MouseStation 348 – The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
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Show run time 0:35:46
On today’s show, Mark and Mike take a look at the veritable smorgasbord that surrounds World Showcase Lagoon for the next 6 weeks.
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Feature: The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
On today’s show, Mark and Mike take a look at the veritable smorgasbord that surrounds World Showcase Lagoon for the next 6 weeks.
This year’s theme is “Foodie Cities of the World.”
This year, for the first time, Culinary Demonstrations, Wine Presentations, and Wine and Beverage Seminars are carrying an $8 charge, reportedly because people were tired of standing in line for a long time and then not getting in. A ticket equals guaranteed admission.
There are still some free experiences, though, including Authors without Borders presentations, Authentic Taste Seminars, Book signings and meet & greets, bottle signings, Edy’s Ice Cream’s Flavorhood display and presentations at Boston Beer Company’s History of Beer in America location, not to mention the Eat to the Beat concert series.
Last year, Mark ate lunch at 6 different countries, with dessert in a seventh. Mike noted that eating and drinking around the world can be as expensive as dining at a table service restaurant by the time you get to a full meal’s worth of food.
There’s a new twist to the wine walk this year, with it distributed through three pavilions instead of one location. Other special locations include the Taste of Puglia, Italy, the New York State Wine Adventure, and the Beer Hop.
Mike and Mark talked about what you may need to do to get wine back home, since you can’t carry it on the plane with you any more and shipping wine between states can be difficult.
This year’s Eat to the Beat concert series is again being kicked off by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, and closed by Los Lobos, with many diverse acts in between them. Even if you don’t know the act that’s playing when you’re there, it’s a free concert so you can give it a try and see if you like them.
There are all sorts of events going on inside the Festival Welcome Center (formerly the Wonders of Life pavilion). Mike remembered the pavilion as having much of the old Wonders of Life stuff still around. Mark noted that it all has been pretty much pulled down and/or painted over so that there’s really not much of the old decor left any more.
Don’t forget to check your Festival Guide before you get started. You can even download the Festival Guide and Festival Map before you get there.
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Twitter/Facebook poll questions
Here are the responses to some questions that Mark was asking on Twitter and Facebook in the last week. If you’d like to get in on answering these questions in the future, you can follow Mark on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
Are you going to WDW for the Food & Wine Festival? If so, what are you most looking forward to?
- We are attending. Looking forward to the extra desserts that are available! And I know at least a couple people in the group look forward to the additional selections of alcohol!
- I’ll be there in 16 days for Mouse Guest Experience II. Not sure if I’ll be visiting the F&W festival. I’m not a wine drinker… Food, on the other hand… 🙂
- Most definitely! Hoping to attend Party for the Senses, which is a tradition for us. Due the economy, probably wont’ be attending any other special events this year.
- Can’t wait. Attend the Party of the Senses every year – it’s my favorite day of the year. Also always spend 1-2 days eating at each country
- I hope to… what am I most looking foward to in regards to that? In case it’s not painfully obvious by my girth…the food!!
- i wish i was going!
- Yep! Going! I’m looking forward to a nosh-fest–a little of this, a little of that….all around the world!
- Sadly probably not.
- I wish i were, but our trip this year will be in December, long after Food & Wine is over. We have enjoyed it in the past and hope to go again in the future, just not this year.
- Too far but I do enjoy the one at DCA.
- We are going to WDW during F&W but not specifically for it. Looking forward to new tequila bar at Mexico pavilion.
- We will be there during it, but not specifically for it. Very much looking forward to it
- it’s an annual tradition.
- Yes! We are! We haven’t been since Jan and this year has been so bad for my family that we’re looking forward to just BEING there.
- Most looking forward to the food. And the wine. 🙂
- Absolutely going-can’t miss it! I mainly look forward to the wine, but the food is great too. 😉 Best time to use DDP snack credits
- I’m really hungry right now, so at this moment I’m looking forward to EVERYTHING. 😉 Greece is always a fav tho!
- Yes I’m going. Looking forward to the Mex City and New Orleans booths.
- I will not be going to the Food & Wine Festival. 🙁 I can always dream about getting there some day.
- yes! looking forward to all of it!
- cant make it this year
- Will be there for the last day of F&W
- most looking forward to fab desserts!
- my wife is running race 4 the taste. I am looking forward to rial festival, sister hazel, and MNNSHP
- grazing around the World. Stepping up to each booth and saying “one of each please!”. 🙂
- yes! I’m going, I’m looking forward to sampling wine around world showcase and the cheddar cheese soup from Canada!
Again, if you’d like to get in on answering these questions in the future, you can follow Mark on Twitter or friend him on Facebook.
Wrapping up
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