When the Great Depression ended in 1939, millions of American workers, having endured years of unemployment, began demanding job security and a stake in the new prosperity, leading to a radicalism that influenced labor relations—not least in the movie business.
The annual Disney culinary tour of flavors from six continents will expand in 2016 with nine extra days of sipping and savoring at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 14-Nov. 14, 2016. The 2016 festival, presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort, will grow from 53 to 62 delicious days, add a new interactive culinary experience and debut new marketplace tastes from around the world.
Growing in scope each year since 1996 as one of America’s top food festivals, the Epcot event features inspired flavors at more than 30 global marketplaces.
This year, “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops at the Festival Center offer guests a chance to learn a variety of culinary skills from chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros. Nightly Eat to the Beat concerts kick up the energy with new musical acts covering a broad range of musical styles and eras including rock, pop and rhythm and blues. Even more Disney resort festival experiences are planned, with a new brunch, cooking school and other fresh culinary adventures.
For a second year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer a wider range of taste sensations. Culinary icons like Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Masaharu Morimoto, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will entertain foodies and inspire their palates at new and returning premium events that include reimagined Party for the Senses grand tastings with new concepts and themes.
Festival guests can pair wines, beers and ciders with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the World Showcase Promenade using their complimentary festival passports as a guide.
New marketplace menus debut and festival favorites return – Hard soda float, anyone? Guests can choose a favorite hard soda to mix with vanilla ice cream for a sweet treat at Desserts & Champagne marketplace. A savory vegan dish will debut at the Greece marketplace, and the popular Farm Fresh marketplace will showcase Florida’s bounty with new savory dishes.
Multiple new Eat to the Beat concert acts debut; fan favorites return to play 186 festival concerts, in all –Wang Chung (Everybody Have Fun Tonight!) will open the Eat to the Beat concert series Sept. 14-15. More new acts in the concert series lineup, including Delta Rae and Toad The Wet Sprocket – will rock their chart-topping tunes. Other popular acts, including Wilson Phillips, Boyz II Men and Jeffrey Osbourne, will return to the America Gardens Theatre stage this fall.
Celebrity chefs, wine experts and mixologists join the fun – Celebrities ranging from Rock Harper to master sommelier Andrea Robinson will share their food and beverage know-how during demos and premium events. At the new “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” workshops, guests will put expert advice to use whether mixing cocktails, decorating cakes or using herbs to kick up a dish’s flavor.
The popular Festival Private Label California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are back and available by the bottle or by the glass.
Ratatouille returns — Chef Remy of “Ratatouille” returns with his fun-for-the-family culinary scavenger hunt.
Festival Center cooks on all burners –Festival Center highlights will include the complimentary Back to Basics weekend series featuring epicurean tips and tricks from the pros, book and bottle signings and The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli and offering guest samples.
Rest and recharge at the Chase Lounge – Chase debit and credit card members –
including Disney Visa card members — will find complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments, a charging station and comfortable seating for a relaxing break at the Chase Lounge at American Adventure.
Plan for a premium adventure:
Included with Epcot Admission:
Back to Basics series, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.
Special Programming by Reservation:
The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. When a reservation booking date is announced this summer, guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) and get details at epcotfoodfestival.com. Join the discussion on social media using #epcotfoodfestival.
– See more at: http://wdwnews.com/releases/2016/05/13/21st-epcot-international-food-wine-festival-will-present-62-days-of-culinary-delights-sept-14-nov-14-2016/#sthash.p7qRvfXG.dpuf
Walt Disney and Lucasfilm on Wednesday revealed The Star Wars Show—a new “digital variety series” that will stream a new episode every week on YouTube and will feature exclusive news and footage related to the massively popular franchise’s movies, television shows, video games, merchandise, and other related products.
While we’ve gotten glimpses and heard rumblings about the upcoming Shanghai Disney, the opening is still a month away. But, a few lucky people were able to explore the park early and, lucky for us, posted pictures on places like Twitter and Instagram.
| Magic Kingdom® Park | |
| Monorail The Walt Disney World® Resort Monorail System is undergoing refurbishment and may be on modified service and/or routes. If Guests plan to use this form of transportation during their visit they should check to be sure of the best option available on their day of travel, as alternative transportation options will be available. |
Through June 2016 |
| Epcot® | |
| Soarin’ Stave Church Gallery House of the Whispering Willows |
Jan. 4, 2016 – Summer 2016 Apr. 20 – May 27, 2016 May 2 – Jun. 16, 2016 |
| Disney’s Hollywood Studios® | |
| Pizza Planet Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream Voyage of the Little Mermaid |
Jan. 19 – Late 2016 Jul. 16 – 19, 2016 Jul. 24 – 27, 2016 |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park | |
| None | |
| Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park | |
| None | |
| Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park | |
| None | |
| Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort | |
| Soft Goods Refurbishment | Apr. 2 – Oct. 14, 2016 |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge | |
| Concierge Lounge Closed for refurbishment. An alternative lounge location will be available during this time. |
May 7 – 22, 2016 |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House | |
| Soft Goods Refurbishment | Jan. 1 – May 20, 2016 |
| Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village | |
| Soft Goods Refurbishment | Jul. 15, 2016 – Jan. 24, 2017 |
| Disney’s Beach Club Villas | |
| Soft Goods & Bath Refurbishment | Jan. 22 – Aug. 17, 2016 |
| Disney’s BoardWalk Inn | |
| Flying Fish Restaurant | Through Summer 2016 |
| Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort | |
| Jamaica Village Pool | Through May 19, 2016 |
| Trinidad South Pool | May 2 – Jun. 15, 2016 |
| Martinique Pool | May 31 – Jul. 1, 2016 |
| Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground | |
| Construction work in Loop 2100 There will be increased traffic throughout the resort between the hours of 9:00 am and 5:00 pm. Guests should allow extra time for travel. |
Through July 2016 |
| Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort | |
| Beach Renourishment Project | May 1 – Fall 2016 |
| Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside | |
| Routine Roof Maintenance During this time Guests may see work in progress. |
Through Summer 2016 |
| Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa | |
| Treehouse Villas Soft Goods Rehab | Feb. 7 – Jun. 22, 2016 |
| Disney’s Vero Beach Resort | |
| Hard Goods Refurbishment | Through Summer 2016 |
| Shutter’s and Bleacher’s Bar & Grill Closing to make way for new dining experiences coming soon |
June 2016 |
| Disney’s Wilderness Lodge & Villas | |
| General Resort Refurbishments Due to extensive refurbishment projects, Guests will very likely see and hear construction work in various areas throughout their stay. To minimize disruptions, we will attempt to limit work until after 9:00 a.m. At this time, many popular areas will remained closed – including the Hidden Springs Pool (the leisure pool at The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge), beach, marina, playground and more. In addition, certain pathways, like our nature trail, will be unavailable, and surrounding views may be altered. However, the recently renovated Silver Creek Springs Pool will remain open and boat transportation to Magic Kingdom park will continue to be offered. |
Through 2017 |
| Cub’s Den (Children’s Activity Center) – unavailable | Through 2017 |
| Sturdy Branches Health Club – unavailable | July – October 2016 |
| Buena Vista Palace | |
| General Resort Refurbishments Due to multiple resort refurbishment projects, Guests will notice construction work in various areas. The pool will be unavailable. The spa pool, located in the main tower will remain open for all guests. Additionally, neighboring hotels on Hotel Plaza Blvd. will allow Buena Vista Palace guests to use their pools during this time. Watercress Café will be closed during this time, however, the one80 Sports Bar and Restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. |
Through June 2016 |
| Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel | |
| Guest Room Renovations Renovation work is scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily. No guests will be accommodated in the renovation area as to minimize impact on the guest experience. |
June 2016 – September 2016 |
| Disney Springs™ | |
| Roadwork on Buena Vista Drive Due to heavy roadwork, expect delays on Buena Vista Drive. It is recommended that Guests use complimentary Walt Disney World Resort transportation from Parks and Resorts to Disney Springs and plan to arrive early for reserved dining and entertainment experiences. |
Through May 2016 |
| Planet Hollywood | Jan. 6 – Summer 2016 |
| Fulton’s Crab House – reopening as Paddlefish | Apr. 4 – Fall 2016 |
| Golf Courses/Miniature Golf | |
| None | |
Information and dates subject to change without notice.
Michael Vargo has been named Vice President, D23, Special Events and Disney Corporate Creative Resources, it was announced today by Zenia Mucha, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, The Walt Disney Company.
A 24-year Disney veteran, Mr. Vargo will oversee D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and the Walt Disney Archives. He will also lead production and digital technology operations at Disney Corporate Creative Resources, the in-house creative agency that serves Disney’s Corporate departments. Mr. Vargo, who previously served as Director, Corporate Special Events and General Manager of D23 Expo, will report directly to Ms. Mucha.
“Mike has displayed superb leadership and talent in producing special events that showcase the very best of Disney, from our Annual Meeting to the spectacular D23 Expo that draws tens of thousands of fans from around the globe,” Ms. Mucha said. “His deep knowledge of the Company and understanding of the Disney brand make him perfectly suited to lead D23 and the Walt Disney Archives to even greater achievements.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be working with the talented teams at D23, the Walt Disney Archives, and Disney Corporate Creative Resources as we deliver creative and innovative content, produce first-class special events, and share our company’s rich history with our fans and audiences worldwide,” Mr. Vargo said.
Rounding out the D23 and Archives leadership teams are Kristin Rodack, Director of D23 Membership and Marketing, Jeffrey Epstein, Director of D23 Communications and Creative Content, and Rebecca Cline, Director of the Walt Disney Archives.
Mr. Vargo began his career at Disney in 1992 at Disneyland Entertainment. He served as Senior Production Manager, Walt Disney Special Events Group & Disney Live Family Entertainment from 1998 to 2004, before being named Director, Corporate Special Events. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications.
When I was a kid I loved Disney Dollars. For those unfamiliar, they’re Disney’s paper notes that look like real money and feature cartoon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Dumbo on the front.
Ever since “Aladdin” first hit the big screen, fans of the film have imagined what flying on a magic carpet would be like. In 2001, a new Adventureland attraction offered Magic Kingdom guests a taste of the soaring, tumbling, and freewheeling experienced by Aladdin and Princess Jasmine. While a variation on the classic “Dumbo” spinner ride, “The Magic Carpet of Aladdin” offers a few new twists on the familiar experience.
Disney has long been a place for brides-to-be to make their fairy tale wedding dreams come true, but before saying “I do” many people are saying “yes” at the Happiest Place on Earth.
A comment on my last blog post regarding music and radio got me going off on a tangent today. The comment made mention of Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, which put my brain off and running on a semi-related path. And I haven’t even had the chance to write up my post on the importance of music in the original Epcot Center, have I? I can’t remember. Anyway.
