Over at EPCOT, they are testing the lights for Beacons of Magic. This will be another addition to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World starting on October 1st, 2021. Guests have seen Spaceship Earth lighting up and changing color. The lights are changing from green to blue to white to red which looks like Spaceship Earth is changing. Although we are not officially able to see this masterpiece completed yet, it will be very exciting and another amazing photo opportunity. For those that don’t know what this is about, here is what Zach Riddley shared on Instagram back in August:
“Last week we shared an exciting new look at all four Beacons of Magic coming to life as part of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary. Our new lighting system for Spaceship Earth is something entirely original – a first-of-its-kind programmable LED lighting system invented by our very own Imagineers to integrate seamlessly into the iconic Spaceship Earth façade. I’m proud to share today a few pics from behind the scenes of the project, led by Imagineers Jason Read and Galen Lande. Take a look!!
Installation of the system is nearly complete, and our team has been hard at work testing. Jason, Galen, and their team are leveraging a “pre-cueing” system to pre-visualize and program this new system virtually – allowing us to test many different ideas before locking in on our best look. And we are finding some very cool effects – giving the surface of Spaceship Earth an entirely new feeling and visual identity visible from all corners of the park.
We are exploring visual poetry that respects the lighting legacy of this grand icon while bringing rich new depth and motion to life – all inspired by colors and textures that evoke stardust and the mystery and wonder of our universe. And we’ll be able to tie this program into the surrounding Main Entrance Plaza and new fountain and pylon lighting to fully immerse Guests with an experience that is … EPCOT. We have more work to do before we’re ready to reveal this to the world as part of the Most Magical Celebration on Earth, starting Oct 1st!!”
There are so many exciting things coming for the 50th Anniversary at EPCOT. Including an all new firework show called Harmonious and a brand new ride called Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. We are looking forward to all the new things at Disney is bringing.
Sarah Jane Culberson was born in Morgantown, West Virginia, to an African father and a white mother, but her parents were both very young and felt they were far too young to provide and care for a child, so baby Sarah was put into foster care and adopted by Jim and Judy Culberson, also of Morgantown.
Throughout her childhood, she wrestled with questions about her personal identity and wondered a lot about her biological parents. At the age of 21, she began to look for her birth parents.
She learned that her birth mother died from cancer when Sarah was just 11 years old. But her father was alive and living in a village in West Africa, so in 2004, she arrived in Sierra Leone to meet her father. It was then that she learned about her true heritage.
She learned that she was born Esther Elizabeth Kposowa in 1976 and that she’s a Mahaloi, the granddaughter of a Paramount Chief in Sierra Leone, the daughter of the chief of the royal family of the Mende tribe.
Yes, Sarah Jane Culberson of Morgantown, West Virginia, is a princess. A Mende Princess of Bumpe, Sierra Leone.
“[The discovery] gave me a deeper sense of my identity as being someone who operates and straddles two different worlds and cultures,” Culberson said in a recent interview. “Learning about my history in Sierra Leone, my family, community, country, that makes a huge part of who I am.”
In 2009, Culberson co-authored a book titled, A Princess Found, which tells the story of her childhood, her search for her birth parents, and finding out that she is Sierra Leonan royalty. It was then that her story got the attention of Disney execs.
Disney has plans to adapt Culberson’s book (or should we say, Princess Sarah Culberson’s book) for the big screen. Set to produce the film is Stephanie Allain, a former Warner Brothers exec who also worked as President of Production for Jim Henson Productions from 1996 to 2000.
Allain also worked on two different Muppets films, including Muppets From Space (1998), which grossed more than $127 million at the box office. She was also the first woman of color to produce the Academy Awards ceremony in 2020.
Disney’s film about Culberson’s journey to discover she’s a real-life princess is in the early stages of production.
It’s time to try another Disney Park recipe at home! This time we’re looking forward to Beef Bourguignon from the Canada pavilion offered during the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays!
Beef Bourguignon debuted at Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays this year and has quickly become the dish “not to miss” for festival-goers. Offered at Yukon Holiday Kitchen located at the Canada pavilion, this hearty classic dish has it all – fork-tender beef brisket with savory flavors of bacon-infused wine sauce over crushed buttery red potatoes. What’s not to love?
The EPCOT chefs gladly shared the recipe … it is one of their favorite dishes as well!
BEEF BOURGUIGNON Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays Serves 6
BEEF BOURGUIGNON
1 tablespoon butter
6 ounces smoked bacon, diced
3 pounds beef brisket, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces, or stew meat
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large white onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine (Merlot, Pinot Noir, or Chianti)
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup sherry vinegar
12 small fresh or frozen pearl onions, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, divided
CRUSHED RED SKINNED POTATOES
1 tablespoon salt, plus more, to taste
3 pounds red-skinned potatoes, washed
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
White pepper, to taste
FOR BEEF BOURGUIGNON:
Heat butter and bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook until bacon is brown and beginning to crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Sear in Dutch oven with butter and bacon fat, 1-2 minutes per side, until browned. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and set aside.
Add garlic, onion, carrots, and mushrooms and sauté 6 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften. Stir in rosemary and thyme.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes, until paste begins to caramelize, but does not burn.
Return beef and bacon to pan. Add flour and stir constantly for 5 minutes. Add wine, beef broth, and vinegar and stir to deglaze pot. Add pearl onions and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours until meat is tender and sauce is thickened. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
FOR RED SKINNED CRUSHED POTATOES:
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the potatoes and boil for 10-15 minutes, until soft. Drain potatoes.
Return potatoes to pot and mash with a hand masher or electric mixer until just broken. Add butter, sour cream, vinegar, and mash until potatoes are mashed, but still lumpy.
Season with additional salt and white pepper, to taste.
TO SERVE:
Divide potatoes among 6 bowls. Ladle beef bourguignon on top of potatoes and garnish with remaining chopped parsley.
Note: Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby. This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.
For those who are a fan of Living with the Land at EPCOT you may have been disappointed if you have been there the past couple of weeks. This attraction has been closed since August 21st, and Cast Members have been standing outside blocking the entrance. There is no official word of what the closure was due to. There was no scheduled refurbishment or maintenance that we know of.
Although Living with the Land may not be a thrill ride, it is worth doing. Many Guests look forward to this because it is a very relaxing and interesting attraction. There are also many hidden Mickeys throughout the ride, so make sure to keep your eyes open for those. The gardens you see along this ride are foods used in many restaurants around the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney does their part to try to help be as environmentally friendly as possible and also use new gardening techniques, some of which are explained on the ride. Although it is a very educational ride, it is very interesting, and once it is near the Christmas season, the ride becomes holiday themed. It is a very nice relaxing ride and an excellent opportunity to take a little break after walking around the parks all day. A great attraction for the whole family.
We’re just glad that there weren’t any serious problems with this attraction and it is back up and running. Wait times have been very low in the parks recently, so it should be very easy to get on this ride. It’s definitely worth doing and not one that you should skip.