Epcot – Page 52 – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney Releases 2022 Eat to the Beat Concert Series Lineup at Epcot

Posted on May 20, 2022May 20, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

It’s hard to believe that the 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is just under two months away. One of the things we’re really excited about is the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, which is returning this year. Disney has announced the first round of artists for the series.

I hope you brought your appetite because the Eat to the Beat Concert Series presented by Florida Blue Medicare is ready to serve up some piping hot tunes at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE starting this July!

This year, we’re following the same recipe you’ve come to love at our recent festivals, with internationally recognized artists as well as local bands bringing their sizzling sounds to the America Gardens Theatre stage. Our five-star menu has something for every taste – from house favorites like Baha Men, Tiffany, and Air Supply, to fresh-to-the-festival acts like Hoobastank, Los Amigos Invisibles and Stokley.

Get a taste of the announced artists below and keep checking back at TasteEPCOT.com as more acts are revealed.

- July 14-15 – Baha Men
- July 16-18 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
- July 29-30 – Taylor Dayne
- July 31-Aug. 1 – Tiffany
- Aug. 5-8 – Joey Fatone & Friends
- Aug. 12-13 – The Devon Allman Project
- Aug. 14-15 – Christopher Cross
- Aug. 19-20 – Journey former Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri
- Aug. 21-22 – Air Supply
- Sept. 2-3 – Southern Avenue
- Sept. 4-5 – Kris Allen & David Cook
- Sept. 9-10 – Hoobastank (NEW)
- Sept. 16-17 – Los Amigos Invisibles (NEW)
- Sept. 23-24 – BBMak
- Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Stokley (NEW)
- Oct. 2-3 – Sheila E.
- Oct. 7-8 – Mark Wills
- Oct. 9-10 – 38 Special
- Oct. 23-24 – Billy Ocean
- Oct. 28-31 – Hanson
- Nov. 4-7 – Boyz II Men

Beginning May 24, you can secure your spot at the show by reserving an Eat to the Beat Dining Package available Friday-Monday. Find out more by visiting TasteEPCOT.com.

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs July 14 through Nov. 19, giving you plenty of time to taste your way around the world with an irresistible selection of gourmet plates and refreshing beverages at more than 25 Global Marketplaces located throughout the park. That’s nearly 130 days to feast on heartwarming dishes inspired by campfire-cooked summertime favorites at Flavors from Fire, dig into South American cuisine and culture at Brazil, or snack on crispy yucca fries at The Fry Basket.

My fellow cheese lovers will want to check out Emile’s Fromage Montage, where you can sample a variety of delicious cheeses served in inventive ways. Purchase any five cheese dishes listed in the Festival Passport and collect a stamp for each cheese dish purchased. Once you’ve collected all five stamps, bring the stamped Festival Passport to Shimmering Sips for a specialty item – as if five cheese dishes aren’t enough of a reward!

To experience EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, guests must have both valid admission and a park reservation for EPCOT on the same date.

Disney Announces Special Offerings Only Available For Summer Crowds

Posted on May 20, 2022May 20, 2022 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World Resort has announced some special offerings just in time for summer.

As Disney Park Guests make their way to Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT, the summer crowds will have a few extra options and new offerings as they look for food options.

At Magic Kingdom Park, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant will be serving up some new dishes for you to enjoy. Start off your bella notte with one of the new appetizers – Tony’s Garlic Bread or the Toy Box Tomato Salad. After tasting these items, there are some new entrées to try, including the Oven-roasted Shrimp Scampi, Butcher’s Steak, Orecchiette with Spicy Italian Sausage, and Penne with Chicken al Forno. And what better way to finish than with a dessert, like the new Tiramisù Cannoli, Italian Strawberry Shortcake, Tony’s Spumoni Tart, or the Mandarincello Custard – how delicious! But don’t worry, the Spaghetti and Meatballs is still there so you can have your Lady and the Tramp moment.

Sunshine Seasons at EPCOT has some new eats to try – pizza rolls! This quick-service location found in The Land now has both a Cheese Pizza Roll and Pepperoni Pizza Roll. These pizza rolls have reportedly replaced pizza at The Land.

If you’ve got a sweet tooth and want a cool treat on a warm summer day, take a trip over to Disney Springs for its newest addition – Salt & Straw! This ice cream spot has an array of unique flavors on the menu including fan favorites as well as a rotating monthly selection, so there’s always something new to try. Plus, sampling is highly encouraged.

This sweet spot isn’t the only thing new to Disney Springs. Marketplace Snacks is getting a bit of a foodie revamp with some delicious items being served. Starting today, Mickey and Friends Bubble Waffle Sundaes will be available. Choose between flavors like the Mickey Waffle Sundae featuring vanilla soft-serve, hot fudge, cookie crumbles, and white chocolate crisp pearls, the Minnie Waffle Sundae with vanilla soft-serve, strawberry topping, sliced strawberries, and white chocolate crisp pearls, or Donald’s Waffle Sundae made with vanilla soft-serve, lemon curd, and blueberries. If you want a bit of chocolate, Goofy’s Peanut Waffle Sundae has vanilla and chocolate soft-serve with hot fudge, peanuts, sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, M&M’s Minis, and a cherry on top while Pluto’s Waffle Sundae has chocolate soft-serve, chocolate-covered pretzels, peanut butter sauce, and milk chocolate crisp pearls.

Disney Resorts are also offering special dining options for Guests. Several resorts have new plant-based offerings to enjoy! Start your day off the right way with the Plant-based Mickey-shaped Frittata featuring tomato, spinach, onions, and “mozzarella” served with potatoes and mixed fruit – how adorable! The IMPOSSIBLE Burger serves up an IMPOSSIBLE patty topped with Carolina-style barbecued jackfruit, pickled slaw, and “cheddar” served with french fries.

These two items will be introduced to various menus now through June 7 at the Intermission Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, World Premiere Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, End Zone Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Everything POP Shopping & Dining at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Centertown Market at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Riverside Mill Food Court at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, and Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter.

MORE Disney Genie Changes With How Guests Purchase the Upcharge Service

Posted on May 19, 2022May 19, 2022 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized

Less than a year after Disney first introduced Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane attractions, we’re seeing more changes unfold specifically for the upcharge service, Disney Genie+.

Just recently, Walt Disney World announced it is making changes at EPCOT to its current individual Lightning Lane and Disney Genie+ attraction set up. Beginning May 31, 2022, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will join EPCOT’s list of Disney Genie+ attractions. This means both Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be individual Lightning Lane attractions from May 27 to May 30. Starting May 31, however, Cosmic Rewind will be the only individual Lightning Lane at EPCOT as Remy’s rolls onto the Disney Genie+ ride options.

Now, we’re learning Disney is also changing how Guests purchase Disney Genie+, the upcharge service (similar to the former Fast Pass system) that allows Guests to select a few attractions a day to skip the standby line at the rate of $15 per person, per day.

Walt Disney World Resort has announced they are making an adjustment to how Disney Guests purchase the Disney Genie+ service by noting:

“Starting June 8, Disney Genie+ will only be offered for purchase through the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit – we will no longer offer the option to purchase this service pre-arrival as a ticket add-on for dates remaining in 2022 and in 2023.”

“This means that, moving forward, whether you have an Annual Pass, multi- or single-day ticket, you may only purchase Disney Genie+ service on the day of your visit via the app, one day at a time, subject to availability. We’re focused on delivering the best possible guest experience, and this adjustment will help manage the incredibly strong demand our guests have shown for Disney Genie+.”

Disney also reminded Guests of a recent change made to its Disney Genie+ policy that Guests shouldn’t expect to get more than 2 or 3 a day individual attraction selection choices when purchasing Disney Genie+. They go on to note, “We expect that, on average, guests who purchase Disney Genie+ service will continue to enter 2-3 attractions or experiences each day using the Lightning Lane entrance when the first selection is made early in the day.“

Keep in mind, that if you have already purchased a Disney Park ticket for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom that includes Disney Genie+ service for dates later in 2022, Disney will still allow you to use the service during your visit. It is also noted that this Disney Genie service purchase change does not apply to Disneyland Resort, only to Walt Disney World Resort.

Iconic Imagineer Joe Rohde Speaks Out on ‘Guardians’ Coaster Controversy

Posted on May 18, 2022May 18, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot, Uncategorized

Via InsideTheMagic.net

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is the latest addition to EPCOT, scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend. Despite the excitement, some fans have been disappointed with the ride, especially its location in EPCOT.

EPCOT, which stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, started as Walt Disney’s dream to have a future-focused city where people could live, work, and enjoy world-class experiences. Over the years, it has evolved into a celebration of the future, earth’s natural beauty, the vastness of space, and cultures from around the world.

EPCOT fans have long-questioned the addition of Intellectual Properties to the Disney Park, as it intentionally opened without them, instead focusing on the wonders of learning and imagination. Over the years, to critical fan response, EPCOT has replaced Norway’s Maelstrom with Frozen Ever After, added character meet-and-greets around the theme Park, and, most recently, recreated Disneyland Paris’ beloved Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure dark ride in France.

Though fans who have been able to preview the ride have overwhelmingly enjoyed it, some EPCOT fans are still uncertain that it fits in the Park. Some of them took to Twitter this week to ask Disney Imagineering Icon Joe Rohde what he thought of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind’s place at EPCOT.

Joe Rohde is best known for being the lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Though retired, many Disney fans look to his expert opinion when a new attraction or experience opens at not just Animal Kingdom, but any one of the Disney Parks.

User @Millionaire2K Tweeted Rohde, asking:

@Joe_Rohde Please chime in on the GotG in Epcot debate! What’s your thoughts? Oh, and have u ridden?

Rohde replied that he hasn’t ridden, given that he’s enjoying life in California post-retirement. He asked fans to clarify more on the debate before he’d chime in:

I don’t know anything about a debate. Also (Retired. Live in California.) what’s the gist?

User @BillZanetti explained some Disney fans’ concerns about the theming to Rohde and said fans trusted his opinion because of his work on Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission: Breakout, which replaced Tower of Terror at Disneyland Resort’s Disney California Adventure Park and is widely popular. He wrote:

I think that people want to know your opinion on it because they know you had the Marvel Creative Portfolio at one time, and you led Mission: Breakout through an extraordinarily fast process. The new offering at Epcot had a lot more time to develop and the debate is “fit”…

Rohde replied, stating that you have to find a balance between how well done the coaster is and how well it fits into not EPCOT’s past, but it’s current Intellectual Property initiatives:

So then the question is not necessarily how well does this express Epcot as it was, but rather how well does it address the mandate to use IP in the context of Epcot. You have to parse between “Is it well done?” versus “Is it addressing a valid initiative?” Don’t smush.

A fan (@gatortebowfan15) who rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Walt Disney World praised the coaster, saying that while it might not fit into Walt’s initial vision for EPCOT, he thinks it’s going to be a success:

I can report I was able to ride Guardians at EPCOT Center over the weekend. I know it may not fit into the original educational theme of the park, but let’s give Walt Disney Imagineering some credit, it’s a really great attraction. I’m sure it’s going to very popular.

EPCOT cosmic rewind with spaceship earth

Rohde quoted this response, praising Tom Fitzgerald, an Imagineer that initiated and developed Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. He wrote that his own opinion on the ride shouldn’t matter since only those who have ridden it should be involved in the debate:

Tom Fitzgerald is a great Imagineer with a great nose for popular consumption. He initiated and developed this project. I would therefore believe that the attraction is great, having not seen it in person. The debate should be constrained to those who have.

User @derekjcole expressed that he feels there’s a split in the Disney Parks fan community between people who have ridden the ride and those who haven’t:

Seems like those that have been on it love it and those on Twitter that have not hate it. Who are we to believe?

Onboard Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Rohde gave one last opinion on the subject by quoting this Tweet, stating that the most essential part of any Disney Parks attraction is to make Guests happy. He wrote:

Yes. The ultimate ultimate goal is to bring happiness. Are people happy?

ime will tell what Joe Rohde thinks when he has the opportunity to visit EPCOT and ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind!

Lightning strikes Spaceship Earth at EPCOT!

Posted on May 17, 2022May 17, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Tonight, as storms rolled through the theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, a video posted online appears to show the Spaceship Earth structure at EPCOT being struck by lightning.

As two Guests were live-streaming from EPCOT during the storms tonight, the sky was filled with the illumination of episodes of continual lightning. At one point during the live stream, a huge lightning bolt pierced the night sky and reached down toward the Spaceship Earth structure, seemingly striking the structure.

@streamingthemagic
Wow! Lightning strikes spaceship earth at Epcot Disney World during Kristen & Adam’s live stream on Streaming The Magic #disneyparks #spaceshipearth #lightningbolt
♬ original sound – Streaming The Magic

However, since Disney has hidden hundreds of lightning rods throughout the parks, it’s unlikely that the bolt actually hit Spaceship Earth; it’s far more likely that it hit a lightning rod atop the nearly 200-foot-tall structure.

According to Weird Disney, Central Florida sees more lightning than any other part of the country–on average, the area sees more than 50 lightning strikes per square mile. Lightning can be beautiful and awe-inspiring from a distance, but it can be deadly too.

That’s why there are lots of hidden lightning rods scattered around the Walt Disney World Resort–many in plain sight, but you might never know they were lightning rods. For example, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Mickey Mouse that stands atop the high tower of the Crossroads kiosk near the entrance to the park is a lightning rod; well, his right ear is. It’s made of copper and, as with any other non-Mickey lightning rod, it attracts the lightning to it. Once a bolt strikes the rod, the rod channels the millions of volts of energy produced by the lightning through the copper around the structure and into the ground below.

crossroads of the world disney hollywood studios

The weather vane atop the Hall of Presidents structure at Magic Kingdom‘s Liberty Square is also a lightning rod, as are the spires at the topmost point of the Hollywood Tower Hotel that houses the Tower of Terror attraction at Hollywood Studios. (That place was struck by lightning back in 1939, and 5 people in the elevator disappeared and have never been seen again. Or so the story goes.)

lightning rod hall of presidents tower of terror disney world

Seeing a lightning flash can be fascinating, but because of the dangers associated with lightning Disney has very specific procedures in place in the event of a lightning storm anywhere within 10 miles of the Walt Disney World Resort.

Per Disney’s website, the Walt Disney World Lightning Policy states the following:

“Event operations will shut down when lightning is 10 miles out from the event areas. Event operations will not resume until the lightning is 10 miles out moving away from the event areas. The event management team will consult with Walt Disney World Resort Management on a course of action to utilize the operational rain plan, delay the event or cancel the event.”