EPCOT’s France Pavilion Expansion Is Open

Walt Disney World Imagineers have been hard at work in EPCOT’s France Pavilion preparing for the grand opening of the highly anticipated Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction. While the attraction is not yet open, the France Pavilion expansion has officially opened for guests to explore! Disney Imagineer and WDW Site Portfolio Executive, Zach Riddley, took to Instagram to share some insight and photos about the new expansion.

As shared via Zach Riddley’s Instagram: I’ve loved seeing your reactions and fan photos from our recently opened portion of the France pavilion expansion at EPCOT! There’s still more to come when Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens this year, but I wanted to share some of the fun design details our Imagineering team has created to bring this little piece of Paris directly to EPCOT.

The first thing you’ll notice as you approach this new area is the ornate, Art Nouveau-style archway which is reminiscent of the iconic entrances to some of Paris’ Metro stations. Made of cast-iron and displaying a “Ratatouille” sign inspired by font used throughout the Paris Metro, the entrance to our new neighborhood instantly establishes both our setting and the exciting attraction that will await Guests around the corner. Just beyond the marquee, Imagineers designed a beautiful allée along the waterway. For those of you that have visited the city of Paris, this extension will take you right back to those wonderful strolls along the river Seine.

Textures and materials play an important role here in creating a sense of place that feels authentically Parisian with its own stories to tell. Historically accurate lampposts line a hardscape designed to look like decomposed granite, with cast-iron benches sitting adjacent to ornate wrought iron railings- each revealing subtle hints of Chef Remy in their design. We have paid attention to all the details – down to the exact species of trees, the materials, colors and signage. This is a small section in the grand design of EPCOT and even the forthcoming France pavilion expansion, but the details we are revealing are important when building upon stories of the real world and those inspired by it! C’est magnifique!”

Fan Favorite Recipe from EPCOT Festival of the Arts

Via DisDining.com

We have a super exciting recipe release from Disney. One of the fan favorite dishes at Disney’s Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is the yummy Blue Corn Pupusa Stuffed with Cheese and Topped with Shredded Pork. We’ve personally tried it and LOVED every bite! Well, now, we have a chance to make this delicious dish right at home. Check out the recipe as shared below by DisneyParksBlog.

Our version of this classic Salvadoran dish starts with grilled blue masa corn cakes we stuff with white cheddar and top with shredded pork, guajillo-árbol chile sauce, cabbage slaw, and aji amarillo crema. Yum!

BLUE CORN PUPUSA STUFFED WITH CHEESE AND TOPPED WITH SHREDDED PORK

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
Makes 8

PORK WITH GUAJILLO-ÁRBOL CHILI SAUCE

  • 6 dried guajillo chilies
  • 1 chile de árbol
  • 6 cups plus 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2-3 pounds pork butt, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
  • Coarse salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

CABBAGE SLAW

  • 2 cups red cabbage, shredded
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, julienne
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more, to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon brown sugar
  • Pinch red pepper flakes
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

AJI AMARILLO CREAM

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 3/4 teaspoons aji amarillo paste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more, to taste

BLUE CORN PUPUSA

  • 2 cups blue corn masa1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3/4 – 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup canola oil

GARNISH

  • 16 freshly picked cilantro leaves

FOR PORK WITH GUAJILLO AND ÁRBOL CHILI SAUCE:

  1. Remove stems from guajillo and árbol chiles. Heat large sauté pan over medium heat for 5 minutes, until hot. Add chilies and toast for 1-2 minutes on each side, until darker in color.
  2. Place chilies in large pot with 6 cups of the water and garlic clove. Bring to simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, until soft. Blend with immersion blender until smooth.
  3. Season pork generously with salt. Add to pot of water. Bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1 hour, until pork is tender. Remove from liquid and cool for 20 minutes. Do not discard cooking liquid.
  4. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of water with cornstarch in small bowl. Bring pork liquid back to a boil. Add cornstarch and water and stir until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low.
  5. Shred pork and add to sauce. Season with additional salt, to taste.
  6. Keep warm until ready to serve.

FOR RED CABBAGE SLAW:

  1. Combine apple cider vinegar, water, salt, oregano, brown sugar, and chili flakes in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  2. Mix shredded cabbage, onions, and carrots in large bowl. Add cooled dressing and toss to coat.
  3. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to one day, before serving.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

FOR AJI AMARILLO CREAM:

  1. Combine sour cream, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, and salt in medium bowl. Season with additional salt, to taste.
  2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR BLUE CORN PUPUSA:

  1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Combine masa, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in mixing bowl. Pour in 3/4 cups of water and stir to combine. Slowly add additional water, 1/4 cup at a time, until a soft, pliable dough forms.
  3. Scoop dough into 1/4 cup balls and place on reserved baking sheet.
  4. Using your fingers, make a well in the center of each ball of dough. Fill each well with 1 tablespoon of cheddar cheese. Pinch to close dough around the well.
  5. Gently flatten into disks, making sure no cheese is showing.
  6. With caution, heat canola oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cook pupusa for 2-3 minutes on each side, until dark blue in color and crispy on the outside.
  7. Keep warm until ready to serve.

TO SERVE:

Place pupusa in the center of each plate. Top with pork and red cabbage slaw. Drizzle aji amarillo cream on top. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Click here for a print-at-home version of this recipe!

Actors’ Equity Association Statement on Return of Disney’s Festival of the Lion King

We previously shared the exciting news that Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be bringing back Festival of the Lion King with modifications this summer! The excitement doesn’t just impact us Disney fans, but the Cast Members that will be returning to work. Check out the statement below from the Actors’ Equity Association in response to the return of this special entertainment.

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As shared via Actors’ Equity Association: New York – Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has released the following statement in response to Walt Disney World announcing the return of its Festival of the Lion King this summer.

“Equity is pleased that Walt Disney World continues to find safe ways to bring live entertainment back to the parks, in particular this Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King,” said Brandon Lorenz, national director for communications and public policy for Actors’ Equity Association. “The Festival of the Lion King is a favorite for cast members and guests alike, and its return offers an important ray of hope while the vast majority of our members who work at Walt Disney World remain laid off because of the pandemic.”

Cast Member Alerts Police to Domestic Violence Victim

Vis DisneyFanatic.com

Disney Cast Members are all about creating magic, but in this situation this Cast Member should be considered a hero for helping a domestic violence victim that called Walt Disney World, pretending to book a vacation. Thankfully, the Cast Member caught on quickly to the situation.

As shared by FoxNews13: A Walt Disney World employee realized a Pennsylvania woman who called under the guise of buying theme park tickets was actually in need of help. The Disney employee heard the woman yelling “get off me” and “get away from me” at someone while they were on the phone together on Jan. 9 and sensed something was wrong, the York Dispatch reported.

The woman would only answer questions with a “yes” or “no” response, so the unidentified Disney employee asked if the woman was actually calling to book a trip, according to the report. The woman said, “no.” “She then asked (the woman) if she needed law enforcement to her home and she stated ‘yes,’” authorities said in court documents, according to the report.

FoxNews13 goes on to report: The Disney employee called Northern York County Regional Police in Dover, Pennsylvania, where the caller lives, and alerted authorities, according to the report. When officers arrived at the home, they found that the woman and her 38-year-old boyfriend had been arguing, according to the report. The woman told police that he’d choked her three times and slapped her. The boyfriend also threatened the woman, saying “I’ll (expletive) kill you,” police said in court records.

Police arrested the boyfriend. He’s facing a felony charge of strangulation, as well as misdemeanor counts of terroristic threats with the intention to terrorize another and simple assault, plus harassment, court records show.

Disney Announces the Return of Festival of the Lion King to Animal Kingdom

One thing that has been missing since the parks reopened last summer is many of the amazing entertianment offerings. Thankfully, Disney has announced the return of our absolute favorite show at Walt Disney World: The Festival of the Lion King!

From a Disney Cast Member;

Since reopening the Walt Disney World theme parks last July, we’ve taken a different approach to our entertainment, coming up with new ways to share the magic of the Disney characters. With cavalcades and flotillas continuing to delight guests daily, we are now turning our attention to bringing back even more entertainment with a responsible and thoughtful approach.

We are thrilled to be starting the process of bringing back to work more singers, dancers, technicians and other cast members, from one of the most popular shows at Walt Disney World Resort. Expected this summer, the Harambe Theatre at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park will host that fan-favorite troupe of musical storytellers, along with Simba and his friends, in a celebration of the incomparable “Festival of the Lion King.”

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When it returns, “Festival of the Lion King” will be presented in a modified format to be mindful of the current environment. There will be adjustments to the show on stage and backstage, including updates to choreography to allow for appropriate physical distancing. We’ll also adjust how the audience is seated, in line with other theater-based experiences at Walt Disney World Resort.

So, who’s ready to clap along with “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” thrill to the fire knife performance during “Be Prepared,” swoon over “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?” and take in the joyous “Circle of Life?” It’s going to be an amazing celebration!