DISCOVER TOP REASONS TO VISIT EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL – INCLUDING ROCKIN’ BURGER BLOCK PARTY

From cooking demos and live music to delicious food and wine, there are so many reasons for you to experience this year’s Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival at Walt Disney World® Resort! Today, we’re taking a closer look at one of those tempting opportunities – the Rockin’ Burger Block Party.

When you think of burgers, they usually start with beef and a bun – but the rules are different at this event. You might find the beginnings of a traditional sandwich, and then the chefs take the flavor to a whole new level with patties like an Indian-inspired Malai Chicken Mushroom Burger or a pork slider with aji amarillo chile slaw and avocado on brioche.

These are just two of seven impressive burgers at the first party on Sept. 30, 2016 at World ShowPlace. Other parties will take place on Oct. 14 and Nov. 11 where all-new creations will be featured, with music and plenty of libations adding to the fun. You can even vote for their favorite burger!

The Sept. 30 event features celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan with that Malai Chicken Mushroom Burger. Here’s some other tasty competitors:

  • STK – their famous “lil BRGs” with Wagyu beef, special sauce and a sesame seed bun
  • Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant – a beer-battered burger topped with garlic aioli, tomato chutney and greens.
  • Disney’s Beaches and Cream – the Sunrise Burger with chorizo, candied Canadian bacon, avocado spread topped with a quail egg and sriracha mayo on an English muffin.
  • D-Luxe Burger – the classic Southern style: a beef burger topped with a friend green tomato, pimento cheese and Applewood-smoked bacon on a soft, sweet Parkerhouse roll.

Chef Alex Seidel, a James Beard finalist (with a Colorado blended lamb burger) plus six other local restaurant competitors will participate on Oct. 14. And Nov. 11 stars celebrity Chef Jehangir Mehta (doing a mushroom-blended “Graffiti” burger) along with six others.

All three parties take place from 7-9 p.m. and the cost is $99-$199 plus tax and gratuity.

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Disneyland Resort in Southern California Offers Guests of All Ages a World-Class, Family Vacation Destination

On July 17, 1955, Walt Disney opened a groundbreaking new concept in entertainment called Disneyland, with the goal of being a place where adults and children, families and friends of all ages could have fun together. Today, Walt’s dream has evolved into a national treasure.

Through six magical decades, the original 18 attractions that comprised Disneyland Park have grown into the Disneyland Resort – a sprawling 500-acre resort destination featuring two renowned Disney parks, three beautiful hotel properties and the exciting entertainment, dining and retail fun of the Downtown Disney District.

Located in Anaheim, California, approximately 25 miles south of Los Angeles, the Disneyland Resort provides guests from around the world with thrills, fun and unique Disney magic. The Resort features two theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park, along with one of the top-rated family resort destinations in the country, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, as cited in “Travel & Leisure Family.” The Disneyland Resort is, according to many travel surveys, the number-one family resort destination in the western United States.

DISNEYLAND

Renowned as “The Happiest Place on Earth,” Disneyland is Walt Disney’s original theme park and the centerpiece of the Disneyland Resort. Covering 85-acres, it has grown to include eight themed “lands” including Main Street, U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country, Fantasyland, Mickey’s Toontown and Tomorrowland.

Featuring more than 60 adventures and attractions, Disneyland boasts some of the most quintessential Disney theme park experiences in the world including classics such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, “it’s a small world,” Matterhorn Bobsleds and Indiana Jones Adventure.

With unforgettable seasonal events featuring popular shows and attractions such as Haunted Mansion Holiday, Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, “it’s a small world” Holiday, snowfall on Main Street, U.S.A and A Christmas Fantasy Parade, Disneyland is an ever-evolving experience. As Walt Disney desired, Disneyland is in a constant state of “becoming” with new adventures and attractions always on the drawing board.

In 2006, Pirates of the Caribbean, the classic Disneyland attraction brought to the big screen in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, added new characters (such as Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa) from the blockbuster entertainment franchise. In June 2007, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage surfaced in Tomorrowland. The underwater adventure features the eight submarines of the fondly remembered “Submarine Voyage” attraction and is inspired by the Disney presentation of the Pixar Animation Studios film, “Finding Nemo.”  In 2011, guests began exploring new adventures – six new destinations in more than 50 different 3D combinations – at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.

Construction of a new Star Wars-themed land began in 2016.

In 2013, Disney Princesses began interacting with park guests in the new Fantasy Faire, a royal setting near the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Guests may also see Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters in a dazzling adventure filled with music, fun and special effects at the stage show “Mickey and the Magical Map,” presented daily on the Fantasyland Theatre stage.

DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE

Disney California Adventure, located across from Disneyland, offers guests even more fun with some of the most popular attractions and shows at the resort. Through Disney storytelling and imagination, Disney California Adventure invites guests to enjoy the wonder and beauty of California in its themed lands: Hollywood Land, “a bug’s land,” Pacific Wharf, Paradise Pier, Grizzly Peak and two additions in 2012: the colorful and welcoming Buena Vista Street marking the entrance to Disney California Adventure, and the spectacular 12-acre Cars Land, inspired by the Radiator Springs setting of the Disney●Pixar movie “Cars.” In 2015, the Condor Flats area was reimagined as Grizzly Peak Airfield, an extension of Grizzly Peak inspired by the lush High Sierras of California.

With the completion of a five-year expansion project, continuing the growth of Disneyland Resort as a multi-day, world-class vacation destination, Disney Imagineers have brought more of Walt Disney into the 60 acres of Disney California Adventure. The park celebrates the hope and optimism of California that attracted Walt to this land of opportunity in the 1920s. In 2010, the nighttime water spectacular “World of Color” debuted, with a new viewing area along Paradise Bay. In 2011, guests began taking magical journeys on The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, In 2012, Buena Vista Street, inspired by the Los Angeles of the 1920s and ‘30s, began welcoming guests entering Disney California Adventure with the Red Car Trolley and an array of restaurants and shops.

Crowning the expansion was Cars Land, with its vast Radiator Springs landscape, its “road trip”-themed restaurants and shops, and exciting attractions. Today, Cars Land features fan favorites such as the thrilling highway competition of Radiator Springs Racers, the swinging, dancing tractors of Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, the tasty “cone-coctions” of Cozy Cone Motel and the delicious house-made pies of Flo’s V8 Cafe.

One of the many exciting attractions at Disney California Adventure is Soarin’ Around the World–a breathtaking virtual hang-gliding tour over some of the world’s most amazing landmarks and scenic wonders. Another guest favorite is Toy Story Mania!, an attraction that invites guests to enjoy a high-scoring, immersive adventure, entering a wild 4D world of game play.

Along with Woody, Buzz and favorite “Toy Story” characters, special effects add a fourth dimension of fun.

Guests at Disney California Adventure experience California-style fun on such attractions as the thrilling twists and turns of California Screamin’ roller coaster, the chilling supernatural mayhem of The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror, and the icy-cold, white-knuckle rafting of the Grizzly River Run. Fun is even found in the smallest of places such as a bug’s land, inspired by the Disney●Pixar film “A Bug’s Life” and featuring the 3D antics of It’s Tough to be a Bug!

In 2016, the 2000-seat Hyperion Theater debuted an all-new stage production, “Frozen–Live at the Hyperion,” immersing guests in the world of Arendelle with elaborate costumes and sets, special effects and scenic transformations. In the nearby Disney Animation attraction, Turtle Talk with Crush provides fun for the whole family with some interactive magic.

Guests at Disney California Adventure also may meet Anna and Elsa at “Anna & Elsa’s Royal Welcome.”

DOWNTOWN DISNEY DISTRICT

Bridging the two theme parks and three hotels is Downtown Disney, an admission-free entertainment, dining and retail district. The 300,000-plus square-foot Downtown Disney District includes Starbucks, ESPN Zone, Rainforest Café, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Earl of Sandwich, AMC 12 and more than 20 retail shops including Sephora and LEGO Imagination Center. Guests can also board a Disneyland Monorail for a trip from the high-energy of Downtown Disney to the futuristic landscape of Tomorrowland in Disneyland.

DISNEYLAND RESORT HOTELS

The Disneyland Resort is also home to three hotels that are just footsteps away from the thrills of the Disneyland Resort theme parks and the multitude of dining, entertainment and shopping at the Downtown Disney District. As a walking resort with close proximity of all parks and locales, the Disneyland Resort is noted for its convenience and ease of navigation, making it an ideal vacation destination for families with small children.

Designed in California’s renowned Arts and Crafts style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is a true testament to Disney’s hospitality and creativity. With the 2009 expansion, the Grand Californian hotel has 948 guest rooms, including 44 guest suites, and 50 two-bedroom equivalent vacation villas. The vacation villas, which include kitchens, living and dining areas and other home-like amenities, make up the first West Coast appearance of Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s innovative vacation-ownership program.

The hotel also has an array of fine dining including the nationally renowned and award-winning Napa Rose restaurant that provides specialty dining dishes, spectacular views of Disney California Adventure and expert sommeliers to assist in making the perfect selection from one of the finest collections of California wines anywhere in the world.

Storyteller’s Cafe is another dining experience within the hotel where kids and adults alike can enjoy a distinct meal with some of Disney’s favorite characters, including Chip & Dale. The Grand Californian also has three pools and the luxurious Mandara Spa.

For more than 50 years, the iconic Disneyland Hotel has provided its guests with a rich tradition of fun and warm hospitality.  The award-winning hotel has 973 guest rooms and 60 suites along with an array of fine dining including the award-winning Steakhouse 55 and Goofy’s Kitchen. A major renovation of Disneyland Hotel was completed in 2012, including updated rooms with new décor and surprises, a cleverly themed new water play area, two swimming pools, the Tangaroa Terrace casual-dining restaurant, Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar and re-theming of the hotel’s three guest room towers.

California’s breezy laidback beach lifestyle is in full effect at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. Inspired by a beach boardwalk hotel and boasting spectacular views of Disney California Adventure, the hotel has 481 rooms, including 25 suites.  For children, the dining highlight at PCH Grill features “Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends,” a character experience.

Guests may relax at the scenic outdoor terrace with its sparkling pool and bubbling spa.

All Resort hotel guests can take advantage of Pinocchio’s Workshop, located in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which is a fun and unique activity center for children between the ages of five and 12. Parents or caregivers can take advantage of this when they decide to take in a meal alone or take advantage of one of the many other entertainment offerings at the Disneyland Resort.  Kids will have an evening full of arts and crafts, computer games, Disney films, dinner and snacks while under the care of licensed supervisors.

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Watch – Finding Dory Hidden Seacrets

Disney/Pixar¹s FINDING DORY on Digital HD Oct 25 and Blu-ray Nov 15

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Disney/Pixar’s FINDING DORY on Digital HD Oct 25 and Blu-ray Nov 15

The summer blockbuster hit, Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory, swims home just in time for the holidays on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) onOct. 25 and on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on Nov. 15. Viewers can watch Dory’s hilarious and heartwarming quest to find her family and continue the underwater adventure with hours of immersive bonus features.
The film’s playful and plentiful bonus offerings include “Piper,” the theatrical short film starring an irresistible sandpiper hatchling; an all-new mini short featuring interviews with Dory’s pals from the Marine Life Institute; a behind-the-scenes look at the most challenging character Pixar has ever created; never-before-seen deleted scenes, including a digital exclusive featuring the Tank Gang from “Finding Nemo” who make it their mission to get Marlin and Nemo to the Marine Life Institute; and much, much more.
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Disney Launches Disney Enchanted Tales on iOS, Android

Disney announced the release of Disney Enchanted Tales on iOS and Android. The kingdom-building game allows users to construct buildings and interact with characters from popular Disney films.

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Red Cross and Disney Help Half a Million Kids and Families Prepare for Disasters

During National Preparedness Month in September, the American Red Cross is celebrating the significant impact of its signature disaster preparedness program for youth –The Pillowcase Project – which has reached more than 500,000 students nationwide, resulting in six lives saved.

The program, which is taught to 3rd – 5th graders in schools, after-school programs and summer camps, teaches students how to create their own emergency supply kit by packing essential items in a pillowcase for easy transport during an emergency. Students also have the opportunity to decorate and personalize their pillowcases. The program is sponsored by The Walt Disney Company.

“Understanding the unique needs of children is an important part of disaster preparedness planning,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. “Thanks to tremendous support from The Walt Disney Company over the past three years, The Pillowcase Project has grown significantly, enabling us to provide children nationwide with the necessary tools to remain safe during an emergency. We are extremely grateful for Disney’s commitment to this vital effort.”

The Pillowcase Project curriculum is structured by three core principles: Learn, Practice and Share. Students learn about hazards, how to prepare for emergencies, enhance coping skills, practice what they have learned and share their knowledge with friends and family. The program emphasizes the importance of developing an emergency communications plan, fire evacuation plan and emergency contact cards.

“It is vital to provide kids, families and communities with tools that make it simple to plan ahead for the unexpected,” said Kevin Callahan, vice president of community and engagement, Corporate Citizenship at Disney. “We are proud to work with the American Red Cross to inspire youth nationwide to take family preparedness action and help ease kids’ fears about emergencies.”

The Pillowcase Project was created in New Orleans, and was inspired by the story of local university students carrying their belongings in pillowcases during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Disney has helped the Red Cross expand the program nationwide by sponsoring The Pillowcase Project since 2013.

The Red Cross and The Walt Disney Company Encourage Disaster Preparedness:
In addition to The Pillowcase Project, the Red Cross worked with Disney to develop the Mickey and Friends Disaster Preparedness Activity Book, which has been distributed to more than 300,000 youth nationwide. The book teaches kids and families how to prepare for and respond to a wide range of disasters and emergencies through interactive games and activities. The book is available to download in English and Spanish.

Disney also sponsored the creation of Monster Guard – the first mobile app created by the Red Cross designed specifically for kids. The app complements The Pillowcase Project, and is a game where children role-play as various monster characters and engage in interactive training episodes for hazards such as home fires, floods and hurricanes. Since the launch of the app inOctober 2014, there have been more than 50,000 downloads.

Other Disney contributions to the Red Cross include the donation of over 300,000 Mickey Mouse plush dolls distributed to kids during disaster-relief operations and hundreds of hours of volunteer service through the Disney VoluntEARS program.

Disney is also part of a group of leading companies that are members of the Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). As an ADGP member, Disney helps to ensure the Red Cross is ready to immediately respond when a disaster strikes.

For information about The Pillowcase Project in your area, contact your local Red Cross chapter.

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MOANA WILL BE DISNEY’S FIRST ‘ACTION HERO’ PRINCESS

Moana isn’t your average Disney princess; she’s a cool Disney princess. During a press day for Disney’s anticipated animated flick, directors Ron Clements and John Musker — the dynamite duo behind The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Princess and Frog — revealed that they wanted Moana (voiced by teen newcomer Auli’i Cravalho) to stand out among Disney’s princess squad.

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Costco’s Selling Seriously Discounted Park Passes And Food Vouchers

You’ll still need a friend in high places—like, steeple of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle high—to snag a seat at Disney’s newest members-only lounge, 1901, but getting your foot in the door at the theme park itself has gotten a smidge cheaper, if you know where to look.

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21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival by the numbers

Walt Disney World Resort guests are invited to join the fun when the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase turns 21 from Sept. 14-Nov. 14, 2016. The longer-than-ever party will feature global and specialty cuisine, refreshing new beverages and three live concerts nightly.

The 62-day festival at Disney’s Epcot theme park will showcase 30 global marketplaces including four new Future World marketplaces featuring fresh culinary concepts to pair with select wines, beers, cocktails and other beverages. ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” will broadcast from the festival for the second year and will participate in one of the new Future World festival marketplaces, The Chew Collective. The festival is believed to be the largest food and wine event of its kind in the world.

Here are some fun facts about the 21st festival celebration:

  • Now 62 days long, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival began in 1996 with a first run of 30 days
  • At the 2016 festival, 30 global marketplaces will include new offerings like The Chew Collective in Future World’s Next Eats festival area and Islands of the Caribbean along the World Showcase Promenade
  • Producers of ABC’s “The Chew” will tape 5 episodes of the show before 5 festival guest audiences numbering in the hundreds for each show
  • The 21st festival will feature 32 new marketplace dishes and 49 (as of right now) new cocktails, beers, wines and ciders
  • In 1998, 200 domestic and international wines were poured at the festival. This year, at marketplaces and premium events, more than 300 domestic and international wines will be offered
  • More than 50 wineries and more than 35 breweries from around the world, including local craft beer operations, will be represented at festival marketplaces
  • The new “The Best of Epcot Festivals 2016” cookbook by Pam Brandon and the Disney Chefs features 75 recipes from the global marketplaces.
  • 3 Rockin’ Burger Block Parties and 6 Party for the Senses grand tastings will take place at World Showplace during the festival run. In all, the festival will feature 204 premium events ranging from Signature Dinners and Food & Wine Pairings to Beverage Boot Camps and Festival Events in World Showcase pavilions
  • Guest chefs and Disney chefs numbering 250 will present culinary demonstrations and will cook for festival events
  • Celebrity chefs and visiting culinarians from 10 countries and 26 U.S. states will participate in the festival at culinary demos, book signings, and special tasting events and dinners.
  • Nearly 400 culinary demos, beverage and interactive seminars will take place during the 62-day festival
  • During Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak festival scavenger hunt, guests can help Remy scour the park for the ingredients to make his signature dish, ratatouille. Along the way, they’ll find 12 Remy statuettes hidden in each of 11 countries of the World Showcase and at the African Outpost location. Guests can redeem the 12 stickers they’ve collected for one of 6 special pins at Select merchandise locations
  • More than 375 hours of scheduled seminars will take place at the Festival Center for the 62 days of the festival.  These include culinary demos and beverage seminars, the new Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It! interactive events, plus more
  • 186 Eat to the Beat concerts will be performed; 8 musical acts will appear for the first time at this year’s festival featuring entertainment ranging from rock and soul to funk and blues
  • The Festival Passport (previously called the Marketplace Discovery Passport) was introduced in 2010 for the 15th annual festival; today, the free passport will feature pages with all 30 festival marketplaces
  • More than 1,200 fireworks will explode each night over World Showcase Lagoon in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth nightime spectacular
  • Chase is the festival’s presenting sponsor for the 5th year; its Chase Lounge at the American Adventure Pavilion is open exclusively to Chase cardholders and offers an inviting place to relax and recharge
  • More than 225,000,000 festival dishes were served during last year’s 53-day festival
  • 100,000-plus desserts, including the Hard Soda Floats at Desserts & Champagne Marketplace, are expected to be served
  • In 1997, during the festival’s second year, festival planners introduced the first Grand Tasting culinary extravaganza; in 2002, the event was renamed and moved to World Showplace as Party for the Senses, now featuring up to 50 food and beverage stations and, in 2016, new and different themed entertainment for each event
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15 Fascinating Facts About the Making of Disney’s Moana

An adventurous young girl sets out with a demi-god to solve the mystery of her people in Moana, the upcoming film from Disney Animation. It sounds like a simple story, but as directors Ron Clements and John Musker can tell you, putting it on-screen is anything but simple.

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