News: Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

More news on the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival front today!

If you enjoyed the Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival last year, we have great news: the package is returning again in 2015! And even better — Walt Disney World passholders can book the Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for a 15% discount!

Not to be confused with the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tasting Sampler, or the Epcot Food and Wine Premium Package, the Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival offers you a combination of VIP experiences, special events, and opportunities to learn from Disney Chefs and other Festival notables in a whole new way.

Your special Food and Wine Festival experience, which will last the full day, includes all of the following:

Seating for What’s Cooking With…, which includes a champagne toast (See our list of who will be appearing each week on our Food and Wine Festival Special Events Page)
A special beverage demonstration, including Wine, Spirits, and Craft Beer, in the VIP Lounge at Festival Center
Escort to experience Soarin’ and Test Track attractions
A Private Tasting and Pairing Event with Disney Chefs at the new Sustainable Chew Marketplace Booth which includes tasting of 3 of the most popular Food and Wine Festival pairings
Backstage VIP Tour of The Land
Gold Badge Seating at the Eat to the Beat Concert, plus another champagne toast
VIP Reserved area for IllumiNations viewing

Please note that terms and inclusions in the package are, of course, subject to change. [Read more…]

News: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concerts Eligible for FastPass+ Selection

By AJ 4 Comments

If you’re hoping to catch one of your favorite acts at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series during the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival — but don’t so much care for the waiting in line part — then we have some good news for you!

Of course, Eat to the Beat Dining Packages are certainly an option (operating in the same fashion as the Candlelight Processional Dining Packages during the holidays). But perhaps you do NOT plan to eat a full meal at a Table Service Restaurant during the Festival, preferring to eat your way around World Showcase throughout the day among the Festival Marketplace Booths.

Well, guess what! You can now select a FastPass+ for your preferred date and concert time for your Food and Wine Festival day at Epcot!

So, how do you begin?

Just login to the My Disney Experience portion of the Disney World website (which is what I did for the screenshots below), or use the My Disney Experience app and begin the FastPass+ selection process.

My Disney Experience

You’ll notice that an Eat to the Beat Concert is eligible as a Tier 1 attraction for Epcot. [Read more…]

#OnTheList: Zebra Domes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

By AJ 13 Comments

This post is part of the DFB #OnTheList series, where we feature eats you’ve GOT to have while you’re at Disney! Let us know what’s on YOUR Disney Food Bucket List @DisneyFoodBlog #OnTheList!

This week’s #OnTheList item is approaching cult classic status when it comes to Disney food: Zebra Domes! You can find these beauties at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at both Boma and The Mara.

Zebra Domes are #OnTheList

At Boma, Animal Kingdom Lodge’s buffet restaurant, you can eat as many as you want any night of the week. Just high-tail it over to the dessert table!

The Mara, AKL’s counter-service location, usually has Zebra Domes in their refrigerated grab-and-go section. They’re sold in sets of four.

Pack of Zebra Domes at The Mara

So what’s a Zebra Dome? An Amarula Cream Liquor mousse is enrobed in panna cotta-esque white chocolate and drizzled with chocolate and chocolate shavings. The whole thing sits atop a thin cake base.

Zebra Dome

While this is, indeed, #OnTheList, this is the kind of dessert that you either love or hate. Because of the flavors included, this is often a favorite for those who also enjoy Tiramisu.

Zebra Dome Cut In Half

The flavors that really jump out for me are caramel from the Amarula and the white chocolate.

Enjoying a Zebra Dome In The Lobby At Animal Kingdom Lodge

You may have to travel to Animal Kingdom Lodge for this #OnTheList item but they’re an iconic Disney food that you have to try at least once!

Will you be adding Zebra Domes to your Disney Food Bucket List? Let us know with a comment below!

What’s On YOUR Disney Food Bucket List?

Zebra Domes are featured on the DFB Disney Food Bucket List — #OnTheList! Check out the list for more must-eats, and tweet, instagram, and Facebook your Disney Food Bucket List items @DisneyFoodBlog with #OnTheList!

One Month ‘Til the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

By AJ Leave a Comment

OK, everyone — only one month left ’til the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival begins. But I think we should start celebrating now! So let’s save some dough on the DFB Guides!

It’s our mission to make sure that every visit you make to Walt Disney World is as delicious as possible. And that goes double for the most wonderful time of the year — the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

So as we count down to the Festival, we’re celebrating with a month of savings!

Start Planning For Your Visit Today with the DFB Guide to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival e-Book!

This week, we have two brand new deals for you!

DFB Guide to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Of course, there’s no way that we can kick off a Countdown to the Festival without special savings on the book that WILL help you have your best Disney World visit ever.

To start the celebration, we’re offering the DFB Guide to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival for $3 off! Just use code COUNTDOWN at checkout to save big on this important DFB Guide!

With more than 240 pages and tons of bonus items, it’s jam-packed with the information that you need to make the most of your festival days! Learn all about the DFB Guide to the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival here!

This fan-favorite guide includes customized bonus items that surpass any other Food & Wine Festival coverage that’s out there. These include:

A full, daily schedule of events for every day of the festival — this is the only place you’ll find this schedule anywhere!
A printable World Showcase Booth Menu Checklist that you can use to plan, and easily bring with you to the festival
Themed World Showcase booth crawls, including “Fun Eats for the Kids,” the “Carnivore Crawl,” the “Continent Crawl,” and so many more!
Food and Wine Festival customized Touring Strategies for One Day visits, Budget-Conscious visits, and even one to celebrate the TV Show The Chew!
A chapter dedicated to all “New for 2015” events, menu items, booths, and more
Full food, wine, beer, winery, cocktail, and chef indexes, including dates and locations of where you can find your favorites
Epcot Food and Wine Festival recipes
Top tips on how to use MyMagic+ and the Disney Dining Plan at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival
And so much more!

[Read more…]

Review: Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in Epcot’s UK Pavilion

By AJ 17 Comments

Join us as we visit Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room for lunch!

Learn About:Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

The traditional British Pub, located on the edge of the lagoon in Epcot’s UK Pavilion, offers an authentic experience for lunch, dinner, and drinks.

It had been a while since I’d visited the Rose and Crown; so on a recent trip my husband and I made an advance dining reservation and headed over. This is the spot to find comfort food, and I have fond memories of dining here with my parents and older brother back when you had to make your reservations via the World Key kiosks when you arrived at Epcot!

Let’s take a little tour before settling down to eat.

Atmosphere

Like any good British pub, the Rose and Crown anchors the little “village” we know as the UK Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. It’s the first structure you come to on your left as you exit the Canada Pavilion.

Rose and Crown Pub ©DisneyFoodBlog.com

The Rose and Crown actually offers a couple of different service options. You can head into the Pub and order a pint or anything else from their full bar as well as a few “pub grub” food items, or you can dine at their table service restaurant. (But the English Bulldog, sadly, has still not made a return.) If you’re doing the latter, you’ll check in at a podium outside of the Pub. [Read more…]

Disney Daydreaming: Toy Story Land Dining Options

By AJ 19 Comments

So, you might say it was kind of a BIG DEAL out at the D23 Expo, what with the announcements about the new Skipper Canteen Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant coming to Adventureland, and a little thing called STAR WARS LAND coming to both Disneyland and Disney World’s Hollywood Studios.

Of course, there was even more news than that… from Soarin’ Around the World updates coming to Epcot to more information about Pandora — The World of AVATAR, and, of course, Toy Story Land also on the way to Hollywood Studios.

Toy Story Land Concept ©Disney

Now, I know that’s not exactly food news, per se, but Toy Story Land is going to cover 11 acres so it’s going to be HUGE. Let’s face it — there’s gotta be some food going in there somewhere! [Read more…]

Commemorative Wine Glass for WDW Passholders at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival

By Kim LaPaglia 8 Comments

With the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival fast approaching, we know you’re just as excited as we are about this can’t miss event taking place September 25-November 16, 2015!

And for the 20th anniversary of the festival, Disney World has a special offer for Walt Disney World Passholders. [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: August 23, 2015

By Brooke Leave a Comment

We had hardly caught our breaths from confirming that Skipper Canteen, a new Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant, would soon open in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom before more doings were announced.

The Original and Chocolate Lover’s Kitchen Sinks

Not only will new Star Wars Lands make their ways to both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, but we’ll also be seeing a brand new Toy Story Land as well!

As we keep tabs on all of the latest developments regarding these changes, we’re also sharing all the news that’s coming out this week. Check out what’s new for the week, from cool new Disney apps to special premium Halloween Events!

Oh, and did you know there’s a CHOCOLATE Kitchen Sink Sundae???

Disney Food News

We’re checking in at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World to show you the latest round of changes as the area transforms into Disney Springs.
There’s a new Shop Disney Parks App, which includes a loooooonnnnnggg list of edibles that you can order from the comfort of home!
We’ve also spied a new Adventurer’s Club sign for sale that’s sure to be a hit with fans of the now-defunct Pleasure Island hotspot!
More details are emerging about Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak scavenger hunt, which guests can participate in during the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
AJ kicks off a brand new series, #OnTheList, which features all of the best Disney Food Bucket List favorites! This week, we’re checking out the Kitchen Sink Sundaes from Beaches and Cream!
The Happy HalloWishes Dessert Premium Package is now Available to book during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including menu updates, restaurant closures, special events, and more! [Read more…]

Review: Village Haus in Disneyland

By AJ 10 Comments

We’re taking in a meal at a classic stop in Disneyland — The Village Haus!

Village Haus Sign

I don’t get to this corner of Disneyland nearly as much as I should. It’s waaaaaaaaay in the back corner — head into Fantasyland and hang a left.

But since a very similar restaurant exists in Walt Disney World — Pinocchio Village Haus in Fantasyland — I usually find myself skipping THIS Village Haus in lieu of one of my favorite spots, like Cafe Orleans. [Read more…]

Review: Fairfax Salad at Fairfax Fare in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

By Brooke 13 Comments

Fairfax Fare

has a cool, out-of-the-ordinary meal to try when you’re beating the pavement at Hollywood Studios.

Learn About:Fairfax Fare

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World Restaurants

This is the spot for Gourmet Hotdogs while visiting the ‘World. We can recommend the yummo Mac & Cheese (and Truffle Oil & Bacon) Hot Dog here.

Also, anyone who enjoys barbecue will want to check out their smoked specialties, like Chicken and Spareribs. Or grab your iconic Smoked Turkey Leg should the craving take hold (and Toluca Legs Turkey Co. isn’t serving, which is often the case). It’s served as a meal at Fairfax Fare, with Baked Beans and Coleslaw on the side.

We recently conducted all kinds of delicious research for the upcoming Grand Launch of the 2015 edition of the DFB Guide to Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Snacks. So it was the perfect opportunity to check out a few the menu items here that we haven’t enjoyed yet!

And guess what? We found a delicious salad at Fairfax Fare that’s sure to appeal to the most ardent meat lover out there. Let’s check it out.

The Fairfax Salad at Fairfax Fare

If you’re on the hunt for Fairfax Fare, head down Sunset Boulevard and hang a left before you make it all the way to Tower of Terror. The walk-up window location is part of the Sunset Ranch Market.

Fairfax Fare at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

This area is home to several counter service options at DHS, like Anaheim Produce, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, Catalina Eddie’s, and Hollywood Scoops. [Read more…]

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED

News: Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

News: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concerts Eligible for FastPass+ Selection