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Epcot — 1 Comment
19
May 13

Tour of the Secret Parlor Inside Epcot’s American Adventure at Walt Disney World

As major Disney enthusiasts, I think that many of us would like to say that we know every inch of Walt Disney World property. Sadly there are some areas of the parks that are just off limits to day guests. These special areas aren’t relegated to cast members. Oh no. Some of the most gorgeous spaces are reserved for special events held inside the walls of Walt Disney World Theme Parks.

Let’s talk about the hidden areas of Epcot shall we? Some of you have heard about the sponsored lounges which are attached to the Epcot pavilions. We brought you a behind the scenes look at the secret lounge inside of Mission Space as well as the Siemans Spaceship Earth Lounge. Today we are going to take a look at a private area atop the American Adventure Pavilion in World Showcase. This space is not a sponsored lounge, but a private area used for special events such as meetings and wedding receptions. It’s called The American Adventure Parlor.

Here’s a look at what the view must be like from up here.

Have You Ever Been to an Event Inside the American Adventure Parlor?

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Marketplace Eats {a Food Review} and Sushi Pudding

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival food dole whip

The 2013 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival started five days ago and today will mark my third day attending. I just can’t get enough of the new “Garden Marketplace” additions to the festival!

If you haven’t heard the news yet, the “Garden Marketplaces” are booths where guests can try culinary creations and special libations inspired by the gardens around World Showcase. This portion of the Flower & Garden Festival shouldn’t be confused with the Epcot Food & Wine Festival. While it is a similar concept, the “Garden Marketplaces” have completely different menu items and all of the dishes offered are inspired by Spring and the gardens which surround them.

During my recent “research trips” I tasted and sipped all kinds of Garden Goodness. Let’s take a look at the hits and misses of the festival thus far.

My first stop was in between Canada and the UK.

The Cottage: Savories, Trifles and Teas

epcot flower and garden marketplace cottage disney

Here I tried one of favorite items of the entire festival! On the left we have the Potato, Chive & Cheddar Cheese Biscuit with Smoked Salmon Tartare and Sour Cream ($4.25). This was divine and oh so filling. The biscuits are baked right on site and are soft and moist with a touch of course salt. The salmon filling is generous with just a drizzle of sour cream and a hint of dill. This was the only menu item that I went back for seconds later on in the day.

In the center is an unsweet Peach Cold Brewed Iced Tea ($2) Sweeteners are available at the booth and I found the tea very refreshing.

On the right is the Baked Goat’s Brie with Kumquat Chutney ($4.50). This dish was a surprise. The cheese is baked in puff pastery and then smothered with the chutney. While my brain anticipated something more on the savory side, my mouth enjoyed something similar to a turnover. As an uber puff pastery fan, I really enjoyed this dish!

Also available at “The Cottage” were an assortment of trifles

the cottage trifles epcot flower and garden marketplace disney

The three options (available individually $1.50 or as a trio $3.75) were Chocolate, Berry and Ginger Tea Trifles. The chocolate was probably my favorite. If there’s a chocolate option for dessert, its the one I’m usually going for. The berry was light and refreshing and then we have the Ginger Tea. This one I called sushi pudding for the rest of the day. Green tea mousse with candied ginger on top. I dare you to eat this one and not think of it as sushi pudding. It was so odd!

Next up we made a bee line for…

The Smokehouse: Barbecue and Brews

Y’all know I like my beer and this marketplace’s beer sampler was going to allow me to try four new brews!

the smokehouse beer flight epcot flower and garden marketplace

DISNEY NERD ALERT! If you look real close at one of the menu boards here you can see that it was previously used for the Korea booth during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.

The Smokehouse Beer Flight ($13) offers four distinct 6oz options (pictured lightest to darkest)

Mama’s Little Yella Pills from Oskar River Blues in Lyons, CO (Pilsner Czech style)
Liberty Ale from Anchor Brewing Co. in San Francisco, CA (India Pale Ale)
Red Ale from Orlando Brewing Company in Orlando, FL (Red Ale-Organic)
Blackwater Porter from Orlando Brewing Company in Orlando, FL (Stout-Organic)

epcot flower and garden marketplace smokehouse beer flight

While cute in name and color, the pilsner was my least favorite. I am not a light beer drinker and consider my palette a bit more sophisticated. If you are into American light beers, this may be right up your alley. The IPA was of course my favorite, followed by the delicious red and then the chocolatey porter. These beers are also available in 12oz options if you know which one you like and want to forego the sampler which comes in a convenient beverage carrier for portability.

epcot flower and garden marketplace beer BBQ disney

Of the two savory items on the menu here…there was a clear winner:

Smoked Beef Brisket with Collard Greens and Jalapeno Corn Bread ($6.75). The beef was tender and juicy and the collards were on point! Paired with the sweet yet salty and spicy savoriness of the cornbread and a beer, and this country girl was in foodie euphoria!

The Pulled Pig Slider with Cole Slaw ($5.50) was a distant second for me. The hubby found the cole slaw a bit vinegary for his taste. Make sure you head to the silverware cart for the BBQ sauce that should accompany this sandwich. It wasn’t a “miss” in my book but it definitely wasn’t as big a “hit” as it sounded.

I heard from other diners that the Rocky Road Brownie Mousse ($3) was THE dessert to try at the festival. I was full so I didn’t partake but here’s a photo to get your mouth watering in anticipation.

rocky road brownie mousse epcot flower and garden marketplace smokehouse disney

Here’s another stunner that I didn’t try cause my belly was just too full! Probably the one with the most cult classic following here and the star of the ‘Garden Marketplaces” is the Dole Whip with Siesta Key Spiced Rum ($6.25) available at the…

Pineapple Promenade

epcot flower and garden marketplace pineapple dole whip rum disney

My friend Beth’s pour seemed to be a little more generous than some of the other photos I’ve seen on the internet. I think the trick to this dessert is to take your spoon and mix all of the flavors together. That’s what I saw a lot of the customers doing. What’s not to love about this item? There’s also an unleaded version ($4) if you’d prefer. No Dole Whip Floats available here. Just the soft serve.

No jiggers here for measurements just non-bartender Cast Members free pouring. “Hey Frankie! Keep a pourin’!”

epcot flower and garden marketplace pineapple dole whip rum disney

I tried a 12oz cup of the Samuel Adams Cream Stout ($6.25) beer here. Nothing too remarkable. It was strong though!

garden marketplace pineapple sam adams cream stout disney

Here’s a dish that may make me have to hunt down Jens Dahlmann (Executive Chef of Epcot Food & Beverage) and beg for the recipe.

Primavera Kitchen

Probably the best representation of what the festival is about, the fresh asparagus and garden cocktail sauce over lobster scream Spring! The Asparagi con Aragosta all’Ortolana ($7.75) is a simple dish that packs a powerful punch. Growing up in Key West, I grew tired of lobster. We could catch them in the canal in our backyard and I had consumed so many of them in my youth that lobster was nothing special to me when I saw it on a restaurant menu. What made THIS dish was the creamy garden cocktail sauce. I wish there had been more lobster and asparagus on the plate as vessels to get more of the delicious sauce to my lips. Short of licking the plate, I devoured my portion!

epcot flower garden marketplace lobster asparagus cocktail sauce disney

There’s so much more that I want to share with you including dishes I tasted at “Florida Fresh”, “Jardin de Fiestas” and “Taste of Marrakesh” but I am literally heading out the door and back to the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival for more sampling. Stay tuned to Disney Every Day for more Garden Marketplace food pics. I will be sharing photos today on my official Facebook page as well Instagram. Give me a follow over there to see everything as it unfolds at the 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival!

runDisney — 10 Comments
27
Feb 13

2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon Meet Up Recap – A Peek Into This Exclusive runDisney Event

You would think it would take some experienced hackers to take down the entire Disney Parks Blog right? The runDisney twitter account hinted that a “sign up” post for the 2013 Princess Half Marathon Meet Up would hit the blog on Friday, February 15th and on that Friday, the Disney Parks Blog went DOWN. Too much runDisney traffic apparently crashed the server. Curious…I’d say there were a lot of runners F5ing the blog that day waiting to nab one of the coveted spots. The Meet Ups after all are pretty amazing! Celebrities, an intimate run thru the parks before opening, food, giveaways, Disney character meets and more! Who WOULDN’T clamour for one of those spots?

This Meet Up surely became a very fond memory for the runDisney enthusiasts who made it in. The event took place at Epcot on Friday morning, the first day of Princess Marathon Weekend. Attendees met up with fellow runners, Jeff Galloway (official runDisney consultant), Tara Gidus (runDisney Nutritionist), Sean Astin (Goonies, Rudy and Lord of the Rings), Ali Vincent (The Biggest Loser) , April Holmes (three-time paralympian) and members of the runDisney Team for the first part of the Meet Up which is the 3ish mile fun run. The group has the option of either a non-stop run or a run-walk-run. One day I will be able to go with the non-stop group but this wasn’t that day. =) We run-walk-runners waited patiently as the straight run group headed out under Spaceship Earth.

Then it was time for our run-walk-run to begin. We headed straight thru Future World and then hooked a left at Mexico making our way to the International Gateway. Once there, we exited the park and runners made the loop around the Boardwalk Resort Area and then back into Epcot via the International Gateway. Once inside the park again, we hooked another left in the UK and followed the World Showcase path back around finally ending at Germany. Here are some shots of the run

Once the running portion of the Meet Up was complete, guests entered Germany’s Biergarten restaurant for a light breakfast and special presentation.

Possibly one of my favorite pieces of information came from Faron Kelley (Director of Marketing and Communications for Disney Sports) who told us that WOMEN are driving the runDisney movement! #GirlPower Makes sense actually, considering Walt Disney World just hosted its first marathon where the ladies outnumbered the men.

Another treat. This little firecracker is four time runDisney Half Marathon winner Rachel Booth. She got up and talked a little bit about her training and fielded questions from the crowd.

Season Five The Biggest Loser winner, Ali Vincent had the crowd raising their hands high in the air as she asked audience members who had lost the most weight. This was a real eye opener for me as someone who has lost 35 pounds. There were so many ladies in the room who had lost as much or MORE weight than I. I still have another 60 something pounds to lose and this was just the motivation that I needed. If these ladies could do it, by god so can I!

Two lucky gals were plucked from the audience to be a part of the next presentation. One of the gals was my girlfriend Susan Pazera. Professional therapists from the new Senses, a Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort demonstrated massage recovery techniques. If you’d like to book a massage or other spa service you can give Senses a call at (407) WDW-SPAS.

The pinnacle of the Meet Up came when April Holmes, three-time paralympian, took the stage. I was so moved by her talk that I didn’t take one picture and just hung on to every word she said. Here’s a shot of her with just one of her Olympic medals. She relived the story of the moment in her life where she slipped getting onto a train and was subsequently pinned under that train costing her her leg. She then told us how her doctor brought her a magazine in the hospital right after she lost her leg highlighting the paralympics and how that started the fire in her to set some world records. What an inspiration!

April Holmes three-time paralympian disney princess half meet up

and what Meet Up would be complete without a few random draw runDisney giveaways with Sean Astin as the name picker?

Attendees were gifted a swag bag and park hopper ticket to return and enjoy the parks on their own before being escorted outside for photo opps with the celebrities and Disney characters.

sean astin princess minnie mouse half meey up disney

Of course I have to share this pic of me making a crazy face because one should always be able to make fun of ones self. That’s MacKidSuze and RunningatDisney looking cool as ever next to me.

Amanda Tinney Susan Pazera Sarah McGovern Luka runDisney

If you’d like to participate in a runDisney Meet Up please keep your eyes on the Disney Parks Blog which is where the events are announced. You can also follow runDisney on facebook and twitter where teasers are often announced before the event sign up post goes live! You can follow DisneyEveryDay on facebook as well as instagram for more runDisney and Disney fun.

I was invited to this event as media for DisneyEveryDay.com. I was not required to write this post and all opinions are my own.

Disney Food / Disney Special Events — 4 Comments
06
Feb 13

Disney to Sell Dole Whip with Spiced Rum

Are pigs flying? OMG! If I’m dreaming please don’t wake me up!

Disney is going to be selling leaded Dole Whips to guests. A cult Disney treat… adult beverage style! I can hardly wait! But these high octane frozen treats won’t be ‘doled’ out at Aloha Isle. They will be sold for a limited time in Epcot! March 6th – May 19th to be exact. The offering is part of a brand new feature of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. World Showplace Menu Offerings! Rejoice!

More Details on the Menu Offerings for the 2013 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Disney has released some new details on the food and libation offerings that will debut around World Showcase at this year’s International Flower and Garden Festival!

Garden Marketplace culinary creations ranging from smokehouse barbecue and shrimp with grits and Zellwood corn to a sweet “frushi” made with fresh fruits and coconut rice. Chefs are perfecting menus for marketplaces that will include Florida Fresh at World Showcase Promenade, Smokehouse Barbecue and Brew at American Adventure courtyard, Primavera Kitchen at Italy showcase, Hanami at Japan showcase and eight others!

Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the offerings!

Angel Food Cake with macerated Florida Berries

Watermelon Salad Surprise

Watermelon Salad with pickled Red Onions, Baby Arugula, Feta Cheese and Balsamic Reduction

Fresh Tomatoes from Farm to Table

Fresh Waterkist Farms Heirloom Tomatoes are paired with house-made Mozzarella, Minus 8 Vinegar and fresh Basil to create a mouth-watering dish at The Cottage: Savories, Trifles and Tea garden marketplace by the United Kingdom Pavilion.

Florida Shrimp with Tomato Wine

Shrimp and Stone Ground Grits with Andouille Sausage, fresh Zellwood Corn, Tomatoes and Cilantro. Hot Sun Tomato Wine by Florida Orange Groves Winery adds a perfect kick to pair with the dish.

Also around the World Showcase promenade…Garden Marketplace libations with a kick like Hot Sun Tomato Wine from Florida Orange Groves Winery and Dole Whip with Spiced Rum, as well as non-alcoholic drinks like Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade and Wild Berry Slush. Beverage specialists will feature brews and beverages at food marketplaces and at Fruits by the Glass and Pineapple Promenade.

Disney Cocktails Wine and Beer

(l-r) Watermelon Passion Fruit Cocktail, Orange Blossom Pilsner (both Florida Fresh marketplace) and Blueberry Blue wine (Fruits by the Glass marketplace).

Watermelon Passion Fruit Cocktail served with Cane Vodka from Florida Distillery LLC featured at the Florida Fresh garden marketplace.

Disney Mocktails

(l-r) Chilled Rose Blush Lemonade (The Cottage marketplace near UK pavilion), Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade (Pineapple Promenade marketplace) and Strawberry Slush (Florida Fresh marketplace).

I want to try them ALL!!!! See you out on the promenade!

Disney Special Events — 2 Comments
23
Jan 13

Dates and What’s New for the 2013 20th Annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival

Epcot Flower and Garden festival 20th

A blooming bounty of festival firsts will welcome Disney guests to the 20^th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival presented by HGTV March 6-May 19, 2013 at Walt Disney World Resort. First, the news:

Epcot chefs will cook up first-time festival food and beverage fun, with special cooking stations offering exclusive-to-the-festival bites along the park’s World Showcase promenade.
A new circus-like “Land of Oz Play Area,” based on the Disney fantastical film adventure “Oz: The Great and Powerful” to be released in March 2013, will debut a kaleidoscope of interactive fun.
Disney topiary experts will grow, shape and manicure a Fab Five Disney character topiary with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck (with Daisy Duck in a cameo) featured in a celebratory floral cookout scene in living topiary color at the park’s front entrance.
New illuminated gardens in the park’s Future World and World Showcase will cast a colorful glow over each festival evening.

Throughout the 75-day garden party, guests will discover festival surprises around every corner including new topiary triumphs, colorful garden displays, a butterfly bounty, HGTV celebrity designers, interactive gardening seminars and whimsical children’s play areas. On weekends, top Flower Power rockers of the 1960s and ’70s will perform.

Every Friday through Sunday, HGTV design celebrities will host Festival Center seminars. During opening weekend, March 8-10, Chris Lambton of “Going Yard” will appear; other designers scheduled to take the stage include Brandon Johnson of “My Yard Goes Disney” and Meg Caswell of “Meg’s Great Rooms.”

Now the details:

Festival-themed flavors: Guests will discover culinary creations and refreshing libations at multiple festival-themed food and beverage locations. Chefs are tweaking the menu to include backyard barbecue and a variety of garden-inspired and global tastes. Around the World Showcase promenade
Fab Five topiary barbecue: 14-foot-tall topiary Goofy will bobble an anniversary cake while Donald and Daisy play badminton, Mickey fires up the grill, Pluto swipes a link of hot dogs and Minnie chills out on a colorful blanket of blossoms. At Epcot Front Entrance
Land of Oz Play Area: This interactive new children’s play zone will feature play systems adorned with giant flowers and designed to stretch kids’ imaginations and muscles. Midway-style games, red-and-white circus-themed tents and the “Oz Movie Garden” of intriguing plants will capture the spirit of the upcoming “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” Also on tap: fun games, photo opportunities, the “great and powerful Oz’s” crashed hot-air balloon and lush plants inspired by the movie. On the Imagination Walkway
Illuminated Gardens: Every night when the sun sets, many of the festival’s world-famous Disney topiaries and gardens will twinkle and shine in a new light. Throughout World Showcase and Future World
“Monsters University” topiary: Floral representations of Mike and Sully from the hit Disney-Pixar film “Monsters, Inc.” and stars of Disney-Pixar’s June 2013 release, “Monsters University,” will join the festivities as new topiary family members. On the Future World Walkway
Phineas and Ferb topiary: The popular Disney Channel animated celebs limit their shenanigans to go green for a family photo-op. Behind Spaceship Earth
“Radiator Springs” interactive play zone: Race car Lightning McQueen and tow truck “Mater” of the Disney-Pixar film “Cars 2″ will be the well-maintained topiary stars of this play area. On the Test Track Walkway
Flower Power Firsts: 1970s top disco band The Village People (April 19-21) and 1960s singer-songwriter Tommy Roe (May 3-5) bring on the Flower Power beat when they take the concert stage. At America Gardens Theatre

And a new twist:

Tinker Bell’s Butterfly House: Eight fanciful fairy topiaries of Pixie Hollow, including Tinker Bell, Fawn, Vidia and Terrence, take over the Butterfly House this year where hundreds of colorful winged beauties flit to life. On the Imagination Walkway.

In all, more than 100 topiaries, 240 floating mini-gardens, dozens of flower towers and sweeping beds of multi-colored blooms will add floral splendor to the park landscape. Daily hands-on gardening seminars, and other Festival Center events will offer innovative ideas, design tips and gardening know-how to park guests. The festival, including all gardening programs and exhibits, is included in regular Epcot admission.