp served over a flour tortilla with Crispy Purple Cabbage and a Chipolte Mayonnaise. I don't know what it is about this taco, but it's absolutely one of the best things I've ever eaten. 

But my all time favorite dishes from the entirety of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival have to be the ones from Hawaii. The Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise was my all time favorite dish we had, and I'm looking forward to trying to make it for myself at home just because I would eat it every day for the rest of my life. And the Spicy Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Nori Rice was brilliant as well - definitely something I would love to have for lunch back home! 

And that's what we ate on our first day. We learned very quickly how fast you fill up at this festival, even sharing dishes like we did. Honestly, I feel like it would take weeks to do the whole thing right, since even after a few days like this one, we still only got maybe a third of the way around World Showcase, and we didn't even try every dish from the kiosks we visited! 

Stay tuned for more Food and Wine though, because there's so much more yet to come! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1235: Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Flowers

I've only been to the Epcot International Flower and Garden festival twice. Once a couple of years ago during my freshman year of college, and then again this year, but I loved it both times. While Food and Wine is more my flavor (see what I did there?) the horticulture department does a beautiful job, and the various food kiosks around World Showcase add in something for us Food and Wine fans too. So let's take a look at some of the highlights of this year's festival! 

As I just mentioned, one of the best parts is definitely the food, available at special kiosks throughout World Showcase. I made an attempt to try a bunch of them, and honestly it's hard to pick an individual favorite. It's also great to know that a lot of the food you're eating is grown at Epcot, such as in one of the special gardens set up for the festival: the Edible Flower Garden in The Land!

And then, of course, you've got plenty of beautiful flowers outside too! Just take a look at some of these! 

Plus, what great luck that my mom happened to stop by the Cinderella topiary right at noon, right? 

Have a magical day! 

Day 422: Flowers and Gardens

For some reason, this morning I found myself on the Walt Disney World website. Weird, I know, right? Either way, what popped up first? Of course, The Flower and Garden Festival! Since I'll be visiting for the first time in just a few weeks, I figured I'd take a look at what's all there so I kind of know what to expect. Truthfully though I have no clue, and have really had no wish to go to Flower and Garden before, but the closer we get to it the more excited I find myself getting. Maybe it's just because I'm going to Disney in general or what, but hey...I'll take it!

So, since I'm going through the website I figured why don't we do a list! Haven't done one of those before, and this will kind of be a My Favorite Things post, in two parts. First, here, we'll have the top 5 things I am most excited about when it comes to the Flower and Garden Festival, and when I get back after seeing it for the first time, I'll give you a list of my 5 favorite things I got to see, eat or experience! Seems like a good plan, right?!?

5. Just Being There

Now, like I said, I've never really wanted to go to the Flower and Garden Festival. I'm much more of a Food and Wine Festival kind of person. Like...so much food and I love it. But I'm never there at either time of year to go to either of the special events, so I just live my life happily with Christmas Decorations. But that doesn't mean I'm not excited about getting to experience the Flower and Garden Festival! Everyone else in my family, meaning my parents and my brother have all been there, and I haven't. It's probably because I haven't really ever been there in the spring, but that's beside the point.

4. Special Merch

It's not really a secret that I LOVE my Disney merchandise. I mean, in my dorm room alone I have tons of Disney Shirts, my vinlymation, Disney cups and Plates and Bowls and...wait...I should do a My Disney Collection post on my dorm room! Brilliance aside, I am very excited about the fact that for the first time in forever (lol) I will actually get a Flower and Garden Festival pin because I WENT TO THE FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL! There are occasions that I have like a Food and Wine Festival pin just because I was able to grab one right after the festival ended, but it will be awesome to actually go to the event and get a pin from it. Way more fun. I mean, really, who doesn't love Disney Merch?

3. The Topiaries

As I was saying, my parents have been to the Flower and Garden Festival before, which means I've seen countless pictures of the special topiaries they have there. And little do you guys know that they start growing those things WAY in advance (Actually that was probably pretty obvious), and I got to see basically all of them a few years ago in the horticulture department when I was on my Backstage Magic Tour. But that's the closet I've come to actually seeing the Topiaries.

In particular, there are a few I'm really excited about and can't wait to see. It will be really awesome to see the one in front of Spaceship Earth in real life, that's for sure. I've seen similar stuff at Christmas, but never the Flower and Garden Festival one (obviously). I also read that Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy will be around for the first time this year, and Lightning McQueen and Mater will be returning! But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about a certain Pirate with a waxed mustache and a perm (Are they bad?)

2. The Wonders of Life Pavilion

Being a life-long Disney fan and "resident" of Walt Disney World, I've seen my fair share of new and old buildings. I remember watching Horizons be replaced with Mission SPACE (I miss Horizons), and yes, I do remember the days of the old The Living Seas. Which means I also remember another pavilion that's gone completely: The Wonders of Life. Ahh the days of Cranium Command and Body Wars (never actually went on that one though...Haha), I remember them, and since it's closing I have been excited about the prospect of getting back in the building. It is not uncommon to find me standing outside just staring at the building because I'm so jealous other people get to go in it (the same runs true for the Millennium Celebration building). My mom and my brother, for instance, have both been in the building during the F&G festival, but I haven't.

Yes, I know it's absolutely nothing like it once was, or what it is in my "A Day at Epcot Center" video, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited about going in the building and having a mini freak out session about the fact that I'm standing there. It's just special.

1. FOOD

Did you really expect anything less from me? Like seriously.

Starting last year I believe, the F&G Festival added a bit more flavor to the event by including "Outdoor Kitchens," which have tons of different food options that are normally not around. The problem is, with so much awesome food around, how in the world am I going to choose what to eat!?! I mean, we're talking "Frushi" in Japan, which is basically fruit sushi, Gnocchi in France, Beijing-Style Candied Strawberries in China, Basically Italy in General, Freshly Baked Potato and Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with smoked salmon tartare in the UK and then there's, of course, Spice Road Table to check out now too. TOO MUCH FOOD FOR ONE LIZZIE.

And yet I will totally eat all of it.

Tune back in a few weeks from now for the second part of this post, which is also the next volume of "A Few of my Favorite Things!"

Have a magical day!